The United States has exactly one commercial uranium enrichment facility, and it is about to get a much needed expansion. Urenco USA announced that it is boosting the capacity of its New Mexico plant by nearly 50%. The multi-billion-dollar project aims to strengthen the country’s nuclear fuel supply as the nation looks to expand its nuclear power footprint.

Right now, the facility in Eunice, New Mexico, handles about one-third of what the U.S. needs. However, with this new investment, Urenco will build a brand-new enrichment plant on the site. They are using gas-centrifuge technology to add 2.1 million units of new capacity, installing up to 24 centrifuge cascades.

Enriched Uranium for the Grid and the Future

The plant makes low enriched uranium (LEU), the basic fuel keeping America’s current fleet of commercial light water reactors running. Together, they produce nearly 20% of the nation’s electricity. Down the road, this same fuel will also help create high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) for advanced reactors coming in the 2030s.

The first production lines will start up in 2032, and workers will keep installing them through 2036. Along with a separate expansion wrapping up in 2027 and some upcoming refurbishment work, the site’s total capacity will jump to over 7 million units in the next decade.

A Major Boost

“For more than fifteen years, Urenco USA has provided its U.S. utility customers with a reliable domestic supply of enriched uranium to power their nuclear reactors,” Boris Schucht, CEO of Urenco Global, noted. “This expansion reinforces our commitment to a resilient U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain focused on meeting the long-term needs of our customers as well as supporting U.S. energy security through continued investment by Urenco.”

The project is also a boost for the local economy. It will support between 300 and 600 U.S. jobs during peak construction, plus 70 permanent, long-term roles once operations begin. John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Urenco USA, highlighted this local impact.

“We are thrilled to be making this major investment in New Mexico and for the jobs and economic benefits it will bring to our local communities and the state,” Kirkpatrick said. “This is the most transformative expansion decision for Urenco in the past decade, and our New Mexico employees are ready to fuel the continued growth of the U.S. nuclear power industry by bringing this additional capacity online.”

Kirkpatrick added, “We are already preparing for the expansion and are excited to continue the work done onsite in recent years to add new capacity to our existing plant.”