Urenco Announces New U.S. Uranium Processing Expansion

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Written by Paul Wiseman for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

A new expansion of USA Urenco's plant in New Mexico would add 2.1 million separative work units (SWUs) of new enrichment capacity. Expansions also are in the works in the Netherlands and the U.K.

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Project to Nearly Double Capacity

Urenco USA has announced a new expansion at its Eunice, New Mexico, National Enrichment Facility, to nearly double the plant's uranium processing capacity. This is the only commercial uranium enrichment facility currently in the U.S. According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 13 active capital uranium enrichment-related projects globally, with a total investment value of $3.81 billion.

New units are expected to begin coming online in 2032, with additional cascades being added through 2036. The newly-announced project will add 2.1 million separative work units (SWUs), the measure of effort required to separate isotopes of uranium, of new enrichment capacity using the company's gas-centrifuge enrichment technology. It will include up to 24 cascades of centrifuges, enabling the increased production of low enriched uranium (LEU).

A previously-announced expansion includes the installation of 700,000 SWUs of new capacity at the site.

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the Eunice expansion projects in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Chemical Processing Plant and Project databases, where readers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in the project reports and plant profile.

The Eunice facility's current annual capacity is 4.3 million SWU, which the company said "is approximately one-third of current U.S. demand." By 2036, the company said, installed capacity will reach more than 7 million SWU in the next 10 years.

What the Plant Does

LEU is used as the feedstock for light water nuclear reactors in the U.S., which generate just under 20% of the nation's power, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

LEU is also a feedstock for high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU), which contains between 5% and 20% of the fissile isotope U-235, as opposed to the 3-5% of current requirements. This is the fuel for most small modular reactors (SMRs) planned for the next phase of nuclear power expansion.

Its higher concentration is important in achieving the "smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies," and is currently unavailable from domestic suppliers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Import Perspectives

Currently, the U.S. imports just under 70% of its enriched uranium,1,300 to 1,500 metric tons of uranium (MTU) per year. U.S. nuclear reactors consume about 2.7 million SWUs in annual enrichment services, with imports from Europe and Russia making up the primary supply, according to a paper published in August 2025 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

One of the goals for Urenco's expansion is to reduce the need for that amount imports, for national security reasons.

Global Expansion Also Planned

Urenco is looking to grow its international enrichment capacity by 4.6 million SWU over the next 10 years. That total will include the Eunice plant, along with expansions to plants in the U.K. and the Netherlands.

In the U.K, Industrial Info Resources is following a Urenco enriched uranium plant at Chester, England, where there are plans to upgrade the facility and construct a new uranium enrichment facility with the capacity to produce up to 10 tons per year of HALEU for export or domestic use.

At its Almelo Uranium Enrichment and Stable Isotopes facility in the Netherlands, construction continues on an expansion, with plans for a Phase II expansion, along with a storage hall addition.

Key Takeaways

• Urenco's Eunice, New Mexico, plant is currently the only U.S. location commercially processing low enriched uranium (LEU). LEU is used in most reactors currently in service in the U.S.
• Urenco's stated goal is to increase national security.

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Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).