Urenco USA starts its sixth new enrichment cascade, three-quarters of a 700,000 SWU expansion

Serguey Asael Shinder13 October 2026, 06:542 min read

Urenco USA has started production in the sixth cascade of new uranium enrichment capacity at its National Enrichment Facility in Eunice, New Mexico. With six cascades installed, the new capacity can produce more than 500,000 separative work units (SWU) a year.

The project. Between 2025 and 2027 the company is adding 700,000 SWU of capacity by installing eight centrifuge cascades in an existing building at the site. Urenco USA expects to install the seventh cascade later this year and the final one in spring 2027. The headline of its announcement describes the milestone as 75% completion of the current project.

Where it fits. The facility's existing capacity is 4.3 million SWU a year, which Urenco says can meet about one third of current US demand for low-enriched uranium. The company calls itself America's only commercial-scale producer of enriched uranium; the plant began operations in 2010 and made its first product shipment in 2012.

The larger plan. Urenco's stated goal is to expand domestic enrichment capacity to more than 7 million SWU over the next decade. In 2029 it will begin building a new enrichment plant at the site with 2.1 million SWU of capacity; the first cascades are due to start production in 2032, with more added through 2036. From 2027 the company will also begin refurbishing existing cascades.

What the company says about delivery. Jody Blackshear, managing director of Urenco USA, said the new capacity is being delivered "ahead of schedule and on budget", and that the company aims to raise its enrichment production by more than 50% to serve customers with both traditional and advanced reactors. Urenco links the expansion to the US Department of Energy's aims of accelerating new domestic capacity and strengthening the nuclear fuel supply chain.

Source: Urenco, "Urenco USA Completes 75% of Current U.S. Uranium Enrichment Capacity Project" — https://www.urenco.com/news/uusa/2026/urenco-usa-completes-75-percent-of-current-us-uranium-enrichment-capacity-project