US firm to boost commercial-scale production of advanced nuclear fuel

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $900 million task order to Centrus Energy, a Maryland-based company, to expand its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio. This expansion will enable commercial-scale production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), an advanced nuclear fuel critical for next-generation reactors. The project is part of a broader multi-billion dollar plan to increase both HALEU and Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) production, supporting commercial utilities, the existing reactor fleet, and national security needs. Centrus has already secured $2.3 billion in LEU purchase commitments from domestic and export customers, contingent on financing the new capacity. Centrus’ expansion is expected to create thousands of American jobs, including 1,000 construction jobs and 300 new operating positions in Ohio, plus hundreds more at its centrifuge manufacturing plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and across its supplier network. The company has been developing HALEU production