Articles tagged with "uranium-enrichment"
US firm tests powerful nuclear laser to advance uranium enrichment
Global Laser Enrichment (GLE), a U.S.-based company, has completed a large-scale demonstration testing campaign of its SILEX laser uranium enrichment process at its Test Loop facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. The campaign, which began in May 2024 and will continue through 2025, aims to produce hundreds of pounds of low-enriched uranium (LEU) for nuclear fuel. GLE’s facility is notable as the world’s only uranium enrichment site that is not government-owned or heavily government-funded. The company, jointly owned by Australia’s Silex Systems and Canada’s Cameco Corporation, is working to commercialize this third-generation laser enrichment technology, which is considered more efficient than traditional methods like gaseous diffusion and gas centrifuge. The SILEX process uses highly selective laser excitation to separate the fissile uranium-235 isotope from uranium-238, increasing the concentration of U-235 needed for nuclear reactors. This technology is seen as pivotal for advancing domestic uranium enrichment capabilities in
energynuclear-energyuranium-enrichmentlaser-technologynuclear-fueladvanced-reactorsenergy-supply-chainUS reshores uranium processing with new enrichment facility deal
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has signed a lease agreement with General Matter Inc. to establish a new private-sector uranium enrichment facility on a 100-acre parcel of federal land at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) site. The PGDP, operational from 1952 to 2013, was originally used for enriching uranium for nuclear weapons and later for commercial nuclear fuel. This initiative aims to repurpose the site to support America’s goal of becoming a leader in nuclear energy by reshoring and expanding domestic nuclear fuel supply chains, which are critical for national security, commercial power generation, and scientific research reactors. General Matter, one of four companies selected by DOE in October 2024 to provide uranium enrichment services, plans to begin construction in 2026 and start uranium enrichment operations by the end of the decade. The lease includes access to 7,600 cylinders of uranium hexafluoride, which will be reprocessed to support reenrichment
energynuclear-energyuranium-enrichmentDepartment-of-Energydomestic-supply-chainnuclear-fuelnuclear-reactorsRussia sets nuclear enrichment record with next-gen centrifuge
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, through its fuel division TVEL, has developed a new tenth-generation gas centrifuge, the HZ-10, which sets a record in uranium enrichment efficiency and productivity. This advanced centrifuge surpasses all previous generations used at Rosatom’s facilities and is entering a pilot industrial testing phase before full-scale production. The HZ-10 is expected to significantly enhance the performance of Russia’s uranium enrichment plants, which currently hold over one-third of the global market share. While detailed technical specifications remain undisclosed, the development continues Rosatom’s long-term modernization program aimed at replacing older centrifuge models with more efficient machines like the GC-9+ and now the GC-10. Gas centrifuge technology enriches uranium by spinning uranium hexafluoride gas at high speeds to separate the lighter uranium-235 isotope from the heavier uranium-238. This process increases the uranium-235 concentration from its natural level of 0.7% to the 3.5
energynuclear-energyuranium-enrichmentgas-centrifugeRosatomnuclear-fuel-cycleenergy-technologyAtomic energy chief warns Iran could restart enriching uranium soon
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warned that Iran could resume uranium enrichment within months despite recent Israeli and U.S. airstrikes targeting its nuclear facilities. While these attacks reportedly caused significant damage and set back Iran’s nuclear program by 5 to 8 years, Grossi emphasized that critical components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remain intact. He noted that Iran may have relocated some enriched uranium stockpiles prior to the strikes and that the country’s nuclear knowledge and industrial base have not been destroyed. Additionally, the IAEA has found traces of enriched uranium at undeclared sites, which Iran has yet to explain satisfactorily. Grossi cautioned against simplistic intelligence assessments claiming short-term setbacks, arguing that Iran’s technical capacity to restart enrichment is largely preserved. He highlighted concerns over an estimated 900 pounds of uranium enriched to about 60 percent—enough, if further refined, to produce roughly nine nuclear weapons. The situation is complicated by Iran’s suspension of
energynuclear-energyuranium-enrichmentIran-nuclear-programIAEAnuclear-facilitiesatomic-energyUS strikes spared Iran’s nuclear reactors, satellite images reveal
Recent satellite images and reports reveal that U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, conducted during Operation Midnight Hammer, caused significant damage but notably spared Iran’s most sensitive nuclear reactors. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that three key reactors at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology and Research Centre, including a Chinese-built miniature neutron source reactor using highly enriched uranium, remained undamaged. Officials suggest this was a deliberate decision by military planners to avoid potentially catastrophic radioactive leaks and global precedent from hitting operational reactors. The IAEA has raised concerns about the difficulty of monitoring Iran’s nuclear program amid ongoing military actions and is pressing Iran to disclose the locations of its enriched uranium stockpiles. Satellite imagery shows that the Fordow enrichment facility, built into a mountain near Tehran, sustained heavy damage with multiple large craters and blocked tunnel entrances, though the extent of internal damage remains uncertain. Experts note ambiguity over whether some damage was caused by strikes or preemptive Iranian measures. Overall, while the
energynuclear-energyuranium-enrichmentnuclear-reactorssatellite-imageryinternational-atomic-energy-agencyIran-nuclear-programIran’s nuclear weapons program set back by 2-3 years, claims Israel
Israeli air strikes on June 21, 2025, targeted Iran’s Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, specifically hitting the uranium enrichment and centrifuge production facilities. The Isfahan site, built with Chinese assistance and housing around 3,000 scientists, is Iran’s largest nuclear research complex, featuring reactors, conversion and fuel production plants, and other laboratories. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strikes caused “significant damage” to Iran’s centrifuge production capabilities, setting back Iran’s nuclear weapons program by an estimated two to three years, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. The attacks followed an Iranian missile barrage on Israel, which was intercepted by Israeli air defenses. In addition to the air strikes, Israel intercepted 40 UAVs launched from Iran overnight, maintaining a 99% success rate since the start of Operation “Rising Lion.” The IDF also announced the killing of Saeed Izadi, a key Iranian military figure involved in coordinating between the Iranian regime
energynuclear-technologyuranium-enrichmentcentrifuge-productionIsfahan-Nuclear-Technology-CenterIran-nuclear-programmilitary-strikesIran's nuclear, military sites hit by 200 Israeli jets, IDF claims
Israel launched a large-scale airstrike against Iran on Thursday night and Friday morning, deploying over 200 fighter jets to target more than 100 nuclear and military sites, including the Natanz nuclear facility. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strikes hit the "heart" of Iran’s nuclear program, aiming to disrupt Tehran’s production of enriched uranium, which Israel says is bringing Iran closer to developing nuclear weapons. Iranian state media reported significant casualties, including the deaths of Hossein Salami, chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and six nuclear scientists, though these claims have not been independently verified. Iran denied any radiation increase at Natanz and stated that the Bushehr nuclear power plant was not targeted. The strikes occurred amid ongoing nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, with the sixth round scheduled in Muscat, Oman. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently accused Iran of breaching its non-proliferation obligations by failing to disclose details about undeclared nuclear material
energynuclear-energymilitary-technologydronesdefense-systemsuranium-enrichmentMiddle-East-conflictKế hoạch giảm lệ thuộc nước ngoài về nhiên liệu hạt nhân của Hoa Kỳ
energynuclear-energyuranium-enrichmentrenewable-energyenergy-supply-chainsustainable-developmentenergy-policy