US & Supply of Dodgy Uranium

SMR firms race to build a nuclear fuel supply chain. Small modular reactor (SMR) developers in the U.S. have announced a string of deals and investments to secure steady supplies of HALEU nuclear fuel amid fears that the lack of a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain could delay the industry. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates the domestic demand for HALEU could reach 50 metric tons per year by 2035, with additional amounts required each year. However, Centrus Energy, currently the only U.S. maker of the fuel, aimed to produce 900 kilograms in 2024. The U.S. cannot import HALEU from Russia, the only global supplier of the fuel, because the Biden administration banned uranium imports, opens new tab from Russia following the Ukraine invasion. The HALEU supply chain needs to grow rapidly in order to meet future demand from SMRs, which will typically need to refuel every five to seven years, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

To tackle the looming deficit, the DOE in October awarded a total of ten contracts with companies such as Westinghouse, BWXT, Framatome, GE Vernova, Urenco, Centrus, and Orano to provide enrichment services that will help establish and build out a U.S. supply of HALEU and low-enriched uranium (LEU), and for deconversion services.

Reuters 31st March 2025

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/smr-firms-race-build-nuclear-fuel-supply-chain-2025-03-31/ ;