The only operating commercial uranium enrichment plant in the United States, run by Urenco USA (Louisiana Energy Services) and supplying about one-third of US commercial enrichment demand. Six of eight new cascades in a 700,000 SWU expansion were producing by October 2026, and ground was broken in August 2026 on a further 2.1 million SWU plant due to start production in 2032.
New to HALEU and enrichment? HALEU, explained: the fuel advanced reactors need · The U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain, explained
Current state
| Status | Expanding |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Eunice, New Mexico |
| Operator | Urenco USA (Louisiana Energy Services, LLC) |
| Ownership | Subsidiary of Urenco Group, owned one-third by the UK government, one-third by the Dutch government and one-third by German utilities E.ON and RWE. |
| Facility type | Enrichment plant |
| Technology | Gas centrifuge |
| Products | LEU, LEU+ |
| Capacity (tSWU/yr) | 4,300 |
| Target capacity (tSWU/yr) | 7,100 |
| Target year | 2036 |
| License | NRC-licensed; NRC approved a licence amendment in Dec 2024 and gave final authorization on 30 Sep 2025 to enrich up to 10% U-235 (LEU+). |
| Government support | Privately financed (Urenco says the plant was developed without public funding); Louisiana Energy Services holds a DOE LEU-acquisition contract (Task Order 1 selection, Dec 2024). |
| Offtake | Supplies US utilities; first commercial LEU+ deliveries to a fuel fabricator were planned for 2026 (Urenco, Dec 2025); delivery not yet confirmed in sources found. |
Notes
Current capacity: Urenco (Oct 2026) says the facility 'produces 4.3 million SWU annually' (4,300 tSWU); IPFM gives 4,900 tSWU installed (2023) and 4,650 tSWU after the first expansion phase (Apr 2026), so baseline figures differ between sources. First three new cascades started May, Sept and Dec 2025 (IPFM); six new cascades add more than 500,000 SWU; seventh cascade expected later in 2026 and eighth in spring 2027. Target 7,100 tSWU = 4,300 existing + 700 expansion + 2,100 new plant (Urenco states 'more than 7 million SWU' over the next decade; full new-plant build-out through 2036). Refurbishment of existing cascades to start 2027. Investment to exceed USD 8bn.
Timeline
- 2010 — Commercial operation of the National Enrichment Facility began. (source)
- 2025-09-30 — The NRC authorized Urenco USA to enrich uranium up to 10% U-235 (LEU+). (source)
- 2025-12-11 — Urenco USA completed its first production run of LEU+ enriched to 8.5% U-235, the first above 5% at a US commercial enrichment plant. (source)
- 2026-03-30 — The fourth new cascade began producing LEU, marking the halfway point of the 700,000 SWU expansion. (source)
- 2026-06-22 — The fifth new cascade began production. (source)
- 2026-08-18 — Urenco held a groundbreaking ceremony with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright for a new 2.1 million SWU, 24-cascade enrichment plant at the site. (source)
- 2026-10-08 — Urenco announced production from the sixth new cascade, completing 75% of the current expansion project. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
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See all 29 facilities in the Uranium Enrichment & HALEU Tracker →
Sources
- Urenco USA Completes 75% of Current U.S. Uranium Enrichment Capacity Project — Urenco (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Urenco USA Advances U.S. Nuclear Fuel Supply with New Capability and Capacity — Urenco USA (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Urenco USA reaches half-way point of current U.S. capacity expansion — Urenco (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Urenco USA Celebrates Future Expansion with U.S. Secretary of Energy — Urenco (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Urenco USA gets OK to enrich uranium up to 10 percent — American Nuclear Society, checked 2026-10-11
- Federal Register: Louisiana Energy Services license amendment (Dec 10, 2024) — US Federal Register / NRC (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- More new capacity online at US uranium enrichment plant — World Nuclear News, checked 2026-10-11
- URENCO enrichment capacity expansion plans — International Panel on Fissile Materials, checked 2026-10-11
- Plans to expand the enrichment capacity — International Panel on Fissile Materials, checked 2026-10-11