Orano Awarded DOE HALEU Enrichment Contract
Orano brings certainty to developing U.S. HALEU enrichment with decades of experience operating and modernizing its uranium enrichment capabilities and as a long-term, reliable provider of enrichment services to U.S. utilities.
BETHESDA, Md., October 17, 2024 – Orano has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide enrichment services for producing High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) from new domestic capacity. HALEU enrichment is a critical
step in producing new nuclear fuels intended to power advanced reactor designs under development.
“As a successful, global leader for uranium chemistry, enrichment, and delivery, we have been participating from the very beginning in the DOE’s process for developing U.S. HALEU capacity that is reliable, diversified, and commercially viable,” said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO, Orano USA. “With the quickly growing demand for clean, steady nuclear energy in our nation, and most recently from top tech companies for energy-hungry AI and data centers, it is essential for the nuclear industry, with the support from DOE, to establish the needed HALEU supply chain now to be ready for powering advanced reactors. We are honored to receive this contract, in addition to the HALEU deconversion contract that we received earlier this month, and we are ready to deliver.”
Orano’s significant investment in the design and construction of an American HALEU enrichment facility would use existing modern ultracentrifugation technology to promptly and securely deliver HALEU capacity without the need for additional extensive research and development.
For more than 60 years, the companies and employees of the Orano group have developed real expertise in uranium chemistry, conversion, and enrichment.
After deciding to raise the production capacity of the Georges Besse II uranium enrichment facility in France by more than 30%, Orano is now proud to be selected by DOE for the development of a robust and integrated solution for HALEU, including enrichment and deconversion, which would be located on our preferred site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Based on its history as a DOE contractor for major projects, Orano’s HALEU enrichment project team provides certainty in performance and delivery by combining Orano’s proven capabilities with industrial expertise from teaming partners, including Kiewit, Spectra Tech, Shine Technologies (SHINE), and Navarro.
About Orano USA: Based in Bethesda, MD, with global headquarters in Paris, France, Orano is a leading technology and services provider for the commercial and federal nuclear industries. The company specializes in uranium mining/conversion/enrichment, used nuclear fuel management and recycling, decommissioning shutdown nuclear energy facilities, federal site clean-up and closure, and developing nuclear medicines to fight cancer.
“As a successful, global leader for uranium chemistry, enrichment, and delivery, we have been participating from the very beginning in the DOE’s process for developing U.S. HALEU capacity that is reliable, diversified, and commercially viable,” said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO, Orano USA. “With the quickly growing demand for clean, steady nuclear energy in our nation, and most recently from top tech companies for energy-hungry AI and data centers, it is essential for the nuclear industry, with the support from DOE, to establish the needed HALEU supply chain now to be ready for powering advanced reactors. We are honored to receive this contract, in addition to the HALEU deconversion contract that we received earlier this month, and we are ready to deliver.”
Orano’s significant investment in the design and construction of an American HALEU enrichment facility would use existing modern ultracentrifugation technology to promptly and securely deliver HALEU capacity without the need for additional extensive research and development.
For more than 60 years, the companies and employees of the Orano group have developed real expertise in uranium chemistry, conversion, and enrichment.
After deciding to raise the production capacity of the Georges Besse II uranium enrichment facility in France by more than 30%, Orano is now proud to be selected by DOE for the development of a robust and integrated solution for HALEU, including enrichment and deconversion, which would be located on our preferred site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Based on its history as a DOE contractor for major projects, Orano’s HALEU enrichment project team provides certainty in performance and delivery by combining Orano’s proven capabilities with industrial expertise from teaming partners, including Kiewit, Spectra Tech, Shine Technologies (SHINE), and Navarro.
About Orano USA: Based in Bethesda, MD, with global headquarters in Paris, France, Orano is a leading technology and services provider for the commercial and federal nuclear industries. The company specializes in uranium mining/conversion/enrichment, used nuclear fuel management and recycling, decommissioning shutdown nuclear energy facilities, federal site clean-up and closure, and developing nuclear medicines to fight cancer.