Urenco doubles its expansion plans for uranium enrichment in the Netherlands
Urenco, a multinational company specializing in uranium enrichment, has announced that it is doubling the scale of the expansion at its enrichment plant in Almelo, Netherlands. Originally, a first phase of about 750,000 separative work units (SWU) was announced in 2023, representing about a 15% increase at the site and scheduled to come online in 2027.
Urenco plans to double the expansion of uranium enrichment at the Almelo nuclear power plant in Netherlands
Now, in a second phase, Urenco plans to build an additional centrifuge hall to add roughly the same extra capacity again—bringing the total extra capacity at Almelo to about 1.5 million SWU by 2030. This brings the company’s total new global enrichment-capacity commitments to 2.5 million SWU, including expansions in the US (Eunice, New Mexico) and Germany (Gronau) via retrofits.
According to Ad Louter, Managing Director of Urenco Almelo, the expansion will support global supply security for nuclear fuel and enable stable employment locally. It will depend on supportive long-term government policy and utility contracts. He noted positive signals from utilities and governments, including the REPowerEU initiative to phase out Russian nuclear material.
The expension will support global supply security for nuclear fuel and enable stable employment locally
The nuclear fuel cycle
Natural (unenriched) uranium contains about 0.7% fissile U-235; the rest is mostly U-238. Most reactors use low-enriched uranium (LEU) with 3.5–5% U-235. New advanced designs and many SMRs need higher enrichments (5–20% U-235), called HALEU. Some reactors (e.g., Canada’s CANDU) run on natural uranium and don’t require enrichment.
Most reactors use low-enriched uranium, but new advanced designs like small modular reactors need higher enrichments
Enrichment raises the U-235 share by converting uranium to gaseous UF₆ and spinning it in gas centrifuges: the slightly heavier U-238-containing molecules move toward the outer wall while the lighter U-235-rich molecules concentrate nearer the centre. After enrichment, the UF₆ is converted back to an oxide powder, which is fabricated into fuel assemblies.
Source: World Nuclear News
