Torrance, Calif.-based Antares Nuclear signed a long-term enrichment services deal with Urenco on May 21 to supply high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for its new microreactors.
Under the agreement, Urenco will provide enrichment services for HALEU to assist with Antares’ planned microreactors deployments across North America and other markets, Antares said in a press release. The fuel will be produced at Urenco’s HALEU enrichment facility in the United Kingdom.
Urenco’s new UK HALEU enrichment facility is currently under construction at its Capenhurst, Cheshire site in England. Urenco said it expects the facility to be in operation in the early 2030s, particularly in 2031. Urenco USA is expanding its plant in New Mexico that produces low-enrichment uranium.
“We are pleased to execute with Antares the world’s first multi-year contract for the supply of HALEU, which marks an important milestone in the maturation of this new market,” said Magnus Mori, Head of Advanced Fuels for Urenco. “With our UK HALEU facility set to come online in 2031, we look forward to a long-term supply relationship supporting the deployment of Antares’ reactor technology.”
Antares CEO Jordan Bramble said that this partnership will enable the company to deploy its reactors at scale with a commercial supply ready to meet its needs.
Antares is developing the R1 reactor, which is a sodium-cooled microreactor that is designed to produce between 100 kilowatts and one megawatt of electricity for both government and defense purposes.