Nusano, a West Valley, Utah-based physics company, announced in a press release Wednesday the launch of a program to produce up to 350 metric tons of high-assay, low-enriched uranium by 2029.
The high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) program at Nusano makes it the first private company in the U.S. to offer a HALEU-based nuclear fuel solution at a scalable, commercial level, according to the company’s press release. HALEU is considered important in fueling the next generation of nuclear reactors, and contains between 10% and 20% of the fissile uranium-235 isotope, the practical limit for nuclear weapons.
“Domestic HALEU production is essential to enabling sustainable energy solutions,” Chris Lowe, CEO of Nusano, said in the release. “Through our HALEU program, Nusano is working to stabilize supply chains, significantly drive down the cost of fuel, and enable the deployment of advanced nuclear energy on a scale needed to support advancements in AI, data centers, electrification, and modern logistics.”
By fourth quarter 2026, Nusano said it hopes to produce initial commercial samples of HALEU, and then begin large-scale production in the first quarter of 2027. The press release said a single Nusano system can eventually produce over 60 metric tons of HALEU yearly, with Nusano’s eventual goal being to scale production up to 350 metric tons yearly by 2029.
The Donald Trump administration has issued a number of executive orders aimed at strengthening the domestic nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium enrichment and conversion as well as domestic uranium production. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright emphasized the importance of domestic uranium production in a hearing this week, mourning that there is “no American-owned enrichment based in the United States of America” today, and that he strives to build “commercial enrichment in the United States.”
The Joe Biden administration has also worked to increase American domestic uranium enrichment capabilities with a ban on Russian-imported uranium that will begin in 2028.
