The UK may be poised to become the first European country to launch domestic production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). New funding announced by the country’s government this week signifies global momentum to establish a reliable supply of the specialist fuel that will be required for advanced nuclear reactors.
The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on Jan. 7 announced a £300 million ($382 million) investment to support HALEU production as part of a program that would support its goals to expand its nuclear capacity to 24 GW by 2050. The department also claimed that the program is geared to counter “Russia’s reign as the only commercial producer of HALEU” and “further isolate Putin’s Russia.”
