Centrus Energy Corp. (formerly USEC Inc.) is an American company that supplies nuclear fuel for use in nuclear power plants and works to develop and deploy centrifuge technology to produce enriched uranium for commercial and government uses, including for national security.
In 2019, Centrus began work under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to build a cascade of 16 centrifuges in Piketon, Ohio to demonstrate production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium, or HALEU.[3] HALEU is required for many next generation reactor designs, including nine of the ten reactor designs selected under the Energy Department's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.[4]
In June 2021, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a license amendment request for Centrus to enrich uranium up to a uranium-235 concentration of 20 percent, making it the first U.S. facility licensed for HALEU production. This is higher than the 5 percent level found in low-enriched uranium that is used in existing light-water reactors.[3]