Domestic Uranium Enrichment Gains First New Centrifuge
The first shipped unit feeds cascades projected for 2029, toward a planned build of 11,519 more centrifuges.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Nuclear
Centrus Energy shipped its first new gas centrifuge, built at its Oak Ridge, Tennessee manufacturing center, to its Piketon, Ohio plant on October 29. The development is a shipped component, not an operating enrichment expansion; the new cascades it feeds are scheduled to come online in 2029.
Why it matters
Centrus's Oak Ridge center is the only U.S. plant building gas centrifuges for commercial uranium enrichment, so the shipment marks a step in rebuilding domestic enrichment capacity. The effort follows a $900 million Department of Energy award to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at the American Centrifuge Plant in Ohio, and it comes as a Government Accountability Office report in August examined the National Nuclear Security Administration's unobligated uranium supply.
The milestone is a single shipped centrifuge, with the 11,519 remaining units and 2029 cascade start date described as plans and expectations rather than completed production. The stated 2029 timing and the $560 million figure are company projections and investment commitments, not measured enrichment output.
The players
Centrus Energy
A U.S. uranium enrichment company that operates the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio and manufactures gas centrifuges at its Oak Ridge, Tennessee center.
U.S. Department of Energy
The federal agency that awarded Centrus $900 million to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium at the American Centrifuge Plant in Ohio.
Government Accountability Office
The federal watchdog agency that issued an August report on the National Nuclear Security Administration's unobligated uranium supply.
The details
A gas centrifuge is a rapidly spinning cylinder that separates uranium isotopes by slight differences in mass, and enrichment raises the share of the fissile isotope used in reactor fuel. Centrus's new units will contain only U.S.-made parts, including casings sourced through its acquisition of Westerman Holdings. Centrifuges built at Oak Ridge will be assembled into cascades, which are linked groups of centrifuges, and added to the cascade already operating at the American Centrifuge Plant.
Timeline
January: Centrus announced plans to invest more than $560 million in expanding Oak Ridge production capacity.
August: A Government Accountability Office report on the National Nuclear Security Administration's unobligated uranium supply was issued.
October 29: The first new centrifuge was shipped from Oak Ridge to the Piketon plant.
2029: New centrifuge cascades are expected to come online.
The Tech Race
Centrus's Oak Ridge center is the only U.S. plant building gas centrifuges for commercial enrichment, and the company is building its domestic supply chain as a competitor, Eunice, New Mexico, operates its own commercial enrichment facility. The race centers on who can supply low-enriched uranium and HALEU for next-generation reactors, and Centrus's shipment is a concrete move in that contest.
The shipment does not change anything for people using nuclear power today, since the new cascades are not scheduled to operate until 2029. Ohio residents near Piketon will see the effect only if the expanded enrichment capacity reaches reactor fuel supply on the projected timeline.
The takeaway
Domestic enrichment capacity depends on whether Centrus meets its 2029 cascade target, so the key milestone to watch is that startup date. Readers should track whether the company confirms the cascades are running on schedule.
What happens next
Centrus expects its new centrifuge cascades to come online in 2029, the next milestone to track for the company's domestic enrichment expansion.
Further reading
For more on the reactor fuel supply this shipment supports, explore Nuclear coverage.
