Orano announced it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $900 million in funding to help build a new enriched uranium production facility in the United States, a project the company estimates will cost nearly $5 billion in total.
The proposed enrichment plant—known as the IKE project—would be located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Orano said the DOE selection supports its plan to deploy uranium enrichment capacity on U.S. soil and allows the company to proceed to the next steps, including finalizing the contract and submitting a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the first half of 2026.
Orano positioned the project as a new domestic source of enriched uranium supply intended to support U.S. nuclear reactor operators, particularly as U.S. regulations move to prohibit imports of Russian uranium starting in 2028. The company also pointed to rising electricity demand tied to artificial intelligence and data centers, arguing the plant would support reliable, low-carbon baseload generation by improving fuel supply security.
The U.S. investment would complement Orano’s expansion work in France, including an extension of capacity at its Georges Besse 2 enrichment plant. Orano highlighted its long-running enrichment operations at its Tricastin site, which rely on ultracentrifugation technology that it says is recognized for reliability and lower environmental impact.
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“This is excellent news for Orano and a decisive step forward on our project for an enrichment plant in the USA! This recognition by the US authorities is an illustration of the confidence they have in our expertise and our capacity to deploy our technology to ensure robust security of supply to our customers.”
Nicolas Maes, Chief Executive Officer, Orano
“We are very proud to have been selected by the US Department of Energy, as a mark of confidence in the know-how of our teams… This forward-looking project represents a major investment for the Orano group. We are keen to set the next steps in the process in motion and look forward to commencing production by the start of the next decade.”
François Lurin, Senior Executive Vice President, Chemistry-Enrichment Business Unit, Orano
