A single cylinder of enriched uranium has marked a major turning point for the Western power grid.Urenco USA has successfully produced its first commercial cylinder of Low-Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+) at its New Mexico facility. Russia has mostly dominated the global market for enriched uranium. It is a major first for the Western world and opens up powerful new options for both aging power plants and next-generation reactor designs. Next-generation Small Modular Reactors, such as high-temperature gas-cooled and sodium-cooled fast designs, feature smaller physical footprints than traditional power plants. Advanced compact cores depend on elevated U-235 concentrations to achieve maximum operational efficiency. Enrichment levels up to 10%Natural uranium consists of over 99% U-238 and under 1% fissionable U-235. For a long time, commercial reactors have operated on standard low-enriched uranium containing a 3% to 5% U-235. The newly introduced LEU+ expands these limits, raising enrichment levels up to 10%. The extra nudge in concentration is important.For existing light water reactors, LEU+ means plants can run much longer between refueling shutdowns, cutting maintenance costs and keeping reliable zero-carbon electricity flowing to the grid with fewer interruptions. For advanced reactor developers, it provides a stable, commercial-scale U.S. fuel source built right here at home.Also, LEU+ acts as a critical stepping stone. It serves as an optimal feedstock for producing High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) — enriched between 10 percent and 20 percent. It will boost production efficiency for high-tech reactor concepts currently on the drawing board.“A tremendous amount of work has gone into preparing our plant and our staff to reach this achievement,” said Jody Blackshear, Managing Director of Urenco USA. “Through the coordinated efforts of teams from across our site and company, we can now supply an innovative fuel option for our customers and support the next generation of nuclear fuel technologies.” Further, adopting LEU+ could help power plants extend operations by stretching 18-to-24-month refueling schedules out to 24 to 30+ months. Plants gain higher overall capacity factors and spend far less time offline for routine maintenance. Facility to boost domestic supplyCongressional passage of the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act established a vital strategic context for Urenco’s milestone. Federal restrictions on Russian low-enriched uranium create an urgent demand for domestic alternatives to secure the American power grid. Hence, producing LEU+ in New Mexico strengthens Western energy independence and reinforces domestic supply chains for both current and next-generation nuclear reactors. The development comes on the heels of a key regulatory hurdle cleared in September 2025, when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission authorized Urenco USA to enrich up to 10% U-235 across all of its gas centrifuge cascades.Now, the company is preparing for a massive scale-up.To meet growing demand, Urenco USA is investing to expand its New Mexico footprint and reach a capacity of over 7 million Separative Work Units (SWU) within the decade. Construction on a new dedicated enrichment plant will kick off in 2029, with the first new cascades going live in 2032 and additional capacity rolling out through 2036.