Strengthening National Security
Our AC100 centrifuge is the only deployment-ready domestic uranium enrichment technology suitable for U.S. national security missions.
A unique role for centrus
The United States needs an American enrichment technology, owned by an American company, to meet our enduring national security requirements. Under U.S. law and binding international non-proliferation agreements, the foreign-owned enrichment plants that dominate the market today — all of which use foreign-origin technology — cannot supply enriched uranium for U.S. national security missions.
Centrus’ proven AC100 centrifuge design is ready and available to produce the “unobligated” enriched uranium that is required for a range of U.S. national security missions. Unobligated means that the material has been enriched using a U.S.-origin technology that is free from peaceful use obligations imposed by foreign governments. The natural uranium feedstock used in the enrichment must be from domestic sources as well.
Three Requirements
A domestic supply of enriched uranium is needed for a range of U.S. national security needs, including:
Tritium Production
Low-enriched uranium (LEU) is used in the production of tritium, needed to maintain the operational readiness of our existing nuclear deterrent. This LEU must be unobligated.
Naval Reactors
America’s entire fleet of aircraft carriers and submarines operate on Highly-Enriched Uranium (HEU), a fuel the country hasn’t been able to produce since 1992. This fuel must be unobligated.
Military Reactors
The U.S. military has multiple efforts underway to deploy reactors at U.S. military bases or other critical facilities. These reactors would be powered by High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), which may need to be unobligated depending on the particular mission.