Laser enrichment could reprocess nuclear waste for reactor fuel

A company called Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) is planning to use laser technology to reprocess uranium waste stored at a closed enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky. The waste, held in thousands of cylinders, contains small amounts of uranium that could be recovered and turned into feedstock for nuclear fuel. This approach could offer a more efficient alternative to conventional enrichment methods.

The project affects the nuclear fuel supply chain, particularly as countries like the US and China seek to build new reactors, including advanced designs. Nuclear power currently supplies about 9% of global electricity, and cheaper fuel production could help keep reactor projects on track. The waste material contains uranium with at least 0.25% uranium-235, which GLE aims to enrich to about 0.7%, matching the concentration of natural mined uranium.

GLE has a contract with the US Department of Energy to reprocess up to 200,000 metric tons of this material. The company’s laser enrichment technology is classified, but it relies on lasers to selectively excite uranium-235 molecules, making them easier to separate. Unlike centrifuges, which spin material to separate isotopes, laser enrichment uses precise wavelengths to target specific isotopes. GLE’s CEO, Stephen Long, says a full-scale plant would need fewer than a thousand laser units, compared to thousands of centrifuges for a similar output.

Interest in laser enrichment has grown as lasers have become more stable and reliable. A key driver is the geopolitical shift after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia has historically dominated the uranium enrichment market, but Western countries have moved to limit Russian imports, creating opportunities for new technologies. Charles Forsberg, a nuclear science researcher at MIT, notes that no one in the West built new enrichment plants while Russian supply was abundant, but the Ukraine war has changed that.

Another company, LIS Technologies, founded in 2023, is also pursuing laser enrichment. It has purchased a 200-acre site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and is in pre-application talks with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. LIS plans to enrich natural uranium to about 5% uranium-235 for conventional reactors, with future plans for higher concentrations for advanced reactors. GLE, meanwhile, is focusing first on reprocessing waste before moving to fresh material.

Next steps for GLE include scaling up its technology and completing the reprocessing contract. The company’s approach could reduce reliance on mined uranium and provide a domestic source of fuel. As demand for enriched uranium grows and Russian supply declines, laser enrichment may play a larger role in the nuclear fuel market.