Science2 hOctober 23, 2026, 00:05

Westinghouse to build first US nuclear fuel plant in 50 years for $1B

Westinghouse is spending about $1 billion on a LEU+ fuel plant at its Columbia facility in Hopkins, South Carolina, with operations set for 2030. Enrichment of 5–8% lets reactors run longer between refueling outages and supports the UPRISE uprate program. Separately, its eVinci microreactor reached criticality at 1,225°F.

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LEU+ plant investment is about $1 billion, with operations starting in 2030
LEU+ enrichment is 5–8%, versus under 5% for standard commercial fuel
The plant supports the UPRISE program to uprate existing US reactors
eVinci reached criticality at 1,225°F and subcritical reactivity at 1,852°F

#Westinghouse

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