By: Matthew Kayser
America is experiencing a significant shift in its nuclear energy landscape. The country is in need of nuclear fuel to sustain its existing LWR nuclear fleet, and it is home to various companies focusing on developing highly efficient small modular reactors (SMRs) and modular microreactors (MMRs). The Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated efforts to establish a secure supply chain for nuclear fuel, and LIS Technologies is positioning itself to play a key role in potentially transforming the domestic nuclear industry.
The anticipated nuclear fuel challenge stems from a combination of factors. A primary driver is the growing demand for energy, with global awareness increasing that nuclear power will need to expand significantly in the next 25 years. Additionally, the rapid rise of AI has spurred the development of large data centers, which require enormous amounts of power.
Amid rising concerns about climate change and diminishing fossil fuel supplies, nuclear energy has emerged as a feasible option to power these data centers and possibly provide energy for other sectors. In recent years, reactor designers have shifted focus to building small, portable, and efficient reactors.
Until recently, the U.S. relied on importing nuclear fuel from Russia. However, when it became clear that such reliance posed a national security risk, the U.S. passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act in 2024. This law was a crucial step for national security, but it also created a fuel shortage that presented a challenge to the future of nuclear energy in the U.S. In response, the DOE began investing in efforts to establish a domestic nuclear fuel pipeline.
The DOE’s investment led to contracts being awarded to only six companies, including LIS Technologies. The company was selected because it is seen as having the potential to efficiently and rapidly produce large quantities of fuel at scale.
LIS Technologies specializes in laser isotope separation (LIS), which can be described as a form of laser uranium enrichment. This process involves increasing the concentration of U-235, the isotope needed to power nuclear reactors.
Uranium enrichment has traditionally been a slow and resource-intensive process. However, LIS Technologies’ advanced enrichment method may enable the quicker production of substantial amounts of fuel.
But what exactly does laser enrichment involve? Christo Liebenberg, the company’s President and Chief Technical Advisor, explains: “It involves selectively targeting only the U-235 isotope, enriching it in a single step up to the LEU [low-enriched uranium] level. If enriched a second time, it can be increased to HALEU [high-assay low-enriched uranium].”
Nuclear fuel is categorized as LEU or HALEU based on the concentration of U-235, and the required fuel type varies by reactor. The current LWR reactor fleet typically needs LEU, while newer reactors, such as SMRs and MMRs, generally require HALEU.
“We aim to produce fuel for all 94 of the existing U.S. civil nuclear power plants, which use LEU with up to 5% U-235,” says Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and CEO of LIS Technologies. “We will also produce HALEU, which is up to 20% U-235. We do not plan to exceed 20% as that would reach the threshold of weapons-grade material.”
It will take several years before LIS Technologies can scale its technology. Liebenberg emphasizes that the company must first demonstrate the process to the DOE, replicate results at a larger scale, and eventually build a commercial facility.
While the path ahead remains long, both LIS Technologies and the broader nuclear industry are optimistic about the future.
“There are many factors contributing to the revitalization of nuclear power,” Liebenberg says. “We are in the midst of what could be considered a second nuclear age.”
