Urenco
Urenco is a UK-headquartered uranium enrichment services company operating four gas centrifuge facilities across Germany, Netherlands, UK, and the USA, supplying enriched uranium fuel and advanced LEU+/HALEU products to nuclear power utilities worldwide through long-term contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersBellshill, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Urenco does
Urenco is a UK-headquartered, privately held uranium enrichment services company founded in 1970, operating four gas centrifuge production facilities in Gronau, Germany (3,400 tSW/a); Almelo, Netherlands (5,000 tSW/a); Capenhurst, UK (4,500 tSW/a); and Eunice, New Mexico (4,300 tSW/a) — the only commercial enrichment facility operating in the United States. The company's core product is enriched uranium supplied to nuclear power utilities for use in light-water reactors, alongside an emerging portfolio of advanced fuels (LEU+ with commercial production expected mid-2026, and HALEU with delivery targeted for 2031) to serve next-generation reactor designs. Urenco also produces stable isotopes for medical imaging and cancer treatment, operates tails management through Urenco ChemPlants, and provides nuclear materials stewardship and decommissioning services.
Urenco's commercial model is built on multi-year, enterprise-level enrichment supply contracts with nuclear utilities worldwide — including EDF (France), ČEZ (Czech Republic), Sizewell C (UK), Energoatom (Ukraine), and US utilities — frequently supported by government export finance (e.g., UK Export Finance, U.S. DoE contracts). This long-cycle, contracted structure produces a recurring revenue stream with a record €21.3 billion order book in FY2025 on a revenue base of over €2 billion, marking the fourth consecutive year of order book growth. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales through dedicated commercial teams; the company operates sales and logistics arms via Urenco Enrichment Company in London and Urenco Inc. in Arlington, Virginia.
Technology is differentiated through proprietary gas centrifuge design and continuous improvement handled by the Enrichment Technology Company (ETC), a joint venture with Orano that supplies centrifuge technology to Urenco and external customers. The company is scaling capacity materially — doubling Almelo expansion, adding 2.1 million SWU at Urenco USA, and qualifying LEU+/HALEU production lines — positioning for the Western energy security-driven demand cycle as utilities seek non-Russian enrichment supply.
Urenco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urenco
- Legal name
- Urenco Limited
- Website
- https://urenco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Urenco is a UK-headquartered uranium enrichment services company operating four gas centrifuge facilities across Germany, Netherlands, UK, and the USA, supplying enriched uranium fuel and advanced LEU+/HALEU products to nuclear power utilities worldwide through long-term contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urenco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nuclear Fuel Enrichment Services
- NAICS
- Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)
- SIC
- Hazardous Waste Management (4955)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Uranium Enrichment Services (Centrifuge/Laser, SWU Supply) (EUAKACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Advanced & Non‑LWR Fuel Manufacturing (TRISO, metallic fuels, HALEU fuels) (EUAKACAG)
Keywords
Where Urenco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellshill
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Urenco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Uranium Enrichment Services: Core business providing uranium enrichment services to nuclear power utilities. Customers supply natural uranium hexafluoride which Urenco enriches to specification. Revenue generated through long-term contracts with utilities worldwide.
- Fuel Cycle Products: Additional fuel cycle products and related solutions supplied to power generation industry beyond standard enrichment services.
- Stable Isotopes: Production and sale of stable isotopes for medical imaging, cancer treatment (brachytherapy), industrial applications, and research. Products include enriched Xenon-129 for lung MRI and Iridium for tumor treatment.
- Nuclear Stewardship Services: Management of nuclear materials, decommissioning, and recycling services through Urenco Nuclear Stewardship subsidiary.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Urenco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urenco is an international supplier of uranium enrichment services for the nuclear fuel supply chain. Using proprietary gas centrifuge technology across four operating facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA, the company enriches natural uranium hexafluoride supplied by customers to international specifications for commercial nuclear power plants. In addition to core enrichment services, Urenco produces advanced fuels (HALEU and LEU+), stable and medical isotopes (via Urenco Isotopes), tails management services (via Urenco ChemPlants), and nuclear stewardship/decommissioning services (via Urenco Nuclear Stewardship).
Product overview
Urenco is an international supplier of uranium enrichment services and fuel cycle products operating in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain for over 50 years. The company provides a diversified portfolio including core uranium enrichment services (LEU), advanced fuels (HALEU, LEU+), stable isotopes for medical applications, tails management through Urenco ChemPlants, and nuclear stewardship services. With enrichment facilities in Germany (3,400 tSW/a), the Netherlands (5,000 tSW/a), the UK (4,500 tSW/a), and the USA (4,300 tSW/a), Urenco operates the only commercial uranium enrichment facility in the United States. The company also offers specialized products including medical isotopes through Urenco Stable Isotopes and decommissioning services through Urenco Nuclear Stewardship. Recent expansions include a new 2.1 million SWU capacity addition at Urenco USA and a HALEU programme targeted for 2031 delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- U-Battery: Small modular reactor (SMR) development initiative in partnership with other companies.
- Richie
- Urenco Isotopes
Products and services
- Uranium Enrichment Services Urenco's primary service: providing safe, cost-effective and reliable uranium enrichment using proprietary gas centrifuge technology for power generation within high environmental, social responsibility and governance standards. Customers supply natural uranium hexafluoride, which Urenco enriches to international specifications.
- LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) Foundational enriched uranium fuel for America's existing operating fleet of commercial light water reactors, generating nearly 20% of the nation's electricity. Also serves as essential feedstock to produce HALEU.
- HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium) Advanced reactor fuel product with higher enrichment levels (5-20%) for next-generation nuclear reactors. Targeted for commercial delivery by 2031 as part of Urenco's advanced fuels programme.
- LEU+ (Low Enriched Uranium Plus) Enhanced low enriched uranium product bridging traditional LEU and HALEU specifications for modern reactor designs. Urenco USA received NRC authorization to produce LEU+ with commercial production expected by mid-2026.
- Urenco Stable Isotopes Uses Urenco's centrifuge technology expertise to produce stable and medical isotopes for medical, industrial and research applications, including enriched Xenon-129 (over 80%) for MRI lung imaging and Iridium for tumor brachytherapy.
- Urenco ChemPlants (Tails Management) Operates the Tails Management Facility in the UK which deconverts the by-product of uranium enrichment (tails) into a more stable form suitable for long-term storage, future re-enrichment, or final disposal.
- Urenco Nuclear Stewardship Manages nuclear materials, decommissioning and recycling services. Houses the UK's former Gaseous Diffusion Plant at the Capenhurst site.
- SWU Calculator Web-based tool allowing customers to calculate separative work units (SWU) for uranium enrichment requirements.
Quantifiable outcome
- Every customer order delivered on time and to specification since first product shipment in 2012
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Urenco
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Urenco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Urenco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- EnergoatomcoreUK Export Finance provided £210 million financing enabling Urenco to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's national nuclear power producer Energoatom for two years. Over a third of uranium processed at Urenco's UK plant in Capenhurst, supporting 650 skilled UK jobs. Deal secures Ukraine's energy supply amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
- EDFcoreAgreement signed at World Nuclear Exhibition for Urenco to supply uranium enrichment services for nuclear power stations across France.
- Sizewell CcoreMulti-year fuel contracts signed with Sizewell C project company for enriched uranium services covering the first six years of operation for the UK's planned nuclear power station using two EPR units. Agreements help sustain around 1,000 existing jobs at Urenco's enrichment site in Capenhurst.
- ČEZcoreNew contracts signed to supply energy company ČEZ with enriched uranium from European sites well into the 2030s.
- Enrichment Technology Company (ETC)coreJoint venture company owned by Urenco and Orano providing enrichment plant design services and gas centrifuge technology through subsidiaries in France, Germany, Netherlands and UK.
- IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)strategicUrenco funded a Coordinated Research Project with IAEA evaluating constructed wetlands as sustainable solution for treating mining wastewater. 37 countries submitted applications, resulting in 21 accepted participants, five research agreements and 16 research contracts.
- TU DelftstrategicPartnership with Dutch university to develop new generations of nuclear scientists and invest in talent for the nuclear industry.
- British Science AssociationstrategicPartnership to deliver CREST Awards in Netherlands and support science education programmes.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Urenco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TVEL: Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer and Rosatom subsidiary producing fuel assemblies for LWRs and advanced reactors. Competes with Urenco's downstream fuel cycle ambitions and benefits from integrated Russian enrichment supply.
- Cameco: Canadian uranium producer and nuclear fuel cycle participant with conversion services through JV with Brookfield. Not an enricher but a major competitor for nuclear fuel customer wallet share and a benchmark Western nuclear fuel pure-play.
- Westinghouse Electric Company: US-based nuclear reactor vendor and fuel supplier offering enrichment, fuel fabrication and broader nuclear services. Competes with Urenco across the fuel cycle and adjacent nuclear services, particularly to US and European utilities.
- Rosatom: Russian state nuclear corporation encompassing mining, conversion, enrichment (via Tenex/TVEL), fuel fabrication and reactor services. Largest integrated nuclear fuel cycle competitor globally and the primary driver of Western energy-security policy favoring Urenco.
- CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation): Chinese state-owned nuclear conglomerate with growing uranium enrichment capacity. Currently serves primarily domestic demand but represents the long-term emerging competitive threat to Western enrichers in global markets.
Emerging players
- Lightbridge Corporation: US-based advanced nuclear fuel technology developer designing next-generation metallic fuel rods. Competes with Urenco in the advanced reactor fuel space but at an earlier commercialization stage and without in-house enrichment.
Regional players
- KEPCO Nuclear Fuel: South Korean nuclear fuel manufacturer supplying primarily Korean and select Asian utilities. Not a direct enrichment competitor but a regional nuclear fuel cycle participant relevant for benchmarking Asian utility procurement strategies.
Direct peers
- Orano: French state-owned nuclear fuel cycle company operating the Georges Besse II enrichment plant and Urenco's JV partner in Enrichment Technology Company (ETC). Direct competitor in European uranium enrichment with overlapping customer base in European utilities.
- Centrus Energy: US-based uranium enrichment and HALEU producer, operating the only NRC-licensed HALEU facility in America. Competes directly with Urenco USA for US utility and DoE contracts, particularly in advanced reactor fuel supply.
- Tenex (TENAM): Russian state-owned uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel trading arm of Rosatom. Historically one of the largest global enrichers and direct competitor to Urenco, now restricted in Western markets but still relevant for global price benchmarking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Urenco social profiles
Digital presenceUrenco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urenco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Urenco subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries11 records
Urenco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urenco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Urenco
What does Urenco do?
Urenco is an international supplier of uranium enrichment services for the nuclear fuel supply chain. Using proprietary gas centrifuge technology across four operating facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA, the company enriches natural uranium hexafluoride supplied by customers to international specifications for commercial nuclear power plants. In addition to core enrichment services, Urenco produces advanced fuels (HALEU and LEU+), stable and medical isotopes (via Urenco Isotopes), tails management services (via Urenco ChemPlants), and nuclear stewardship/decommissioning services (via Urenco Nuclear Stewardship).
Is Urenco a public or private company?
Urenco is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Urenco founded?
Urenco was founded in 1970. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Urenco based?
Urenco is headquartered in Bellshill, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Urenco make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Uranium Enrichment Services are the primary driver. The others are fuel Cycle Products, stable Isotopes and nuclear Stewardship Services.
Who are Urenco's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TVEL, Cameco, Westinghouse Electric Company, Rosatom and CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation). Lightbridge Corporation is listed as an emerging player. KEPCO Nuclear Fuel is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Orano, Centrus Energy and Tenex (TENAM).
Does Urenco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urenco.
What industry is Urenco in?
Urenco's product category is Nuclear Fuel Enrichment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAKACAD, Uranium Enrichment Services (Centrifuge/Laser, SWU Supply), with a secondary code of EUAKACAG, Advanced & Non‑LWR Fuel Manufacturing (TRISO, metallic fuels, HALEU fuels). Its NAICS code is 562211 and its SIC code is 4955.