The US Department of Energy has established a consortium to help the US secure a domestic supply of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (Haleu) for the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors.

The High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium Consortium will provide the secretary of energy with Haleu demand estimates for domestic commercial use, buy Haleu for commercial use, carry out demonstration projects using Haleu and identify opportunities to improve the reliability of the Haleu supply chain.

The DOE there is a very limited domestic capacity to provide Haleu from either DOE or commercial sources. This presents a significant obstacle to the development and deployment of advanced reactors and increases the risk of private investment to develop an assured supply of Haleu or to support the infrastructure required to produce it.