New HALEU deal brings compact nuclear reactors closer to military bases, space

A new US fuel deal could help put compact nuclear reactors in places where conventional power sources are difficult to use, including military installations and space. American nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy will provide High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to Antares Nuclear, a developer of advanced microreactors, under a multi-year contract. Deliveries are expected to begin before the end of the decade. The agreement also includes prepayments from Antares that will support Centrus’ expansion of HALEU production in the US. For Antares, the deal addresses a key requirement for deploying small nuclear reactors in military installations as well as space applications. The company has been selected for projects involving the US Army, Air Force and Space Force, including efforts to demonstrate nuclear power for military installations and a space reactor. HALEU enables compact reactor designs HALEU contains more uranium-235 than conventional low-enriched uranium, with enrichment levels above 5 percent and below 20 percent. Advanced reactor developers use the fuel because it can support smaller and more energy-dense reactor designs. For microreactors, that can be particularly useful when size, weight, and fuel endurance are important. These requirements become more demanding when a reactor is intended for remote military locations or space missions. “Fuel supply is one of the practical questions every advanced reactor developer has to answer,” said Jordan Bramble, CEO and Co-Founder of Antares. “This contract gives Antares a reliable, U.S.-origin source of HALEU for the reactors we’re deploying for a wide variety of defense and space customers.” Antares is developing compact reactors for critical missions on Earth and beyond. The company was recently selected for the US Army’s Janus Program at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the Air Force’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. Domestic fuel supply expands The contract also gives Centrus a customer as it expands its own enrichment capacity. The company is producing HALEU at its American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, which it describes as the only licensed HALEU production facility in the Western world. Centrus launched a multi-billion-dollar expansion last year to increase production of HALEU and conventional low-enriched uranium. The company says binding orders are supporting the move toward commercial-scale output. “This contract is another sign that demand for HALEU is real and it is accelerating, and Centrus is in prime position to meet this need,” said Amir Vexler, President and CEO of Centrus. “Binding orders from Antares and others are supporting our expansion to commercial-scale production – an expansion that is now well underway. We look forward to supporting Antares’ continued growth and success.” The fuel’s US origin is also significant for Antares’ national security work. Centrus says its enrichment technology and manufacturing supply chain are US-origin, allowing the resulting fuel to support a range of national security applications. Centrus’ AC100 centrifuge is designed for what the company calls “unobligated” enrichment, meaning the resulting uranium can be used for US national security missions without foreign-use restrictions. Antares achieved initial criticality of its Mark-0 microreactor in 2026 under the US Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. It is targeting electricity production from an advanced reactor in 2027, with initial production deployments at US military installations planned to begin in 2028. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.