Depleted uranium, a by-product of uranium enrichment, could become fuel for future molten salt reactors under a new cooperation agreement exploring more efficient use of nuclear materials.

European reactor developer Thorizon and uranium enrichment supplier Urenco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to examine fuel supply options for reactors targeted for deployment in the mid-2030s. 

Their work includes exploring enriched uranium supplies and investigating whether depleted uranium could fuel later reactors.

The agreement connects reactor development with efforts to establish an advanced fuel supply chain. Urenco’s planned Advanced Fuels Facility at Capenhurst in the UK is expected to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, from 2031.

Thorizon’s first Thorizon One reactors require HALEU in molten salt form. The design uses molten salt as both fuel and coolant and aims to provide reliable, carbon-free electricity and industrial heat while improving the use of nuclear materials.

The companies plan to examine Urenco’s potential contribution to that supply chain, including enrichment services and opportunities to improve uranium utilization throughout the fuel cycle.

“Building the fuel supply chain is as critical as developing the reactor itself. Urenco brings decades of expertise in uranium enrichment and is investing now in the advanced fuels Europe’s next generation of reactors will need. Combining these capabilities with innovation in molten salt fuels can help build a strong European fuel cycle for advanced nuclear,” said Kiki Lauwers, CEO of Thorizon.

For the developer, the agreement forms part of a broader effort to assemble the industrial network needed for deployment, bringing together fuel suppliers, nuclear operators, research organizations and industrial companies.

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