TheTechno Optimist.

Project IKEOrano—NRC accepts Orano's Project IKE application and aims to decide by April 2027Project IKEOrano—DOE selects Orano for up to $900 million toward Project IKE, a $5 billion US enrichment plantProject IKEOrano—Orano completes its NRC licence application for the Project IKE enrichment plant

Orano

Uranium mining, enrichment, recycling; Project IKE

FRgovernment~17,500 stafforano.group (opens orano.group)Checked 11 Oct

The brief

Analyst view
  • One of the two big Western enrichers; has supplied enriched uranium to US reactors from France for over 40 years.
  • Project IKE: a ~$5 billion, 7.4 million SWU enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, targeting production in 2031.
  • Also extending Georges Besse II in France by 30%. Revenue €5.87 billion in 2024.

Technical approach

As reported
Centrifuges

ETC gas centrifuges

Enriches uranium in ETC centrifuges (ETC is co-owned with Urenco), the same machines it runs at Georges Besse II in France.

Copy a working plant

IKE follows Georges Besse II

The US plant's first design is about the size of Georges Besse II, roughly 750,000 sq ft, reusing a design that already runs.

Primer