Costain, an infrastructure solutions provider, has been awarded a contract to design a high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) advanced fuels facility for Urenco, a supplier of uranium enrichment services.
The facility, reportedly set to be Europe’s first, will cater to the production of HALEU, necessary for fuelling next-generation nuclear reactors.
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The project, leveraging Costain’s in-house civil nuclear and engineering team, will involve front-end engineering design (FEED) work for the development of the facility at Urenco’s Capenhurst site in Cheshire, England.
This FEED process is expected to be completed by 2027 and will guide Urenco’s advancements in fuel enrichment technologies.
HALEU is uranium enriched to contain between 5% and 20% of the fissile isotope U-235, which is essential for advanced modular reactors (AMRs) and small modular reactors (SMRs).
These reactors are seen to be at the forefront of delivering affordable and secure nuclear energy.
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By GlobalDataThe new facility will not only support domestic nuclear reactor development but also cater to international markets.
Costain’s appointment follows a prior selection earlier this year, where Urenco chose the company as a programme delivery partner for infrastructure upgrades at the Capenhurst site over a three-year period.
Costain managing director of natural resources Sam White said: “This incredibly exciting project will establish the UK as the first country in Europe to launch a high-tech advanced nuclear fuels programme, confirming its status as a world leader in the civil nuclear energy market.
“Ensuring the UK’s supply of advanced nuclear fuel will be critical for powering the next generation of reactors, including AMRs and SMRs. These are nuclear technologies that will play an important role as low-carbon sources of electricity to support a secure, resilient and decarbonised energy system in the UK.
“Our expert engineers will work collaboratively with Urenco and the wider supply chain to design a state-of-the-art fuel facility. Constructability will be at the heart of the designs to make this concept a reality.”
Currently, Costain is involved in critical projects within the UK’s nuclear energy sector, offering services such as project delivery, design, construction, decommissioning, and maintenance.
In August 2024, the company secured a contract to spearhead the FEED for a new hydrogen pipeline network in Teesside, UK.
