The US nuclear industry remains significantly dependent on Moscow for enriched uranium, which is used as fuel for reactors that produce about a fifth of the country's electricity. This underscores the difficulty of meeting the 2028 deadline to halt purchases from Russia. Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
American nuclear reactor operators purchased about 3.28 million separative work units (SWU) of uranium enrichment services from Russia in 2025, accounting for nearly 26% of their total procurement, according to data released Wednesday by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a new uranium market report. For comparison, ten years ago this figure was 17%.
The US still depends on Russia for nuclear fuel
Russia supplied 26% of enriched uranium last year.
As the publication notes, the vulnerability is growing as Washington pushes for a revival of nuclear power due to rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification processes. Existing energy companies are seeking to extend reactor lifespans and restart shuttered plants, while developers of small modular reactors need to secure fuel for their projects over the next decade.
Both groups also remain dependent on international trade, even as the Trump administration disrupts supply chains through sanctions and tariffs. In 2025, foreign sources provided 77% of uranium enrichment services purchased by US operators. Russia was the largest single supplier.
Uranium supplies to the US
Only 7% of US nuclear fuel comes from domestic sources.
A 2024 US law bans imports of Russian uranium but allows the Department of Energy to issue waivers if alternative supplies are unavailable or the import serves national interests. This authority expires no later than January 2028.
This mechanism creates political vulnerability, as supplies depend simultaneously on US permits and Russian export licenses. It leaves energy companies dependent on further deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington. Sanctions have already significantly altered trade in oil, gas, and other energy resources after Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Domestic and allied uranium enrichment projects are developing, but their timelines create a gap. Urenco USA, owned by a British, Dutch, and German nuclear consortium, plans to increase capacity by about 700,000 SWU per year by early 2027. Larger projects by Centrus Energy and Orano are expected no earlier than 2029 and later.
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