Quantum Leap Energy sets 2028 HALEU supply plan

By 2028, Quantum Leap Energy is projecting the first fuel deliveries under a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding that runs through December 31, 2030.

US-based ASP Isotopes said its subsidiary has signed the agreement with a European nuclear technology company, setting out a possible framework for supplying High Assay Low Enriched Uranium with uranium-235 content greater than 10%. The company said the parties will carry out a technical and economic assessment to judge whether a long-term collaboration is viable.

Planned fuel deliveries and feedstock supply

The initial deliveries are expected to start in 2028 and then increase through 2036. Under the arrangement, the European partner will supply uranium feedstocks to Quantum Leap Energy’s planned conversion and enrichment facilities.

Quantum Leap Energy will enrich those feedstocks to produce the fuel required, including potential deconversion, before delivering it back to the partner. The two sides will also assess operational requirements, production scalability and commercial costs.

What the company said about HALEU

“Securing reliable HALEU supply is one of the most critical challenges facing the advanced nuclear industry today,” said Dr. Ryno Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Leap Energy. “This MOU is a meaningful step in QLE’s mission to build enrichment capabilities that serve both US and global markets.”

High Assay Low Enriched Uranium is a necessary fuel source for next-generation nuclear reactors, small modular reactors and fusion systems. Traditional nuclear fuel typically has a uranium-235 concentration of 3% to 5% for standard commercial power plants.

By comparison, High Assay Low Enriched Uranium contains between 5% and 20%. The company said that higher concentration allows advanced reactors to use smaller designs, run for longer periods and achieve greater fuel efficiency.

Global fuel supply context

The agreement comes as the United States recently received 1.7 metric tons of High Assay Low Enriched Uranium from Japan, which federal officials recorded as the largest single international uranium shipment in the history of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

In the press release, the company said that with increasing demand from next-generation reactor developers worldwide and evolving geopolitical dynamics affecting nuclear fuel supply chains, domestic US enrichment capacity capable of serving both domestic and international customers is expected to be critical for the advancement of advanced nuclear energy systems.

Quantum Leap Energy’s technology base

Quantum Leap Energy uses proprietary Aerodynamic Separation Process and laser-based Quantum Enrichment technologies to address supply gaps in uranium conversion, fuel enrichment and isotopic separation of lithium-6 and lithium-7. The company also focuses on back-end radioactive waste treatment technologies.

It already maintains commercial relationships with TerraPower, Fermi America and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation. ASP Isotopes, its parent company, develops isotope enrichment platforms for nuclear medicine, semiconductors and energy systems, and operates production facilities in Pretoria, South Africa.

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