Westinghouse is spending about $1 billion on a new nuclear fuel factory in Hopkins, South Carolina. Work is taking place at its existing Columbia site. The factory will start work in 2030. The US has not built a nuclear fuel factory on this scale for more than 50 years. It will supply fuel for power stations already in use. It will also supply Westinghouse AP1000 power stations around the world.
The factory will make a fuel called LEU+. It has more of the uranium that provides energy than normal fuel. The amount is between 5% and 8%. This helps power stations run longer before they stop to change their fuel. It also lowers running costs. The project supports a US plan called UPRISE. The plan aims to get more electricity from existing nuclear power stations without building new reactor vessels. An American reactor first used LEU+ for business purposes in 2025.
Westinghouse also tested its small eVinci nuclear reactor in September. Engineers studied its centre at very high temperatures. They used the results to check their computer calculations. These checks help them improve their software.
