A North Carolina–based company may have just given the U.S. a major boost toward energy independence and a cleaner future. Interesting Engineering reports that Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has completed a large-scale test of its groundbreaking SILEX laser uranium enrichment process, marking what could be a new era for domestic nuclear fuel production.
The demonstration, held at GLE’s Test Loop facility in Wilmington, produced hundreds of pounds of low-enriched uranium (LEU) and confirmed the technology’s ability to operate at a commercial scale. The company plans to continue testing through 2025 while expanding its manufacturing base to support full-scale operations.
Developed in partnership with Australia’s Silex Systems, the SILEX — short for Separation of Isotopes by Laser EXcitation — process uses precisely tuned lasers to separate uranium isotopes selectively. The technology is designed to be far more efficient than existing gas centrifuge systems, which have dominated enrichment since the 20th century.
GLE’s success is a major step toward restoring U.S. control over its nuclear fuel supply, which has long relied on imports. The company’s next goal is to open the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility in Kentucky — the first new enrichment site under Nuclear Regulatory Commission review in decades. Once licensed, it could re-enrich more than 200,000 metric tons of uranium tails and generate up to 6 million separative work units of LEU annually.
Nuclear energy remains one of the most debated tools in the clean energy transition. While critics point to radioactive waste and safety concerns, advocates highlight its low-carbon power and potential to complement renewables like solar and wind.
The transition to clean energy can help curb the planet-warming pollution that is not only harming public health but also contributing to rising temperatures and more extreme weather events. And by strengthening domestic production, GLE could make nuclear energy safer, cleaner, and more sustainable — not just for the U.S., but for the world.
“We believe the enrichment activities conducted over the past five months position GLE to be the next American uranium enrichment solution,” said Stephen Long, the company’s CEO. “Twenty percent of the U.S. electricity supply comes from nuclear energy, and GLE is expected to allow America to end its dangerous dependency on a fragile, foreign government-owned uranium fuel supply chain.”
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