$20M DOE Invests in Domestic Nuclear Fuel Recycling to Cut Global Dependencies

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded nearly $20 million to five domestic firms to advance used nuclear fuel recycling, aiming to boost energy independence and cut reliance on global supply chains dominated by Russia and China. Less than 5% of spent fuel's energy is extracted after five reactor years, meaning potential recovery could increase resource use by 95%. The initiative supports next-gen reactor needs and addresses bottlenecks in uranium supply, with over half of global enrichment capacity controlled by Russia. Advanced reactors and reprocessing technologies, including fast neutron reactors that burn long-lived actinides without separation, are key to unlocking domestic fuel and reducing geopolitical risk. The move aligns with broader goals to reestablish the U.S. as a global leader in nuclear energy and stabilize costs for existing and next-gen reactors.