By Micah Jonah, February 18, 2026
The United States has announced plans to restart uranium enrichmentpartly in collaboration with French partners, US Chris Wright said during a conference in Paris on Tuesday.
The move comes after the French nuclear fuels company Orano received $900 million in funding from the US Department of Energy last month to assist in building a uranium enrichment facility in Tennessee.
Secretary Wright emphasized that this initiative is part of broader transatlantic energy cooperation, designed to secure nuclear fuel supply chains and strengthen strategic partnerships with European allies. The facility aims to enhance the US’s domestic enrichment capabilities while enabling collaboration on peaceful nuclear energy projects.
Industry analysts note that this restart aligns with global trends toward energy
security and reduced reliance on unstable foreign sources of nuclear materials, particularly as geopolitical tensions continue to shape energy markets.
The announcement was made at the sixth meeting of the Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) forum in Athens, where European energy ministers discussed collaboration on energy infrastructure, sustainability, and the diversification of critical resources.
This development signals a renewed focus on nuclear fuel autonomy for the US, while fostering strategic partnerships with allies such as France in the civil nuclear sector.
