NRC Accepts General Matter License Application, Estimates April 2028 Review

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission accepted General Matter’s license application for a proposed uranium enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky, on Oct. 29, and estimates its review will be completed in April 2028.

General Matter had requested an accelerated 12-month review. NRC staff declined to commit to a faster schedule, citing “the anticipated increase in the workload and associated resource constraints.” The agency’s acceptance review took about half the time typically allotted for that stage.

The April 2028 date is the NRC’s current estimate. Staff may consider speeding parts of the review if General Matter continues to provide complete, timely submissions and agency resources are available.

General Matter announced Sept. 28 that it had filed an application exceeding 1,000 pages after more than 100 engagements with NRC staff.

Orano’s Project IKE, planned near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has a separate review timeline. In May, the NRC said it intended to complete the project’s technical review within 12 months, assuming “high-quality and timely inputs.” Orano sought more time to respond to NRC information requests in an Oct. 7 filing, proposing to submit final responses in two batches, by Oct. 16 and Nov. 20. The Nov. 20 date had not arrived as of Nov. 2.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $900 million each to General Matter, Orano Federal Services and American Centrifuge Operating in January, as part of a $2.7 billion milestone-based program. The awards support high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) capacity at General Matter and American Centrifuge, and low-enriched uranium (LEU) capacity at Orano. HALEU enrichment ranges from 5% to 19.75%. LEU is used in conventional commercial reactors.