{"text":[[{"start":7.75,"text":"The US will boost its capacity to make nuclear fuel by as much as 50 per cent after a multibillion investment by a company part owned by the UK and Dutch governments, as Washington aims to reduce its reliance on Russian uranium enrichment."}],[{"start":22.3,"text":"Urenco said on Tuesday it would build a new uranium enrichment plant in New Mexico ahead of a looming import ban on Russian reactor fuel, which is set to begin in 2028 under legislation passed during the Biden administration."}],[{"start":36.65,"text":"Russia currently controls almost half the world’s uranium enrichment capacity and supplies as much as a fifth of the nuclear fuel used by the US fleet of more than 90 nuclear reactors."}],[{"start":48.3,"text":"Urenco is one of a handful of western suppliers of commercial uranium enrichment services that has plans to expand in the US amid an investment boom in the American nuclear sector. France’s Orano and Centrus Energy plan to restore commercial enrichment services in the country after a near decade-long hiatus. "}],[{"start":68,"text":"Urenco is currently the only US-based supplier at its plant in Eunice, New Mexico, which has an annual capacity of 4.3mn separative work units (SWU) — about a third of current US demand. It is already expanding capacity at its existing facility by 700,000 SWU, which is due to be completed next year. "}],[{"start":88.55,"text":"The multibillion-dollar investment in a new plant will add an extra 2.1mn SWU capacity. "}],[{"start":95.1,"text":"“This expansion reinformed our commitment to a resilient US nuclear fuel supply chain focused on meeting the needs of our customers as well as supporting US energy security,” said Boris Schucht, Urenco chief executive, adding the new plant should begin operating in 2032."}],[{"start":112.3,"text":"Russia’s grip on the nuclear supply chain has alarmed Washington, which is seeking to expand its own nuclear energy industry and export its technology overseas after years of decline."}],[{"start":123.39999999999999,"text":"Yet US companies face tough competition. Last week Russia’s Rosatom clinched a deal with the government of Kazakhstan to build a $16.4bn nuclear plant — the latest in a series of overseas wins for the state-owned company."}],[{"start":138.39999999999998,"text":"Michael Goff, principal deputy assistant secretary for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, told the FT that the Trump administration would have preferred if Kazakhstan had chosen technology from the US or an ally."}],[{"start":152.59999999999997,"text":"“We do want to make sure that we’re deploying US technology around the world. We want to make sure that we’re able to set the standards for safety, security and non-proliferation . . . It’s critical that we do maintain this leadership,” he said in an interview."}],[{"start":167.19999999999996,"text":"This year, the Department of Energy announced $2.7bn in funding aimed at strengthening the US nuclear fuel supply chain and transitioning the domestic industry away from foreign sources of supply uranium."}],[{"start":186.84999999999994,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1780446744_1185.mp3"}