Capenhurst Facility: High-assay Low-enriched Uranium

Lord Rooker Excerpts

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Rooker]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made towards their target to develop High Assay Low Enriched Uranium domestic enrichment capacity at the Capenhurst facility in Cheshire; and how much of the £196 million funding has been spent to date.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Baroness Curran) (Lab)]

My Lords, a resilient, secure nuclear fuel supply chain for nuclear reactors is essential to deliver energy security and to support any ambitions to grow our nuclear reactor fleet. His Majesty’s Government have committed £300 million to establish a sovereign high-assay low-enriched uranium—HALEU—capability by 2031. Urenco has been awarded £196 million of this £300 million total to deliver a first of a kind HALEU facility, which is co-funded alongside government spending. We have seen great progress to date and the project is well under way.

[Lord Rooker (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Does she appreciate the vitality of this new process for new reactors, particularly small modular reactors? The only material available at the moment for that kind of process is from China and Russia. It looks as though the UK, and the USA, have left it a bit late. Can the Government guarantee that Urenco’s work at Capenhurst will slip into the programme for the small modular reactors, so that we can get going? It has been delay, delay, delay, and that has to stop.

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

I recognise the importance of that question, and the strength that lies behind it. We very much support that urgency and the need to make sure that it is all about delivery, and recognise the connection to the small modular programme, which is something that we will emphasise. In terms of this programme, we have broken ground, completed design milestones, and are on track for 2031. Funding is being drawn down appropriately on achieving project milestones. I asked specifically how that is monitored and how we push ahead with that programme. There is confidence, and we are assured of that; there is vitality in this programme. We understand its relevance, and that we must provide this as an alternative to Russian supply. It is vital for our security, and I commit to my noble friend that I will attempt to match his enthusiasm and drive to make sure that this happens.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

To be absolutely honest, I cannot give a guarantee about that because it is not in my briefing and I have not asked for it. I will do that and I will be encouraged to pursue that issue, given that that has been a failure in the past. I will pay great attention to that and speak to the relevant officials.

[Lord Rooker (Lab)]

In the last three seconds of this Question, I thank my noble friend for the positive answers that she has given. But can she convince the House that, as far as civil nuclear power in this country is concerned, there is one overall policy and not a series of silos? That is what it looks like.

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

I congratulate my noble friend on getting in in the last three seconds there. I recognise what he has said, and that is certainly not our intention. There is now much greater coherence to our civil nuclear policy. That is something that we want to argue for and proselytise about. Particularly as I am Scottish and live in Scotland, I see that some other Governments do not understand the importance of this industry, but that is something that I will certainly be advocating, as will my colleagues across the ministerial offices. We will make the point, if it is not clear to people, that there is coherence behind this. We see it as an answer to energy security and clean energy, so we need to address that. Noble Lords should believe me that the commitment is there.