The NRC has issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement for Global Laser Enrichment's Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility, recommending that a construction and operation license be issued for the proposed Kentucky plant.

GLE submitted its environmental report for the facility, known as PLEF, in December 2024. The Final Safety Evaluation Report, the last milestone before a licensing decision, is expected by the end of the year, the NRC said.

GLE is the exclusive licensee of Silex Systems Ltd's SILEX laser enrichment technology for uranium. Silex said the license is expected to be finalized in early 2027. The license would authorize production of natural-grade uranium from depleted uranium tails and low-enriched uranium at assays up to 5% uranium-235, plus LEU+ at assays up to 8%, CEO Michael Goldsworthy said.

PLEF would re-enrich high-assay depleted uranium tails from previous operations at the Department of Energy's former Paducah gaseous diffusion enrichment plant. GLE took the technology to Technology Readiness Level 6 last year, after a large-scale uranium enrichment demonstration at its Test Loop facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. It has also signed a long-term offtake agreement with Canada's Cameco for future enrichment production.