Latest news with #LEU
Int'l Business Times
09-07-2025
- Science
- Int'l Business Times
Laser-Focused: How LIS Technologies Is Turning Science Into Scalable Nuclear Solutions
Nuclear power has long been a whisper in the alternative energy conversation. While many experts consider it a viable successor to fossil fuels, one problem has historically gotten in the way: a lack of scalability. Now, U.S.-based LIS Technologies is finally developing a process to manufacture nuclear fuel on a commercial basis. As a result, the dream of large-scale nuclear power just might become a reality. It's the culmination of the life's work of two luminaries in the field of nuclear energy, Dr. Jeff Eerkens (often regarded as the Father of Laser Enrichment) and laser enrichment scientist Christo Liebenberg. The journey began with Eerkens's development of the CRISLA (Condensation Repression Isotope Selective Laser Activation) process of uranium enrichment in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Uranium enrichment is the process of taking natural uranium and increasing the concentration of U-235, the isotope needed to create fuel for nuclear reactors. Natural uranium is about 0.7% U-235. The current fleet of lightwater reactors (LWRs) run on low-enriched uranium (LEU), which is up to 5% U-235. The new generation of small, highly efficient advanced reactors typically requires high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is up to 20% U-235. Research in CRISLA's development stopped when the U.S. started purchasing its nuclear fuel from Russia. "They funded this technology back in the '90s," says Jay Yu, LIS Technologies Chairman and President. "They scrapped it because the Iron Curtain fell, and Russia flooded the markets with cheap uranium." In 2013, Eerkens met Christo Liebenberg, a laser enrichment scientist who was involved in several laser enrichment programs since the mid 80s. Together they founded CRISLA, Inc and continued to develop the process. In 2023, they met Jay Yu, who realized the potential of CRISLA, and the three founded LIS Technologies , with Liebenberg as the chief executive officer, and Eerkens as chief technical officer. Eerkens and Liebenberg firmly believed in a nuclear renaissance, holding that nuclear power was the future of energy in the United States and possibly the world. To realize that vision, they had to overcome the problem of scalability. Although laser enrichment had proven to be an effective way to create LEU and HALEU, historically, alternative laser enrichment methods have shown that it was either too complex or too unreliable to implement on a commercial scale. "Laser enrichment has been around for more than 50 years, and no one has been able to successfully scale it, to take it to commercialization," says Liebenberg. "Not one out of any of the 26 countries that have tried it." That is all now changing, as Liebenberg, Eerkens, and the LIS Technologies' technical team are in the process of developing a new and improved laser systems architecture. "We plan to demonstrate single-stage LEU and double-stage HALEU," Liebenberg explains. "That means you irradiate the uranium in a single stage only, and it's enriched from natural all the way to the LEU level. If you take that LEU and irradiate it again in a second stage, you can go all the way to HALEU." LIS Technologies Current enrichment technologies can take hundreds or even thousands of cycles to enrich uranium in a commercial setting to the desired concentration of U-235. Now, with the ultra-efficient approach developed by LIS Technologies , large-scale nuclear power is within reach. However, it will take at least a few years to get to that point. "In the next three to four years, we are scaling our laser systems, separators, and gas handling systems," says Liebenberg. "We're going to scale the whole process and then show that we can do LEU single-stage, HALEU double-stage with scaled and industrialized equipment. And next is building a commercial facility." When imagining large-scale nuclear power many picture vast, centralized power plants, but the future of nuclear energy will likely look very different. As Eerkens and Liebenberg have been perfecting the CRISLA process, nuclear technology startups have been hard at work creating a new generation of nuclear reactors. These reactors are smaller and more efficient than their predecessors, and some are even portable. Bringing power to remote areas will become simpler, and the reactors' smaller footprints mean far less environmental damage than old-school nuclear power plants. It may have taken decades to get to this point, but Christo Liebenberg notes that now is the time for the U.S. to establish a domestic supply chain of nuclear fuel in order to develop the nation's next generation of advanced reactors and produce clean energy. "The energy demand is huge and will get much higher while the supply is going down because we are cutting out supply from Russia. We can't depend on Russia or China for our imports because that's a national security issue," he says. "There's also global warming. We want to produce new energy that's clean and get that online so we can combat global warming" It may take some time, but Liebenberg is confident that the United States is headed toward a domestic nuclear pipeline. "There are all these reasons why there's a huge resurrection, a huge resurgence of nuclear power," he says. "We are literally in the middle of a second nuclear age."
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
L.B. Foster Increases Borrowing Capacity & Extends Maturity Date
L.B. Foster Company FSTR has announced that it entered into a Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, which includes several key enhancements. This includes, among other things, extending the maturity date to June 27, 2030, increasing the borrowing capacity to $150 million, improving pricing and providing a more accommodating covenant package with fewer corporate finance transaction restrictions. The Credit Agreement can be used for working capital financing, capital expenditures, letters of credit, approved acquisitions and general company purposes. The agreed-upon terms lower L.B. Foster's overall finance costs and significantly lessen constraints while boosting borrowing capacity, all of which were essential objectives of the amendment. The favorable terms agreed upon underscore the company's efforts to improve its profitability and growth profile in accordance with its playbook. The company remains optimistic about the tremendous prospects in its major growth platforms of Rail Technologies and Precast Concrete, and this new facility structure provides the flexibility and capacity required to continue its journey. L.B. Foster's five-bank syndicate is led by PNC Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, with Bank of America, N.A., Citizens Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serving as Co-Syndication Agents, and Dollar Bank and Federal Savings Bank as participants. Shares of FSTR have gained 7.3% over the past year against a 29.3% decline of its industry. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research FSTR currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, Centrus Energy Corp. LEU and Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. Technology currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). CRS beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 11.1%. The company's shares have soared 157.7% in the past year. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Zacks Consensus Estimate for Centrus Energy's current-year earnings is pegged at 71 cents. LEU, carrying a Zacks Rank #1, surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing once, with an average earnings surprise of 272.7%. The company's shares have rallied 333.9% in the past Silver, which currently carries a Zacks Rank #1, beat the consensus estimate in each of the trailing four quarters. In this time frame, it delivered an earnings surprise of roughly 104.1%, on average. ASM's shares have rallied 271.5% in the past year. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS) : Free Stock Analysis Report L.B. Foster Company (FSTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Avino Silver (ASM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Centrus Energy Corp. (LEU) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Nuclear Energy Stock Just Got a Big Government Boost. Should You Buy It Here?
Centrus Energy (LEU) shares inched up on Friday after the nuclear energy company secured an extension on its government contract to produce High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). LEU's press release valued the one-year extension at about $110 million, adding that the Department of Energy (DOE) has the option to extend that contract for up to eight more years. Dear Tesla Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for June 30 The 'Golden Era' for Tesla Starts June 22. Should You Buy TSLA Stock First? Nvidia Is Quickly Approaching a New Record High. Is It Too Late to Buy NVDA Stock? Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. Including today's gain, Centrus Energy stock is up more than 280% versus its low set in early April. The HALEU contract extension is rather meaningful for Centrus Energy stock as it ensures continued visibility into future revenues. Additionally, this government extension reinforces the clean energy firm's pivotal role in restoring the country's ability to enrich uranium (UXM25) as well. With up to eight additional years of production still on the table, the DOE deal positions LEU as a long-term strategic partner in fueling next-generation nuclear reactors. As global interest in clean, secure energy intensifies, partly due to rapidly increasing demand from AI – Maryland-based Centrus stands to benefit from both commercial and national security-driven demand for HALEU. That makes LEU shares more attractive for long-term growth investors. Despite its meteoric run in recent months, Evercore ISI analysts are convinced that Centrus Energy stock has further room to the upside. Earlier this week, the investment firm reiterated its 'Outperform' rating on the clean energy stock and raised its price target to $205, which indicates potential upside of another 8.5% from current levels. Evercore ISI remains positive on LEU shares mostly because Centrus is the only company that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has licensed so far for HALEU production. According to its analysts, the U.S. must 'unleash its advanced nuclear energy' to win the AI race. Other Wall Street analysts are nowhere near as constructive on LEU stock as Evercore ISI since it's already pricing in a lot of the good news. While the consensus rating on Centrus Energy remains at 'Strong Buy,' the mean target of about $157 indicates potential 'downside' of as much as 17% from here. On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Centrus Energy (LEU) is Among the Energy Stocks that Gained the Most This Week
The share price of Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:LEU) surged by 14.44% between June 11 and June 18, 2025, putting it among the Energy Stocks that Gained the Most This Week. A vast construction site with heavy machinery, materials, and workers, showcasing the company's global presence. Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:LEU) is a trusted supplier of nuclear fuel and services for the nuclear energy industry. Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:LEU) hit a 5-year high this week after a significant jump in the global price of uranium. Uranium futures in the U.S. are currently hovering around the $74.8 mark, up more than 7% over the last week, following a recent announcement by the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust that it would acquire around $200 million worth of physical uranium, twice the amount it initially signaled in its agreement with Canaccord Genuity. Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:LEU) also received a boost after the analysts at Evercore ISI raised their price target from $145 to $205, while maintaining an 'Outperform' rating on the stock. While we acknowledge the potential of LEU as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy Right Now and Disclosure: None. 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Nuclear Energy Stock Just Got a Big Government Boost. Should You Buy It Here?
Centrus Energy (LEU) shares inched up on Friday after the nuclear energy company secured an extension on its government contract to produce High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). LEU's press release valued the one-year extension at about $110 million, adding that the Department of Energy (DOE) has the option to extend that contract for up to eight more years. Dear Tesla Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for June 30 3 ETFs with Dividend Yields of 12% or Higher for Your Income Portfolio This Options Tool Can Show You How to Trade Tesla Stock Ahead of Robotaxi Day Stop Missing Market Moves: Get the FREE Barchart Brief – your midday dose of stock movers, trending sectors, and actionable trade ideas, delivered right to your inbox. Sign Up Now! Including today's gain, Centrus Energy stock is up more than 280% versus its low set in early April. The HALEU contract extension is rather meaningful for Centrus Energy stock as it ensures continued visibility into future revenues. Additionally, this government extension reinforces the clean energy firm's pivotal role in restoring the country's ability to enrich uranium (UXM25) as well. With up to eight additional years of production still on the table, the DOE deal positions LEU as a long-term strategic partner in fueling next-generation nuclear reactors. As global interest in clean, secure energy intensifies, partly due to rapidly increasing demand from AI – Maryland-based Centrus stands to benefit from both commercial and national security-driven demand for HALEU. That makes LEU shares more attractive for long-term growth investors. Despite its meteoric run in recent months, Evercore ISI analysts are convinced that Centrus Energy stock has further room to the upside. Earlier this week, the investment firm reiterated its 'Outperform' rating on the clean energy stock and raised its price target to $205, which indicates potential upside of another 8.5% from current levels. Evercore ISI remains positive on LEU shares mostly because Centrus is the only company that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has licensed so far for HALEU production. According to its analysts, the U.S. must 'unleash its advanced nuclear energy' to win the AI race. Other Wall Street analysts are nowhere near as constructive on LEU stock as Evercore ISI since it's already pricing in a lot of the good news. While the consensus rating on Centrus Energy remains at 'Strong Buy,' the mean target of about $157 indicates potential 'downside' of as much as 17% from here. On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
