Centrifuge Technology
ETC’s gas centrifuge technology is by far the most efficient method of enriching uranium available.
How it Works
Before naturally mined uranium can be used as fuel, it must be enriched to the point where the concentration of one isotope, Uranium-235, is high enough for the fuel to be used in a nuclear reactor.
ETC’s gas centrifuge technology uses highly efficient centrifuges, rotating at high speed. Uranium, converted into a gas, is fed into the centrifuges where it is spun at high speeds. The centrifugal forces inside mean that lighter molecules move to the centre of the centrifuge, while heavier molecules move to the outside. This allows uranium gas with a higher concentration of the lighter molecule to be drawn off.
The process is repeated a number of times to increase the concentration, while depleted gas is drawn off to be recycled in the process. The gas passes through a number of centrifuges in series, known as a cascade. Once the desired concentration is reached, the uranium is processed back into solid form, where it can be transported to a nuclear power plant for processing.
ETC’s Gas Centrifuge Technology
ETC has developed a very efficient and reliable gas centrifuge technology, which has proven its effectiveness over many years of operation. Our technology is proven to be 50 times more energy-efficient than its main alternative, the gas diffusion process.
Innovation
Research & Development
As a company ETC invests 20% of its annual revenue on Research and Development, putting us in the very top tier of companies worldwide for re-investment in innovation.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle
The process
As a company ETC invests 20% of its annual revenue on Research and Development, putting us in the very top tier of companies worldwide for re-investment in innovation.
Insights & News
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26 September 2023
Arnaud Pollono joins ETC as new CFO
The ETC Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Arnaud Pollono as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ETC. He has assumed his new role effective 1 September 2023.
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16 May 2023
ETC releases company Sustainability Statement
ETC, designer and manufacturer of the world’s leading technology for uranium enrichment, has released its first-ever Sustainability Statement.
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5 December 2022
ETC’s Jülich site under new management
From December 2022, the site of ETC Deutschland is managed by Andreas Scholz, our former Head of Research & Development. He will receive support from Maurice Emunds, who has additionally been appointed Deputy Site Director of Jülich.