Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has acquired a 665-acre parcel of land for its planned Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) in Kentucky.

The parcel, previously owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and managed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), was acquired by GLE through an agreement with the commonwealth, KDFWR, and the Paducah-McCracken County Industrial Development Authority.

Location: The 665-acre site is located adjacent to the Department of Energy's former Paducah gaseous diffusion plant (PGDP). According to GLE, the site provides access to the cylinder yard where depleted uranium hexafluoride tails inventories are stored and minimizes transportation between the PGDP and the proposed site of the PLEF, which will use laser-based Silex technology in the enrichment process.

GLE has been assessing the site for several months and performing geotechnical analysis in support of its pending license application and environmental report submissions to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company said that it is currently on track to submit the environmental report to the NRC this month and license application in the summer of 2025.

Quote: 'We greatly appreciate the collaborative efforts of our community and state partners in Kentucky that have been instrumental in finalizing this land acquisition," said Stephen Long, GLE chief executive officer, on November 27. "We are excited to continue our partnership with the commonwealth as we work toward a commercialization decision and maintaining our deployment target of no later than 2030."