PADUCAH, Ky. — More than 70 years ago, a factory in Paducah enriched uranium-235 to support Cold War efforts.

What You Need To Know

Paducah’s former uranium enrichment site is being redeveloped with new nuclear fuel projects tied to cleanup efforts

Global Laser Enrichment and General Matter are expected to bring nearly 400 jobs and billions in investment to the region

Project leaders said they could help reduce reliance on imported uranium and strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain

Global Laser Enrichment plans to launch operations at the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility by 2030

“It was used to make atomic bombs for the war effort back in the 50s,” said Craig Clymer, McCracken County judge/executive. 

However, that factory closed its front doors in 2013 and has become plagued with contamination issues. 

Since then, the U.S. Department of Energy has helped clean up the contaminated site. To help with this mission and reduce long-term federal costs of the cleanup, Global Laser Enrichment is building the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility, a new facility adjacent to the cleanup site. 

“There’s now a method by which they can enrich that uranium, turn a hazardous liability into a commodity,” Clymer said. 

Global Laser Enrichment and another company, General Matter, will bring in nearly 400 jobs. Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., has called it the largest capital investment in western Kentucky history. 

“General Matters investing $1.5 billion; GLE is investing $1.8 billion,” said George Bray, mayor of Paducah. “Do the math. That’s $3.2 billion or $3.3 billion together.”

Both companies will be working on new uranium projects. GLE is expected to re-enrich more than 200,000 tons of depleted uranium.

“Currently, we’re buying uranium from Russia and lots of other countries, and the moratorium on that will end at the end of 2028,” Bray said. “At that point, we’re not going to buy uranium overseas anymore. These two companies that are coming are going to be a part of that supply chain. We are on the precipice of a growth cycle we haven’t seen since the 1950s.”

“There’s enough uranium out there that, once enriched, can provide the entire nation’s need for nuclear fuel,” Clymer said. 

Global Laser Enrichment is hopeful to launch its operation by 2030.