LIS Technologies Inc., a proprietary developer of advanced laser technology and the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company, alongside Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Deputy Gov. and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, announced LIST will create 203 jobs and invest $1.38 billion in its future flagship commercial scale laser-based uranium enrichment facility on the historic footprint of the K-25 Uranium Enrichment Site in Oak Ridge. This will be the third largest nuclear-related investment since the creation of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Nuclear Energy Fund.
Following the renaming of the 206-acre Duct Island to LIST Island and its redevelopment to house the Company’s commercial laser-based uranium enrichment headquarters, Oak Ridge, TN is expected to become the site of the world’s first US-origin commercial laser uranium enrichment facility, supporting U.S. utilities, next-generation reactor developers, and national defense requirements while helping to reestablish a resilient domestic nuclear fuel supply chain.
“Selecting Oak Ridge is both a strategic and symbolic decision for LIS Technologies,” said Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and CEO of LIS Technologies. “This community represents the foundation of America’s enrichment capability and the future of its clean energy and national security mission. Our laser enrichment technology fundamentally changes the economics of enrichment, enabling faster deployment, lower capital intensity, and long-term cost advantages. With our NRC licensing process underway, we are moving deliberately toward construction readiness and positioning the United States to lead the world in commercial laser enrichment.”
“Choosing this community for our commercial operations is both strategically and personally meaningful,” said Dr. Jeff Eerkens, Inventor and Co-Founder of LIS Technologies. “As a child, my life was saved during World War II while I was held in a Japanese internment camp in Indonesia. Oak Ridge’s K-25 facility helped produce the enriched uranium that brought the war to an end. Returning to Oak Ridge decades later with a peaceful, commercial laser enrichment technology is a powerful full-circle moment.”
Subject to licensing, permitting, and final investment decisions, the company intends to break ground and begin site preparation and civil construction in 2026. LIST is targeting initial commercial operations before 2030, positioning its laser enrichment facility to meet accelerating demand for domestically sourced uranium enrichment.
Founded in 2023, with its office and laser enrichment research and development headquartered in Oak Ridge in the recently renovated K-1330 building, LIS Technologies is the eighth company to locate in Tennessee for its commercial operations utilizing the Nuclear Energy Fund. The $50 million fund was in Gov. Lee’s recommended 2023-2024 budget and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. An additional $10 million was allocated and approved in the state’s budget during both the 2024 and 2025 legislative sessions, bringing the fund’s total to $70 million since its inception.
“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in advancing American energy independence, which is why innovative companies like LIS Technologies recognize our efforts through projects like this,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “By creating the Nuclear Energy Fund, we have uniquely positioned our state at the forefront of cutting-edge R&D, and I look forward to the positive impact this project will have for Tennesseans across our state.”
“This investment reflects the continued momentum of Tennessee’s nuclear sector and builds on a strong year for nuclear energy in our state,” said Deputy Governor and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter. “LIS Technologies’ nearly $1.4 billion investment is a major win for Tennessee’s, and Oak Ridge is uniquely positioned to support this project’s success. I am grateful to the leadership of LIS Technologies and to our partners in Oak Ridge for helping bring today’s announcement to fruition.”
“This investment represents more than the construction of a single facility,” said Christo Liebenberg, President and Co-Founder of LIS Technologies. “It reflects a commitment to restoring a critical domestic capability, advancing peaceful nuclear technologies, and strengthening the United States’ competitiveness in an evolving global energy landscape. As global demand for nuclear fuel grows and existing supply tightens, the opportunity, and responsibility, to act is clear. This project is a meaningful step toward reestablishing U.S. enrichment capacity and rebuilding the nuclear fuel cycle.”