General Matter gets big DOE contract, ramps up for construction in Paducah

General Matter has nailed down a big Department of Energy contract to enrich uranium for the growing nuclear segment in the United States.

The decade-long contract is valued at $900 million and is for the enrichment of the uranium needed to power the next generation of reactors that will be brought online over the next several years. The initial $1.5 billion facility planned for McCracken County, combined with the DOE contract, put Paducah back at the center of America’s nuclear sector.

General Matter CEO Scott Nolan previously told West Kentucky Star, “Paducah stood out as the best place just because of the community, the community’s experience, its understanding of nuclear, its understanding of enrichment, the expertise that’s here, the infrastructure that’s here. So, yeah, very obvious in hindsight, but it took us some time to figure that out.”

General Matter said in a statement that the contract will accelerate their plans in Paducah at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site. The company plans to build on a 100-acre tract of land leased from the Department of Energy. The new plant will produce the High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium needed to fuel the reactors that would provide the clean baseload energy needed to power advanced manufacturing facilities, AI datacenters, and ultimately lower utility costs for consumers.

Their announcement went on to praise the administration for bringing enrichment back to the U.S. to reduce our dependence on foreign sources, stating, “American reactors need American uranium. In partnership with the Department of Energy, we will deliver it.”  

(Pictured: artist's conception of future General Matters Paducah plant)