US-based laser enrichment technology start-up LIS (Laser Isotope Separation) Technologies (LIST) has acquired the newly-renovated, 37,800-square-foot K-1580 Facility at the historic Heritage Center (K-25 Enrichment Site) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for $6.2m.
The three-storey facility complements LIST’s growing real estate portfolio and footprint, building on its existing 206-Acre “LIST Island” land parcel, and Test Demonstration Facility at K-1330, also at the K-25 site, a former gaseous diffusion plant, which was part of the Manhattan Project.
K-1580 will act as a complementary facility to the adjacent K-1330 test facility. The acquisition will enable LIST to, amongst other developments, engage in the production of key stable and medical isotopes, expanding its product offering beyond enriched nuclear fuel, and establishing a firmer foundation for long-term growth by addressing multiple industry segments.
The new facility will host LIST’s Medical Isotopes and Stable Isotope production capabilities. In addition to their medical uses, stable isotopes are becoming increasingly critical to advanced electronics and quantum technologies, enhancing thermal management, enabling higher performance, efficiency, and reliability in advanced processor applications. K-1580’s multiple floors are expected to provide a foundation for growth in these additional segments.
“We are delighted to continue growing our base of operations in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, or what I call the Silicon Valley of Nuclear,” said Jay Yu, LIST Executive Chairman & CEO. “The acquisition of the K-1580 building marks the beginning of a new chapter for LIST. Additionally, it underscores our drive and ability to rapidly expand and utilise our proprietary and patented laser uranium enrichment technology across a full spectrum of potential applications, including medical and stable isotopes and nuclear fuel cycle applications. We plan to scale operations further in complementary segments as we position the Company to meet our long-term growth goals.”
Christo Liebenberg, LIST President & Co-Founder, noted: “Besides a Pilot Plant for our SMILE (Stable and Medical Isotope Laser Enrichment) program, the K-1580 building will also serve to further expand our supplementary business operations,” said of LIS Technologies Inc. “It will provide office space for over 100 additional employees and be home to our Pilot Plant for UF6 Deconversion. The building will also serve to industrialise some of the critical components needed for our laser enrichment of uranium program. The proximity to our K-1330 building will ensure that our team has direct, easy access to both facilities as we continue to shape the future of the nation’s laser enrichment capabilities.”
According to LIST Chief Operating Officer Lloyd Jollay the addition of the K-1580 Building provides expanded laboratory space to support the development of Phase II uranium enrichment capabilities at scale within a prototypical operating environment. “The facility also offers dedicated laboratory space for investigating UF6 deconversion processes, he said. “Integrating deconversion capabilities with uranium enrichment will create a more comprehensive fuel cycle solution and address key needs expressed by a number of advanced reactor developers.”
LIST, founded in 2023, was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program in December 2024. This initiative allocated up to $3.4bn overall, with contracts lasting up to 10 years. However, the companies involved in this programme did not immediately receive DOE awards but were allowed to begin a bidding process for future awards.
In December 2025, LIST received a Radioactive Material Licence from the State of Tennessee, which allowed it to begin operations involving uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) feedstock for testing and optimising its laser enrichment technology.
In January, DOE announced that it would award $900m each to American Centrifuge Operating, General Matter and Orano Federal Services to expand US domestic enrichment capacity. DOE also awarded an additional $28m to Global Laser Enrichment but LIST was not selected for an award.
The company employs a patented process known as CRISLA (Chemical Reaction by Isotope Selective Laser Activation), invented by Dr Eerkens, which uses infrared lasers to selectively excite molecules of specific isotopes for separation. LIST says the technology has been determined to meet all elements required for Technology Readiness Level 4 (TRL-4), conforming to DOE’s guide DOE G 413.3-4A. The technology has already matured to approximately 75% TRL-5, with excellent progress also towards TRL-6. LIST’s laser-based isotope separation technology is designed to potentially deliver greater efficiency, improved scalability, and a reduced facility footprint compared with conventional methods.
LIST plans to break ground later this year at its K-25 site and begin site preparation and construction of its commercial-scale facility, subject to further licensing and permitting. Initial commercial operations are targeted to begin before 2030.
LIST is investing $1.38bn to develop the site. The new facility, known as Project FUEL (Future Uranium Enrichment with Lasers), is expected to create 203 high-skilled jobs. Once fully operational, it is designed to become the world’s first US-origin commercial laser uranium enrichment plant. It will produce advanced nuclear fuels including high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to support US utility providers, next-generation reactor designs, and national defence.
