US-based company ASP Isotopes (ASPI) has announced that its nuclear fuel processing subsidiary Quantum Leap Energy (QLE) and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) have entered into a pre-implementation services contract agreement as part of planned collaboration on research, development and commercial production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU).
Although ASPI is headquartered in Washington DC, its primary operational footprint is located in South Africa. As of 2025, approximately 97% of the company’s workforce and all of its operating assets are based in South Africa.
Quantum Leap Energy (QLE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASP Isotopes Inc., is currently a development-stage company with facilities and planned operations in Texas, USA and Gauteng, South Africa. GLE recently established its global corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas. QLE is partnering with Fermi America to develop a HALEU enrichment research and commercial production facility as part of a massive 11 GW hybrid energy and data infrastructure campus located in Carson County.
However, QLE’s primary technical and production initiatives are rooted in South Africa through its local unit, Quantum Leap Energy (Pty) Ltd (QLE SA), which signed the deal with Necsa. Under the contract, Necsa has agreed to provide QLE SA with certain facilities, infrastructure, utilities and services related to the siting, design, construction, commissioning and operation of an enrichment facility on the Necsa site in Pelindaba, in the North West province.
A joint coordination committee, comprising two representatives of QLE SA and Necsa, has been established to manage implementation of the contract. While the primary aim is to achieve market readiness for HALEU production, the collaboration positions QLE to conduct research and development activities for enrichment operations at Necsa’s Pelindaba site. This will leverage QLE’s in-licensed and proprietary enrichment technology alongside Necsa’s established nuclear infrastructure. ASPI said the collaboration will be subject to Necsa’s prevailing site regulations, safety protocols and security requirements, and applicable National Nuclear Regulator and other regulatory approvals.
“This milestone represents a significant advancement in our commercial partnership with Necsa and its proven infrastructure for the development of nuclear materials,” said Ryno Pretorius, CEO of Quantum Leap Energy. “Gaining access to this internationally-recognized facility is intended to help us to move from planning to implementation, and advance our goal of providing a reliable HALEU supply for next-generation reactors to meet rapidly growing market demand for HALEU nuclear fuel.”
Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe said Necsa intends to optimize global networks of over 60 years and complementary capabilities on enrichment with QLE. “Necsa is on a growth expansion trajectory and appreciates collaboration which opens more avenues for exploration and a broader market reach. Our extensive experience in nuclear technologies and established global distribution network positions this partnership to make a meaningful contribution to the emerging HALEU market.”
The contract builds a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between QLE and Necsa in November 2024 and leverages QLE’s enrichment capabilities alongside Necsa’s capabilities and strategic positioning in the global nuclear value chain, ASPI noted. The partnership aims to re-establish South Africa as a global leader in nuclear engineering and provide a reliable, non-Russian source of HALEU for the international market.
ASPI and QLE utilise two distinct proprietary technologies to address different isotope enrichment needs. While both aim to be more cost-effective and energy-efficient than traditional methods, they operate on different physical principles.
The Aerodynamic Separation Process (ASP) is a “stationary wall centrifuge” technology. It is a modern evolution of the “Helikon” vortex process used in South Africa during the 1970s and 80s. Instead of spinning a physical drum (like a traditional gas centrifuge), this process injects isotope material in gas form at high speeds into a stationary tube. The tangential injection creates high-speed gas vortexes. Centrifugal forces within these vortexes cause the heavier isotopes to move toward the outer wall, while lighter isotopes concentrate near the centre axis.
Since the containment vessel is static, there are fewer moving parts to maintain compared with traditional centrifuges. ASPI claims this method has a higher “separation factor” per stage, potentially reducing the number of stages required for enrichment. It is designed to be commercially viable at a smaller scale than massive traditional enrichment plants.
Quantum Enrichment (QE) is a laser-based technology that ASPI is developing specifically for heavier isotopes and materials that are difficult to gasify, such as uranium. The process uses heat to vaporise a metal (such as uranium) and passes it through a laser beam. The laser is tuned to a precise wavelength that matches the specific energy needed to remove an electron from the target isotope (U-235), but not others (U-238).
The ionised (charged) target isotopes are attracted to a negatively charged collector plate, separating them from the rest of the material. The laser’s extreme selectivity allows for very high purity and efficiency in a single step. ASPI believes QE can produce HALEU at a significant “green discount” due to lower capital and energy requirements compared to traditional cascades.
ASPI currently operates three main enrichment facilities in Pretoria, South Africa, and is expanding into others. The Pretoria facilities include: a Light Isotope Plant dedicated to enriching isotopes with low atomic mass, such as Carbon-14 (for healthcare/agrochemicals) and Silicon-28 (for semiconductors and quantum computing); a larger Multi-Isotope Plant capable of producing higher volumes of ultra-pure Silicon-28; and a Quantum Enrichment Plant specifically designed for heavier isotopes like Ytterbium-176, a critical precursor for cancer treatments.
Beyond South Africa, ASPI has announced plans to establish additional enrichment plants in the US (QLE’s planned Amarillo facility with Fermi America) and Iceland to further diversify its global supply chain.
ASPI is developing a multi-facility cluster in Iceland, chosen for its low-cost, green energy and favourable regulatory environment. The site will house multiple production lines for Silicon-28 to meet growing demand from the semiconductor and quantum computing industries. The Iceland facility is planned to produce germanium-72 & 74 for semiconductors; xenon-129 (medical imaging), zinc-68, and molybdenum-100/98 for healthcare; and chlorine-37 and deuterium for nuclear and industrial use.
Construction was slated to begin in 2024–2025, with the first production of medical isotopes expected in 2025 and a broader rollout through 2028. However, ASPI now expects the Icelandic cluster to begin production sometime in 2026. The company is currently in the process of securing regulatory approvals and finalising agreements with energy providers for the green power required for the site. The first production runs in Iceland are expected to focus on medical isotopes, followed by larger-scale production of silicon-28 for the semiconductor industry later in the decade.
As a development-stage company, ASPI faces several significant operational and financial challenges. According to Investing.com, ASPI is currently in a capital-intensive “build-out” phase. While it has started generating some revenue, reporting $4.9m in Q3 of 2025, its expenses far outweigh its income.
For the first nine months of 2025, ASPI reported a net loss from operations of $34.9m, nearly double the $18.7m loss from the same period in 2024. Operating expenses increased by 84% year-on-year in 2025, driven by a 66% increase in headcount and higher professional fees. Roughly 70% of its property and equipment growth is currently tied to the construction of new enrichment plants.
The company has faced delays in shipping silicon-28 due to the complexities of starting up a specialised nuclear engineering facility. Production timelines for carbon-14 were impacted by delays in receiving necessary feedstock materials.
The company has faced recurring delays in its US Securities & Exchange Commission financial filings, which has raised concerns regarding its internal governance and reporting stability. It has also undergone leadership changes. Expanding into the US and Iceland requires navigating rigorous nuclear regulatory approvals and export licenses, which can cause unpredictable project delays.
However, Investing.com noted that ASPI is positioning itself for significant growth in 2026, with targeted revenue opportunities of $50-$70m. “While the company continues to invest heavily in expansion, resulting in widening losses, its strong cash position of over $300m (including post-quarter fundraising) provides substantial runway to execute its ambitious growth strategy across multiple high-potential markets.”
