Lis Technologies
LIS Technologies

In a world where geopolitical tensions constantly shift, energy security and self-sufficiency are critical. Thanks to the groundbreaking work of LIS Technologies supported by NANO Nuclear Energy, the U.S. is moving toward a new age of plentiful, domestic, and secure nuclear energy.

"We are literally in the middle of a second nuclear age. It's a resurrection of the nuclear industry," says Christo Liebenberg, co-founder and CEO of LIS Technologies. That's not an exaggeration. The nation is in what may be best described as a nuclear renaissance.

Before the early 1990s, the United States was producing its own enriched uranium, the fuel used in nuclear reactors. However, Russia soon undercut the market, so America instead started importing nuclear fuel.

That all changed when the U.S. passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act in 2024. With Russian imports banned, the country was in urgent need of a steady supply of high-quality nuclear fuel. The Department of Energy (DOE) promptly announced that it had $3.4 billion to spend on low-enriched uranium acquisition.

The DOE ultimately awarded six contracts as part of that program. One of those contracts went to LIS Technologies supported by NANO Nuclear Energy.

The two companies will collaborate to benefit the United States government, but the collaboration will also be mutually beneficial. LIST and NANO will collaborate to build a vertically integrated fuel supply chain, and LIST will supply NANO with the fuel it needs for its microreactors.

Condensation Repression Isotope Selective Laser Activation (CRISLA) technology uses lasers to isolate one uranium isotope, U-235. After going through the CRISLA process, uranium is enriched in the U-235 isotope.

Uranium enrichment is key for powering nuclear processes. Uranium's usefulness as fuel hinges on the amount of U-235 present. In its natural state, uranium is only about 0.7% U-235. It must have a significantly higher concentration to be usable as nuclear fuel.

Traditionally, nuclear reactors have relied on low-enriched uranium (LEU), which is up to 5% U-235. However, newer and smaller reactors primarily use high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which can be up to 20% U-235. LIS Technologies can and will produce both.

"We'll do LEU, and then we'll go to HALEU," says Jay Yu, Executive Chairman and President of LIS Technologies. "We're not looking to go beyond 20%, that's not part of our game plan. We're doing this for peaceful use."

LIS Technologies is well-equipped to take the existing CRISLA process and make it even more efficient.

Jeff Eerkens, co-founder of LIS Technologies, invented the CRISLA process and is generally considered the father of uranium enrichment. Christo Liebenberg, LIST's other co-founder, has more than 30 years of management and technical experience in laser enrichment.

Improving CRISLA to make it more efficient and cost-effective can revolutionize multiple sectors. Nuclear energy causes far less environmental damage than many other types of energy. A steady stream of quality HALEU will ensure that the new generation of ultra-efficient reactors and microreactors won't be stymied by fuel bottlenecks.

Keeping the nuclear energy pipeline within the United States will also significantly improve national security. Before passing the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, lawmakers had begun to express concerns that Russia could weaponize its economic relationship with the U.S.

"We can't depend on Russia or China for our imports because that's a security issue," says Liebenberg. "We also want to produce new energy that's clean so we can combat global warming and prevent the earth's temperature from further increasing. So that's why there's all these reasons why there's a huge resurrection, a huge resurgence of nuclear power."

LIS Technologies is off to a strong start. They have proven uranium enrichment technology and the expertise of some of the field's giants. Even so, the companies have a massive responsibility on their shoulders and a lot of work to do.

Eerkens, Liebenberg, and Yu are confident in themselves and nuclear energy. Soon, the U.S. may be able to count on a future powered by clean, secure, and efficient fuel.