ASP Isotopes Inc. announced on October 15, 2026, that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Quantum Leap Energy LLC (QLE), has signed a binding Heads of Agreement with the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa SOC Limited (Necsa). The agreement establishes a commercial framework for a joint venture to develop, finance, construct, and operate facilities for the production of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) at Necsa's Pelindaba site in South Africa.
Under the terms of the agreement, QLE will hold an approximately 80% ownership interest in the joint venture and lead operations and capital arrangements. Necsa will hold a 20% interest and provide site access, nuclear safeguards support, and regulatory and licensing assistance. Necsa is headquartered at Pelindaba, South Africa's premier nuclear research center, home to the 20MW SAFARI-1 research reactor.
QLE has already secured an offtake agreement with TerraPower, a leading advanced nuclear reactor developer, for the HALEU the joint venture expects to produce. The company also noted that it received approval from South Africa's Ministry of Electricity and Energy in July 2026 to acquire and use nuclear-related equipment and technology for uranium enrichment activities at Pelindaba. A test bench facility was previously constructed at the site, and refurbishment of the infrastructure is currently underway.
QLE is a development-stage nuclear fuels company focused on uranium conversion, enrichment, and isotopic separation. It holds exclusive global rights to proprietary Aerodynamic Separation Process (ASP) and laser-based Quantum Enrichment (QE) technologies. The company has established strategic partnerships with industry leaders including Fermi America and Necsa.
