INTERVIEW-High uranium prices facilitate Urenco's financing

By Anna Stablum

LONDON, April 2 (Reuters) - High uranium prices have bolstered demand for enrichment services and Europe's Urenco has secured a 125 million euro loan for its expansion despite sluggish credit conditions, the company said on Wednesday.

"Over the last couple of days we have been able to conclude an agreement with an institution for a 30-year loan," Chief Financial Officer Bart Le Blanc told Reuters in an interview.

The enrichment services firm will use the money to fund its expansion in Europe and to open its plant in the United States as the world's fleet of nuclear reactors is seen growing.

"Although we have seen very difficult credit markets over the last six-nine months, Urenco has been able to conclude funding," he said, in relation to announcing Urenco's full year results.

The Anglo-Dutch-German consortium posted a full year record turnover exceeding 1 billion euros ($1.56 billion) and an order book extending beyond 2025 at 18 billion euros.

"We are indeed very comfortable with these results and the outlook for the business," Le Blanc said.

"We expect with lifetime extensions (of nuclear power plants), with new builds in Asia and maybe new builds in the U.S. and the UK to continue to have a strong order book going forward," he added.

Spot UX-U3O8-SPT prices for uranium ore concentrate, also known as yellow cake, have soared in the last few years due to a revival in interest in nuclear energy due to high oil prices and global efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions.