Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S.-based nuclear fuel supplier

Centrus Energy ( LEU ) said on Tuesday the U.S. Department of

Energy selected the company for a $900 ‌million task order to

expand uranium enrichment capacity at its Piketon, ​Ohio, site,

as Washington moves to reduce reliance on ‍Russian supply.

The award forms part of $2.7 ⁠billion in ⁠enrichment-related

task orders the Energy Department announced on Monday to three

companies -American ‌Centrifuge Operating, a Centrus ​Energy unit,

General Matter and Orano Federal Services.

The agency said the awards aim to ⁠boost domestic uranium

enrichment over ‍the ​next decade.

The award will help Centrus move to commercial-scale

production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium, or HALEU, ‍a fuel

seen as vital for advanced nuclear reactors and energy systems.

"This award will catalyze additional private investment

and supports the prospect of further expansion as the market

continues to grow," said CEO ​Amir ‍Vexler.

Centrus also said the DOE funding will support its

previously announced multibillion-dollar expansion at Piketon ​to

add capacity for low-enriched uranium, or LEU, used in existing

reactors.

The company said it has secured $2.3 billion in LEU

purchase commitments from utilities, including U.S. and export

customers.

In December last year, Centrus began domestic centrifuge

manufacturing at its ​Oak Ridge, Tennessee, plant to support

planned expansion, with the first new capacity expected online

in 2029.