SILEX Systems Ltd Completes World’s First Laser Based Silicon Enrichment Plant
Silex completes world’s first laser-based silicon enrichment plant
Silex Systems (ASX: SLX) has completed construction of the world’s first laser-based silicon enrichment plant, the SILEX Quantum Silicon (Q-Si) Production Plant, at its facility in Sydney, Australia.
Commissioning is now underway. The milestone marks Silex’s planned entry into the supply chain for next-generation silicon-based quantum computing, an emerging field expected to drive a step-change in global computing power.
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From construction to first production: the roadmap
With construction complete, activity has shifted to bringing the plant online and qualifying its first output. The current focus is the functional integration of the plant laser system and the first two silicon enrichment reactors, ahead of final commissioning.
Key milestones disclosed by the Company include:
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Current activity: functional integration of the plant laser system and the first two silicon enrichment reactors
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Final plant commissioning: expected later this calendar year (CY2026)
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Sample production of highly enriched silicon-28: expected to commence in Q1 CY2027
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Initial production module capacity: up to 20kg of Q-Si annually, depending on factors such as market demand and customer purity requirements
The enriched material will be converted into gaseous and solid product forms, as required by various customers around the world. For investors, this provides a defined, near-term commercialisation timeline against which progress can be measured.
What is Quantum Silicon and why does it matter?
Enriched silicon-28, in the form of high-purity Q-Si, is the substrate material used to fabricate qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers. Qubits are analogous to the transistor devices in classical silicon chips, but operate on a much smaller atomic scale.
Quantum computing promises an immense increase in computing power compared with today’s most advanced classical chips made by companies such as Nvidia, Intel, IBM and AMD. This computing uplift is expected to underpin a major performance improvement across the emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry.
The first quantum computers are expected to be commercialised by the end of the decade. According to Silex, governments and corporates, including leading semiconductor companies and hyperscalers, are investing billions of dollars annually into the technology.
Michael Goldsworthy, CEO/Managing Director
“We are excited about our upcoming entry into the critical supply chain for silicon-based quantum computing and providing a vital strategic material in the form of highly enriched QSi. Quantum computing promises to provide an exponential increase in computing power over classical computing, and will effectively turbo-charge AI and the key fields and industries which are being transformed by AI. Quantum computing is emerging as a critical strategic technology globally, into which governments and corporates, including leading semiconductor companies and hyperscalers, are investing billions of dollars annually. Accordingly, there is strong market desire for a new resilient Western supply source for high purity enriched silicon.”
The investment case: a Western supply source for a strategic material
The strategic angle centres on supply chain positioning. Historically, enriched silicon was primarily sourced from Russia, which uses gas centrifuge technology for production. This frames Silex’s plant as a potential Western alternative for a material with growing strategic importance.
Internal market analysis indicates the current market is small, at less than 50kg per year. However, the Company expects this market to expand significantly over the next five to 10 years.
The figures below summarise the key facts and their relevance to investors.
| Fact | Investor impact |
|---|---|
| World’s first laser-based silicon enrichment plant | First-mover positioning in an emerging supply chain |
| Up to 20kg annual initial capacity | Modular, scalable production base |
| Current market <50kg/year | Small today; significant growth expected over 5–10 years |
| Historically sourced from Russia | Demand for a resilient Western supply source |
First offtake partner and growing customer engagement
Silex is currently working with its first commercial offtake partner, Silicon Quantum Computing Pty Ltd, to qualify Q-Si products with the highest possible isotopic and chemical purity. This engagement provides early validation of commercial demand for the plant’s output.
Increasing levels of engagement with several other potential customers offshore is expected to result in additional product offtake arrangements being concluded over the next year and beyond.
Potential expansion of modular production capacity at a new dedicated site could also occur over the coming years as market demand grows. For investors, this combination points to demand validation alongside expansion optionality.
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What comes next for Silex
The Company has set out a clear sequence of near-term milestones for investors to monitor:
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Functional integration of the laser system and the first two reactors
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Final plant commissioning expected later in CY2026
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Sample production of enriched silicon-28 expected in Q1 CY2027
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Conclusion of further offtake arrangements over the coming year and beyond
Silex is a technology commercialisation company, with Q-Si representing one of several applications of its SILEX laser enrichment technology. Other applications include uranium enrichment, being developed with US-based exclusive licensee Global Laser Enrichment LLC (GLE), and early-stage research within its Medical Isotope Separation Technology (MIST) Project. The Company has noted that the commercial future of these applications remains subject to various risks and outcomes.
Silex’s laser uranium enrichment program, developed through its exclusive US licensee GLE, reached its own significant milestone in early 2026 when GLE received preliminary approval for a US$98.9 million incentives package from Kentucky to support the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility.
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