Centrus Energy (LEU) 424B5Prospectus supplement for primary offering

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-239242

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(to the Prospectus dated August 5, 2020)

Up to $50,000,000

Centrus Energy Corp.

Class A Common Stock

In accordance with the terms of the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement entered into with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (“B. Riley”) and Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC (“Lake Street”, and together with B. Riley”, the “Agents” each, an “Agent”), dated December 31, 2020, which we refer to as the sales agreement, we may offer and sell under this prospectus supplement shares of our Class A Common Stock, $0.10 par value per share, having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 from time to time through or to the Agents, acting as sales agent or principal.

Our Class A Common Stock is traded on the NYSE American LLC (the “Exchange”) under the symbol “LEU.” The last reported sale price of our Class A Common Stock on December 30, 2020 was $23.86 per share.

Sales of our Class A Common Stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement will be made by any method permitted that is deemed an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Agents are not required to sell any specific amount of shares of our Class A Common Stock, but will act as our sales agents using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with their normal trading and sales practices. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

The Agents will be entitled to compensation at a commission rate of up to 4.0% of the gross sales price per share of our Class A Common Stock sold. In connection with the sale of our Class A Common Stock on our behalf, an Agent will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of the Agents will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the Agents with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Investing in our Class A Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. Before buying shares of our Class A Common Stock, you should carefully consider the risk factors described in “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 of this prospectus supplement , the section captioned “Item 1A—Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, and under similar headings in the other documents that are filed after the date hereof and incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus supplement is December 31, 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which contains specific information about the terms on which we are offering and selling our Class A Common Stock and important business information about us. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which contains and incorporates by reference important business and financial information about us and other information about this offering. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a shelf registration statement that we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the information incorporated by reference herein as described herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus that we prepare and distribute. Neither we nor the Agents have authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any such free writing prospectus. Neither we nor the Agents are making an offer to sell, or soliciting an offer to buy, these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any related free writing prospectus prepared by us is accurate only as of the date of the applicable document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not contain all of the information included in the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information, we refer you to the registration statement on Form S-3, including its exhibits, of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part. We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and therefore file reports and other information with the SEC. Statements contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus about the provisions or contents of any agreement or other document are only summaries. If SEC rules require that any agreement or document be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, you should refer to that agreement or document for its complete contents.

Before you invest in our Class A Common Stock, you should read the registration statement of which this document forms a part and this document, including the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus that are described under the caption “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

If the description of this offering and our business varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. Any statement made in this prospectus supplement or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise expressly indicated or the context otherwise requires, we use the terms “Centrus,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” or similar references to refer to Centrus Energy Corp. and its subsidiaries.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference herein, may contain or incorporate “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, may address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For Centrus Energy Corp., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following, which may be amplified by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:

These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements disclosed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020, as such risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in any subsequent prospectus supplement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should be not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this report and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this prospectus supplement, except as required by law.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our Class A Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, including the factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any risk factors set forth in our other filings with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, before deciding whether to invest in shares of our Class A Common Stock. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information We Incorporate By Reference.” The occurrence of any of the events described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In such an event, the trading price of our Class A Common Stock may decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Additional Risks Related to This Offering

Our stock price and stock trading volume have been and could remain volatile.

The market price of our Class A Common Stock has historically experienced and may continue to experience significant volatility. From March 2020 through December 30, 2020, the last reported sales prices of our common stock fluctuated from a high of $27.91 per share to a low of $4.25 per share. The market price of our Class A Common Stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to the many risk factors listed in this section, and others beyond our control, including:

Significant changes in our stock price may also cause stock-based compensation expense to increase or decrease significantly, including notional amounts used to determine the value of awards which may be payable in cash, stock or a combination of cash and stock under our long-term incentive plan. Further, the stock markets may experience extreme price and volume fluctuations that can affect the market prices of equity securities. These fluctuations can be unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the companies issuing such securities. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, could harm the market price of our Class A Common Stock.

We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and, despite our efforts, we may use the net proceeds in a manner that does not increase the value of your investment.

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of shares of our Class A Common Stock in this offering for general working capital and corporate purposes, which may include investment in technology development, repayment or repurchase of outstanding debt or repurchase or redemption of shares of our Series B Senior Preferred Stock, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions and other business opportunities and purposes.. We retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of shares of Class A Common Stock and, accordingly, you will need to rely upon the judgment of our board of directors and management with respect to the use of proceeds, potentially with only limited information concerning our specific intentions. These proceeds could be applied in ways that do not improve our operating results or increase the value of your investment.

You may experience immediate and substantial dilution.

The offering price per share in this offering may exceed the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our Class A Common Stock outstanding prior to this offering. Assuming that an aggregate of 2,095,557 shares of our Class A Common Stock are sold during the term of the sales agreement with the Agents at a price of $23.86 per share, the last reported sale price of our Class A Common Stock on the NYSE American on December 30, 2020, for aggregate gross proceeds of $47.8 million, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, you will experience immediate dilution of $45.70 per share, representing the difference between our as-adjusted net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2020, after giving effect to this offering and the assumed offering price. The exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants may result in further dilution of your investment. Additionally, because the sales of shares of our Class A Common Stock offered hereby will be made directly into the market, the prices at which we sell such securities will vary and these variations may be significant. As a result, you may suffer dilution if you purchase shares in this offering at a higher price than other shares offered hereby are sold. See the section entitled “Dilution” below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering.

The actual number of shares we may issue under the Sales Agreement, at any one time or in total, is uncertain and you may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.

Subject to certain limitations in the Sales Agreement and compliance with applicable law, we have the discretion to deliver a sales notice to an Agent at any time throughout the term of the Sales Agreement. The number of shares that are sold by the Agents after delivering a sales notice, if any, will fluctuate based on the market price of the Class A Common Stock during the sales period and limits we set with the Agents. Because the price per share of each share sold will fluctuate based on the market price of our common stock during the sales period, it is not possible at this stage to predict the number of shares that will be ultimately issued. In addition, in order to raise additional capital, we may offer in the future additional shares of our Class A Common Stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Class A Common Stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering.

We currently do not intend to pay dividends on our Class A Common Stock and, are currently precluded from declaring or paying such dividends consequently, the only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment is if the price of our Class A Common Stock appreciates.

We currently do not plan to declare or pay dividends on shares of our Class A Common Stock in the foreseeable future and we are currently precluded from declaring or paying dividends by the terms of our outstanding preferred securities. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on the shares you purchase in this offering will be if the market price of our Class A Common Stock appreciates and you sell your shares at a profit. We cannot assure you that we will ever pay dividends or that the price of our Class A Common Stock in the market after this offering will ever exceed the price of any shares purchased.

The Series B Senior Preferred Stock ranks senior to our common stock with respect to dividends, distributions and payments upon liquidation.

The Series B Senior Preferred Stock ranks, with respect to dividend rights and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, senior to our common stock. The holders of the Series B Senior Preferred Stock accrue dividends at a rate of 7.5% per annum payable upon the achievement by us of certain financial thresholds, which have not yet occurred, in preference to our Class A Common Stock. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities, subject to the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock, including Series B Senior Preferred Stock.

Our governing documents and Delaware law could prevent a takeover that stockholders consider favorable and could also reduce the market price of our stock.

Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and the Section 382 Rights Agreement we have adopted with respect to our common stock and the transfer restrictions in the Series B Preferred Stock contain certain provisions that could delay or prevent a change in control. These provisions could also make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors and take other corporate actions. These provisions include, without limitation:

In addition, we are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. These provisions may prohibit large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding Class A Common Stock, from engaging in certain business combinations without the approval of substantially all of our stockholders for a certain period of time.

These and other provisions in our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and under Delaware law, including restrictions on foreign ownership and restrictions set forth in the Section 382 Rights Agreement, could discourage potential takeover attempts, reduce the price that investors might be willing to pay for shares of our Class A Common Stock in the future and result in the market price being lower than it would be without these provisions. For more information, see “Description of Capital Stock— Provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware Law that May Have an Anti-Takeover Effect” in the accompanying prospectus.

USE OF PROCEEDS

The amount of proceeds from this offering will depend upon the number of shares of our Class A Common Stock sold and the market price at which they are sold. There can be no assurance that we will be able to sell any shares under or fully utilize the sales agreement with the Agents as a source of financing.

We intend to use the net proceeds for general working capital and corporate purposes, which may include investment in technology development, repayment or repurchase of outstanding debt or repurchase or redemption of shares of our Series B Senior Preferred Stock, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions and other business opportunities and purposes.

The precise amount, use and timing of the application of such proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and cost of other capital. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds of the offering in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities and/or savings accounts.

DILUTION

If you invest in our Class A Common Stock, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the price per share you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our Class A Common Stock immediately after this offering. Our net tangible book value of our Class A Common Stock as of September 30, 2020 was approximately $(340.8) million, or approximately $(30.10) per share of Class A Common Stock based upon 11,320,689 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding at that time, and on an unconverted basis with respect to our shares of Class B Common Stock. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets, less our total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020.

After giving effect to the assumed sale of our Class A Common Stock in the aggregate amount of  $50 million at an assumed offering price of  $23.86 per share, the last reported sale price of our Class A Common Stock on the Exchange on December 30, 2020, and after deducting estimated offering commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020 would have been $(293.0) million, or $(21.84) per share of Class A Common Stock based on 13,416,246 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding on a pro forma basis at that time. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $8.26 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $45.70 per share to new investors in this offering.

The following table illustrates this calculation on a per share basis:

The number of shares of our Class A Common Stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering on a pro forma basis is based on 13,416,246 shares of our Class A Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020 and excludes:

The above illustration of dilution per share to investors participating in this offering assumes no exercise of outstanding options or vesting and settlement of outstanding restricted stock units. To the extent that any outstanding options are exercised or outstanding restricted stock units are vested and settled, there will be further dilution to new investors.

DIVIDEND POLICY

Centrus has never declared or paid any cash dividends on its Class A Common stock, and we are currently precluded from declaring or paying dividends on our Class A Common Stock by the terms of our Series B Preferred Stock. Holders of our Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to cumulative dividends of 7.5% per annum of the aggregate liquidation preference at origination of $41.7 million. We did not meet the criteria for a dividend payment obligation for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and the corresponding period in 2019, and we have not declared, accrued or paid dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock since issuance on February 14, 2017. Dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock are cumulative to the extent not paid at any quarter-end, whether or not declared and whether or not there are assets of the Company legally available for the payment of such dividends in whole or in part. We currently anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the expansion and operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare cash dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable law and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, the indenture governing our 8.25% Notes restricts our ability to pay dividends on our capital stock in certain cases.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into a sales agreement with B. Riley Securities, Inc .and Lake Street Capital Market, LLC (the “Agents”) under which we may issue and sell our Class A Common Stock from time to time through the Agents acting as sales agents. Sales of shares of our Class A Common Stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be made by any method that is deemed an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act. We may instruct the Agents not to sell Class A Common Stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us from time to time. We or any of the Agents may suspend the offering of common stock upon notice and subject to other conditions.

The Agents will offer our Class A Common Stock subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement as agreed upon by us and the Agents. Each time we wish to issue and sell common stock under the sales agreement, we will notify an Agent of the number or dollar value of shares to be issued, the time period during which such sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of shares that may be sold in one day, any minimum price below which sales may not be made and other sales parameters as we deem appropriate. Once we have so instructed an Agent, unless the Agent declines to accept the terms of the notice, the Agents have agreed to use their commercially reasonable efforts consistent with their normal trading and sales practices to sell such shares up to the amount specified on such terms. The obligations of the Agents under the sales agreement to sell our common stock are subject to a number of conditions that we must meet.

We will pay the Agents commissions for their services in acting as agents in the sale of Class A Common Stock at a commission rate equal to up to 4.0% of the gross sales price per share sold. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time.  We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding commissions payable to the Agents under the terms of the sales agreement, will be approximately $220,000.

Settlement for sales of Class A Common Stock will generally occur on the second business day following the date on which any sales are made, or on some other date that is agreed upon by us and the Agent in connection with a particular transaction, in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

In connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, an Agent will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of the Agents will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the Agents against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The offering of our Class A Common Stock pursuant to the sales agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all of our Class A Common Stock subject to the sales agreement, or (ii) termination of the sales agreement as provided therein.

Additional Relationships

Mr. Mikel H. Williams, who serves on our board of directors, also serves on the board of directors of B. Riley, one of the Agents.

The Agents and their respective affiliates may in the future provide various investment banking and other financial services for us and our affiliates, for which services they may in the future receive customary fees.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities we are offering will be passed upon by O’Melveny & Myers LLP, San Francisco, California. The Agents are being represented in connection with this offering by Duane Morris LLP, New York, New York.

EXPERTS

The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549, a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A Common Stock offered hereby. This prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information with respect to the Company and its Class A Common Stock, reference is made to the registration statement and the exhibits and any schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus supplement as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete and in each instance, if such contract or document is filed as an exhibit, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. A copy of the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules thereto, may be read and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site at www.sec.gov, from which interested persons can electronically access the registration statement, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto.

We are subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we file periodic reports and other information with the SEC. All documents filed with the SEC are available for inspection and copying at the addresses set forth above. We also maintain an Internet site at www.centrusenergy.com. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this prospectus supplement or the registration statement of which it forms a part.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents instead of having to repeat the information in this prospectus supplement. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. This prospectus supplement incorporates by reference the documents listed below (other than, unless otherwise specifically indicated, current reports furnished under Item 2.02, Item 7.01 or Item 9.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items):

All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference.

We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference, including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any requests for documents in writing to: Centrus Energy Corp., 6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20817, tel: (301) 564-3200. These documents are also available on the Investors section of our website, which is located at www.centrusenergy.com, or as described under “Where You Can Find Additional Information” above. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on our website.

You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

PROSPECTUS

Centrus Energy Corp.

$100,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Rights

Units

From time to time, we may offer and sell up to $100,000,00 in aggregate of the securities described in this prospectus separately or together in any combination, in one or more classes or series, in amounts, at prices and on terms that we will determine at the time of the offering.

This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. We may provide specific terms of securities to be offered in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also provide a specific plan of distribution for any securities to be offered in a prospectus supplement. Prospectus supplements may also add, update or change information in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with any documents incorporated by reference herein, before you invest in our securities.

Our common stock is listed on The NYSE American LLC, or the NYSE American, under the symbol “LEU.” On July 30, 2020, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $15.10 per share. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to the listing of any other securities covered by the prospectus supplement other than our common stock on the NYSE American or any other securities exchange. 

Investing in any of our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please read carefully the section entitled “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this prospectus, the “Risk Factors” section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and the information included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. 

The date of this prospectus is ,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About This Prospectus

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration or continuous offering process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to a total aggregate offering price of $100,000,000.

This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. We may provide specific terms of securities to be offered in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also provide a specific plan of distribution for any securities to be offered in a prospectus supplement. Prospectus supplements may also add, update or change information in this prospectus. If the information varies between this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the accompanying prospectus supplement.

Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the heading “Information We Incorporate by Reference.” You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. Neither we nor any underwriters have authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

This prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate. We are not making offers to sell common stock or any other securities described in this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which we are not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation.

Unless otherwise expressly indicated or the context otherwise requires, we use the terms “Centrus,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” or similar references to refer to Centrus Energy Corp. and its subsidiaries.

Where You Can Find More Information

We have filed our registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. We also file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file with the SEC, including the registration statement and the exhibits to the registration statement, at the SEC’s Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549. You may obtain further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our SEC filings are also available to the public at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. These documents may also be accessed on our web site at www.centrusenergy.com. Information contained on our web site is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and you should not consider information contained on our web site to be part of this prospectus.

This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us as indicated above. Forms of any indenture or other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or will be filed through an amendment to our registration statement on Form S-3 or under cover of a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated into this prospectus by reference.

Information We Incorporate By Reference

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this document will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the document to the extent that a statement contained in this document or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this document modifies or supersedes the statement. We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the following information (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):

We also incorporate by reference each of the documents that we file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, (i) after the date of this prospectus and prior to effectiveness of this registration statement on Form S-3 and (ii) on or after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offerings under this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. These documents include periodic reports, such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as proxy statements. We will not, however, incorporate by reference in this prospectus any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of our Current Reports on Form 8-K after the date of this prospectus unless, and except to the extent, specified in such Current Reports.

We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus (or a notice of registration in lieu thereof) is delivered a copy of any of these filings (other than an exhibit to these filings, unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit to this prospectus) at no cost, upon a request to us by writing or telephoning us at the following address and telephone number:

Centrus Energy Corp.

6901 Rockledge Drive

Suite 800

Bethesda, MD 20817

(301) 564-3200

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein, may contain or incorporate “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, may address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For Centrus Energy Corp., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following, which may be amplified by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: risks related to our significant long-term liabilities, including material unfunded defined benefit pension plan obligations and postretirement health and life benefit obligations; risks relating to our 8.25% notes (the “8.25% Notes”) maturing in February 2027 and our Series B Senior Preferred Stock; risks related to the use of our net operating loss (“NOLs”) carryforwards and net unrealized built-in losses (“NUBILs”) to offset future taxable income and the use of the Rights Agreement (as defined herein) to prevent an “ownership change” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and our ability to generate taxable income to utilize all or a portion of the NOLs and NUBILs prior to the expiration thereof; risks related to the limited trading markets in our securities; risks related to our ability to maintain the listing of our Class A Common Stock on the NYSE American LLC (the “NYSE American”); risks related to decisions made by our Class B stockholders and our Series B Senior Preferred stockholders regarding their investment in the Company based upon factors that are unrelated to the Company’s performance; risks related to the Company’s capital concentration; risks related to natural and other disasters, including the continued impact of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan on the nuclear industry and on our business, results of operations and prospects; the impact and potential extended duration of the current supply/demand imbalance in the market for low-enriched uranium (“LEU”); our dependence on others for deliveries of LEU including deliveries from the Russian government-owned entity TENEX, Joint-Stock Company (“TENEX”), under a commercial supply agreement with TENEX and deliveries under a long-term supply agreement with Orano Cycle (“Orano”); risks related to existing or new trade barriers and contract terms that limit our ability to deliver LEU to customers; risks related to actions, including government reviews, that may be taken by the United States government, the Russian government or other governments that could affect our ability to perform under our contract obligations or the ability of our sources of supply to perform under their contract obligations to us, including the imposition of sanctions, restrictions or other requirements, and risks relating to the potential expiration of the 1992 Russian Suspension Agreement (“RSA”) and/or a renewal of the RSA on terms not favorable to us or legislation imposing new or increased limits on imports of Russian LEU; risks related to our ability to sell the LEU we procure pursuant to our purchase obligations under our supply agreements; risks relating to our sales order book, including uncertainty concerning customer actions under current contracts and in future contracting due to market conditions and lack of current production capability; risks related to financial difficulties experienced by customers, including possible bankruptcies, insolvencies or any other inability to pay for our products or services or delays in making timely payment; pricing trends and demand in the uranium and enrichment markets and their impact on our profitability; movement and timing of customer orders; risks related to the value of our intangible assets related to the sales order book and customer relationships; risks associated with our reliance on third-party suppliers to provide essential products and services to us; the impact of government regulation including by the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy competitive enrichment technology; risks and uncertainties regarding funding for deployment of the American Centrifuge technology and our ability to perform and absorb costs under our agreement with DOE to demonstrate the capability to produce high assay low enriched uranium (“HALEU”) and our ability to obtain and/or perform under other agreements; risks relating to whether or when government or commercial demand for HALEU will materialize; the potential for further demobilization or termination of our American Centrifuge work; risks related to our ability to perform and receive timely payment under agreements with DOE or other government agencies, including risk and uncertainties related to the ongoing funding of the government and potential audits; the competitive bidding process associated with obtaining a federal contract; risks related to our ability to perform fixed-price and cost-share contracts, including the risk that costs could be higher than expected; risks that we will be unable to obtain new business opportunities or achieve market acceptance of our products and services or that products or services provided by others will render our products or services obsolete or noncompetitive; risks that we will not be able to timely complete the work that we are obligated to perform; failures or security breaches of our information technology systems; risks related to pandemics and other health crises, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic; potential strategic transactions, which could be difficult to implement, disrupt our business or change our business profile significantly; the outcome of legal proceedings and other contingencies (including lawsuits and government investigations or audits); the competitive environment for our products and services; changes in the nuclear energy industry; the impact of financial market conditions on our business, liquidity, prospects, pension assets and insurance facilities; the risks of revenue and operating results fluctuating significantly from quarter to quarter, and in some cases, year to year; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under Part 1. Item1A - “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements disclosed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as such risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in any prospectus supplement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should be not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this report and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this prospectus, except as required by law.

Centrus Energy Corp.

Centrus Energy Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Centrus” or the “Company”), is a trusted supplier of nuclear fuel and services for the nuclear power industry. References to “Centrus”, the “Company”, “our”, or “we” include Centrus Energy Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries as well as the predecessor to Centrus, unless the context otherwise indicates.

Centrus operates two business segments: (a) low-enriched uranium (“LEU”), which supplies various components of nuclear fuel to utilities, and (b) technical solutions, which provides advanced engineering, design, and manufacturing services to government and private sector customers.

Our LEU segment provides most of the Company’s revenue and involves the sale of separative work units (“SWU”) and occasionally LEU to utilities operating commercial nuclear power plants. The company also sells natural uranium to other nuclear fuel related companies.

LEU is a critical component in the production of nuclear fuel for reactors that produce electricity. We supply LEU to both domestic and international utilities for use in nuclear reactors worldwide. We provide LEU from multiple sources including our inventory, medium- and long- term supply contracts and spot purchases. As a long-term supplier of LEU to our customers, our objective is to provide value through the reliability and diversity of our supply sources. Our long-term goal is to resume commercial enrichment production, and we are exploring approaches to that end.

Our technical solutions segment utilizes the unique technical expertise, operational experience and specialized facilities that we developed over nearly two decades as part of our uranium enrichment technology program. We are leveraging these capabilities to expand and diversify our business beyond uranium enrichment, offering new services to existing and new customers in complementary markets.

With the specialized capabilities and workforce at our Technology and Manufacturing Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, we are performing technical, engineering and manufacturing services for a range of commercial and government customers and actively working to secure new customers. Our experience developing, licensing, manufacturing and operating advanced nuclear components and systems positions us to provide critical design, engineering, manufacturing and other services to a broad range of potential clients, including those involving sensitive or classified technologies. This work includes design, engineering, manufacturing and licensing services support for advanced reactor and fuel fabrication projects as well as decontamination and decommissioning (“D&D”) work.

With several decades of experience in enrichment, we continue to be a leader in the development of an advanced U.S. uranium enrichment technology, which we believe could play a critical role in supplying fuel for advanced reactors, meeting U.S. national and energy security needs, and achieving our nation’s nonproliferation objectives.

Our principal executive office is located at 6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, and our telephone number is (301) 564-3200. Our website is www.centrusenergy.com. However, the information located on, or accessible from, our website is not, and should not be deemed to be, part of this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus or incorporated into any other filing that we submit to the SEC.

Risk Factors

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider any risk factors set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including the factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and each subsequently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any risk factors set forth in our other filings with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information We Incorporate By Reference.” Each of the risks described in these documents could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, and could result in a partial or complete loss of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also adversely affect our business. In addition, past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods.

Use Of Proceeds

We will retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered hereby. Unless otherwise specified in any prospectus supplement, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities offered under this prospectus for working capital and general corporate purposes including, but not limited to, capital expenditures, working capital, repayment of indebtedness, potential acquisitions and other business opportunities. Pending any specific application, we may initially invest funds in short-term marketable securities or apply them to the reduction of indebtedness.

Description Of Capital Stock

The authorized capital stock of Centrus Energy Corp. consists of (a) 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of which 70,000,000 shares are classified as Class A Common Stock, and 30,000,000 shares are classified as Class B Common Stock, and (b) 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, of which 2,000,000 shares have been designated Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, and 104,547 shares of which have been designated Series B Senior Preferred Stock. The Class A Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and trades on the NYSE American platform under the symbol “LEU.”

The following description of the terms of our securities is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”), and the Rights Agreement (as defined below), all of which are exhibits to our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Class A Common Stock

The holders of Class A Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each outstanding share of Class A Common Stock owned by that stockholder on every matter properly submitted to the stockholders for their vote, except for any amendment for the Certificate of Incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock or Class B Common Stock. Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders, other than the election of directors, must be approved by a majority in voting power of the stock represented and entitled to vote. However, questions governed expressly by provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, bylaws, applicable stock exchange rules or applicable law require approval as set forth in the applicable governing document, stock exchange rule or law. The holders of Class B Common Stock currently are entitled to elect up to one director, which right is subject to change based on certain holding requirements. Otherwise, the directors are elected by a plurality of votes cast on the election of directors.

Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock outstanding at any time, the holders of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock will be entitled share ratably, based upon the number of shares held, in such dividends and other distributions of cash or any other right or property as may be declared by the Board of Directors out of the assets or funds legally available for such dividends or distributions, with sharing equally in such dividends or distributions. The Company is not permitted to pay dividends on the Common Stock while any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding. The Company currently has shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding.

In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company’s affairs, holders of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock would be entitled to share ratably, based upon the number of shares held, in assets that are legally available for distribution to stockholders after payment of liabilities. If there is any preferred stock outstanding at such time, holders of the preferred stock may be entitled to distribution and/or liquidation preferences. The Company currently has shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding with a liquidation preference.

The Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for any conversion, sinking fund, redemption, preference, preemptive right, or right of subscription for the Class A Common Stock. Issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock convert into shares of Class A Common Stock upon transfer to a party other than the current Class B stockholders and their respective affiliates.

Provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware Law that May Have an Anti-Takeover Effect

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. The Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by the Chairman, the President, the Board of Directors or a committee empowered by the Board of Directors to call a special meeting. Stockholders are not permitted to call, or to require that the Board of Directors call, a special meeting of stockholders.

In the event that levels of foreign ownership of the Company’s stock established by the Certificate of Incorporation are exceeded, the Board of Directors has the right to take certain actions with respect to such ownership. These actions include requesting information from holders (or proposed holders) of the Company’s securities, refusing to permit the transfer of securities by such holders, suspending or limiting voting rights of such holders, redeeming or exchanging shares of the Company’s stock owned by such holders on terms set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation, and taking other actions that deemed necessary or appropriate to ensure compliance with the foreign ownership restrictions.

Delaware Takeover Statute. The Company is subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), which, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any “business combination” (as defined below) with any “interested stockholder” (as defined below) for a period of three years following the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless: (i) prior to such date, the Board of Directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; (ii) on consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding those shares owned (x) by persons who are directors and also officers and (y) by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or (iii) on or subsequent to such date, the business combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Section 203 of the DGCL defines “business combination” to include: (i) any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder; (ii) any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation involving the interested stockholder; (iii) subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder; (iv) any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or (v) the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. In general, Section 203 of the DGCL defines an “interested stockholder” as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person.

Rights to Acquire Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock

Centrus has adopted a Section 382 stockholders rights plan and declared a dividend distribution of one right for each outstanding share of our common stock to stockholders of record on April 6, 2016. Each right entitles its holder, under the circumstances described below, to purchase from us one one-thousandth of a share of our Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, at an exercise price of $18.00 per right, subject to adjustment. The terms of the rights are set forth in a Section 382 Rights Agreement between us, Computershare, Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as amended (the “Rights Agreement”).

The rights plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group, together with its affiliates and associates, being or becoming the beneficial owner of 4.99% or more of common stock, with certain exceptions. The rights initially trade together with the common stock and are not exercisable. In the absence of further action by the Board, the rights would generally become exercisable and allow a holder to acquire shares of a new series of the Company’s preferred stock if any person or group acquires 4.99% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, or if a person or group that already owns 4.99% or more of the Company’s Class A Common Stock acquires additional shares representing 0.5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock. The rights beneficially owned by the acquirer would become null and void, resulting in significant dilution in the ownership interest of such acquirer.

The Board may exempt any acquisition of the Company’s common stock from the provisions of the Rights Agreement if it determines that doing so would not jeopardize or endanger the Company’s use of its tax assets or is otherwise in the best interests of the Company. The Board also has the ability to amend or terminate the Rights Agreement prior to a triggering event. Unless earlier terminated or extended in accordance with the Rights Agreement, the rights issued under the Rights Agreement expire on June 30, 2021.

Description Of Debt Securities

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer in one or more series under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.

We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations.

We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with a national banking association or other eligible party, as trustee. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act. We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.

The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.

General

We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth in an officer’s certificate or a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet), including the following terms, if applicable:

We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon maturity or a declaration of acceleration of their maturity following an event of default pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Transfer and Exchange

Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the depositary, or a nominee of the depositary (we will refer to any such debt security as a “global debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificate as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth below, global debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.

Certificated Debt Securities

You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.

You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.

Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System

Each global debt security will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the depositary, and registered in the name of the depositary or a nominee of the depositary. Beneficial interests in global debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form unless (i) the depositary has notified us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for such global debt security or has ceased to be qualified to act as such as required by the indenture and we fail to appoint a successor depositary within 90 days of such event, (ii) we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities or (iii) any other circumstances shall exist, in addition to or in lieu of those described above, as may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless and until a global debt security is exchanged for certificated debt securities under the limited circumstances described in the previous sentence, a global debt security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

Covenants

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.

No Protection In the Event of a Change of Control

Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

Centrus may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets to any person (a “successor person”) unless:

Notwithstanding the above, any of Centrus’s subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to Centrus.

Events of Default

“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

No event of default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an event of default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain events of default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.

If an event of default with respect to any series of debt securities at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization), then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal amount (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by written notice to us and the trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration of acceleration and its consequences if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an event of default.

The indenture provides that the trustee will be under no obligation to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right of power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.

No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:

Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, and any interest on, that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such holder.

The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture from our principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer. If a default or event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to the debt securities of any series and if it is actually known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the debt securities of that series notice of a default or event of default within 60 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such default or event of default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any default or event of default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.

Modification and Waiver

We and the trustee may modify and amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of one or more series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:

We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then-outstanding if that amendment will:

Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series, by written notice to the trustee, waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture or the debt securities with respect to such series. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series, waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or any interest on, any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.

Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances

Legal Defeasance

The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.

This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.

Defeasance of Certain Covenants

The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:

The conditions include:

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York (without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).

Description Of Warrants

General

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, which consist of warrants to purchase shares of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. Warrants may be offered independently or together with shares of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement and may be attached to or separate from those securities.

While the terms we have summarized below will generally apply to any future warrants we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The specific terms of any warrants may differ from the description provided below as a result of negotiations with third parties in connection with the issuance of those warrants, as well as for other reasons. Because the terms of any warrants we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below, you should rely solely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if that summary is different from the summary in this prospectus.

We will issue the warrants under a warrant agreement, which we will enter into with a warrant agent to be selected by us. We use the term “warrant agreement” to refer to any of these warrant agreements. We use the term “warrant agent” to refer to the warrant agent under any of these warrant agreements. The warrant agent will act solely as an agent of ours in connection with the warrants and will not act as an agent for the holders or beneficial owners of the warrants.

We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of warrant agreement, including a form of warrant certificate, that describes the terms of the series of warrants we are offering before the issuance of the related series of warrants. The following summaries of material provisions of the warrants and the warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement applicable to a particular series of warrants. We urge you to read any applicable prospectus supplement related to the warrants that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreement that contain the terms of the warrants and defines your rights as a warrant holder.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms relating to a series of warrants. If warrants for the purchase of debt securities are offered, the prospectus supplement will describe the following terms, to the extent applicable:

Warrants for the purchase of debt securities will be in registered form only.

If warrants for the purchase of shares of common stock or preferred stock are offered, the prospectus supplement will describe the following terms, to the extent applicable:

Warrants for the purchase of shares of common stock or preferred stock will be in registered form only.

A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase shares of common stock or preferred stock are exercised, holders of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the underlying shares of common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or to exercise any voting rights, except to the extent set forth under “Warrant Adjustments” below.

Exercise of Warrants

Each holder of a warrant is entitled to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, at the exercise price described in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the day when the right to exercise terminates (or a later date if we extend the time for exercise), unexercised warrants will become void.

A holder of warrants may exercise them by following the general procedure outlined below:

If you comply with the procedures described above, your warrants will be considered to have been exercised when the warrant agent receives payment of the exercise price, subject to the transfer books for the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrant not being closed on such date. After you have completed those procedures and subject to the foregoing, we will, as soon as practicable, issue and deliver to you the debt securities or shares of common stock or preferred stock that you purchased upon exercise. If you exercise fewer than all of the warrants represented by a warrant certificate, a new warrant certificate will be issued to you for the unexercised amount of warrants. Holders of warrants will be required to pay any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with transferring the underlying securities in connection with the exercise of the warrants.

Amendments and Supplements to the Warrant Agreements

We may amend or supplement a warrant agreement without the consent of the holders of the applicable warrants to cure ambiguities in the warrant agreement, to cure or correct a defective provision in the warrant agreement, or to provide for other matters under the warrant agreement that we and the warrant agent deem necessary or desirable, so long as, in each case, such amendments or supplements do not materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of the warrants.

Warrant Adjustments

Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, the exercise price of, and the number of securities covered by, a warrant for shares of common stock or preferred stock will be adjusted proportionately if we subdivide or combine our common stock or preferred stock, as applicable. In addition, unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, if we, without payment:

then the holders of common stock warrants or preferred stock warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the warrants, in addition to the securities otherwise receivable upon exercise of the warrants and without paying any additional consideration, the amount of shares and other securities and property such holders would have been entitled to receive had they held the common stock or preferred stock issuable under the warrants on the dates on which holders of those securities received or became entitled to receive such additional shares and other securities and property.

Except as stated above, the exercise price and number of securities covered by a warrant for shares of common stock or preferred stock, and the amounts of other securities or property to be received, if any, upon exercise of those warrants, will not be adjusted or provided for if we issue those securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for those securities, or securities carrying the right to purchase those securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable for those securities.

Holders of common stock warrants or preferred stock warrants may have additional rights under the following circumstances:

If one of the above transactions occurs and holders of our common stock or preferred stock are entitled to receive shares, securities or other property with respect to or in exchange for their securities, the holders of the common stock warrants or preferred stock warrants then-outstanding, as applicable, will be entitled to receive upon exercise of their warrants the kind and amount of shares and other securities or property that they would have received upon the applicable transaction if they had exercised their warrants immediately before the transaction.

Description Of Rights

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the rights that we may offer under this prospectus. We may issue rights to our stockholders to purchase shares of our common stock and/or any of the other securities offered hereby. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent. When we issue rights, we will provide the specific terms of the rights and the applicable rights agreement in a prospectus supplement. Because the terms of any rights we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below, you should rely solely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if that summary is different from the summary in this prospectus. We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of rights agreement that describes the terms of the series of rights we are offering before the issuance of the related series of rights. The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any rights will describe the terms of the offered rights, including, where applicable, the following:

Holders may exercise rights as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon receipt of payment and the rights certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights. If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby underwriting arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Description Of Units

We may issue units comprising two or more securities described in this prospectus in any combination. For example, we might issue units consisting of a combination of debt securities and warrants to purchase common stock. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the units and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the units so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit also is the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. Units will be issued pursuant to the terms of a unit agreement, which may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time or at any time before a specified date. A copy of the forms of the unit agreement and the unit certificate relating to any particular issue of units will be filed with the SEC each time we issue units, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the forms of the unit agreement and the related unit certificate, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

The prospectus supplement relating to any particular issuance of units will describe the terms of those units, including, to the extent applicable, the following:

Plan Of Distribution

We may sell the securities from time to time, by a variety of methods, including the following:

The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:

Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we, or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.

Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, the maximum amount of underwriting compensation, including underwriting discounts and commissions, to be paid in connection with any offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus may not exceed 8% of the aggregate principal amount of securities offered. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.

The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, underwriters or other persons acting as agents may be authorized to solicit offers by institutions or other suitable purchasers to purchase the securities at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement, pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in the prospectus supplement. These purchasers may include, among others, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions. Delayed delivery contracts will be subject to the condition that the purchase of the securities covered by the delayed delivery contracts will not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the purchaser is subject. The underwriters and agents will not have any responsibility with respect to the validity or performance of these contracts.

We may engage in at-the-market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us, or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of common stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of our common stock. In addition, we may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

Legal Matters

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, certain legal matters in connection with the offering and the validity of the securities offered by this prospectus, and any supplement thereto, will be passed upon by O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

EXPERTS

The financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

Up to $50,000,000

Centrus Energy Corp.

Class A Common Stock

Prospectus

December 31, 2020