TRISO and advanced nuclear fuel fabrication plants, licensing milestones and fuel qualification
Centrus Energy is actively building out the domestic HALEU fuel supply chain through strategic partnerships with X-energy, Oklo, and Radiant. Contract prepayments and long-term agreements are funding the necessary infrastructure to supply advanced reactor fuel.
Radiant Industries has secured a long-term TRISO fuel supply agreement with Standard Nuclear and received its first test fuel for a rigorous five-phase testing campaign at the Idaho National Laboratory.
Industry experts recommend that South Africa leverage its historical Pebble Bed Modular Reactor experience to establish a trusted international TRISO fuel manufacturing hub at Pelindaba.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory has finished post-irradiation mechanical measurements on HALEU TRISO fuel particles, providing vital empirical data for advanced gas reactor design models and safety validation.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory achieves a milestone in irradiated HALEU TRISO fuel testing, while Antares Nuclear develops transportable TRISO-fueled micro-reactors.
NANO Nuclear Energy and Enveniam have signed an MOU to collaborate on HALEU transportation, fuel cycle infrastructure, and the commercialization of the KRONOS microreactor.
The proposed Oklo-Centrus joint venture highlights a co-location strategy to solve HALEU fuel fabrication and deconversion bottlenecks. By centralizing these services, the industry can reduce costs and accelerate advanced reactor deployment.
The US DOE's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative has selected Lightbridge to build a HALEU extrusion demonstration facility. Concurrently, federal funding is accelerating TRISO fuel manufacturing to support advanced reactor deployment.
Standard Nuclear Inc. is advancing the design and manufacturing of TRISO fuel in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, providing a critical fuel solution for next-generation advanced nuclear reactors.
Centrus Energy is among six companies selected by the DOE for a 10-year HALEU deconversion service contract. This move highlights the ongoing challenges in the HALEU fuel fabrication and supply chain.