TRISO-X charges forward with the first US-approved nuclear fuel fabrication license in 50+ years
The U.S. has a gap in its nuclear fuel supply chain. TRISO-X’s new license means America can begin making this high‑tech fuel instead of relying on foreign sources.
On Tuesday, TRISO-X received the necessary approvals from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to begin manufacturing fuel using high-assay low-enriched uranium (“HALEU”). This is the first approval of its kind in more than 50 years.
And what’s more? The NRC license formally establishes TX-1 and TX-2 as the first new fuel facilities licensed by the NRC in half a century. With this, TX-1 is set to become the first-ever Category II nuclear fuel facility in the United States.
“Achieving this first-of-its-kind license reflects the technical leadership and sustained diligence of the TRISO-X team, as well as a focused process with the NRC to complete the review three months ahead of schedule. We look forward to continuing our work to bring commercial-scale TRISO production to East Tennessee,” said the company’s President, Joel Duling.
The fuel that TRISO-X and its parent company, X-Energy, are focused on is called TRISO. The fuel itself has been around for decades; however, X-Energy developed its own proprietary version and manufacturing methods. Since 2016, the process has been refined, researched, and safely scaled at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It operated in pilot-mode for a decade before finally being approved by the NRC to receive, possess, process, and transport HALEU to be commercially-fabricated.
TX-1 is currently under construction at the Oak Ridge Horizon Center, and TX-2 is still in the design phase. TRISO-X cannot begin manufacturing operations until construction and inspection steps are complete.
If all goes as planned, full-scale production at TX-1 and TX-2 could help establish a stable commercial source of TRISO fuel for the first time in United States history.
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