Advanced Nuclear Fuel Partnership Extended

TRISO-X and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will continue a successful partnership. The two recently agreed to extend their research and development partnership for another 30 months.

They have been working together since 2016 to take advanced nuclear fuel out of the lab and into commercial production. TRISO-X, a subsidiary of X-Energy, operates its pilot facility on-site at the ORNL campus. By combining the lab’s deep scientific background with the company’s chemical engineering expertise, they are figuring out how to improve this fuel and produce more of it.

“ORNL has been a critical partner in transforming years of TRISO fuel research into commercial manufacturing capability,” Joel Duling, President of TRISO-X, explained. “For a decade, our team has relied upon the Lab’s world-class capabilities and specialized facilities to solve complex technical challenges, mature manufacturing processes, and build the foundation for commercial fuel production. Extending this partnership ensures we continue advancing fuel technology that will strengthen America’s nuclear fuel supply chain and support the deployment of next-generation reactors.”

Moving to a Commercial Scale

Over the years, TRISO-X has hit some major milestones. It secured a first-of-its-kind license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to handle high-assay low-enriched uranium. Additionally, it began building TX-1, the country’s first commercial facility specifically designed to produce TRISO fuel.

On top of that, TRISO-X produced the first batch of commercial fuel to be tested at the Idaho National Laboratory.

“ORNL’s partnership with TRISO-X demonstrates how national laboratories help accelerate the transition of transformative technologies from research to commercial application,” Stephen Streiffer, the director of ORNL, added. “By combining ORNL’s deep expertise in nuclear materials and fuel development with TRISO-X’s manufacturing capabilities, we are advancing TRISO fuel production in ways that can support the next generation of nuclear energy.”

Nuclear Fuel in Tennessee

The extended agreement means TRISO-X will keep testing new ideas for small modular reactors and microreactors. It is also advancing plans for a dedicated research and development center at its growing campus in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Once finished, this Tennessee campus is expected to be one of the largest commercial nuclear fuel production sites in the world.