Nuclear power is receiving a big push from Tennessee. A company called TRISO-X makes advanced nuclear fuel. They recently received an $11 million grant from the state. This will help them build a huge new campus in Oak Ridge. This is part of the search for the best energy sources for the future.

It is not just about one factory. It is about creating a system for making fuel right here within the United States. Let’s take a look at how they plan to create this fuel at their new facility.

Photo: Sean P. Twomey from Pexels

Building A Hub For Nuclear Fuel

Their new facility will include three main areas. First is TX-1, a factory that is already being built. This will be the first commercial facility in the nation to produce the type of fuel it manufactures. However, they also plan to build TX-2, another facility, but much larger. The second factory will use the information gained from the first facility to make its fuel even more efficient. TX-2 will create over 1,000 jobs when it is complete.

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Lastly, they will build a lab named TX-L. This will help them to continue to make improvements to the nuclear fuel that they create and come up with new ideas for the future of their company.

Powering Millions Of Homes

This facility will be one of the largest in the world dedicated to commercial nuclear fuel production. They will be able to produce the fuel that will power 55 small reactors. This will provide 4.5 gigawatts of power. That is enough to power 3.3 million homes in the United States.

The type of fuel that they produce is named TRISO. The United States government has called this the most robust fuel for the nuclear reactor. This fuel is extremely safe. TRISO-X also just received a license from the United States government to begin manufacturing this fuel for commercial use. They have been perfecting their manufacturing of this fuel for almost ten years. Now, with the help of Tennessee and its $11 million grant, they will finally be able to produce this fuel at scale for the United States.

This is a big deal for the United States as they work to become more energy independent from other countries. However, it will be interesting to see how this facility develops and the impact that it will have on the future power industry.