• US regulator issues licence for TRISO-X fuel facility The Special Nuclear Material Licence issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) enables TRISO-X LLC to commercially manufacture fuel using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at its first two commercial facilities - TX1 and TX2 - under an initial 40-year licence. • The approval formally establishes TX-1 and TX-2 as the first new fuel facilities licensed by the NRC in over 50 years, X-energy said. • “Commercial-scale production of this fuel is key to enabling the deployment of advanced reactor designs,” NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said. • “This licence represents an important milestone that supports the Department of Energy’s programme to accelerate deployment of nuclear technologies and deliver more power to the grid.” TRISO fuel is composed of small spheres of enriched uranium that are coated with multiple layers of carbon and ceramic materials, forming a robust shell that can withstand high temperatures. • HALEU contains between 5% and 20% of fissile uranium-235 - a higher enrichment than that found in typical uranium fuel used in today’s operating commercial reactors, which contains between 3.5% and 5% U-235. • The licence - under regulation 10 CFR Part 70 - authorises TRISO-X to receive, possess, process, and transport HALEU material throughout the complete fuel manufacturing cycle, encompassing HALEU feedstock receipt through final fuel production and shipment to SMR project sites under rigorous federal safety and security requirements.

Article Summaries:

  • The Special Nuclear Material Licence issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) enables TRISO-X LLC to commercially manufacture fuel using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at its first two commercial facilities - TX1 and TX2 - under an initial 40-year licence. The approval formally establishes TX-1 and TX-2 as the first new fuel facilities licensed by the NRC in over 50 years, X-energy said. “Commercial-scale production of this fuel is key to enabling the deployment of advanced reactor designs,” NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said. “This licence represents an important milestone that suppo

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