X-energy advances nuclear projects with federal funding and new fuel plant

X-energy is advancing its nuclear energy initiatives through significant federal funding and infrastructure development. The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded the company $1 billion as part of a cost-sharing agreement under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. This follows a previous $1.2 billion investment, aimed at bringing four 80-megawatt electric reactors online at a Dow Chemical facility in Seadrift, Texas, by the early 2030s.

In tandem with reactor development, X-energy subsidiary TRISO-X has completed the main structure of the TX-1 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This 214,000-square-foot plant is designed to manufacture advanced TRISO fuel pebbles. Once operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 700,000 pebbles annually using 5 metric tons of uranium, enough to supply up to 11 Xe-100 advanced reactors. The plant holds a 40-year Special Nuclear Material License from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for processing high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU).