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2 clusters · 4 sources · 19 days · First seen · Last updated

Advancements in nuclear fuel technology and supply

Overview

Developments in advanced nuclear fuel technologies and supply chains are progressing through new commercial agreements and research partnerships.

In the United States, Framatome has secured a contract to provide the first nuclear fuel reload with uranium-235 enrichment exceeding the 5% industry standard. This LEU+ fuel, which can contain up to 10% U-235, is intended to extend reactor operating cycles from 18 to 24 months and improve energy extraction efficiency. Deliveries from Framatome’s Washington facility are expected to begin in early 2028.

Concurrently, Thorizon and Urenco have entered a memorandum of understanding to explore fuel supply chains for next-generation molten salt reactors, specifically the Thorizon One design. This collaboration includes investigating the use of depleted uranium as fuel and the production of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to support advanced reactor systems.

Entities

Thorizon · Urenco · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · Framatome

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Thorizon and Urenco partner on advanced nuclear reactor fuel

    Thorizon and Urenco are partnering to develop fuel supply chains for molten salt reactors, exploring the use of depleted uranium and HALEU to power advanced nuclear technology by the mid-2030s.

  2. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Framatome to supply world's first higher-enriched nuclear fuel to US reactor

    Framatome will supply the first higher-enriched uranium fuel (LEU+) to a US nuclear reactor starting in 2028, aiming to extend operating cycles and improve economic efficiency.

Sources

duurzaam-ondernemen.nl · interestingengineering.com · tw.nl · world-nuclear-news.org