BWXT will scout potential TRISO fuel production sites in Wyoming
BWX Technologies Inc. announced today that its Advanced Technologies subsidiary has signed a cooperation agreement with the state of Wyoming to evaluate locations and requirements for siting a potential new TRISO nuclear fuel fabrication facility in the state.
BWXT anticipates a roughly 18-month effort to evaluate potential factory locations, product specifications, facility design and engineering, estimated capital expenditures and operating costs, staffing and worker skill requirements, supply chain necessities, licensing, and other requirements.
The market for TRISO: BWXT says it is evaluating the manufacture of TRISO fuel to support future demand for advanced reactor deployment. Its evaluation will help establish the baseline for facilities necessary to meet anticipated demand and includes establishing the scale necessary for economic viability.
The Department of Energy has invested in decades of research on TRISO fuel, which it has called “the most robust nuclear fuel on Earth.” Spherical TRISO fuel particles consist of an enriched uranium (typically UO2) kernel surrounded by layers of pyrocarbon and silicon carbide, which act as the fuel particle’s containment system, providing resistance to high temperatures and corrosion and permitting the use of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) enriched up to 20 percent U-235. TRISO fuel particles can be packed into pellets, pebbles, and other fuel forms.
Some, but not all, advanced non–light water reactors are designed to use TRISO fuel, including reactors designed by BWXT, Kairos Power, Ultra Safe Nuclear, and X-energy. Each of those companies is working on TRISO fuel manufacturing to ensure it will have the fuel required for a reactor demonstration.
Expanding on current capabilities: “BWXT owns and operates the only two Nuclear Regulatory Commission Category 1–licensed commercial nuclear facilities in the United States, and we also manufacture fuel for the highly successful Canadian nuclear power market,” said Joe Miller, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies. “For approximately 40 years, BWXT has furnished nuclear fuel across numerous government and commercial markets, giving the company a unique and highly credible background from which to draw on as we review options for a potential new facility.”
BWXT currently is manufacturing TRISO fuel at its Specialty Fuel Facility in Lynchburg, Va., and is working to expand its production capacity.
In Wyoming: BWXT turned to Wyoming in 2023 as it began evaluating options for constructing and deploying nuclear microreactors. It has held workshops with vendors in the state to better understand the supply chain’s ability to meet nuclear manufacturing requirements. The company is currently working on a contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority to assess the viability of deploying small nuclear reactors in the state. Toward that end, BWXT has also signed agreements with Wyoming-based businesses including L&H Industrial, Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners LLC, and others.
“As part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy, the possibility of a nuclear fuel fabrication facility here in Wyoming is exciting,” said Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. “As the world’s energy demands continue to rise, Wyoming must stay focused on protecting our core industries while continually augmenting our sources of energy. Wyoming has it all. Nuclear has been a stalwart in our energy portfolio, and like coal, can start with raw materials mined in Wyoming, processed in Wyoming, and used in Wyoming. A true trifecta.”