Nuclear fuel cycle

The Department of Energy’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus program is inviting states to explore hosting facilities that could support work across the fuel life cycle, and the department has signed memorandums of understanding with five states to evaluate state-federal partnership options.

Framatome has received Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval to raise the enrichment limit at its Richland site and to authorise TRISO fuel fabrication, while a separate memorandum of understanding outlines long-term HALEU supply planning between Lightbridge and QNI.

Standard Nuclear says construction is substantially complete for two under-construction TRISO fuel production sites and that the Department of Energy has approved preliminary documented safety analyses for both facilities, while the company participates in DOE fuel-related programs and receives HALEU for fuel production.

SuperCritical Materials says it has obtained a Department of Energy license for a patented uranium and critical materials adsorbent manufacturing process, aiming to support industrial-scale uranium extraction from seawater in the United States and abroad.