Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted conditional commitments to five advanced nuclear companies for early supplies of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). This initiative comes from the department’s HALEU Availability Program, with the goal of supporting the development of new reactor designs.
- The companies awarded are Kairos Power, Radiant Nuclear, Westinghouse, TerraPower, and the X-energy subsidiary TRISO-X. These companies successfully met the DOE’s criteria for prioritization among ten applicants, with three needing the fuel within the current year.
- If finalized, these awards will see HALEU supplied from stockpiles managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and other reserves controlled by the DOE. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2024 mandates that 21 metric tons of HALEU be made available to advanced reactor developers by June 2026.
Dive Insight:
Many advanced nuclear technology firms are designing reactors that utilize HALEU, which is a more concentrated form of uranium compared to the low-enriched uranium used in the current 94 commercial nuclear reactors. HALEU can contain up to 20% of the fissile U-235 isotope, while low-enriched uranium typically has only 3% to 5% U-235.
Most reactors that use HALEU also employ alternative cooling methods, such as molten metals or salts, enabling them to operate at lower pressures. This makes them potentially safer compared to traditional water-cooled reactors.
While HALEU is produced by the DOE through a process of blending high-enriched uranium, its availability in the U.S. is limited due to market uncertainties and gaps in infrastructure, according to the department.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently allowed a Centrus subsidiary to start HALEU enrichment at its Piketon, Ohio facility. However, it will take years to ramp up production, with the plant currently having delivered 545 kilograms of HALEU to the DOE and aiming to reach 900 kilograms by June.
In May, Congress approved a $2.7 billion budget for expanding U.S. production of low-enriched and HALEU-derived nuclear fuels, which also includes a ban on nuclear fuel imports from Russia after 2027.
The DOE’s announcement indicates a commitment to nuclear developers, indicating that HALEU will be supplied from its existing stockpiles soon. The contracting process will begin now, and the first deliveries could happen as early as this fall.
Congress initiated the HALEU Availability Program in 2020 to boost domestic enrichment capabilities and lessen dependence on the global nuclear fuel market. It is believed that current stockpiles can meet immediate needs.
X-energy has received an award of four metric tons, which covers more than half of the requirement for the core load at its planned commercial plant in Texas, intended to provide power and heat to Dow Chemical’s Seadrift petrochemical plant.
If Dow advances with its proposed project and receives necessary permits, construction could commence this decade, with the reactors potentially operational by the 2030s.
X-energy is also looking to deploy its small modular reactors at Energy Northwest’s facility, part of a collaboration that aims for over 5 GW of new nuclear power by 2039.
Another awardee, Kairos Power, has plans to partner with Google to create 500 MW of new capacity by 2035, with the initial power expected sooner, in 2030. To prepare for this, Kairos is currently building test reactors.