TRISO-X, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-energy, has broken ground and begun construction of the first US commercial-scale advanced nuclear fuel facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The TRISO-X Fuel Fabrication Facility (TF3) will be the genesis of future commercial-scale advanced nuclear energy innovation and deployment, creating more than 400 jobs and attracting an investment of approximately $300 million, TRISO-X said. TF3 is set to be commissioned and operational by 2025.
X-energy CEO Clay Sell said the ground-breaking was “a monumental moment for advanced nuclear energy as we deliver on the critical promise to drive deep decarbonisation across the planet”. He added: "TF3 is well positioned to capitalise on its access to the area’s science and technology hubs to meet the growing domestic and global demand for TRISO-based fuel.”
Tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel is considered the most robust nuclear fuel on the planet, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). Dr Pete Pappano, President of TRISO-X, explains X-energy manufactures its own proprietary version of TRISO—TRISO-X—to ensure supply, improve quality, and reduce costs. He added that TRISO-X is a robust nuclear fuel that can withstand very high temperatures without melting, which is key to its safety.
“The fuel X-energy will produce at this Oak Ridge facility will build a more robust and secure nuclear energy supply chain—supporting the deployment of nuclear energy on a scale never seen before,” said Pappano. “With support from the US Department of Energy, we are proud that TRISO-X is leading the commercial development of this safe, innovative technology and that it will be among the first advanced nuclear fuels demonstrated in a grid-scale next-generation reactor.”
In 2020, the DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) selected X-energy's reactor technology to receive initial funding as part of a $3.2 billion programme to develop, build, and demonstrate operational advanced reactors by the end of the decade. The TRISO-X nuclear fuel produced in the Oak Ridge facility will be used in X-energy’s Xe-100 high-temperature gas reactors expected to be operational by 2028.
“TRISO-X will be the nation’s first commercial scale facility dedicated to fueling reactors that require high-assay low-enriched uranium TRISO particles,” said Dr Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. “It’s a job creator and an advanced reactor enabler that will help fuel a transition to a net-zero economy.”
X-energy has a history of choosing Oak Ridge as the location for its nuclear innovation. In 2016, X-energy opened a pilot-scale nuclear fuel facility in Oak Ridge to further develop its TRISO-X fuel and support its Xe-100 reactor design. X-energy continues to evolve the proud nuclear tradition in Oak Ridge with the construction of its new TF3 facility and will continue to invest in the community by helping to create sustainable economic opportunities throughout the region.
