Los Angeles-based start-up General Matter in a post on X claims that it will revive nuclear fuel production in America. “We chose to do this not because it’s easy, and not because it’s hard, but because it needs doing.” It says nuclear is “not only our future but our present, powering almost half of our clean energy and roughly 20% of our grid today”.
However, the US is forced to look abroad for nuclear fuel. “Despite pioneering the technology, we’ve since outsourced enrichment to allies, competitors, and even adversaries. We didn’t just give up the lead. We’re no longer even in the game.”
The company says “It’s time to enrich”, adding that it will use a novel, scalable, cost-competitive technology to address a “commercial bottleneck” in the US nuclear fuel cycle and will be shipping enriched uranium by the end of the decade.
According to the X post: “For the past year, General Matter has been incubated within Founders Fund, with a team from SpaceX, Tesla, Anduril, national labs, and the DOD. We are undertaking an engineering challenge which, if successful, will fundamentally improve the trajectory of our nation.”
In October 2024, General Matter was one of four companies selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to provide enrichment services to help establish a US supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The other companies were Louisiana Energy Services (Urenco), Orano Federal Services and American Centrifuge Operating (Centrus).
Very little was known about General Matter at that time except that it had been registered in California in January that year, with Scott Nolan, a former SpaceX employee, as its CEO. Nolan is a partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund co-founded by billionaire investor Peter Thiel, who, according to Bloomberg is now joining the General Matter Board..
In December 2024, Nolan submitted a Letter of Intent to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) anticipating a “forthcoming application for the necessary licences to support the production and handling of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU)”.
The letter said: “General Matter has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) under Solicitation No. 89243223RNE000031. This award specifically supports the DOE-NE’s strategic objectives of securing a domestic supply chain of HALEU to support the continued development of advanced reactors and to strengthen US leadership in nuclear technology. As a DOE-NE HALEU IDIQ awardee, General Matter’s anticipated scope of responsibility under future task orders includes the enrichment, storage, and transportation of HALEU. These operations are critical to meeting the growing demand for enriched uranium necessary to support both domestic and international markets, with an emphasis on maintaining safety and security standards.”
However, nowhere does General Matter provide details of its technology. The company’s “Manifesto” on its new website is full of generalities. “America needs power. Power to accelerate growth and increase prosperity. Power to advance manufacturing, scale compute, and expand frontiers. Power to end reliance on foreign adversaries.”
Nuclear “is the most perfect form of energy ever discovered” and “America pioneered nuclear power…. From reactors to fuel, we were once the world leader. But we stopped building new reactors. We outsourced fuel production. We became dependent on countries who seek to surpass us. We gave up our lead.Our only limitations were self-imposed. Physics showed a path, but bureaucracy blocked it and decades of timidity abandoned it. Human will is clearing the path here in the US once more. We will lead again.”
General Matter says its team “shares a rare and specific talent: breaking into stagnant sectors and unlocking their potential. While others have shipped products, our team has shipped industries…. Our lean, world-class team of engineers and operators is applying a first-principles approach to solving the problem of nuclear fuel production. We are a mission-driven company with a culture of urgency, accountability and transparency.”
The company says it is seeking “a Chemical Engineer or Chemist to support the design, instrumentation, and construction of an advanced capability laboratory”. It is also seeking an Architect Design Lead experienced in the design and construction of critical facilities to lead the Construction team. “We are building a one-of-a-kind facility that will be the foundation of our operations. Building and operating a reliable facility designed for material and people flow efficiency and phased growth is essential to becoming a world leader in a critical supply chain.”
The company is also looking for a skilled Electrical Systems Engineer to join the team. “In this role, you will be responsible to support the design, development, analysis, testing, and evaluation of electrical systems and the associated equipment. You will play a vital role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of our facility electrical systems.”
