US X-energy Reactor Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, TRISO-X have selected Clark Construction Group for the building construction phase of its advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility (TX-1) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. TX-1 is the first of two planned facilities at the site that will manufacture tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel for its Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR).
X-energy is advancing its initial Xe-100 plant at Dow Inc’s UCC Seadrift Operations manufacturing site on the Texas Gulf Coast. A second plant is planned with Energy Northwest in collaboration with Amazon. The Xe-100 design is a HTGR with a thermal output of 200 MWt or an electrical output of 80 MWe. It can be scaled into a four-pack 320 MWe power plant.
The $48.2m award to Clark is part of X-energy’s participation in the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), and encompasses the Phase 2A of the facility construction, including completion of the core and shell of the 214,812-square-foot facility. Construction on this phase is expected to begin in September following completion of site preparation work.
In parallel, X-energy has also received approval from the DOE to authorise an additional approximately $30m for early procurement of critical long-lead equipment and materials to support the successful delivery of subsequent construction phases and ensure adherence to the overall project schedule.
“This milestone marks another step forward in ensuring a secure, domestic supply of fuel for the next generation of nuclear reactors,” said Joel Duling, President of TRISO-X. “TX-1 will be the first facility of its kind in the nation, addressing a critical gap in the current US nuclear fuel cycle, and bolstering US energy independence with American technology and innovation.”
Speaking on the announcement, members of Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation highlighted the significance of the TX-1 facility and expressed strong support for its role in advancing American energy independence and innovation:
TX-1 will be the first Category 2 Fuel Fabrication Facility licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It will have an estimated output of 5 tonnes of uranium or 700,000 TRISO pebbles a year, enough fuel for up to 11 Xe-100 reactors. In parallel to the construction process, TRISO-X continues to engage closely with NRC to support an efficient and thorough review and anticipates regulatory approval by May 2026.
