BWX Technologies said it has made “significant progress” in the production of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) for Antares Nuclear and is on track to have it completed by the July 4 deadline.
Antares is one of 10 companies that were selected for DOE’s advanced reactor pilot program. The program seeks to have at least three reactors reach criticality by Independence Day.
BWXT has been working on the TRISO fuel fabrication since October, the nuclear services company said in its Feb. 5 press release. When completed, the TRISO fuel will be packaged and shipped to the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, where Antares will construct its demonstration project.
The TRISO fuel is composed of uranium, carbon and oxygen, which are formed into a small kernel. The TRISO is being manufactured at BWXT’s Specialty Fuels Fabrication Facility in Lynchburg, Va, BWXT said. The company is also producing high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) that will be used in Antares’s TRISO fuel compacts, it added.
“By using a TRISO fuel specification and compact that BWXT knows well through the Pele program, we’re building on an established, high-confidence manufacturing foundation,” Jordan Bramble, president and CEO of Antares said. “We’re thankful for the deep partnership that is enabling new advanced nuclear [technology] to support national security needs.”
Antares, a California-based nuclear startup, had its preliminary documented safety analysis approved by DOE in late January. Antares said it is on schedule to achieve criticality by the deadline.