Indianapolis-based First American Nuclear Company (FANCO) has submitted what it calls a “regulatory engagement plan” with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility.
FANCO said in its Aug. 17 press release that it plans to make its own fuel, using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), for its 240-megawatt EAGL-1 lead-bismuth eutectic-cooled fast small modular reactor (SMR). The company also has an interest in HALEU deconversion at the facility.
FANCO’s press release did not specify where its fabrication plant might be located, but in November 2025, the company said it planned to base its operations, including manufacturing, in Indiana.
According to the release, the proposed facility will have the ability to process HALEU uranium hexafluoride into other types of fuel. This would be subject to NRC approval and the terms of FANCO’s license applications, the company said.
FANCO said it submitted the plan after it submitted its letter of intent with the NRC on Aug. 6. The company intends to file its proposed application with NRC under 10 CFR Part 70 during the fourth quarter of 2027.
“America’s ability to deploy advanced nuclear energy at scale depends on more than innovative reactor technology – it requires a secure, capable and American fuel supply,” Mike Reinboth, FANCO CEO, said in the release. “The submission of our regulatory engagement plan is an important step in building that capability.”
The company focused on its supply chain for its EAGL-1 SMR after it submitted its regulatory engagement plan for its reactor design in April and lined up AtkinsRéalis to become its engineering, procurement and construction management provider.