The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved Framatome’s license amendment Wednesday to fabricate higher-enriched uranium at the company’s Richland, Wash.-based facility, which is adjacent to the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site.
This regulatory approval allows for Framatome to enrich uranium higher than 5% specifically at the Richland facility, which has been in operation since 1969. Manufacturing at the site is scheduled to begin in 2027, according to Framatome’s Wednesday press release.
Framatome said this approval additionally advanced fuel management program, which aims to bring nuclear fuel technologies to the domestic operating fleet. Through the program, Framatome said the approval supports advanced solutions that could extend nuclear plant operation fuel cycles from 18 to 24 months, support continued power generation and reduce waste.
“This approval is the next step in bringing fuel solutions with higher enrichment levels to the nuclear energy market,” Framatome’s Senior Executive Vice President of Fuel Business Unit Lionel Gaiffe said. “We are getting closer to changing the landscape of the industry by going beyond traditional enrichment levels and bringing economic and value-added solutions to our customers.”
Physical modifications have been in progress at Framatome’s Richland site since 2022 to adjust to manufacturing needs for the fuel with higher uranium enrichment. Framatome said that an operational readiness review with NRC is scheduled for 2027 to verify that the amended license amendment requirements have been put in place at the facility. The approved operational readiness review will allow receipt of the higher enriched uranium for processing at the site for the first reload manufacturing campaign.
NRC’s approval of Framatome’s license amendments to enrich at a higher level comes weeks after the nuclear agency approved the company’s topical report “High Burnup for Pressurized Water Reactors”. The topical report, which was approved on April 21, supports increased burnup limits for the GAIA and HTP fuel designs.
Additionally, “the NRC has approved the application of Framatome’s suite of PWR Advanced Codes and Methods to operating conditions with U-235 enrichments exceeding 5 wt%,” Framatome said. “The U.S. NRC also approved a license amendment allowing Framatome to transport fresh PWR and BWR fuel assemblies within the U.S. with U-235 enrichments up to 8 wt% U-235.”
Framatome’s fuel endeavors were supported by the Department of Energy’s accident tolerant fuel program, according to the release.