LYNCHBURG, Va. — BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) announced today that it reached a key milestone in its capability to manufacture an advanced form of TRISO nuclear fuel, representing the next generation of fuel for advanced reactors. TRISO fuel comprises carbon and silicon layers surrounding a uranium fuel kernel.

“We’re proud to be working with DOE to diversify and optimize our TRISO fuel manufacturing capabilities,” said Kate Kelly, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies.

The company’s Advanced Technologies subsidiary recently completed the installation and testing of a chemical vapor infiltration furnace which solidifies the pre-forms that are filled with TRISO particles. The CVI furnace completes the equipment necessary to execute BWXT’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) project with the Department of Energy.

With the existing TRISO manufacturing line, a previously commissioned binder jet for additive manufacturing and a computed tomography scanner for non-destructive testing, BWXT can now load Uranium Nitride TRISO into additively manufactured fuel forms. The result is a nuclear fuel product comprising a higher mass of uranium per unit volume than traditional TRISO compacts. The new fuel is designed to be more cost-effective with a longer reactor lifespan, potentially reducing overall reactor system costs.

“Our advanced capability to manufacture TRISO fuel in multiple forms and shapes at scale will play an important role in enabling the small modular reactor and advanced microreactor market to flourish,” said Kate Kelly, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies. “We’re proud to be working with DOE to diversify and optimize our TRISO fuel manufacturing capabilities as part of our ARDP scope and, more broadly, ensure the success of America’s growing advanced nuclear industry.”

“DOE’s support of BWXT’s microreactor design and TRISO fuel manufacturing capabilities is a great example of how we are working hand-in-hand with industry to re-establish the United States as a global leader in nuclear energy,” said acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Mike Goff. “I’m excited to see this work progress and look forward to BWXT’s future accomplishments.”

BWXT’s established TRISO manufacturing line currently produces Uranium Oxy Carbide (UCO) TRISO for Project Pele, the Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office demonstration microreactor program, as well as UN TRISO for the ARDP scope. BWXT is planning to ramp up TRISO manufacturing to support the BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) program and meet the market demand of other TRISO users. The existing fuel manufacturing line, combined with these new capabilities, allows BWXT to manufacture diverse forms of TRISO particles (UN or UCO with varying layer thickness), traditional compacts, or chemically densified complex geometries filled with TRISO particles and the resulting digital twins to support fuel qualification efforts.

In December 2020, BWXT was awarded an 80/20 cost share for BANR under an ARDP subprogram intended to address technical, operational, and regulatory challenges to enable advanced nuclear reactor designs.

The DOE describes TRISO fuel as “the most robust nuclear fuel on Earth” given its ability to withstand high temperatures, resist corrosion and act as its own containment system. In 2003, BWXT began working on TRISO in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Program.

Last year, BWXT announced a partnership with the state of Wyoming to evaluate the industrial footprint required to manufacture TRISO fuel in support of the emerging advanced reactor market. This effort will help unlock key business factors necessary to establish a realistic baseline for fuel production facilities needed to meet anticipated demand for this specialized nuclear fuel. It also establishes the scale necessary for economic viability.

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