Framatome and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) are going to form a joint venture to manufacture commercial quantities of Tri-structural Isotropic (TRISO) particles and USNC’s proprietary Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated (FCM®) fuel. USNC is a pioneer in the manufacture of both TRISO-based nuclear fuel and Micro Modular Reactors (MMRs).
TRISO fuel particles contain a core of uranium dioxide which is enclosed in a ceramic shell. The ceramic shell traps the byproducts and the gases generated by the nuclear fission process.
Ala Alzaben is the senior vice president for North America Fuel at Framatome. He said, “Ultra Safe Nuclear is a pioneer in the manufacture of both TRISO-based nuclear fuels and micro reactors (MMRs), both of which contribute to a clear and attainable path toward a low carbon future. As one of the safest and most committed manufacturers of nuclear fuel in the world, we are proud of our unmatched regulatory record. This partnership is consistent with our vision to make our unique assets available to advanced reactor designs.”
Francesco Venneri is the CEO of Ultra Safe Nuclear. “Framatome is an important strategic partner in our quest, and this move is a crucial step towards our vision of socially and environmentally responsible zero-carbon nuclear power. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Framatome to bring commercial quantities of TRISO particles and FCM fuel to market.”
USNC’s collaboration with Framatome follows the opening of USNC’s Pilot Fuel Manufacturing (PFM) facility in August. It is the first and only privately funded facility in the U.S. to manufacture TRISO particles. In addition, the facility’s engineers employ additive manufacturing to fabricate FCM fuels. The modular production lines for TRISO particles and FCM fuel are rapidly repeated to increase capacity to meet the growing demand for the MMRs and advanced reactor technologies more broadly.
Kurt Terrani is the executive vice president at Ultra Safe Nuclear. He said, “As a result of thorough review and due diligence, we selected Framatome as our partner. Not only does Framatome have a long history of safely and economically manufacturing nuclear fuels, the company’s deep experience in manufacturing will be key to our success in bringing commercial TRISO and FCM fuel forms to market in rapid fashion.”
The joint venture expects to begin manufacturing TRISO particles and FCM fuel at the end of 2025. TRISO fuel production capacity will be used in the manufacture of USNC’s FCM fuel. It will be made available to the commercial market. The partners have developed plans to support the rapid expansion to meet the demand growth in the U.S. and global markets.
The MMR Energy System is a fourth-generation nuclear energy system that delivers safe, clean, and cost-effective electricity and process heat to users anywhere. The MMR is being licensed in Canada and the U.S. It will be the first commercially available “nuclear battery”. MMR deployments are moving forward. They include the projects at Chalk River which is on target for first power in 2026, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign project which is targeted for the following year.