Work started on X-energy’s advanced fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn., in November 2025. (Photo: X-energy)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted X-energy subsidiary TRISO-X a special nuclear material license for high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel fabrication. The license applies to TRISO-X’s first two planned commercial facilities, known as TX-1 and TX-2, for an initial 40-year period. The facilities are set to be the first new nuclear fuel fabrication plants licensed by the NRC in more than 50 years.
TX-1 is currently under construction at the Horizon Center Industrial Park in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and will be the first Category II fuel cycle facility built in the United States. TX-2 is presently in the design phase.
Full fuel manufacturing cycle: The NRC license permits TRISO-X to receive, possess, process, and transport HALEU material throughout the full fuel manufacturing cycle—from HALEU feedstock receipt to final fuel production to shipment to reactor project sites. The company is now authorized to operate as a commercial fuel supplier, maintaining continuous HALEU inventories and production campaigns to meet its fleet deployment requirements.
The NRC still must conduct final inspections of the TRISO-X fuel manufacturing facilities before the company receives HALEU to verify that equipment is ready for service, that required safety systems are installed and functional, and that license-mandated programs and procedures are in place. The inspections will also verify that operating personnel are trained and qualified to safely commence operations.
American fuel supply: TRISO-X president Joel Duling emphasized that the NRC licensing “brings us one step closer to a resilient American fuel supply for next-generation nuclear technology, advancing our energy security by closing a long-standing gap in the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle. Achieving this first-of-its-kind license reflects the technical leadership and sustained diligence of the TRISO-X team, as well as a focused process with the NRC to complete the review three months ahead of schedule.”
NRC Chair Ho Nieh said that the licensing “represents an important milestone that supports the Department of Energy’s program to accelerate deployment of nuclear technologies and deliver more power to the grid.”
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