In an August 7 letter addressed to the NRC Document Control Desk, FANCO executive vice president for regulatory affairs, licensing, and quality Michelle Catts wrote that the company’s planned licensing submittals to the NRC are “in support of preapplication engagement and a future 10 CFR Part 70 license application for the Category II HALEU fuel fabrication facility” that will “support the EAGL-1 lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE)-cooled fast reactor and other advanced reactor customers.”
Coordinated licensing strategy: FANCO noted that the filing of the regulatory engagement plan advances its “coordinated licensing strategy to establish a domestic fuel-supply capability supporting EAGL-1 and the broader advanced-reactor market.” The proposed facility would have the capability to process HALEU uranium hexafluoride into other fuel forms, the company said.
FANCO expects to formally submit a license application for the fuel facility during the fourth quarter of 2027. The license application will, according to the company, address the activities, facility design, processes, equipment, management measures, safety controls, environmental considerations, and safeguards programs.
The company stated that it is pursuing an approach to licensing that is “designed to engage the NRC early and transparently on the facility’s proposed design, processes, safety controls, environmental considerations, safeguards and organizational responsibilities.”
FANCO CEO Mike Reinboth emphasized that the submission of the regulatory engagement plan “reflects the deliberate way we are advancing FANCO’s integrated commercial strategy: pairing disciplined regulatory execution with a fuel-cycle platform designed to support our EAGL-1 program and, over time, other advanced reactor developers.”
Catts added, “Our objective is to ensure that the regulatory path is informed by early, substantive technical dialogue and is supported by a comprehensive understanding of the facility’s design and operating plan.”
Alliances and partnerships: FANCO has been busy over the past year making a number of corporate moves regarding the EAGL-1 SMR. In May, the company entered into a strategic alliance with AtkinsRéalis in which the companies plan to jointly develop, test, and license the reactor design. Last November, FANCO launched a partnership with the government of Indiana to develop its company headquarters, new manufacturing facilities, and a nuclear energy park in the state. None of the company’s previously announced plans had indicated its interest in developing a fuel fabrication facility.
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