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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Front-end nuclear fuel supply cooperation: Turning allied interdependence into strategic advantage
The global nuclear revival, which is fueled by unprecedented demand for firm, affordable, dispatchable power for artificial intelligence and data center build-out, energy security imperatives, and climate commitments, has exposed a structural reality of the Western fuel cycle: No single allied nation currently possesses the full suite of front-end capabilities. From mining through conversion, enrichment, fabrication, and the emerging deconversion and metallization steps required for reactor fuels, capability is distributed across Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States (collectively, the “Sapporo Five”), as well as a small group of close partners.
J. G. MORGAN, M. F. OSBORNE, O. SISMAN
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 14 | Number 1 | September 1962 | Pages 83-100
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A26201
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Post-irradiation examinations have been completed on all but the very long burnup samples for the EGCR fuel evaluation studies. The results have confirmed the reliability of this fuel element design at least up to the burnup thus far attained (2400 Mw-day/metric ton UO2). Fission gas release was not excessive except for the very high temperature irradiations. Although the pellets did sometimes show considerable cracking, pieces did not fall into the central cavity, and the hollow cylinder pellet design was shown to be stable. In the 1600°F prototype experiments, ridges were formed in the clad at pellet interfaces and evidence of sigma phase formation and some void formation was found in the metallographic examination of the ridges. The UO2 was found to contain many fine cracks which caused the pellets to break up on handling, but very little fuel shifting occurred before the cans were cut open.