Construction has commenced on a small modular reactor fuel plant in Tennessee, first of its kind in the US. The plant is expected to be the first facility in the USA to exclusively manufacture fuel for advanced small modular reactors. X-energy and its subsidiary has commenced the vertical construction on its new nuclear fuel fabrication facility, known as TX-1, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Xe-100 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor project being developed with Dow Chemical Company at its facility in Seadrift, Texas.
On the other hand, TX-1 will produce X-energy’s proprietary TRISO fuel that will be supplied to Xe-100. At the start of the year, X-energy awarded a $48.2 million contract to Clark Construction Group to handle various implementations of the project. These included delivering the core and shell of the 214,812ft2 TX-1 building. Conversely, the commencement of vertical construction shifts progress from groundwork to full-scale construction. Furthermore, X-energy has noted the project is scheduled for completion by mid-2026. Acceleration on small modular nuclear reactors is taking pace as companies such as Amazon turn to SMRs to facilitate powering their projects.
Project Overview
Project Name: Texas-1 Nuclear Fuel fabrication Project.
Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Developer / Owner: X-energy and TRISO-X (subsidiary)
Project Type: Developed Small modular reactor (SMR) fuel manufacture plant.
Total Building Size: 214,812 sq ft
Construction Milestone: Vertical construction was started.
Scheduled Completion: Mid-2026
Key Development Statistics
Primary Product: TRISO-X fuel (TRISO fuel pebbles)
Annual Capacity: 5 tonnes of uranium
Major Contract Award:
Core and shell delivery to Clark Construction Group contract of 48.2 million dollars.
Regulatory Status:
It is planned as the first Category II Fuel Fabrication Facility to be licensed in the US NRC.
The first new nuclear fuel plant in the United States since the last 50 years.
NRC approval also expected by May 2026
Significance of Small Modular Reactor Fuel Plant in Tennessee
The first U.S. plant that is specifically focused on the production of fuel that is used in advanced small modular reactors.
Also supplies proprietary TRISO fuel to the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor
Also a significant breakthrough in next generation nuclear infrastructure and fuel security in America.
The Small Modular Reactor Fuel Plant in Tennessee as a Game Changer
Once completed, the TX-1 will operate as the first Category II Fuel Fabrication Facility licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Moreover, it will be the first new nuclear fuel facility constructed in the country in more than five decades. The plant is also expected to produce up to five tonnes of uranium annually. This equates to 700,000 TRISO pebbles, sufficient to supply upto 11 Xe-100 reactors annually.
TRISO-X is working with the NRC throughout construction to support the licensing process and expects regulatory approval by May 2026. TRISO-X president Joel Duling said: “The start of vertical construction marks another significant milestone in bringing our bold vision for the future of nuclear energy to life. “As TX-1 takes shape, it will stand as a symbol of our team’s relentless dedication and determination to bring this transformative project forward in just a few years, not decades.”
To meet commercial requirements for its TRISO-X pebble fuel used in Xe-100 reactors. This work is being conducted with support from the US Department of Energy (DoE). Furthermore, the National Reactor Innovation Center is also involved. Both parties will be involved over a 13-month period and will assess performance across various operating conditions. Furthermore, over the entire seven-year demonstration period, the DoE expects to provide around $1.23bn in support of X-energy’s work on this project.
