Framatome has signed a groundbreaking commercial contract to deliver the world’s first nuclear fuel reload with uranium-235 enrichment above the industry standard of 5 wt% to a U.S. nuclear reactor in operation. This landmark agreement represents a major advancement for the global nuclear industry, enabling the first reactor in operation to extend its cycle lengths and burnup rates through this advanced technology. The contract establishes a new benchmark for innovation, performance and industry collaboration.
Under this agreement, and as part of its Advanced Fuel Management (AFM) program, Framatome will supply a series of higher enriched fuel reloads using AFM technology, beginning with delivery in spring 2028. These reloads will support the long term deployment of AFM for the reactor, with options for additional future reloads included in the contract.
“This contract reflects the strength of our long standing relationship with our customer and our shared commitment to advancing nuclear fuel technology”, said Lionel Gaiffe, Framatome’s Senior Executive Vice President, Fuel Business Unit. “Collaborating on this milestone project underscores the trust our customers place in Framatome’s expertise and the innovative capabilities of our Advanced Fuel Management technology.”
This agreement builds on ongoing deliveries of standard GAIA fuel, Framatome’s most advanced pressurized water reactor fuel design, which serves as the foundation for these AFM enabled reloads. With AFM, the U.S. customer will extend its fuel cycle length from 18 to 24 months, reducing outage frequency and enhancing operational efficiency and power generation.
These innovation milestones were achieved with support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) program, accelerating the development of technologies needed to unlock fuel with increased burnup and enrichment.
This advanced fuel solution has been developed by Framatome and will be manufactured at its facility in Richland, Washington. This facility has undergone upgrades and modifications over the past four years to support implementation of this innovative technology, and received NRC approval for the fabrication of fuel with increased uranium enrichments and to manufacture fuel with higher burnup limits. With more than 55 years of fuel manufacturing excellence, this upgraded facility plays a key role in delivering the most advanced nuclear fuel solutions.
1 “Cycle lengths” designate the period of time a nuclear reactor continuously operates between sequential refueling outages.
2 “Burnup rates” refer to the amount of thermal energy that can be extracted from a specific amount of nuclear fuel, as it undergoes fission in a reactor.
Source: Framatome