TRISO Production Experts
Our TRISO production facilities are currently licensed and operating, and they are undergoing capacity expansions.
Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, the Specialty Fuel Facility at BWXT perfects the fuel fabrication techniques required to support the corporate objective of developing passively safe, compact nuclear reactors capable of economically generating electricity and hydrogen. As a participant in the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy’s Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) program for more than 15 years, BWXT has developed the expertise to manufacture TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) coated kernels for this unique application. And, under the DOE’s Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development Program, BWXT has manufactured and certified TRISO-coated kernels and fuel compacts in production-scale quantities.
BWXT’s existing TRISO fuel production line, along with our ongoing increases in capacity, allow us to meet emergent client interests in Department of Defense microreactors, space reactors, and civil advanced reactors. By co-locating the TRISO production line with other existing uranium processing capabilities, BWXT has built a vertically-integrated facility capable of handling all TRISO-related needs, from feedstock preparation through to uranium recovery and purification.
BWXT’s existing downblending and high-assay enrichment infrastructure mean lower initial costs as compared to setting up a new TRISO production facility.
