TRISO-X Fuel Facility Advances to Interior Buildout Phase

TRISO-X, a wholly-owned subsidiary of X-Energy, has announced that its TX-1 fuel fabrication facility is progressing to the interior buildout phase. This stage involves the installation of fuel fabrication equipment and continued construction of supporting facilities. The TX-1 facility is projected to produce approximately 700,000 TRISO-X fuel pebbles annually, which is equivalent to five tonnes of uranium and can fuel up to 11 Xe-100 reactors. This production capacity is initially intended to support X-energy's proposed deployment of the Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor at Dow Inc.’s UCC Seadrift Operations manufacturing site in Texas.

Earlier this year, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted TRISO-X a 40-year Special Nuclear Material License for the facility. This license permits the commercial manufacturing of fuel using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) at its first two commercial facilities, TX-1 and TX-2. Joel Duling, President of TRISO-X, stated that the transition from core and shell construction to interior utilities, manufacturing equipment installation, and key support capabilities marks a significant step towards establishing a domestic source of advanced nuclear fuel.

In July, TRISO-X received an USD11 million grant from the State of Tennessee. This funding is designated to support the ongoing development of its fuel fabrication campus in Oak Ridge, which includes plans for a potential second commercial fuel facility and a dedicated research and development center. The campus is designed to establish domestic, commercial-scale manufacturing and research capabilities for TRISO-X fuel, which is the company's proprietary tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel for advanced nuclear reactors.

The campus will comprise three facilities: TX-1, TX-2, and TX-L. TX-1 is the initial commercial facility. TX-2, a larger facility, is anticipated to significantly expand capacity with enhanced automation and production efficiency, leveraging operational experience from TX-1. TX-L, a dedicated fuel fabrication laboratory, will focus on fuel innovation, testing, and continuous improvement of TRISO manufacturing processes. These facilities are the culmination of nearly a decade of fuel development and qualification efforts by X-energy and TRISO-X, which began in 2016 with a pilot facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory aimed at optimizing TRISO manufacturing processes for commercial scale.

In 2025, TRISO-X fuel became the first advanced nuclear fuel form fabricated for commercial use to undergo irradiation testing at Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Test Reactor. Testing is ongoing to qualify TRISO-X fuel for use in the Xe-100 and to expand the performance envelope for TRISO fuels. TRISO fuel consists of small spheres of enriched uranium coated with multiple layers of carbon and ceramic materials, forming a robust shell designed to withstand high temperatures. HALEU contains between 5% and 20% fissile uranium-235, which is a higher enrichment level than the 3.5% to 5% U-235 typically found in fuel used in current commercial reactors.

Madhya Pradesh Initiates Large-Scale Floating Solar-Battery Project

Nearly 200 cities and towns in Madhya Pradesh are consolidating their power requirements for a new floating solar-battery project. The project, estimated at ₹1,300 crore, seeks to supply electricity for municipal services such as water pumping and sewage treatment, aiming to lower recurring energy expenses.

MP Urban Development Company Ltd has initiated the bidding phase for the project, which will operate under a public-private partnership model. The tender specifies a 200 MW grid-connected floating solar plant, with a potential 10% capacity variation, integrated with a 50 MW/100 MWh battery energy storage system. The solar panels will be situated on the cooling reservoir of the Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power Station in Birsinghpur, Umaria district, utilizing an existing water body.

Participating urban local bodies are expected to collectively hold 26% equity. The project is designed to offer affordable clean power to cities, enhance municipal finances, and improve citizen services. Demand aggregation will enable smaller municipalities to participate without needing to acquire land or develop individual solar plants. The tender is anticipated to be awarded by January 2027, with power supply projected to commence by July 2028.

Pickering Nuclear Plant Refurbishment Underway

Ontario Power Generation has commenced an extensive refurbishment project at the Pickering nuclear power plant. This undertaking is described as "Canada’s largest clean energy infrastructure project."

The refurbishment is designed to prolong the operating lifetimes of the facility’s four CANDU reactors. This extension could be for as long as 38 years. The project is also expected to bolster Ontario’s nuclear supply chain.