Framatome’s nuclear fuel manufacturing facility in Richland, Washington, has received approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a license amendment supporting fabrication of fuel with increased uranium enrichments, adding to the rich history of innovation and expertise of the site. This milestone is a major step toward delivery of fuel with enrichment levels above 5 wt% U235, with manufacturing scheduled to begin in 2027.
The approval supports the Advanced Fuel Management (AFM) program, which focuses on bringing nuclear fuel technologies to the existing U.S. nuclear fleet, including uranium oxide (UO2) pellets with higher enrichment levels and advanced codes and methodologies that support higher fuel burnups. Together, these advanced solutions support safe, reliable and economical fuel cycles, including cycle length extensions from 18 to 24 months for the U.S. reactor fleet. They also optimize fuel utilization, reduce waste and support the continued generation of clean and sustainable energy.
“This approval is the next step in bringing fuel solutions with higher enrichment levels to the nuclear energy market”, said Lionel Gaiffe, Framatome's Senior Executive Vice President, Fuel Business Unit. “We are getting closer to changing the landscape of the industry by going beyond traditional enrichment levels and bringing economic and value-added solutions to our customers.”
Modifications to the Richland facility have been underway since 2022 to make the physical changes needed to safely manufacture fuel with higher uranium enrichment. An operational readiness review (ORR) is scheduled with the U.S. NRC in early 2027 to confirm that the amended license requirements have been implemented at the facility. Approval of the ORR will allow receipt of the higher enriched material for processing at the site for the first reload manufacturing campaign.
This announcement follows the recent NRC approval of Framatome's topical report “High Burnup for Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs),” which supports increased fuel burnup limits for the GAIA and HTP fuel designs. Additionally, the NRC has approved the application of Framatome's suite of PWR Advanced Codes and Methods to operating conditions with U-235 enrichments exceeding 5 wt%. The U.S. NRC also approved a license amendment allowing Framatome to transport fresh PWR and BWR fuel assemblies within the U.S. with U-235 enrichments up to 8 wt% U-235.
These innovation milestones were achieved with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) program, supporting the advancement of technologies needed to unlock fuel with increased burnup and enrichment.
Framatome's Richland facility has been a leader in nuclear fuel manufacturing for more than 55 years. The site employs more than 600 professionals who are committed to safety, innovation and unmatched regulatory excellence while delivering the most advanced nuclear fuel solutions.