X-energy Reactor Company, LLC (“X-energy”and its wholly-owned subsidiary TRISO-X), today announced the selection of Clark Construction Group to complete the building construction phase of its first-in-the-nation advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility (“TX-1”) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. TX-1 is the first of two planned facilities at X-energy’s site in Oak Ridge that will manufacture X-energy’s proprietary tristructural-isotropic (“TRISO”) fuel for X-energy’s first commercial deployment of the Xe-100 in partnership with the Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) on the Texas Gulf Coast, as well as subsequent deployments.
“This milestone marks another step forward in ensuring a secure, domestic supply of fuel for the next generation of nuclear reactors,” said Joel Duling, President of TRISO-X. “TX-1 will be the first facility of its kind in the nation, addressing a critical gap in the current U.S. nuclear fuel cycle, and bolstering U.S. energy independence with American technology and innovation.”
The $48.2 million award is part of X-energy’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (“ARDP”), and encompasses the Phase 2A of the facility construction, including the completion of the core and shell of the 214,812 square foot facility. Construction on this next phase is expected to begin in September following the completion of site preparation work.
In parallel, X-energy has also received approval from the Department of Energy to authorize an additional approximately $30 million for early procurement of critical long-lead equipment and materials to support the successful delivery of subsequent construction phases, and ensure adherence to the overall project schedule.
Once complete, TX-1 will be the first Category 2 Fuel Fabrication Facility licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) in the United States with an estimated output of 5 metric tons of uranium (“MTU”) or 700,000 TRISO pebbles per year, enough fuel for up to 11 Xe-100 reactors. In parallel to the construction process, TRISO-X continues to engage closely with the NRC to support an efficient and thorough review and anticipates regulatory approval by May 2026.
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