The first of its kind lead fuel assembly to operate in a commercial reactor has just completed four-years at Constellation Energy’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Maryland.
“The performance of our technology continues to demonstrate the expertise of our people to develop safe, cost-effective solutions for our customers and our industry,” said Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president, Fuel Business Unit at Framatome. “The Constellation team has been instrumental in helping us reach this milestone, leading the industry integrating accident tolerant fuel characteristics into their operations.”
“This public-private partnership is helping to drive the fulfilment of national power demands and executive orders issued by President Trump,” said Frank Goldner, the federal program manager for the Accident Tolerant Fuel Program. “This fuel assembly will continue operating under commercial conditions, providing crucial data to support the nation’s energy objectives.”
These fuel tests are aimed at leading towards more economical and performance improvements with the aim being widespread commercial use by 2030.
Sources: https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/framatome-advanced-fuel-assembly-completes-second-fuel-cycle
Picture: Framatome
The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan has reached a key step toward restarting operations by receiving 68 newly manufactured fuel assemblies. This fuel delivery follows extensive planning and regulatory coordination, made possible by the plant’s recent reclassification from decommissioned to operational status by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Produced by a trusted domestic supplier, the fuel underwent thorough inspection before being securely stored in the Spent Fuel Pool Building, awaiting future installation in the reactor core. Alongside this, major restoration efforts continue across the facility, including the reassembly of the Main Turbine Generator and installation of the final refurbished Primary Coolant Pump motor—both essential for reactor function.
Additional work includes chemical cleaning of the Steam Generators’ secondary systems, following earlier tube refurbishments, to ensure long-term performance. These milestones are part of a broader effort involving over 1,800 workers, supported by government and industry partners, to bring the plant back online and contribute to meeting growing energy demands.
Read the original release: https://holtecinternational.com/2025/10/20/hh-40-22/
Picture courtesy of: Holtec
Low-enriched uranium is a must have for Aalo’s, ‘Aalo-X experimental reactor’. Commercially sourced nuclear fuel for a next generation power plant is not something a business in the West has done before.
One of the major fuel enrichment companies in the world, Urenco, operates plants in Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK), and the U.S. This deal allows Aalo to dodge supply slow down & demand and will help build pace. As an example, SMR developers are having to compete for DOE allocated HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) due to limited domestic production.
Aalo has grand ambitions to build and “deploy hundreds of Aalo pods to power data centers with clean, reliable energy… This strategy lets us focus on scaling reactor manufacturing rather than diverting capital into complex, time-intensive fuel fabrication plants.”
Read more: https://www.aalo.com/post/fuel-duel-with-urenco
Picture: Aalo
A 40-minute webinar session, followed by a short Q&A session.
Speaker: Jamie Fairchild, NEA Uranium and Nuclear Fuel Analyst.
Event time: 12:30-13:30
The Global Nuclear Fuel Cycle – Covering:
- the processing of raw material into fuel
- the global distribution of these resources and services
- challenges associated with supporting the current reactor fleet
- the future deployment of conventional large scale and small modular reactors
Speaker Bio
Jamie has more than 20 years of experience in the uranium exploration, mining, and nuclear energy sectors. Prior to joining the Agency, he was responsible for managing Canada’s uranium and nuclear fuel portfolio for Natural Resources Canada. During that time, Jamie led Canada’s multi-lateral nuclear fuel collaboration efforts and represented Canada as their delegate to the joint NEA/IAEA Uranium Group, including as Vice-Chair. Jamie has also served as Chair of the Bureau for the IAEA’s Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage during which time he led efforts to operationalise the treaty.
https://nuclearinst.com/Events/ygn-the-global-nuclear-fuel-cycle-opportunities-and-challenges/16163?OccId=22078
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