The Department of Energy has made conditional commitments to distribute high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, to five nuclear developers as part of the first round of HALEU allocations.
DOE said Wednesday TRISO-X, Kairos Power, Radiant Industries, Westinghouse Electric and TerraPower are the five companies that secured conditional commitments from the department through the HALEU Availability Program.
HALEU Allocation
“Allocating this HALEU material will help U.S. nuclear developers deploy their advanced reactors with materials sourced from secure supply chains, marking an important step forward in President Trump’s program to revitalize America’s nuclear sector,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Out of 15 companies that sent HALEU requests, DOE selected five nuclear developers that met prioritization criteria. Three of these developers require fuel delivery in 2025.
The department will begin the contracting process to allocate the HALEU material to the selected companies as early as this fall.
According to DOE, the allocated HALEU supports the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, or ARDP, Pathway 1 award recipients. These are firms that plan to demonstrate in the DOME test bed and some ARDP risk reduction awardees.
What Is HALEU?
HALEU is uranium enriched between 5 percent and less than 20 percent in uranium-235, the main fissile isotope that generates energy during a chain reaction. It is used as fuel in advanced nuclear reactors and allows developers to achieve smaller reactor designs and optimize their systems for longer operating cycles.
According to DOE, the domestic demand for HALEU could hit 50 metric tons annually by 2035. To help meet this growing need, the department is exploring ways to offer HALEU to nuclear developers to support advanced reactor testing and demonstration efforts.
