The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a 40-year Part 70 Special Nuclear Material license for X-energy’s advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility, known as TX-1, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The approval, finalized on February 13, marks the first Category II fuel fabrication license issued by the NRC and the first new fuel fabrication license granted in approximately 50 years. TRISO-X, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-energy authorized to commercially produce nuclear fuel for advanced reactors, received the license three months ahead of schedule.
What it means
The license allows TRISO-X to begin commercial production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel pebbles designed to power X-energy’s Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. TX-1 is the first commercial-scale fuel fabrication facility in the United States focused on HALEU fuel to receive NRC approval. Building construction on the 215,000-square-foot facility began in November 2025 at the 110-acre TRISO-X Campus in Oak Ridge. Fuel fabrication is expected to begin in early 2028.
The project is part of X-energy’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), which provides up to 50% cost sharing for the Xe-100 Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project, including TX-1 construction. TRISO-X fuel pebbles are designed to sustain 11 Xe-100 reactors annually with a predicted production capacity of 700,000 pebbles per year. Each pebble contains over 18,000 TRISO fuel particles, consisting of a uranium, carbon, and oxygen kernel encapsulated by three layers of ceramic-based materials. The facility is projected to employ 500 full-time staff. In May 2025, the NRC accepted a construction permit application from Dow to build four Xe-100 reactors in Seadrift, Texas, which is anticipated to be the first manufacturing site in North America powered by nuclear energy.
Key facts
- License type: 40-year Part 70 Special Nuclear Material license (Category II)
- Approval date: February 13, 2026 (three months ahead of schedule)
- Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee (110-acre TRISO-X Campus)
- Facility size: 215,000 square feet
- Construction start: November 2025
- Production start: Early 2028
- Annual capacity: 700,000 TRISO-X fuel pebbles (sustaining 11 Xe-100 reactors)
- Jobs: 500 full-time staff predicted
Source: U.S. Department of Energy news release