Antares Nuclear announced on October 27 a multi-year agreement with BWX Technologies for TRISO fuel for its microreactors, days after the Department of Energy approved the safety design agreement for its Mark-1 reactor. POWER magazine reported both developments.
Under the fuel agreement, BWXT Advanced Fuels will manufacture tri-structural isotropic fuel through the end of the decade at its Lynchburg, Virginia, facility. That line supplied fuel for Antares' Mark-0 reactor and for the Department of War's Project Pele transportable microreactor. The deal sets terms for an initial allocation of one metric ton of uranium and includes provisions to raise quantities as deployment needs grow. Quantities, delivery schedules and technical requirements will follow in later task orders, and BWXT did not disclose financial terms.
On October 23 Antares said DOE approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for Mark-1, the company's first electricity-producing reactor. The approval is the first formal step in the safety authorization process. Antares plans to operate Mark-1 at Idaho National Laboratory in 2027, with initial deployments to US military installations starting in 2028. Mark-1 uses the same full-scale core, fuel and test facility as Mark-0 and adds a nitrogen closed Brayton-cycle power conversion system. The company plans a six-month operating campaign at full electrical power.
Mark-0 reached zero-power criticality on June 4 under DOE's Reactor Pilot Program but generated no electricity.
The BWXT agreement is the second TRISO fabrication arrangement for Antares. In August the company signed a binding agreement with Standard Nuclear for between one and eight metric tons of fuel with deliveries through 2035. Antares also has a HALEU supply contract with Centrus Energy from September.
Source: POWER Magazine - https://www.powermag.com/antares-secures-bwxt-fuel-agreement-advances-doe-review-for-electricity-producing-mark-1/