The Department of Energy has allocated a second round of high-assay low-enriched uranium to three American nuclear companies, directing federal fuel inventory toward reactor projects targeting near-term operation.
Antares Nuclear received an allocation supporting an advanced microreactor design aiming to reach criticality by July 4, 2026 under the Reactor Pilot Program. Standard Nuclear was selected to establish TRISO fuel production lines serving the pilot program and other reactors using that fuel form. Abilene Christian University, working with Natura Resources, received HALEU for a molten salt research reactor under construction in Texas.
The allocations draw on a congressionally directed schedule requiring the department to make 21 metric tons of HALEU available to industry across a defined timeline. Congress set delivery milestones of 3 metric tons by September 30, 2024, 8 metric tons by December 31, 2025, and 10 metric tons by June 30, 2026, structuring availability around when developers would need fuel rather than when production capacity happened to come online.
The department has separately announced $80 million available to support new HALEU production technologies, funding aimed at expanding domestic enrichment capability beyond the current limited base. HALEU availability has functioned as a gating constraint for advanced reactor programs, since most designs require enrichment levels above what the commercial fuel supply chain has historically produced for the existing light water fleet.
Source: POWER Magazine - https://www.powermag.com/doe-allocates-second-round-of-haleu-fuel-to-three-u-s-nuclear-companies/