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UUSA will Supply Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation with Enriched Uranium Product for Advanced Reactor Deployment
01 March 2023
SEATTLE, WA & EUNICE, NM – Mar. 1, 2023 – Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), the U.S.-based global leader in the deployment of fourth-generation gas-cooled microreactors, and Urenco USA, operated by Louisiana Energy Services LLC, the only U.S. commercial producer supplying uranium enrichment services, announced an enrichment services supply agreement as part of the fuel supply program for USNC’s Micro-Modular™ Reactor (MMR®).
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation will purchase enriched uranium product (EUP) from Urenco USA for use in the manufacture of Tri-structural Isotropic (TRISO) particles and Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated (FCM®) fuel via USNC’s planned joint venture with Framatome in the United States. The EUP will be produced and supplied by the Urenco USA uranium enrichment facility located in New Mexico. This purchase marks the first commercial supply of EUP for use in an advanced reactor anywhere in the world.
Terms and details of the supply agreement are commercially confidential and will not be disclosed publicly. This agreement strengthens USNC’s vertical integration across the value chain to maximize competitive advantage and reduce risk by securing sufficient quantities of EUP to support MMR active deployments.
“We’ve been working hard to manage and de-risk the front end of our fuel cycle,” said Kurt Terrani, Executive Vice President at Ultra Safe Nuclear. “With others facing so much uncertainty regarding fuel supply, it is vital to have reliable commercial partners to source, transport, and deconvert our EUP, feeding our fuel factory operations.”
“UUSA is preparing to supply the fuels that will be required by the next generation of advanced reactors,” said Karen Fili, President and Chief Executive Officer at Urenco USA. “By leveraging our U.S. infrastructure and highly skilled workforce, UUSA is well-positioned to supply enriched uranium product to fuel those reactors, as needed by the market and supported by long-term supply agreements.”
This first batch of EUP is slated for delivery to the USNC-Framatome fuel manufacturing joint venture in 2025, coinciding with the start of their TRISO and FCM fuel factory operations. This fuel production capacity will be used to fuel USNC’s MMR deployments with some availability to the wider advanced reactor market.
The MMR Energy System is a fourth-generation nuclear energy system that delivers safe, clean, and cost-effective electricity and process heat to users anywhere. The MMR is being licensed in Canada and the U.S. and will be the first commercially available "nuclear battery." MMR deployments are moving forward, including the projects at Chalk River which is on target for first power in 2026, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, targeted for first power the following year.
About Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, a U.S. corporation headquartered in Seattle, is a global leader and strong vertical integrator of nuclear technologies and services, on Earth and in Space. The company produces the Micro-Modular™ Reactor (MMR®), Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated FCM® nuclear fuel, and nuclear power and propulsion technologies for space exploration.
The company has active MMR deployment projects at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories with Ontario Power Generation and at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Additional deployments are in development in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Ultra Safe Nuclear is working in collaboration with NASA and the Department of Defense on advanced radioisotope-based power production technology, nuclear thermal propulsion systems and advanced materials using the same foundational inherent and intrinsic safety principles to drive innovation in fuels, materials, and design.
Ultra Safe Nuclear is committed to opening new markets around the world for safe, commercially competitive, clean, and reliable heat and power from nuclear energy. The cornerstone of USNC’s technology is FCM fuel. Based on proven and trusted TRISO fuel particles, FCM enhances safety through proprietary technology to embed TRISO particles in a silicon carbide matrix. Ultra Safe Nuclear is the only privately funded company actively producing TRISO and FCM fuels.
USNC vertical integration captures the entire value chain, from fuel manufacturing to reactor construction and operation, maximizes competitive advantage and reduces risk. Ultra Safe Nuclear is Reliable Zero-Carbon Energy. Anywhere.
About Urenco USA
Urenco USA (UUSA), operated by Louisiana Energy Services, LLC, is the only operating commercial enrichment facility in the United States. Located in southeastern New Mexico, UUSA plays an essential role in the nuclear fuel supply chain. Our focus is on providing safe, cost-effective and reliable uranium enrichment services for power generation within a framework of high environmental, social responsibility, and corporate governance standards.
UUSA is operated by a dedicated U.S. workforce and regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). UUSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Urenco Enrichment Company Limited, an international supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products for the civil nuclear industry, serving utility customers worldwide who provide low carbon electricity through nuclear generation.
As a leader in the nuclear industry, and with over 50 years of expertise in uranium enrichment, Urenco is well-positioned to provide the enrichment services needed to support the latest advancements and innovations in nuclear fuel production. Urenco is committed to continued investment in the responsible management of nuclear materials; innovation activities with clear sustainability benefits, such as nuclear medicine, industrial efficiency and research; and, nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Contact
Brian Meeley
Phone: 703.282.0691 (m)
b.meeley@usnc.com
Urenco USA Contact
Lisa Hardison
Phone: 505.410.8335 (m)
communicationsuusa@urenco.com
About Urenco
Urenco is an international supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products with sustainability at the core of its business. Operating in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain for 50 years, Urenco facilitates zero carbon electricity generation for consumers around the world.
With its head office near London, UK, Urenco’s global presence ensures diversity and security of supply for customers through enrichment facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Using centrifuge technology designed and developed by Urenco, and through the expertise of our people, the Urenco Group provides safe, cost effective and reliable services; operating within a framework of high environmental, social and governance standards, complementing international safeguards.
Urenco is committed to continued investment in the responsible management of nuclear materials; innovation activities with clear sustainability benefits, such as nuclear medicine, industrial efficiency and research; and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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