Here is what Lightbridge say about their new technology, could it be that a nuclear fuel plant based on this Lightbridge tech be placed at Paducah?
Centrus BWXT have their own Triso fuel which we all know is for military use and perhaps so too is what GNF-A and X Energy will use?
They will use X-energy's operating commercial-scale TRISO production equipment and GNF's licensed nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Wilmington,see here-: http://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/GNF-and-X-energy-team-up-to-produce-TRISO-fuel
The two companies yesterday announced the signing of a teaming agreement to develop the fuel for its potential supply to the US Department of Defense for micro-reactors and to NASA for its nuclear thermal propulsion requirements. Using X-energy's operating commercial-scale TRISO production equipment and GNF's licensed nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, the arrangement is expected to produce TRISO fuel of "significantly higher quality and at costs that are substantially lower than other potential manufacturers", they said.
X-energy CEO Clay Sell said TRISO was a robust fuel form well-suited to military and space applications, but its economic viability in the market place had in the past been limited by the "extremely high and unnecessary cost" of working with HALEU in a Category I facility - the highest strategic significance classification used by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for special nuclear materials and the facilities that possess them. Physical security requirements differ by category, with Category I facilities subject to the most stringent requirements.
It would appear that both Centrus BWXT and GNF-A xEnergy are both looking to military stuff?
So where does Lightbridge fit in?
Could it be that Paducah starts off at 10% enrichment for today's commercial reactors and at some point in the future go to the full 19.75% enrichment also at Paducah and that Lightbridge will build a co located nuclear fuel plant and possibly a conversion and de conversion plant at Paducah?
In the end they could be producing the 10% enrichment for today's reactors first and also the 19.75% for the new SMR's at some point down the track?
So maybe only one enrichment facility for GLE, but that would be OK if we got the lions share of the commercial HALEU production.
I know I have said before that I thought GNF-A would be making the new fuel rods and a second enrichment plant at Wilmington may be on the cards? but with the help of more information, I am starting to see that may not be so?
But I do see a company that could be starting from scratch build a new nuclear fuel production plant, it is also worth remembering that a co located plant for producing HALEU would be best served if it were on the same grounds as the nuclear fuel production facility and possibly with conversion and also de conversion to UF6 also located on those grounds as well? simply because it makes it easier and reduces transportation needs? Paducah has enough room for all of this I believe? and as I see it? is the only commercial plant for commercial use only and not any military use, which would of course rule out GLE as part of that process if military use were included!
Sorry for the though changes, this is a live and growing thought process based on the only info I have at the time, with the benefit of more info, a much clearer picture is developing for me, but that could be all wrong too I suppose?
Lightbridge is developing new fuel that works in "existing" and new reactors: improving their economics through power uprates, longer fuel cycles, and carbon credits while adding additional non-emitting baseload electricity with dramatically improved reactor safety. Lightbridge is focusing its development efforts primarily on demonstrating its metallic fuel rod technology and a fuel assembly design for power uprates in existing pressurized water reactors.
There are significant technology synergies among Lightbridge’s primary fuel products due to utilization of the proprietary metallic fuel rod technology that is at the core of each of them. As a result, full-scale demonstration and qualification of the metallic fuel rod technology will simultaneously advance all of the fuel product families currently under development by Lightbridge.
Lightbridge Awarded US Department of Energy GAIN Voucher to Support Irradiation Testing of Lightbridge Fuel™
GlobeNewswireDecember 21, 2019 Lightbridge Achieves First Direct DOE Award
RESTON, Va., Dec. 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightbridge Corporation (LTBR), a nuclear fuel developer, today announced that it was awarded a voucher from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program to support development of Lightbridge Fuel in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The scope of the project includes experiment design for irradiation of Lightbridge metallic fuel material samples in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at INL. The project is anticipated to commence in the first half of 2020. The total project value is approximately $846,000, with three-quarters of this amount funded by DOE for the scope performed by INL.
Seth Grae, President & Chief Executive Officer of Lightbridge Corporation, commented, “This nuclear energy voucher from DOE GAIN is a key step in our pathway to perform critical material irradiation testing in a US test reactor. We look forward to working closely with INL, which brings unique capabilities and expertise to perform work essential to our fuel qualification. I’m also happy to highlight that this is the very first direct award to Lightbridge from the DOE, which demonstrates its commitment to funding nuclear energy innovation from American companies.”
Additional information about the GAIN voucher is available at: https://gain.inl.gov/SiteAssets/2020VoucherAbstracts-1stRound/Announcements/GAIN2020_1stRoundNEVoucherAnnouncement.pdf About Lightbridge Corporation
Lightbridge (LTBR) is a nuclear fuel technology development company based in Reston, Virginia, USA. The Company develops proprietary next generation nuclear fuel technologies for current and future reactors, which significantly enhances the economics and safety of nuclear power, operating about 1000° C cooler than standard fuel. Lightbridge invented, patented and has independently validated the technology, including successful demonstration of the fuel in a research reactor with plans to demonstrate the fuel under commercial reactor conditions. The Company has assembled a world class development team including veterans of leading global fuel manufacturers. Four large electric utilities that generate about half the nuclear power in the US already advise Lightbridge on fuel development and deployment. The Company operates under a licensing and royalty model, independently validated and based on the increased power generated by Lightbridge-designed fuel and high ROI for operators of existing and new reactors. Lightbridge also provides comprehensive advisory services for established and emerging nuclear programs based on a philosophy of transparency, non-proliferation, safety and operational excellence.
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