Antares Nuclear Inc., the Torrance-based nuclear reactor startup, in August nabbed a fuel supply agreement with Standard Nuclear Inc.
Standard Nuclear will provide Antares with as many as eight MTUs (metric tons of uranium – the standard for measuring fuel capacity) of Tri-structural Isotropic fuel. The agreement, which lasts until the end of 2035, will allow Antares to power its small modular reactors using this TRISO fuel.
The agreement is a culmination of a yearlong collaboration between the two companies, in which they targeted fuel specification and the manufacturability. Securing a reliable fuel supply will help Antares, which is gearing up to put its microreactors out in the field. In June, Antares Nuclear became the first private company in the United States’ recent history to develop a non-light-water reactor that achieved what is called criticality.
Scaling fuel production capacity
“We are working to scale our TRISO production capacity across identical facilities and continue to adhere to our customers’ needs,” Kurt Terrani, Standard Nuclear chief executive, said in a statement.
Antares Nuclear is developing small modular reactors for uses where nuclear power beats the alternatives. Chief Executive Jordan Bramble called the partnership “a foundational step in moving our microreactors from demonstration to deployments.
It “gives us the fuel certainty required to meet the strategic energy demands of our customers with the reliability and performance those missions require,” he said.
