United States: Framatome authorised to produce LEU+ fuel enriched above 5%

Framatome is continuing its growth in the United States by providing solutions aimed at improving fuel performance and economics. As part of its Advanced Fuel Management programme, which aims to supply pressurised water reactors with fuel at higher burnup levels, its Richland plant has been authorised to produce fuel enriched above 5%. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027.

Framatome’s Richland plant received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in May 2026 to manufacture fuel assemblies with Uranium-235 enrichment levels above 5%. This licence amendment is part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Accident Tolerant Fuel programme, whose objective is “to improve the safety of U.S. nuclear power plants by providing better performance during normal operation, transient conditions and accident scenarios,” according to the NRC.

Higher-performance fuel and extended cycles

Modification work at the Washington State site began in 2022. Framatome subsequently submitted to the Commission its report entitled “High Burnup for Pressurised Water Reactors – PWRs,” focusing in particular on its GAIA and HTP assemblies — fuel concepts designed to be more robust and safer in accident conditions.

Increasing burnup levels makes it possible, on the one hand, to improve fuel efficiency and performance. In practice, this means using less fuel for the same amount of energy produced, while reducing the amount of waste generated. On the other hand, it also helps reduce outages by extending the operating cycles of U.S. reactors from 18 to 24 months. To achieve these high-burnup conditions, the enrichment level of uranium oxide pellets must be increased to between 5% and 10%. This is referred to as LEU+ (Low-Enriched Uranium >5%).

A complete service offering

In addition to the authorisation granted for manufacturing higher-enrichment fuel, the NRC also validated all associated codes and methods for the use of these fuels in PWRs in order to achieve these increased burnup levels. Finally, the regulator approved the transport within the United States “of fresh PWR (pressurised water reactor) and BWR (boiling water reactor) fuel assemblies that may contain U-235 enrichments up to 8%,” Framatome detailed in its press release.

Before the first production campaign scheduled for 2027, an operational readiness review still has to be carried out. This review will confirm that the requirements formulated during the licence amendment process have been properly implemented at the site. ■