TRISO-X, LLC, U.S. industry experts in advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing, has announced that it has received an $11 million economic development grant from the State of Tennessee to support the continued expansion of its nuclear fuel fabrication campus in Oak Ridge. The funding will support planning and development for a potential second commercial fuel fabrication facility and a dedicated research and development center. Both are expected to be located at the Oak Ridge Horizon Center, adjacent to the company’s first commercial-scale fuel facility, which is currently under construction.
The grant was awarded through Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Supply Chain Investment Fund. Established in 2023, the program supports nuclear-sector investment, workforce development, site preparation and expansion of the state’s nuclear manufacturing supply chain.
TRISO-X is developing the Oak Ridge campus to establish domestic commercial-scale production and research capabilities for tri-structural isotropic nuclear fuel. Commonly known as TRISO fuel, the technology consists of small uranium fuel particles surrounded by carbon- and ceramic-based layers designed to retain radioactive fission products under high-temperature operating conditions.
The TRISO-X advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the company is developing commercial-scale domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced reactor fuel.
The planned campus will include three principal facilities. TX-1, now under construction, is expected to become the first purpose-built commercial TRISO fuel fabrication facility in the United States. The facility is being developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to establish domestic production capacity for advanced reactor fuel.
The proposed TX-2 facility would provide a second, larger commercial manufacturing operation. Its design is expected to incorporate greater automation and production efficiencies based on experience gained through TX-1. The company anticipates that TX-2 would create more than 1,000 permanent jobs. A dedicated laboratory known as TX-L would support fuel development, testing and continuous improvement of the company’s manufacturing processes.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee noted, “Oak Ridge represents the frontier of American energy independence and cutting-edge research. We are proud to announce additional jobs and investment from TRISO-X today, bringing more than 1,000 new high-quality job opportunities and strengthening Tennessee’s role as a national leader in advanced energy innovation.”
When fully developed, the campus is expected to have sufficient manufacturing capacity to support approximately 55 of X-energy’s 80-megawatt advanced small modular reactors. The company estimates that this represents nearly 4.5 gigawatts of generating capacity, or enough electricity to power approximately 3.3 million U.S. households.
“This is an important step in building a world-class nuclear fuel campus capable of powering next-generation nuclear,” said Joel Duling, President of TRISO-X. “Oak Ridge stands as a cornerstone of nuclear innovation, and we are proud to carry its legacy forward with the continued support of the State of Tennessee.”
In February 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued TRISO-X a 40-year special nuclear material license under 10 CFR Part 70 for the possession and use of special nuclear material in commercial fuel fabrication using high-assay low-enriched uranium. The license covers both the TX-1 and proposed TX-2 facilities. According to the company, they are the first new U.S. fuel fabrication facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in more than 50 years. TX-1 is also expected to become the nation’s first Category II nuclear fuel facility. Commercial-scale production will require additional NRC authorization following the completion of construction and confirmation that the facility has been built and will operate in accordance with its license.
Development of the Oak Ridge manufacturing processes began in 2016 through a pilot operation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. That work was intended to adapt and optimize established TRISO fuel manufacturing methods for commercial-scale production.
In 2025, fuel fabricated by TRISO-X entered irradiation testing at Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor. The continuing qualification program is intended to support use of the fuel in X-energy’s advanced reactor design and evaluate its performance across a broader range of operating conditions.
The Oak Ridge expansion is intended to address a longstanding gap in the domestic advanced nuclear fuel supply chain. High-assay low-enriched uranium fuel is expected to be required by several advanced reactor designs, making commercial fabrication capacity an important component of future U.S. nuclear deployment.
About TRISO-X
TRISO-X, LLC is an advanced nuclear fuel manufacturer and wholly owned subsidiary of X-Energy, Inc. Based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the company is developing commercial-scale capabilities for manufacturing tri-structural isotropic particle fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. Its work includes fuel-process development, fabrication, testing, qualification and production-scale manufacturing. The company’s Oak Ridge operations build on nuclear research and manufacturing expertise developed through collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and national laboratories. TRISO-X is developing its first commercial fuel fabrication facility at the Oak Ridge Horizon Center. The planned campus is intended to support domestic fuel availability for advanced reactors serving electric utilities, industrial facilities, data centers and other energy-intensive applications. For more information, please click here.
About X-energy
X-Energy, Inc. designs advanced nuclear reactors and develops fuel technologies for grid, industrial and high-demand energy applications. Its principal reactor design is an 80-megawatt high-temperature gas-cooled small modular reactor intended for deployment individually or in multi-unit configurations. The company is developing commercial projects for electricity generation and high-temperature industrial energy applications. Its reactor and fuel technologies are designed to support scalable deployment, continuous power generation and integration with industrial operations and digital infrastructure. X-energy is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, and its shares are publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol XE. To learn more, please click here.
Source/Photo Credit: X-energy/TRISO-X
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Molly Bakewell Chamberlin is the Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Components Source Network, a 100% woman- and disability-owned B2B publishing and expert marketplace platform serving the global high-tech manufacturing and engineering community. She is the architect, author and developer of the Network’s 11 specialized e-news sites and 11 peer-vetted expert e-marketplaces, including Industrial Sustainability Monthly. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic technical marketing, public relations and business development, she is also the Founder and President of Embassy Global, LLC, which has supported more than 200 high-tech industry brands worldwide since 2008. Molly also serves pro bono as Second Vice Chair of the Government Team for the WBENC Forum and is a long-standing advocate for small business, supplier diversity, sustainability and women in STEM. Connect with Molly on LinkedIn.
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