The Wyoming Energy Authority is announcing a signed cooperation agreement with BWXT Advanced Technologies, a subsidiary of BWX Technologies, to evaluate the requirements for siting a TRISO nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Wyoming. The roughly 18-month effort will evaluate such matters as potential factory locations within Wyoming, product specifications, facility design and engineering, estimated capital expenditures and operating costs, staffing and worker skill requirements, supply chain necessities, licensing and other requirements.
The U.S. Department of Energy describes TRISO fuel as “the most robust nuclear fuel on Earth” given its ability to withstand high temperatures, resist corrosion and act as its own containment system. TRISO is an ideal fuel source for advanced reactor designs requiring different fuel configurations and enrichments that are common to conventional large reactors connected to the grid today.
Wyoming has the largest known uranium reserves in the United States and a mature uranium mining industry that is primed for advancement. Once extracted, uranium must be enriched and fabricated into the appropriate fuel form for the type of reactor it’s being used in. Between the uranium resources in Wyoming and our veteran extraction industry, evaluating the possibility of a fuel fabrication facility on Wyoming soil is a productive step toward building a full value-chain nuclear industry.
“As part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy, the possibility of a nuclear fuel fabrication facility here in Wyoming is exciting,” Governor Gordon said. “As the world’s energy demands continue to rise, Wyoming must stay focused on protecting our core industries while continually augmenting our sources of energy. Wyoming has it all. Nuclear has been a stalwart in our energy portfolio, and like coal, can start with raw materials mined in Wyoming, processed in Wyoming, and used in Wyoming. A true trifecta.”
“BWXT owns and operates the only two Nuclear Regulatory Commission Category 1-licensed commercial nuclear facilities in the United States, and we also manufacture fuel for the highly successful Canadian nuclear power market,” said Joe Miller, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC. “For approximately 40 years, BWXT has furnished nuclear fuel across numerous government and commercial markets, giving the company a unique and highly credible background from which to draw as we review options for a potential new facility.”
“This is an exciting step forward for Wyoming’s growing nuclear industry and another example that Wyoming is not sitting idle in this competitive market,” said Rob Creager, Executive Director of the Wyoming Energy Authority. “Evaluating the potential to fabricate fuel on Wyoming soil will bring us closer to creating a viable full nuclear industry that will add value to our already robust energy portfolio.”
BWXT has been heavily engaged with the State of Wyoming in evaluating options for constructing and deploying nuclear microreactors in the state since 2023. It has held workshops with vendors in the state to better understand the supply chain’s ability to meet the stringent requirements for safe and high-quality nuclear manufacturing work. BWXT is currently working on a contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority to assess the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors in the state as a source of resilient and reliable energy to augment existing power generation resources. It has also signed agreements with Wyoming-based businesses such as L&H Industrial, Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners LLC and others in support of the goal of microreactor deployment in the state.
