Westinghouse Electric Company has successfully completed the first commercial production of its Low Enriched Uranium (LEU+) ADOPT nuclear fuel pellets at its Springfields Fuel Manufacturing Facility in the UK. The milestone was achieved in collaboration with Southern Nuclear and with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy.
The LEU+ ADOPT fuel contains up to 8% uranium-235 (U-235) and additives that enhance its safety performance compared to standard UO2. This fuel has the potential to generate more power with fewer replacement bundles within the reactor core, resulting in improved nuclear fuel cycle economics for operating reactors.
The demand for LEU+ ADOPT fuel in the range of 5-10% enrichment is expected to increase significantly in the coming years due to growing demand for carbon-free electricity.
Westinghouse is a leading supplier of nuclear fuel, offering a diversified portfolio across various reactor types, including PWR, BWR, AGR, and VVER. The company’s manufacturing facilities in Sweden, the UK, and the US focus on delivering innovative fuel technologies to meet customer needs for lower fuel cycle costs, increased operational flexibility, efficiency, and diversity of supply.
The company is also establishing a center of excellence for Low Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+) fuel manufacturing in South Carolina to reduce the number of outages needed in nuclear plants.
“The first production of LEU+ ADOPT fuel is a key step for achieving longer fuel cycles and reducing operational costs in the nuclear fuel industry,” said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel President. “This significant milestone, which is part of our EnCore® Accident Tolerant Fuel program, will help us provide safer, more economical, reliable, clean energy to our customers across the world.”
