TX-1 Facility Reaches Vertical Construction Milestone

TRISO-X, a subsidiary of advanced reactor developer X-energy, has successfully completed the vertical construction of its TX-1 advanced TRISO fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The massive 214,000-square-foot building marks a significant step forward in domestic HALEU fuel production capabilities. The facility will now transition into the interior buildout and equipment installation phases, paving the way for commercial operations projected for early 2028.

Production Capacity and Reactor Support

Once fully operational, the TX-1 facility is designed to produce approximately 700,000 TRISO fuel pebbles annually. This output equates to roughly 5 tonnes of uranium, which will provide essential fuel for up to 11 of X-energy’s Xe-100 small modular reactors. The facility is being developed initially to support X-energy’s proposed deployment of the Xe-100 advanced SMR at Dow’s UCC Seadrift Operations in Texas, a key project under the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Furthermore, X-energy is actively advancing additional Xe-100 projects in partnership with Energy Northwest, Amazon, and Centrica.

Regulatory Milestones

This construction milestone follows a major regulatory victory earlier this year. In February 2026, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted TRISO-X a 40-year Special Nuclear Material Licence for the TX-1 site. This historic approval marks the first-ever NRC Category II fuel fabrication licence issued specifically for the processing of high-assay low-enriched uranium, setting a vital precedent for the broader advanced nuclear industry.

The completion of vertical construction at TX-1 represents a critical milestone in our mission to commercialize advanced nuclear fuel, an industry analyst noted, highlighting the facility's role in securing the domestic supply chain.

As the industry moves toward the next generation of nuclear energy, facilities like TX-1 will be indispensable in bridging the gap between reactor design and fuel availability.

This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.