US firm gets first nuclear material shipment for advanced reactor fuel

US-based Standard Nuclear has received its first shipment of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) feedstock at its Oak Ridge, Tennessee facility, marking a significant milestone in the US Department of Energy's (DOE) initiative to establish a domestic fuel supply chain for advanced nuclear reactors. Standard Nuclear, specializing in tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel production, is the first company authorized by the DOE to both receive HALEU and process it into fuel. This shipment, allocated by the DOE to Radiant—a California-based nuclear microreactor developer—provides enough material to produce a full core load for Radiant’s planned advanced reactor demonstration in 2026. The project operates under an Other Transaction Agreement with the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office and is part of a broader federal effort backed by $2.7 billion in funding to develop a domestic supply of uranium enriched between 5% and 20%, reducing reliance on foreign sources. Radiant aims to test its