Lynchburg, VA — February 5, 2026 — Leads & Copy — BWX Technologies, Inc. is making progress in the production of TRISO nuclear fuel compacts for Antares Nuclear, Inc., with fuel fabrication underway since October and on track for timely completion.
BWXT is manufacturing the fuel at its Specialty Fuels Fabrication facility in Lynchburg and also produced the high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) used in the Antares TRISO fuel compacts. The DOE began allocating amounts of HALEU produced by BWXT to advanced reactor developers last year.
The fuel will be packaged and shipped to Idaho National Laboratory where Antares plans to conduct its reactor demonstration. Antares is an advanced reactor developer targeting criticality by July 4, in line with Executive Order 14301, which directed the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a reactor pilot program to test three advanced reactor designs by July 4.
According to Jordan Bramble, president and CEO of Antares, the company is building on an established, high-confidence manufacturing foundation by using a TRISO fuel specification and compact that BWXT knows well through the Pele program. Bramble expressed gratitude for the partnership enabling new advanced nuclear to support national security needs.
TRISO particle fuel is composed of uranium, carbon and oxygen, which are formed into a small kernel and coated in multiple ceramic layers, including silicon carbide. This makes it durable under high heat, radiation and corrosive conditions. Thousands of these poppy seed-sized particles are combined into compact fuel forms used in advanced reactors.
Joe Miller, BWXT president for Government Operations, stated that BWXT is an essential piece of the supply chain enabling the new nuclear resurgence spurred by the president’s Executive Orders. He noted that many advanced reactor designs need safe, reliable TRISO fuel to power them and that BWXT is the experienced leader in this area. He added that the company continues to deliver for its customers.
In addition to fabricating TRISO fuel, BWXT has contracted with DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to process thousands of kilograms of government-owned scrap material containing enriched uranium. In December, BWXT shipped over 100 kilograms of purified HALEU oxide for the DOE HALEU availability program to support a second reactor developer targeting a July 4 criticality test. The company shipped the oxide less than one week after notification that the receiving facility had been granted regulatory approval.
BWXT is also fulfilling another of the President’s Executive Orders through the Project Pele program, having shipped a full core of TRISO compacts to Idaho National Lab (INL) for the Project Pele demonstration reactor program last year. Work continues to build an entire power production system using an advanced reactor, including fabrication and assembly of the reactor core at BWXT’s Innovation Campus in Lynchburg, as well as the control and power conversion systems through collaborations.
BWXT also shipped TRISO compacts to the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada. The TRISO fuel compacts delivered for these projects were manufactured to varying specifications, demonstrating BWXT’s agility to adapt production processes to meet customer requirements and provide fuel to multiple industry partners in their reactor demonstration programs.
BWX Technologies, Inc. has played a vital role in delivering on the goals of executive orders aimed at strengthening the commercial and national security nuclear industries.
BWXT owns and operates 15 manufacturing facilities globally, and its 14 strategic partnerships support the U.S. and Canadian governments at more than two dozen additional locations.
Source: BWX Technologies, Inc.
