Chicago-based Clean Core Thorium Energy and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) are planning a pre-licensing review of the Clean Core’s advanced nuclear fuel. The ANEEL fuel design uses thorium and High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). Clean Core says the pre-licensing review process will provide it with clear and early feedback on use of the ANEEL fuel design in a Candu reactor.
Clean Core, founded in 2017, is developing its patent-pending ANEEL Fuel for imminent use in pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and Candus. The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is currently conducting high-burnup irradiation testing and qualification of the ANEEL fuel for commercialisation readiness. Following this, Clean Core aims to carry out a demonstration irradiation of ANEEL fuel in a commercial Candu/PHWR once it has received regulatory approval
During the review, CNSC staff will conduct an assessment of the proposed fuel design and qualification programme to confirm that Clean Core can meet CNSC expectations. These include applicable regulatory documents and applicable Canadian codes and standards in the Clean Core programmes pertaining to nuclear fuel design and qualification. Clean Core says it is confident that the safety case it is putting together I is solid, and will be shown to meet CNSC’s requirements and expectations.
According to Clean Core, the ANEEL fuel is designed to improve the accident tolerance characteristics and economics of heavy water reactors globally while achieving proliferation resistance and a dramatic reduction in nuclear waste. “The initiation of the CNSC pre-licensing process marks a significant leap towards unlocking ground-breaking performance with heavy-water reactors by utilising thorium and HALEU,” said Clean Core CEO Mehul Shah. “Once approved for use in Canada, ANEEL Fuel will make Candu reactors safer, cleaner, and cost effective, while supporting Canada’s long-term clean energy goals. Future use by a Canadian licensee also sends a clear signal to current and potential users of heavy water reactors who could benefit.”
The fuel pellets destined for testing in the ATR have been fabricated at Texas A&M University under INL’s quality assurance requirements. While fuel testing proceeds at INL, Clean Core hopes to complete performance and safety assessments and a demonstration irradiation of full-size fuel assemblies in a Candu reactor with partners in Canada to support a goal of having ANEEL fuel assemblies installed in Candu reactors by the end of 2025.
In early 2021, Clean Core and Centrus Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the use of ANEEL advanced nuclear fuel in PHWRs worldwide. While the initial test pellets fabricated by Texas A&M use a small quantity of HALEU supplied by INL, Clean Core plans to use HALEU from Centrus for commercial-scale production of ANEEL fuel.
Image: Pellets of ANEEL fuel (courtesy of Clean Core)