Developing A Security Program For The X-Energy HALEU Fuel Fabrication Facility To Support Advanced Reactors

As applicants and vendors begin to bring their concepts for advanced reactors and associated fuel fabrication facilities to fruition, regulatory uncertainty presents significant challenges. This paper provides a historical discussion of NRC regulatory activities related to the security of HALEU. The protection of high assay LEU (HALEU) which is used in most advanced reactor fuels is covered by regulations more than four decades old. Although a rulemaking was begun, it was recently canceled. Security is expected to be regulated on a case-by-case basis. This results in uncertainty and introduces regulatory risk for the commissioning of HALEU fuel fabrication facilities. This paper provides a historical summary of NRC’s development of a technical approach for security of HALEU and provides a summary of the approach under development by X-Energy for providing security for its HALEU fuel fabrication facility.