First American Nuclear Company (FANCO) Receives DOE Funding to Accelerate Advanced Nuclear Reactor Development

First American Nuclear Company (FANCO) has received two "Rapid Turnaround Experiment" (RTE) awards from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, enabling the company to leverage specialized national laboratory research capabilities to support the development of its EAGL-1 small modular reactor. These awards were granted during the FY2026 RTE selection cycle, which evaluates proposals based on technical superiority, feasibility, and relevance to DOE's nuclear energy programs. The program provides researchers with free access to radiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, and technical expertise.

FANCO-approved research projects include a study on the effects of extrusion temperature on the mechanical property evolution of FeCrAl-ODS alloys after neutron irradiation at liquid metal fast reactor operating temperatures, led by materials scientist Dr. Andrew Calwell and supported by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis Laboratory. Another study, led by FANCO's Executive Vice President of Nuclear Fuel, Philip Jensen, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Radiochemical Processing Laboratory, will investigate the mechanical properties of low-damage-rate MA956 alloy at various irradiation temperatures.

According to FANCO, the research will test how neutron radiation and operating temperatures affect advanced alloys in future fast reactor environments, generating data relevant to reactor durability, operational lifespan, and commercial deployment. The company's Chief Executive Officer, Mike Reinboth, stated that receiving two awards within the same competitive cycle is a strong validation of the FANCO technical team's capabilities. He further added that access to the research capabilities at Oak Ridge and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories will strengthen the technical foundation supporting the company's reactor development program.

The EAGL-1 reactor project is FANCO's planned 240 MWe lead-bismuth cooled fast neutron small modular reactor (SMR). The reactor design emphasizes factory fabrication, passive safety systems, long fuel cycles, conventional deployment methods, and scalable multi-unit installations. FANCO expects each research project to be completed within approximately nine months, providing technical data to support future engineering design, material selection, and commercialization efforts.