CCTE Commissions Kinectrics for Independent Review of ANEEL Fuel Qualification Program

Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) has commissioned Kinectrics Inc. (Kinectrics) to conduct an independent technical review of its ANEEL fuel qualification program, advancing the fuel's technical and regulatory qualification preparations ahead of demonstration in commercial reactors. Kinectrics is a subsidiary of BWX Technologies Inc. (BWXT).

Photo: Front row, left to right: John D'Angelo, President of Kinectrics, and Milan Shah, Chief Operating Officer of CCTE; Back row, left to right: Sean Donnelly, Vice President of New Nuclear Construction, Paul Thompson, Executive Advisor at CCTE, and Paul Chan, Chief Technology Officer of CCTE.

Under the plan, Kinectrics will conduct an independent assessment of the ANEEL fuel qualification program, focusing on key areas including fuel design, manufacturing, safety, and regulatory readiness. The assessment will provide technical reference for utilities, fuel design organizations, and relevant stakeholders in evaluating project maturity, particularly in supporting related reviews before the project enters the commercial demonstration irradiation phase.

This collaboration is a significant step for CCTE in advancing the ANEEL commercial demonstration project. Previously, CCTE announced partnerships with BWXT Canada Ltd. to supply CANDU fuel bundle hardware and with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to manufacture full-scale, reactor-ready ANEEL fuel bundles. Together, these collaborations complete the manufacturing, engineering, and independent technical assessment capabilities required for ANEEL to enter commercial reactor demonstration.

CCTE stated that Kinectrics brings specialized expertise in nuclear safety analysis and licensing support, and its independent assessment will provide verification for advancing regulatory approvals and future deployment. The collaboration among CCTE, BWXT Canada, CNL, and Kinectrics also demonstrates the Canadian nuclear supply chain's capability to support advanced fuel technologies.

The ANEEL fuel is based on thorium and enriched uranium, with the goal of demonstrating its application in existing reactor types such as CANDU reactors, while leveraging existing reactor infrastructure to minimize the need for large-scale reactor modifications. CCTE states that the fuel design aims to improve fuel utilization, reduce the volume of long-lived spent fuel per unit of electricity generated, and enhance inherent safety and non-proliferation characteristics.

Over the past year, CCTE has completed multiple technical activities related to the ANEEL fuel. Earlier this year, the ANEEL fuel completed accelerated irradiation testing at the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), achieving burnup exceeding 60 gigawatt-days per metric ton of uranium. Additionally, CCTE published an engineering assessment paper in the peer-reviewed nuclear engineering journal *Nuclear Engineering and Design*, presenting the fuel's performance, safety characteristics, and compatibility across various reactor applications.

CCTE stated that the irradiation testing, manufacturing collaborations, and independent review efforts will collectively lay the foundation for the subsequent commercial reactor demonstration and commercial deployment of the ANEEL fuel.