U.S. Lightbridge Selected for DOE LaunchPad INL Program to Advance Commercialization of Advanced Nuclear Fuel

Lightbridge Corporation, a U.S. advanced nuclear fuel technology company, announced on August 31 that it has been selected for the Nuclear Energy LaunchPad program (LaunchPad INL) managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The company stated that the program will provide an accelerated pathway for it to design, construct, and operate a dedicated facility at INL to manufacture lead test assemblies (LTAs) of Lightbridge Fuel™, with subsequent testing supported at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants.

Lead test assemblies are generally regarded as a critical qualification step for nuclear fuel after reactor testing and before commercial fuel sales. Lightbridge stated that by building a dedicated manufacturing facility under DOE authorization, the company expects to shorten the timeline required to produce LTAs for U.S. commercial power reactors.

Lightbridge Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Seth Grae stated that the DOE-authorized facility will enable the company to produce full-size Lightbridge Fuel assemblies for use by nuclear power plant operators. The company is working with a major engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm to prepare for the start of construction of the Specialty High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Extrusion Demonstration (SHED) facility in 2027.

According to the introduction, the LaunchPad INL program aims to accelerate the path of nuclear energy projects to commercial deployment by streamlining the developer approval process. Facilities developed under this program are supported by private funding. Lightbridge stated that it is continuously refining the detailed cost estimate for the SHED project, and preliminary estimates indicate that the funds required for SHED construction, operation, and decommissioning can be covered by the company's existing cash and financial resources.

Lightbridge Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Andrey Mushakov stated that the DOE authorization will help the company accelerate the construction and validation of its production processes, test equipment, processes, and quality systems at production scale, and apply the lessons learned to future commercial-scale fuel manufacturing facilities.

According to the company's plans, Lightbridge is currently conducting irradiation testing of fuel material samples in the Advanced Test Reactor at INL. The first batch of irradiated samples was discharged in May 2026, and post-irradiation examination is expected to begin later in 2026. The SHED facility will be used to produce the company's first LTAs for commercial reactors and lay the foundation for subsequent commercial-scale fuel manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Lightbridge is working with an EPC firm to evaluate potential sites and advance the conceptual design of the Lightbridge Expandable Fuel Fabrication Facility (LEFF). LEFF is positioned as a larger commercial fuel manufacturing facility and is planned to apply for a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The company envisions the facility initially producing fuel loadings in smaller batches, then gradually scaling up, and building regional facilities for international markets as circumstances warrant.

Lightbridge stated that Lightbridge Fuel is being developed for existing light water reactors and pressurized heavy water reactors. According to the company, the fuel is expected to increase plant power output by up to 10% without modifying existing reactor steam generators; for plants upgraded with high-capacity steam generators, the increase could reach up to 20%. In new reactors equipped with high-capacity steam generators, the company expects power output to increase by approximately one-third, while improving safety margins and reducing levelized cost of electricity.