Texas Nuclear Project to Receive Special Uranium

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Written by Paul Wiseman for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As research and development for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) continues, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to release a specialized and hard-to-find nuclear fuel to three companies. The list includes Natura Resources (Abilene, Texas), which is developing a 1-megawatt (MW) thermal molten salt research reactor in Abilene, in a partnership Abilene Christian University.

For that project, Industrial Info lists a total investment value of $35 million. Construction is planned to kick off in the fourth quarter of 2025, with completion tentatively expected in first-quarter 2028. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Project and Plant databases can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.

In September 2024, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a construction permit for the reactor.

The fuel, high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), is needed for SMRs, but it is not currently available from domestic suppliers because its demand is limited mostly to research projects. In an August 26 statement, the DOE said, "To help fill this gap, DOE created a process for nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)."

DOE already had released HALEU to five companies in April, with three of them requiring delivery in 2025. The latest commitments are listed as conditional, but the DOE said those projects could receive the fuel later this year.

Also associated with the Natura Resource project is the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech University. The latter is involved because one use of the plant's power would be to cost-effectively desalinate and recycle water produced in the process of accessing oil and gas in the nearby Permian Basin. Natura Resources announced a memorandum of understanding to that effect in January.

Lurking below the surface is an AI data-processing component. Natura Resources likened the energy demands of AI to a "shark fin above the water," signaling the urgent need for innovative power solutions.

Power generation for both processing of oilfield-produced water and for AI-driven data center growth is a pressing issue worldwide, and SMRs are seen as one option. For related information, see August 26, 2025, article - Google to Partner with TVA, Kairos Power for SMR in Oak Ridge, TN.

What Is HALEU?
Fuel for conventional nuclear reactors is enriched up to 5% with uranium 235. HALEU is enriched from 5% to less than 20%. It is required for most U.S. advanced reactors with smaller designs that get more power per unit of uranium. "HALEU will also allow developers to optimize their systems for longer operating cycles, increased efficiencies, and better fuel utilization," the DOE said.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).