Title: FANCO Files Regulatory Engagement Plan for HALEU Facility With the NRC

URL Source: https://energynews.pro/en/fanco-files-regulatory-engagement-plan-for-haleu-facility-with-the-nrc/

Published Time: 2026-08-18T01:01:48.000Z

Markdown Content:
First American Nuclear Co. (FANCO), a company developing the EAGL-1 small modular reactor, announced that its Regulatory Engagement Plan (REP) has been docketed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its proposed Category II High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) deconversion and fuel fabrication facility. The NRC ADAMS accession numbers are ML26222A181 for the Letter of Intent and ML26222A177 for the REP.

The filing advances FANCO's coordinated licensing strategy, in a sector of advanced reactors where several players are simultaneously structuring their own industrial supply chains, as illustrated by [the preliminary joint venture agreement between SK Innovation and TerraPower for small modular reactors](https://energynews.pro/en/sk-innovation-and-terrapower-sign-preliminary-global-smr-joint-venture-agreement). The proposed facility is intended to fabricate ceramic fuel for FANCO's lead-bismuth eutectic-cooled fast reactor EAGL-1 as well as for other advanced-reactor customers. According to the company, the site is also expected to have the capability to process HALEU Uranium Hexafluoride into other fuel forms, subject to NRC approval and the terms of the company's future license application.

## Regulatory engagement ahead of the license application

The REP filing follows FANCO's August 6, 2026 letter of intent to the NRC, in which the company notified the agency of its plan to seek a license under 10 CFR Part 70, governing the possession and use of special nuclear material for the construction, ownership and operation of the proposed facility. FANCO currently anticipates submitting its license application during the fourth quarter of 2027.

"America's ability to deploy advanced nuclear energy at scale depends on more than innovative reactor technology - it requires a secure, capable and American fuel supply," said Mike Reinboth, chief executive officer of FANCO. He added that the submission of the regulatory engagement plan is an important step in building that capability, pairing disciplined regulatory execution with a fuel-cycle platform designed to support the EAGL-1 program and, over time, other advanced-reactor developers.

## Advancing a domestic fuel strategy

According to FANCO, the proposed facility is intended to help address a gap in the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain by providing a domestic capability to transform enriched uranium into finished fuel, echoing recent consolidation moves around advanced fuel technologies, such as [Nuclea Energy's acquisition of Moltex Energy's nuclear technology portfolio](https://energynews.pro/en/nuclea-energy-to-acquire-moltex-energys-nuclear-technology-portfolio). The company's licensing approach is designed to engage the NRC early and transparently on the facility's proposed design, processes, safety controls, environmental considerations, safeguards and organizational responsibilities.

"The Regulatory Engagement Plan provides a structured framework for engaging the NRC well in advance of our anticipated application," said Michelle Catts, executive vice president of regulatory affairs, licensing and quality at FANCO. She said the company's objective is to ensure that the regulatory path is informed by early, substantive technical dialogue and supported by a comprehensive understanding of the facility's design and operating plan.

## Building an integrated nuclear platform

Through its engagement with the NRC, FANCO plans to conduct pre-application meetings and other technical interactions to support license application review readiness. Any future license application will need to address the activities, facility design, processes, equipment, management measures, safety controls, environmental considerations and safeguards programs required to protect public health, worker safety, the environment and common defense.

The fuel-facility initiative is part of FANCO's broader strategy to build a durable, U.S.-based platform for advanced nuclear deployment. According to the company, its fuel architecture initially contemplates a uranium dioxide fuel capability, with potential flexibility for additional fuel forms as the program progresses.