The uranium hexafluoride, which is enriched to 4.95% uranium-235, is currently held at “a US nuclear fuel facility outside the state of California”, Bluecore Energy said, without giving details about the quantity of uranium involved.
The company is developing its first maritime nuclear energy system and conducting research and development on a non-fuelled maritime reactor module prototype. Unlike conventional nuclear power plants built around permanent land-based sites, Bluecore Energy says its systems are designed from the beginning for deployment on floating maritime platforms, an architecture that creates flexibility for where they can operate.
The initial 10 MWe system could power the equivalent of about 15,000 homes or scale to meet the power needs of a major port. Designed to be fuelled once for years of operation, the reactors can be paired together for scale to provide a new power source for ports, utilities, data centres, offshore infrastructure, and communities facing energy constraints.
The company recently announced a USD50 million seed financing and is also engaged in pre-application engagement with both the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and US Coast Guard. In June, it received an Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping for its floating nuclear power plant design – the first such approval awarded to a US-designed floating nuclear power plant – and is now advancing several key workstreams in parallel.
“We’ve moved quickly since launching Bluecore Energy, but speed only matters if it is paired with rigour,” said Kofi Asante, founder and CEO of Bluecore Energy. “We are putting the pieces in place across fuel, testing, engineering, safety, regulation and maritime classification at the same time. That is what it takes to turn this technology into a real system, and ultimately deliver reliable, zero-emission energy where it is needed most.”
The company says that “securing the enriched uranium represents a tangible step beyond reactor design and non-fuelled hardware development and toward the physical fuel infrastructure required for future fueled testing”.
Per Jander, a director on WMC’s nuclear fuel team, said: “As a leading intermediary in the global nuclear fuel market, WMC is excited by the emergence of marine nuclear and proud to bring our expertise to a new generation of reactor developers like Bluecore Energy. Establishing a reliable nuclear fuel supply is a fundamental part of moving any reactor programme forward.”
