![[standard-nuclear-logo.png|300]] Company website: https://www.standardnuclear.com/ ### Introduction Standard Nuclear, Inc. is an American company dedicated to the production of advanced nuclear fuel to support the resurgence of nuclear energy in the United States. Founded in 2024 and emerging from stealth in June 2025, the company was established through the acquisition of assets from the bankrupt Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) for $28 million, leveraging decades of prior research and development in nuclear technologies. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on a 36.8-acre campus at the former K-25 nuclear site, Standard Nuclear's mission is to accelerate industrial-scale production of TRISO nuclear fuel, secure the domestic advanced nuclear fuel supply chain, and enable energy independence by providing reliable, reactor-agnostic fuel solutions. The company's key focus areas include addressing surging power demands from data centers, energy-intensive industries, defense applications, and remote locations through next-generation fuels for small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, and space systems. With a team drawing from over 150 years of combined U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Lab experience, Standard Nuclear aims to fill critical supply gaps, reduce reliance on foreign sources, and support the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors amid growing national interest in clean, baseload energy. ### Key Products and Technology - **TRISO Nuclear Fuel**: Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, composed of tiny uranium-bearing spheres (about the size of a poppy seed) encapsulated in successive layers of carbon and ceramic-based materials; each particle acts as its own containment system to retain radioactive fission products. - **Power Output and Scalability**: Designed for flexibility in advanced reactors, enabling outputs suited to SMRs (typically 10-300 MWe) and microreactors (under 10 MWe); supports scalable fuel forms with varying specifications for commercial and government needs. - **Fuel and Efficiency**: Utilizes uranium with a robust, meltdown-resistant structure validated by decades of DOE research and NRC safety evaluations; enhances efficiency in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and other systems, with potential for recycling used nuclear fuel into new TRISO particles. - **Safety and Design Features**: Inherently safe, eliminating meltdown risks as the coated layers contain fission products even under extreme conditions; NRC-confirmed exceptional performance and safety profile since 2019; produced in fully permitted radiological facilities for reliable, high-volume manufacturing. - **Applications**: Powers SMRs and microreactors for electricity generation, industrial processes, data centers, defense (e.g., transportable energy), remote sites, and space propulsion/heating; enables a circular fuel cycle through recycling, reducing waste and geopolitical dependencies. ### Team and Leadership - **Dr. Kurt Terrani, PhD, Chief Executive Officer**: Oversees operations and strategy; previously Vice President at USNC, with extensive experience in nuclear fuel development from DOE National Labs; focused on scaling TRISO production for commercial viability. - **Thomas Hendrix, Executive Chairman**: Guides board and growth initiatives; General Partner at Decisive Point, led the acquisition and funding efforts; background in investing in government and dual-use technologies to advance national energy security. - **Other Key Team Members**: Comprises over two dozen employees with 150+ years of combined DOE National Lab expertise in nuclear engineering, fuel manufacturing, and operations; emphasizes rapid commercialization and supply chain resilience. ### Recent News and Developments (2025) | Date | Event | Details | |------|--------|---------| | July 8, 2025 | Strategic Partnership with SHINE Technologies | Announced collaboration to advance nuclear fuel recycling, converting used nuclear fuel into TRISO particles to close the fuel cycle and enhance energy security. | | Late June 2025 | DOE Selects for Advanced Fuel Line Pilot | Conditionally chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy as the first company in its fuel line pilot program to accelerate domestic production of advanced nuclear fuels. | | June 12, 2025 | Rises from USNC Bankruptcy | Officially launched operations after acquiring USNC assets for $28 million, focusing on TRISO fuel to support advanced reactors. | | June 11, 2025 | Emerges from Stealth with $42 Million Funding | Raised $42 million led by Decisive Point, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and others; announced $100 million in non-binding fuel sales for 2027 and key customer relationships. | | February 2025 | Completes USNC Asset Acquisition | Finalized purchase of USNC's fuel-related assets, establishing 19,000-square-foot facilities in Oak Ridge for TRISO manufacturing. | ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **SHINE Technologies**: Strategic partnership announced July 2025 to advance nuclear fuel recycling; combines SHINE's recycling capabilities with Standard Nuclear's TRISO production to create a circular fuel cycle, turning used nuclear fuel into new TRISO particles for sustainability and security. - **U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories**: Ongoing relationships for research, development, and fuel supply; selected for DOE's advanced fuel line pilot program to boost domestic production. - **Department of Defense (DoD)**: Collaborations for radioisotope power solutions and transportable energy applications in defense sectors. - **Commercial Customers**: Agreements with advanced reactor developers including Radiant Industries (for microreactor fuel), Antares, Nano Nuclear Energy, and Jimmy Energy; includes a major fuel offtake for over 1 MTU (metric ton of uranium) and negotiations for an additional 1.5 MTU. ### Closing Note Having secured $42 million in funding and booked $5 million in contracts in Q1 2025 with $100 million in projected non-binding sales for 2027, Standard Nuclear is in the early commercialization stage, well-positioned to scale TRISO fuel production and drive the U.S. advanced nuclear sector toward energy independence. *Report generated August 04, 2025*