From WNN: "14 January 2016
(includes comments from a business update held by Lightbridge on 14 January.
Lightbridge Corporation has received final regulatory approval for irradiation testing of its metallic fuel at Norway's Halden research reactor. The company has also entered an agreement with US fabricator BWXT Nuclear Energy to evaluate the possible fabrication of fuel samples at BWXT's US facilities.
Reston, Virginia-based Lightbridge announced on 12 January 2016 that the operator of the Halden reactor, the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), had received approval from the Norwegian Nuclear Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) for all planned irradiation of Lightbridge fuel, which is expected to begin in 2017.The NRPA issued its approval following the submission of a safety report by IFE on the irradiation testing of the fuel and the approval of an export licence by Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Lightbridge's advanced metallic fuel is made from a zirconium-uranium (Zr-U) alloy and uses a unique composition and fuel rod geometry, which, the company says, enables it to operate at a higher power density than uranium oxide fuels in use today.[**] The NRPA noted the safety advantages of the fuel, including its thermal conductivity and the reduced likelihood for a release of fission products in the event of a cladding breach, Lightbridge said.The company signed an agreement with IFE in July 2015 covering irradiation testing of fuel samples under prototypic commercial reactor operating conditions. Post-irradiation examination of the fuel samples is to be carried out in Sweden by Studsvik."
**Now all of this sounds very encouraging except for one thing: I can find nothing that says LTBR has ever actually produced a single uranium-containing fuel rod of the proposed design for testing. At first glance you would think they had, but I am not sure and have been unable to contact anyone in IR (855)379-9900. If anyone has, please share it. They are scheduled for yet another conference in NYC shortly, and I hope someone raises that question.
