Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has taken a decisive step in the validation of its laser enrichment technology by beginning TRL-6 level demonstration tests at its test track in North Carolina. GLE’s TRL-6 testing represents a key technical advancement in the operational maturation of the SILEX process, considered the most efficient in the uranium industry.
Technical validation of GLE TRL-6 tests at operational scale.
With more than 13,000 cumulative operating hours, the GLE test facility is positioned as the only one in the world operating without direct government support. Now, with the start of technology readiness level 6 testing, the technical team seeks to demonstrate enrichment performance under real industrial conditions, accumulating data that will be evaluated by an independent contractor on behalf of Silex Systems and Cameco Corporation.
James Dobchuk, GLE’s commercial president, pointed out that exclusive access to uranium waste high-enriched depleted uranium depleted high-enriched uranium by the U.S. Department of Energy makes the project a strategic national option.
This advantage would make it possible to consolidate an ecosystem of conversion and enrichment of uranium. uranium enrichment at the planned Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF), located in Kentucky, mitigating logistical and geopolitical risks.
Boosting the diversification of nuclear fuel supply
The TRL-6 project seeks to validate the efficiency of the SILEX process process and also pave the way for commercial-scale system manufacturing and scale-up. This technology, previously licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), is emerging as a key tool to support diversified and safe fuel supply, in line with the growing demand for advanced and modular reactors and modular reactors in the U.S. and allied markets.
GLE expects to produce hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium during this test phase. The learnings obtained will feed into the safety dossier required to apply for the Paducah plant’s operating license, scheduled to be submitted this summer.
In addition, the company will continue to consolidate strategic alliances with utilities, government agencies and key states, strengthening GLE’s position as the leader in enrichment technologies. enrichment technologies.
The combination of energy efficiency, process control and focus on national security positions the SILEX process as a major player in the future of the nuclear fuel cycle. nuclear fuel cycle..
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Source and photo: Global Laser Enrichment LLC
