French nuclear company Framatome and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have signed a cooperation agreement to establish the industrial production of molybdenum-uranium (U-Mo) monolithic fuel for the TUM-operated Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) research reactor near Munich in Germany.
Framatome said this low-enriched uranium fuel will benefit from the highest uranium fuel density ever realised in Europe for research reactor operations.
Framatome, in cooperation with TUM, developed the key steps of the manufacturing process for a high-quality U-Mo fuel, including the manufacturing of small-scale prototypes. The two organisations established a qualification procedure and installed a pilot line at Framatome’s research facility in Romans-sur-Isère, southeastern France.