The pace of Advanced Nuclear Technology development depends as much on the performance of supporting industrial systems—requiring precision, reliability, and long planning horizons—as on reactor design itself. Because fuel manufacturing for small modular reactors (SMRs) has remained largely out of public view, it has also emerged as a less visible constraint on how quickly SMRs transition from concept to operation.
Fuel supply as a hidden constraint
The discussion surrounding the deployment of SMRs often focuses on flexibility, scalability, and regulatory milestones associated with these reactors. However, the rate of deployment depends as much on a stable fuel supply as on reactor design itself. Because many SMR deployments are expected to occur across multiple regions simultaneously, demand for manufacturing readiness and logistical capabilities will increase.
Once a project is initiated, fuel fabrication cannot be rapidly expanded. Therefore, it is necessary to have certified manufacturing facilities along with qualified processes and supply chains that can support cross‑jurisdictional operations. As such, establishing fuel manufacturing capability early in the SMR project life cycle has become a strategic objective for many developers, especially as projects gain momentum in both the United States and Europe.
Consistency creates additional challenges, particularly due to strict requirements governing how fuel designs are manufactured and when deliveries must occur relative to construction schedules, leaving little margin for delay. As a result, fuel manufacturing has evolved into one of the more significant—but frequently overlooked—factors shaping SMR commercialization.
Leveraging existing fuel expertise
In 2015, NuScale Power and Framatome began working together to develop fuel designs and fuel fabrication processes. This collaboration continued through 2021, prior to most SMR projects reaching deployment readiness. In March 2026, NuScale and Framatome expanded their partnership to include additional fuel manufacturing capabilities, drawing on Framatome’s established European and U.S. facilities.
Under this agreement, Framatome’s European-based fuel fabrication facilities were added to NuScale’s supply chain, enabling Framatome to begin fabricating fuel assemblies destined for potential European-based SMR customers. Simultaneously, Framatone was notified of its obligation to obtain qualifications to manufacture and deliver NuScale-designed SMR fuels from its Richland, Washington, facility over the next five years.
Rather than developing an entirely new manufacturing paradigm, this approach leveraged existing pressurized-water-reactor (PWR)-based fuel technology. NuScale’s reactor design utilizes a fuel configuration based on Framatome’s PWR-based fuel architecture that has had decades-long operating histories and widespread deployment across various countries.
By emphasizing manufacturing readiness alongside reactor licensure, this partnership reflects a broader understanding of what SMR deployment truly requires. As projects move closer to construction, deployment is increasingly shaped not only by technological progress but by the readiness and alignment of the industrial systems that support it.
Preparing fuel for SMR deployment
An important component of this partnership was the notification by NuScale to Frameatome that its Richland facility would be prepared to produce NuFUEL-HTP2 type fuel assemblies for NuScale’s prospective U.S.-based SMR customers. Included with this notification were instructions to produce at least 444 such fuel assemblies for NuScale’s first U.S. customer, with deliveries to occur as soon as 2030.
NuFUEL‑HTP2 incorporates Framatome’s demonstrated high‑thermal‑performance (HTP) fuel assembly configurations, combining low‑pressure‑drop characteristics with enhanced mechanical integrity and seismic resistance. More than 20,000 HTP‑type fuel assemblies have already been fabricated and operated in PWRs across 11 countries, providing an extensive operating history that supports further deployment in SMRs.
With more than five decades of experience manufacturing PWR‑based nuclear fuels across North America and Europe, Framatome brings the international presence and qualifications needed to support SMR fuel supply in multiple markets. By extending their collaboration beyond fuel design into large‑scale fuel manufacturing, NuScale and Framatome are addressing one of the less visible barriers to small modular reactor deployment.
