#USA #Nuclear Fuel #Palm Beach Gardens #AMPERA #Lawrence Livermore

AMPERA Forms Strategic Partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

On August 26, 2026, AMPERA announced a significant strategic collaboration with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) aiming to enhance the development of scalable advanced nuclear fuels. This initiative highlights the critical importance of innovation in the field of nuclear energy, seeking to revolutionize how nuclear fuels are produced and utilized in modern energy systems, including compact and subcritical reactor platforms.

The core objective of this partnership is to establish a cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing process for advanced TRISO (Tri-Structural Isotropic) fuel. This initiative also aims to bolster AMPERA's strategy to create a robust domestic supply chain for advanced nuclear fuel. Under this collaboration, both parties will share their expertise, equipment, software, and resources to develop, characterize, and optimize procedures for advanced nuclear fuels.

Dr. Viktor Sukhotskiy, a research engineer and project lead at LLNL, emphasized the value of public-private partnerships in harnessing top-tier research capabilities, stating: "Projects like this showcase the benefits of fusing LLNL's elite research capacity with industry partners who possess a clear technology need and a strong commercial focus." He highlighted that collaborating with AMPERA addresses significant challenges in the nuclear fuel sector while continuing to enhance liquid metal jet technology as an advanced manufacturing technique.

As part of the partnership, the evaluation and optimization of liquid metal spray technology will be undertaken to produce highly uniform, spherical Thorium-232 kernels for TRISO fuel. This project builds on earlier research led by Sukhotskiy and his team, which developed a new prototype for particle production using drop-based liquid metal jet technology. The research encompasses computational modeling, material and nozzle compatibility testing, the development of high-temperature processes, particle characterization, and the safe handling of radioactive materials. Additionally, scalable process and design rules will be transferred to support future commercialization efforts.

AMPERA's advanced fuel platform is characterized by proprietary methods safeguarded as trade secrets, complemented by a growing portfolio of intellectual property, featuring over 60 patents related to the proprietary liquid metal spray technology. Recent pledges in June indicated AMPERA's commitment to establishing a secured supply chain for thorium fuels and advancing its production capacities for innovative fuels.

Brian Matthews, the founder and CEO of AMPERA, expressed confidence in the partnership: "LLNL has a long-standing and successful history in implementing cutting-edge research in technologies of national importance. Building scalable domestic production capacity for advanced nuclear fuel is a central component of AMPERA's strategy. We believe this collaboration will expedite the foundational technologies necessary for our fuel supply's vertical integration, reduce costs and risks in the supply chain, and facilitate the deployment of our compact subcritical nuclear energy systems."

AMPERA posits that advanced fuel cycles, alongside leading-edge manufacturing practices and next-generation neutron technologies, will play a pivotal role in the evolution of a new class of compact, scalable nuclear energy systems. This collaboration underpins AMPERA's long-term strategy of developing advanced fuel for its subcritical solid-state nuclear energy platform, designed to offer factory-built energy systems with operational lifetimes up to 30 years without the need for refueling.

The company is in the process of developing a platform for subcritical microreactors, which are intended to deliver secure, reliable, and energy-dense power solutions for data centers and applications in defense, industry, and maritime sectors. Unlike conventional reactors, subcritical systems depend on an external neutron source to initiate and sustain operations, introducing an additional layer of operational control while also enabling innovative approaches to the fuel cycle.

On July 1, AMPERA revealed what it claims to be the first demonstration module of its nuclear architecture at full scale, fabricated using additive manufacturing. The spherical, monolithic gyroid structure, produced through 3D printing from silicon carbide, embodies the architecture currently being developed to achieve up to 30 years of operation without refueling.

About AMPERA

AMPERA is an advanced energy technology company that develops scalable power solutions for data centers and applications in defense, industry, and maritime sectors. Through its "Power Now. Nuclear Next" initiative, AMPERA combines advanced manufacturing techniques, artificial intelligence, and next-generation energy technologies to deliver reliable, factory-built energy systems. The proprietary Integrated Energy Architecture™ facilitates waste heat recovery, conventional fuel power generation, and advanced subcritical nuclear energy, paving the way for a seamless transition to a clean and abundant energy future. For more information, visit www.amperaglobal.com.