Study Validates Benefits of Lightbridge Designed Fuel Rods for Weapons-Grade Plutonium Disposition
February 07 2023 - 8:00AM
Lightbridge Corporation (Nasdaq: LTBR), an advanced nuclear fuel
technology company, announced that a recently published
peer-reviewed technical paper on the disposition of weapons-grade
plutonium revealed that a Lightbridge-designed fuel rod
significantly outperforms traditional mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in
consuming plutonium in a computer simulation, making the
Lightbridge designed rods well suited for consuming excess
weapons-grade plutonium.
The paper’s title is “Improved
Disposition of Surplus Weapons-Grade Plutonium Using a Metallic
Pu-Zr Fuel Design.” The paper was co-authored by Braden
Goddard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and
Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Aaron
Totemeier, Ph.D., Senior Nuclear Fuel Consultant to Lightbridge,
for Nuclear Technology (NT), the leading
international publication reporting new information on the
practical application of nuclear science for peaceful uses. The
paper can be accessed by visiting the following link:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00295450.2022.2145836.
The simulation detailed in the paper
demonstrated that the Lightbridge plutonium disposition fuel
variant consumes approximately 5.5 times more plutonium per fuel
rod than MOX fuel. The high burnup of metallic fuel makes it
particularly useful for consuming plutonium and reducing the
material usefulness of the residual plutonium in the used fuel for
weapons purposes. The simulation utilized the design of a variant
of Lightbridge Fuel™, consisting of solid multi-lobe helically
twisted metallic fuel rods (as opposed to the ceramic fuel rods
currently used in nuclear power plants), which increases the fuel
surface area, substituting the uranium-zirconium alloy with an
equivalent plutonium-zirconium composition.
The proliferation resistance of Lightbridge Fuel
rods has been presented previously in Nuclear Engineering
and Design, a technical journal affiliated with the
European Nuclear Society. This peer-reviewed paper reported the
results of a study that showed that Lightbridge's spent fuel could
not be used by would-be proliferators to make nuclear weapons.
Seth Grae, President and CEO of Lightbridge,
commented, “We are pleased with the acceptance and publication of
this paper in this prestigious journal. The findings reported in
this study were subject to rigorous review by top scholars,
validating the plutonium disposition and proliferation resistance
of this variant of Lightbridge Fuel rods. The findings will help to
drive further awareness and support of Lightbridge Fuel within
government and the private sector.”
About Lightbridge
CorporationLightbridge (NASDAQ: LTBR) is an advanced
nuclear fuel technology development company positioned to enable
carbon-free energy applications that will be essential in
preventing climate change. The Company is developing Lightbridge
Fuel™, a proprietary next-generation nuclear fuel technology for
Small Modular Reactors and existing light water reactors and
pressurized heavy water reactors, significantly enhancing reactor
safety, economics, and fuel proliferation resistance. Lightbridge
has secured a long-term strategic partnership with Idaho National
Laboratory (INL), the nation’s lead nuclear energy research and
development laboratory, in collaboration with the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) and has been awarded twice by the DOE’s Gateway for
Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program to support the
development of Lightbridge Fuel. An extensive worldwide patent
portfolio backs Lightbridge’s innovative fuel technology.
Lightbridge is included in the Russell Microcap® Index. For more
information, please visit www.ltbridge.com.
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Forward Looking StatementsWith
the exception of historical matters, the matters discussed herein
are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements
regarding the timing and outcome of research and development
activities, other steps to commercialize Lightbridge Fuel™ and
future governmental support and funding for nuclear energy. These
statements are based on current expectations on the date of this
news release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that
may cause actual results to differ significantly from such
estimates. The risks include, but are not limited to: the Company’s
ability to commercialize its nuclear fuel technology; the degree of
market adoption of the Company's product and service offerings; the
Company’s ability to fund general corporate overhead and outside
research and development costs; market competition; our ability to
attract and retain qualified employees; dependence on strategic
partners; demand for fuel for nuclear reactors, including small
modular reactors; the Company's ability to manage its business
effectively in a rapidly evolving market; the availability of
nuclear test reactors and the risks associated with unexpected
changes in the Company’s fuel development timeline; the increased
costs associated with metallization of our nuclear fuel; public
perception of nuclear energy generally; changes in the political
environment; risks associated with the further spread of COVID-19,
including the ultimate impact of COVID-19 on people, economies, and
the Company’s ability to access capital markets; war in Europe;
changes in the laws, rules and regulations governing the Company’s
business; development and utilization of, and challenges to, our
intellectual property; risks associated with potential shareholder
activism; potential and contingent liabilities; as well as other
factors described in Lightbridge's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Lightbridge does not assume any obligation to
update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as
the result of new developments or otherwise, except as required by
law. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on
forward-looking statements.
A further description of risks and uncertainties
can be found in Lightbridge’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31st, 2021, and in its other filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the
sections thereof captioned “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking
Statements,” all of which are available at http://www.sec.gov/ and
www.ltbridge.com.
Investor Relations Contact:Matthew
Abenante, IRCDirector of Investor Relations Tel: +1 (347) 947-2093
ir@ltbridge.com
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