Clean Core Thorium Energy announced on August 3, 2026, a supply agreement with BWXT Canada Ltd. for the manufacture of full-scale ANEEL fuel bundles. The bundles will be assembled and prepared at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ Chalk River facility, then readied for irradiation in an operating commercial reactor.
The agreement clearly defines the roles of the three parties involved. CCTE provides the design specifications and ANEEL fuel materials. BWXT Canada manufactures the bundle hardware under its existing certified quality assurance program. CNL fabricates the fuel pellets and assembles the complete bundles in accordance with established nuclear standards. Three stakeholders, one shared goal: deliver a reactor-representative bundle through to the irradiation stage.
ANEEL fuel is a blend of thorium and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The combination is designed to reduce waste generation compared to conventional fuel and to improve the operational economics of existing reactors, particularly those of the CANDU type. This is not about building new plants: CCTE’s aim is to demonstrate that ANEEL can perform in reactors already in service, thereby cutting the time and cost of adoption.
Mehul Shah, CEO and founder of CCTE, highlighted BWXT’s fuel fabrication expertise and its familiarity with CANDU technology as key assets underpinning the demonstration program. John MacQuarrie, President of Commercial Operations at BWXT, attended the announcement at the company’s Toronto facility. The agreement consolidates the supply chain needed to complete the journey from validated design to reactor-ready bundles — a milestone CCTE describes as central to the commercial scalability of its program.
Thorium as a nuclear fuel has been studied for decades, yet rarely advanced to a full-scale demonstration in commercial reactors. CCTE is pursuing that path with a pragmatic approach: leverage existing infrastructure, partner with certified suppliers, and build the supply chain step by step. If irradiation confirms the expected performance, ANEEL could become a viable option for CANDU reactor operators in Canada and beyond, opening an alternative fuel market that currently has no commercial form.
