Raven-Flint Selected by DOE to Build America’s Second Uranium Conversion Plant

Company also confirms production of uranium hexafluoride using its proprietary process, and reports NRC docketing of its license application for scaled-up R&D

IDAHO FALLS, ID, UNITED STATES, August 31, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation, a privately held nuclear technology company building a safer, more reliable, and more economic uranium conversion process for the United States, today announced three milestones in its effort to rebuild domestic uranium conversion capacity: selection for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) Nuclear Energy Launch Pad at Idaho National Laboratory (INL); successful production of uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) using its process that eliminates elemental fluorine; and docketing by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of the Company’s license application to conduct engineering-scale uranium operations at its radiochemistry laboratory.

The company plans to build Torch, a first-of-a-kind, pilot conversion facility on the INL site. The facility will support R&D and the DOE mission “to ensure the availability of domestically produced, converted, enriched, deconverted, and reduced uranium.” (Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023). America’s sole conversion facility, built in 1958, meets less than half of current US utility demand.

Torch aims to be America’s second uranium conversion plant and will convert 500 tonnes of uranium per year into UF₆ - enough to fuel two large power reactors. It will serve DOE and DOE-affiliated entities, and could produce the unobligated, domestic UF₆ necessary for defense purposes.

Selected for DOE's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad at INL

Raven-Flint has been selected to participate in the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, a program administered by NRIC that provides streamlined technical and regulatory pathways for developers demonstrating advanced nuclear energy technologies. Through the Launch Pad INL track, Raven-Flint will gain access to the expertise, facilities, and regulatory support of Idaho National Laboratory as it works toward deploying its uranium conversion technology at commercial scale.

“Selection for the Launch Pad puts Raven-Flint alongside the country’s best resources for turning a proven lab-scale method into a full-scale process,” said Nick Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Raven-Flint. “INL is where much of our team built their expertise, and working inside the Launch Pad framework gives us a faster, clearer path from demonstration to deployment.”

Confirms UF₆ Production Without Elemental Fluorine

Separately, Raven-Flint confirmed it has successfully produced uranium hexafluoride using the Corvus Route, its proprietary conversion process designed to eliminate elemental fluorine gas from the production chain entirely. Conventional UF₆ production depends on elemental fluorine, a highly corrosive, hazardous gas that drives much of the capital cost, process complexity, and safety burden associated with legacy conversion facilities. By removing elemental fluorine from the process, the Corvus Route is designed to cut capital costs by more than 30% relative to legacy conversion technology while eliminating reliance on HF electrolyzers made by foreign companies.

“Producing UF₆ without elemental fluorine is the technical proof point our process has been building toward,” said Dr. William Phillips, Director of Engineering at Raven-Flint. “It validates the chemistry behind the Corvus Route and gives us a clear line of sight to a domestic conversion plant that is cheaper to build, safer to operate, and which can come online years before a traditional plant possibly could.”

NRC Docketing for Engineering-Scale Uranium Unit Operations at Idaho Falls Radiochemistry Lab

The NRC has also docketed Raven-Flint’s license application to conduct engineering-scale testing of uranium unit operations at the Company’s radiochemistry laboratory in Idaho Falls.

“Docketing is the NRC’s formal acknowledgement that our application is ready for full technical review, and it starts the clock on a process our team has been preparing for since day one,” said Josh Charnin-Aker, Co-Founder and COO. “Our R&D conducted under DOE Authorization will directly inform our upcoming NRC application for a commercial-scale facility.”

About Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation

Headquartered in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation is a privately held nuclear technology company building a safer, more reliable, and more economic uranium conversion process for the United States. Its team of engineers and scientists — some of whom have led the nation’s most demanding nuclear programs at Idaho National Laboratory and the National Reactor Innovation Center — is developing the Corvus Route, a zero-fluorine synthesis pathway to uranium hexafluoride (UF₆), and Torch, a pilot conversion facility designed for 500 tonnes of uranium per year. For more information, visit www.raven-flint.com.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov.

Media Contact

Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation — media@raven-flint.com

Media Contact
Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation
media@raven-flint.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn