US Lightbridge Corporation announced on 12 May that it has been granted a key patent covering its metallic nuclear fuel assembly design and a method for manufacturing extruded metallic fuel rods in countries that are signatories to the Eurasian Patent Convention. These include Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Republic of Moldova. Lightbridge intends to maintain the Eurasian patent in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, which represent key potential markets in that region. The new patent extends patent protection for the Company’s metallic fuel assembly design and manufacturing process to 2031.

Lightbridge President & CEO Seth Grae commented: "We are pleased to expand our patent portfolio in Russia and other key countries in the Eurasia region as we prepare for fuel manufacturing and commercial demonstration of our fuel. This latest patent is an illustration of our successful strategy to expand the scope and geographic footprint of our intellectual property to all key nuclear energy markets."