Nuclear fuel is made of solid pellets that contain enriched uranium.
These small, ceramic-like pellets create a tremendous amount of energy when used in a nuclear power plant. For example, one pellet has an amount of energy equivalent to almost one ton of coal. The tubes containing the uranium pellets are bundled together to form a nuclear fuel assembly. The assemblies are put inside a nuclear reactor and used to generate heat to make electricity. Nuclear waste is produced whenever we put nuclear fission to work.