Abstract: In order to satisfy the requirements of mass production, high uranium loading and low free uranium contents of spherical fuel element (SFE) for high temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble-bed module (HTR-PM) demonstration project, the manufacture process of SFE for 10 MW HTR should be modified and optimized. The new optimized SFE manufacture process was established through the modification and optimization of key equipment and relative processes such as matrix graphite powder, overcoating, moulding, lathing and heat treatment. The un-irradiated properties such as crush strength, thermal conductivity, abrasive wear and oxidation corrosion of SFE manufactured by the new process meet all the design specifications of SFE for HTR-PM. In particular, the mean free uranium contents of SFEs are nearly one order lower than the design specification (6.0×10^-5) of SFE for HTR-PM. The qualified SFEs for HTR-PM were successfully prepared with the optimized large-scale manufacture process of SFE.