Advanced Nuclear & SMRs

BWXT Technologies said last week it has delivered its first full core of modern nuclear fuel for the Project Pele mobile microreactor prototype at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory. The tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, made of uranium, carbon and oxygen within small kernels, has been delivered to Project Pele, BWXT said. BWXT […]

Holtec and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will each receive $400 million from the Department of Energy to support early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs), DOE said Tuesday. The federal cost-shared funding will help advance early SMR projects in Tennessee and Michigan, DOE said in a press release. The financial support helps […]

A group that includes Deep Atomic and Parker Tide said this week it has submitted a proposal to the Department of Energy for a fully integrated nuclear-powered artificial intelligence (AI) data center at its Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Deep Atomic, the Austin-Texas-based small modular reactor (SMR) startup, proposes to initially start data center operations using […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently launched a pilot school focused on regulating the emerging technology for small modular reactors (SMRs). In a Nov. 28 publication, IAEA said experts from 17 countries came together in Warsaw, Poland for the pilot session hosted by Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency. During the event, attendees discussed SMR […]

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has completed the conceptual design of its helium gas-cooled fast reactor, the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy announced Nov. 25. In DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy press release, the agency said that the San Diego-based nuclear company General Atomics demonstrated the feasibility of its reactor design through different modeling […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed the final safety evaluation for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, Wyo. NRC, which completed the evaluation a month ahead of its accelerated schedule, concluded that there are no safety concerns that would prevent issuing TerraPower its construction permit, according to its Monday press release. The company filed its construction […]

Ho Nieh was ceremonially sworn in as a Nuclear Regulatory Commission member on Thursday. Nieh was confirmed by the full Senate in a 66 – 32 vote Nov. 19. After being sworn in, he is now the first former NRC resident inspector to be a commissioner, according to NRC’s Thursday press release. Nieh will take […]

The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has announced its initial selections for its Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) program. In INL’s Thursday press release, the national laboratory selected the following companies as potential end users for MARVEL: Amazon Web Services proposes to co-locate the MARVEL reactor with a data center. DCX […]

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has provided more information on land available for lease at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina for development of a data center powered by a small modular reactor (SMR). The online procurement notice published Monday in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) now lists 5 […]

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has provided more information on land available for lease at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina for development of a data center powered by a small modular reactor (SMR). The online procurement notice published Monday in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) now lists 5 […]

Holtec and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will each receive $400 million from the Department of Energy to support early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs), DOE said Tuesday. The federal cost-shared funding will help advance early SMR projects in Tennessee and Michigan, DOE said in a press release. The financial support helps […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed the final safety evaluation for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, Wyo. NRC, which completed the evaluation a month ahead of its accelerated schedule, concluded that there are no safety concerns that would prevent issuing TerraPower its construction permit, according to its Monday press release. The company filed its construction […]

Holtec and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will each receive $400 million from the Department of Energy to support early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors (SMRs), DOE said Tuesday. The federal cost-shared funding will help advance early SMR projects in Tennessee and Michigan, DOE said in a press release. The financial support helps […]

A group that includes Deep Atomic and Parker Tide said this week it has submitted a proposal to the Department of Energy for a fully integrated nuclear-powered artificial intelligence (AI) data center at its Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Deep Atomic, the Austin-Texas-based small modular reactor (SMR) startup, proposes to initially start data center operations using […]

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has provided more information on land available for lease at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina for development of a data center powered by a small modular reactor (SMR). The online procurement notice published Monday in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) now lists 5 […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently launched a pilot school focused on regulating the emerging technology for small modular reactors (SMRs). In a Nov. 28 publication, IAEA said experts from 17 countries came together in Warsaw, Poland for the pilot session hosted by Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency. During the event, attendees discussed SMR […]

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, the California-based defense and technology company, has finished the conceptual design of a new helium gas-cooled fast reactor, the Department of Energy said last week. The advanced reactor is one of three early-stage projects supported by the department, DOE said in a Nov. 25 press release. The General Atomics company is […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rescheduled its three-judge panel’s oral arguments until Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on challenges to Long Mott Energy’s construction permit application. The oral arguments, originally scheduled for Oct. 6, were previously postponed due to the government shutdown. NRC published a press release on Nov. 20 of the updated […]

Valar Atomics said this week that its technology has achieved zero-power criticality at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Department of Energy’s Nevada National Security Site. Hawthrone, Calif.-based nuclear company Valar Atomics said in a Monday press release its tests began Nov.12 and zero-power criticality was achieved Monday at 11:45 […]

The United Kingdom’s government has selected Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales as the location for a set of Rolls-Royce small modular reactors (SMRs). The Wylfa site, home to a nuclear power plant being decommissioned, is expected to host three Rolls-Royce SMRs. There is potential the site could add five more such units in the […]

Gov. Spencer Cox (R) announced this week that Brigham City, Utah would host small modular reactors (SMR) and manufacturing and training facilities. Hi Tech Solutions and Holtec International have teamed up with Utah to make Brigham City “a hub for Utah’s nuclear renaissance,” according to their joint Monday press release. The proposed project for Brigham […]

TRISO-X announced this week it has begun construction of its first nuclear fuel fabrication facility, TX-1, at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee. “As TX-1 takes shape, it will stand as a symbol of our team’s relentless dedication and determination to bring this transformative project forward in just a few years, not […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Thursday announced reorganization of the Department of Energy with a prominent role in the organizational chart for the semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). A link to the new org chart shows an office of undersecretary for nuclear security and NNSA being one of the three biggest silos reporting up […]

Virginia regulators have approved Appalachian Power’s decision to spend money on site development and evaluation for a possible small modular reactor (SMR). The Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Nov. 12 order approved the American Electric Power utility’s request to spend money on site development, which allows it to seek cost recovery at a later date, according […]

Lightbridge said Wednesday it has begun irradiation testing of its enriched uranium-zirconium alloy fuel at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The Reston, Va.-based nuclear fuel company said in its press release that this is a step forward in its fuel development and testing program under its cooperative research and development agreement […]

The Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission have recently updated a 2019 memorandum of understanding to better coordinate the review of advanced nuclear energy reactor technologies. The document, drafted in October and made public this month, seeks to balance DOE’s traditional role in researching and promoting nuclear energy with NRC’s traditional role as a […]

The Department of Energy has approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for Oklo’s Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The Nuclear Safety Design Agreement, the first under DOE’s nuclear fuel line pilot program, was approved by the Idaho Operations Office in under two weeks, according to Oklo’s Nov. 11 press release. The […]

The Army and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) are requesting bids to provide nuclear power plant energy solutions that would be demonstrated on a military installation within the U.S. by 2030. The goal of the effort, named the Janus program, is to develop prototype Microreactor Power Plants (MPPs) to provide power to “installations and non-permanent operations” […]

The Department of Energy has approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for Oklo’s Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The Nuclear Safety Design Agreement, the first under DOE’s nuclear fuel line pilot program, was approved by the Idaho Operations Office in under two weeks, according to Oklo’s Nov. 11 press release. The […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended its comment period on the draft environmental impact statement for TRISO-X’s special nuclear material license application for its proposed fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Public comments on the draft environmental review were initially due by Nov. 17, but will now be due on Dec. 8, according to […]