Vol. 11, No. 9 DOE seeks Hanford permit mod to grout some secondary waste
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Plutonium Pit Production
NNSA memo requires mods to reach 100 pit capacity by end of 2028, 60 pits per year afterward
David Beck, deputy administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), sent a memo Feb. 11 outlining “transformation objectives” for nuclear weapons at the agency. The memo was sent to the DOE’s semi-autonomous agency’s laboratories, contractors and senior officials. It lists objectives considered “achievable” by the end of calendar year 2028, and […]
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International
State of the Union: Trump waiting for “secret words” from Iran in talks
In the 2026 State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Donald Trump mentioned 2025’s Operation Midnight Hammer attacks against Iran and vaguely alluded to negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program. “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,” Trump said while addressing Congress. “But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s […]
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Budget & Policy
Southern Company lands $26.5 billion DOE loan
The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, formerly the Loan Programs Office, has awarded a $26.5 billion loan to Southern Company to invest in its energy infrastructure. Southern Company said in its Wednesday press release that the term is nearly 30 years of loans and will be split among two utility subsidiaries, Georgia […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
Rolls-Royce F130 engine for B-52 passes key testing
Rolls-Royce said Tuesday that it has completed altitude and operability testing for the company’s F130 engine as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) modernization for the B-52. The announcement comes as the Air & Space Forces Association holds its annual symposium in Aurora, Colo. Under CERP, the more powerful F130s […]
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
Nano Nuclear, EHC to explore KRONOS deployment in UAE
Nano Nuclear signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with EHC Investment Tuesday to explore a joint venture to deploy its KRONOS microreactor in the United Arab Emirates. EHC Investment is a UAE investment holding company based in Abu Dhabi that has been around for over 35 years and has 12 subsidiaries, including EHC Energy. The […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Aerospace exec Jablonsky joins BWXT board
Virginia-based BWX Technologies, (BWXT) said last week it has appointed longtime defense and aerospace executive Dan Jablonsky to its board of directors effective March 2. In a Friday, Feb. 20 press release, BWXT said Jablonsky will also serve on the board’s audit and finance committee. Jablonsky was most recently the CEO and chair of Ursa […]