Neutron Bytes

• Oklo & Centrus Ink Joint Venture for Nuclear Fuel Services in Ohio
• Centrus Partners with Palantir to Use AI in Uranium Enrichment
• Framatome and NuScale Power Ink Nuclear Fuel Delivery Contract
• DOE Focuses Funding on Uprates of Existing U.S. Reactors
• DOE Slow Walks Talks About 10 AP1000s Amid Offers from Rivals
• DOE Approves Safety Documents for MARVEL Microreactor Initial Criticality
• Radiant Receives DOE approval of Preliminary Document Safety Analysis
• EU’s Von der Leyen Has a Plan for Nuclear Energy
• EU Has a Nine-Point Plan For Deployment of SMRs
• French SMR Start Ups Secure $210 Million

Oklo & Centrus Ink Joint Venture for Nuclear Fuel Services in Ohio

• The deal is intended to demonstrate the companies’ commitment to supporting the domestic fuel supply chain

Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO), an advanced nuclear technology company, and Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE: LEU) a uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel services provider, announced that the companies have agreed to pursue discussions regarding a joint venture focused on deconversion services for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and the advancement of related fuel-cycle technologies and supply chains.

Activities under this joint venture would occur at Centrus’ Piketon, OH, site in southern Ohio, co-located with Centrus’ enrichment operations and adjacent to Oklo’s planned 1.2 GW power campus.

Oklo would be a partner in the production of HALEU fuel, a user of the fuel, and also a power producer for the fuel deconversion and enrichment plant processes.

The firms said the potential joint venture would aim to enable an integrated coupling of uranium enrichment and deconversion to expand domestic advanced nuclear fuel capacity to serve Oklo’s needs and broader U.S. nuclear deployment.

Centrus and Oklo said that developing enrichment and deconversion services at Centrus’ Piketon location will raise efficiency, expand domestic capacity, and help solve what is widely viewed as a potential nuclear fuel bottleneck to the pace of large-scale deployment of nuclear power technology.

There are numerous HALEU-fueled reactor technologies under development today in the U.S., each of which may have its own separate fuel fabrication plant to meet the unique requirements of the design.

A central hub for deconversion services co-located with HALEU enrichment could eliminate the need for each fuel fabrication facility to establish its own deconversion line, which would enhance competitiveness for the entire industry. In addition, such a central hub could simplify and reduce the cost of shipping HALEU.

The parties plan to explore opportunities for potential coordination of regulatory and R&D activities, including joint engagement with U.S. federal agencies to propose solutions that support co-location of deconversion and enrichment services. The collaboration is also expected to include engagement with federal, state, and local initiatives to support the siting of deconversion services in Pike County, in line with broader efforts to strengthen the U.S. nuclear fuel-cycle infrastructure.

The potential collaboration would align with the broader redevelopment efforts led by the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI), a nonprofit working to reuse land for regional development, to transform thousands of acres at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant into a hub for advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

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Centrus Partners with Palantir to Use AI in Uranium Enrichment

• Early work has already identified nearly $300 million in potential cost savings

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR), a leading provider of AI systems and enterprise operating systems, and Centrus Energy NYSE: LEU, a U.S. company enriching uranium at commercial scale, announced a partnership that will apply Palantir’s AI-driven software tools in support of Centrus’ multi-billion-dollar expansion of its uranium enrichment capacity.

Through this partnership, Centrus is leveraging Palantir’s Foundry and Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) to integrate multiple separate systems across classified and unclassified environments. It will use AI to address inefficiencies currently experienced with project controls, engineering, manufacturing execution, supply chain management, and regulatory compliance.

Since the partnership began in late January, Centrus and Palantir claim to have identified nearly $300 million in potential cost savings and efficiencies. Project execution is a key focus area and Centrus is rapidly de-risking it.

Additional improvements have been identified that are expected to reduce manufacturing lead times and accelerate the timetable for bringing new uranium enrichment capacity online.

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Framatome and NuScale Power Ink Nuclear Fuel Delivery Contract

Framatome and NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) have expanded their partnership to include Framatome’s European facilities for fuel fabrication in Europe, while also notifying the Richland, WA, facility to fabricate fuel for NuScale Power’s U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-approved SMR fuel technology in the next five years.

This expansion leverages Framatome’s global presence to support NuScale in meeting global U.S. and European demands and builds upon their exclusive fuel manufacturing contract signed in 2015.

Framatome’s European facilities will be leveraged for the future fabrication of fuel assemblies for NuScale’s European SMR customers. The NuScale Power Module (NPM) is a Generation III+ reactor and uses a fuel design that is based on existing Framatome pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel technology.

NuScale’s European Opportunities

Romania recently announced a final investment decision for six of NuScale’s 77 MW PWR type SMRs. Construction of the SMRs is not expected to begin until the early 2030s.

NEI Magazine reported on 03/12/26 that in Poland, NuScale and mining giant KGHM signed a contract to construct a NuScale SMR by 2029. An application for a decision-in-principle was submitted to the Polish government in 2023. In the Czech Republic, NuScale has a memorandum of understanding with the utility CEZ to evaluate SMR deployment. Slovakia is included in a broader regional memorandum of understanding with Romania’s Nuclearelectrica and other partners to explore deployment in Central and Eastern Europe.

Fuel for U.S. Customers

Following its earlier selection to fabricate fuel assemblies for NuScale’s U.S. SMR customers in 2015, Framatome has now been issued notice to qualify the Richland, WA, facility for manufacturing and delivery of the NuFUEL-HTP2 fuel design. In addition to supporting manufacturing readiness, the notice includes direction to produce at least 444 fuel assemblies for NuScale’s first U.S. customer as early as 2030.

NuScale, like many SMR developers, has numerous agreements in principle, but no signed term sheets for contracts to build reactors. For example, TVA announced in September 2025  a plan for an agreement to purchase power from ENTRA1 through a planned 6 GW nuclear program. The program could involve the deployment of 72 of NuScale’s 77 MW Power Modules across six plants in TVA’s seven-state service region.

NuScale told Zacks, an investment newsletter, on 03/11/26 that NuScale Power expects the project to generate revenues once the power purchase agreement (PPA) is signed. NuScale management said the company could begin earning service revenues from activities such as combined operating license application work and FEED services related to ENTRA1 plants. Once the PPAs are signed and financing is secured, the 6 GW TVA opportunity could become a major revenue driver for NuScale Power.

However, there is competition for this plan. TVA also has a maturing progam to deploy multiple GEH BWRX300 SMRs at the Clinch River, TN, site. TVA received a  $400 million grant from DOE to accelerate the deployment of the nation’s first Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor at thes Clinch River nuclear site. TVA is the first utility in the U.S. to have a construction permit application for a BWRX-300 SMR accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

About the Fuel for NuScale

NuFUEL-HTP2 utilizes Framatome’s proven HTP fuel and spacer grid technology. This fuel design combines low pressure drop with robust mechanical strength and seismic resilience to assure reliable fuel performance in this new reactor type. Over 20,000 HTP fuel assemblies have been delivered to a wide range of PWRs in 11 countries.

The Richland, WA, facility was awarded the industry’s first 40-year nuclear fuel fabrication license renewal from the NRC in 2009 and plans to modify its license to deliver fuel above 5% of U235 as part of its Advanced Fuel Management program.

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DOE Focuses Funding on Uprates of Existing U.S. Reactors

• Office of Nuclear Energy  Launches the Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy is focused on a new effort that will use existing nuclear energy infrastructure to put more power on the grid. The Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE) is intended to significantly expand the United States’ nuclear energy capacity by increasing the power output of existing reactors, bringing dormant facilities back online, and complete stalled projects. The UPRISE initiative has a goal of adding 2.5 GW of additional nuclear capacity by 2027 and 5 GW of total additional nuclear capacity by 2029.

To achieve these goals, UPRISE will focus on uprates, the scaling up the power and energy production of existing nuclear plants, leveraging existing infrastructure to deploy nuclear reactors at licensed sites, and taking advantage of streamlined regulatory processes to accelerate implementation.

By aligning DOE resources, industry expertise, and regulatory reforms, DOE said in its press statement that UPRISE will lead to significant increases in the nation’s nuclear energy capacity.

What’s Next?

Near-term actions will be centered on a three-pronged approach focused on establishing the business case by examining supply chain readiness, assessing plant equipment for increased power output or upgrades, and validating economic models to support project investment decisions.

The effort will also support research to streamline regulatory processes, advancements in nuclear fuels, and workforce initiatives as a foundation for future nuclear deployments.  

Later this year, through the UPRISE initiative, the Office of Nuclear Energy and Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) will convene match-making workshops to facilitate collaborative agreements between nuclear power plant owners and end users.

EDF has more than $289 billion in available loan authority and is able to provide up to 80% financing for eligible project costs associated with nuclear uprates at attractive interest rates. TheDOE loan program was instrumental to the successful deployments of Vogle Units 3 and 4 and is currently being used to support the restarts of the Palisades Nuclear Plantin Michigan and Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania.

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DOE Slow Walks Talks About 10 AP1000s Amid Offers from Rivals

Canary Media last week published a comprehensive report on DOE’s talks with competitors to Westinghouse, which is slated, potentially, to build 10 AP1000 PWRs in the U.S. using up to $100 billion expected to be provided by the terms of a trade deal with Japan. According to the report, DOE officials are now exploring options beyond the AP1000 by reaching out to GE-Hitachi (ESBWR 1500) and to South Korea (APR1400) to assess their interest. The evaluation of these options has changed the pace of development of the project from a sprint to a slow walk.

Both the ESBWR and APR1400 designs have completed NRC reviews and can be built in the U.S. At one time ESBWRs were under consideration to be built for nuclear utilities in Michigan and Virginia, but neither project ever moved beyond the paperwork stage.

No U.S. utilities have so far taken consideration of the South Korean design beyond the talking stage. This is despite the fact that the design would have the competitive factor in that four were built in the UAE and are in revenue service there in addition to the multiple units built and are now operating in South Korea.

On 03/09/26 Reuters reported that South Korea’s Industry Minister Kim ​Jung-kwan said, “We are ​in serious discussions regarding nuclear power,” Kim said ​in a parliamentary session, in response to a lawmaker’s question ‌about ⁠Korea’s possible investments in U.S. nuclear power plants. South Korea, like Japan, bowed to bullying via tariffs from President Trump pledging to invest up to $350 billion in U.S. projects including nuclear reactors.

While these sums from Japan ($100 billion) and South Korea ($350 billion) seem to be staggering in their size, they are driven in part by self-interest in both countries as their heavy industry firms would likely get a significant amount of the work generating jobs and tax revenue.

What remains to be seen is whether any U.S. nuclear utilities are interested in new builds at this scale. More likely, some are holding their cards close until they see how things work out in the completion of two partially built AP1000s at the V.C. Summer site in South Carolina. Brookfield, which owns Westinghouse, won the bid in October 2025 to complete the two 1,150 MW AP1000 units.

Lighting the Fuse for a Final Investment Decision

The current status of the proejct is one of assessment for cost, schedule, and work towards a final investment decision (FID). Santee Cooper will work with Brookfield on actions needed to evaluate feasibility, as well as actions related to detailed construction planning and analysis, needed to reach FID.

According to a report by World Nuclear News, the MOU between Brookfield and Santee Cooper, a South Carolina utility, establishes a path to FID, which is estimated to take 18-24 months.  The date range for a decision now sits at sometime between April and October 2027. Assuming the FID is signed within this time frame, and work begins within six months of the latest likely date, completion would be about mid-to-late 2031.

This time frames are important because the future of decisions by publicly traded electric utilities in the U.S. to build an AP1000, or any large reactor, may hinge on how things turn out regarding costs and schedules for the completion of the twin AP1000s at V C Summer.

There is a shorter fuse on one aspect of the V C Summer decision making process. Under the MOU, Brookfield must, by June 26, 2026, determine initial feasibility, establish a target date for its FID, and develop a draft economic development plan. The plan must “considers a commitment” to using South Carolina companies and workforce, partnerships with the educational sector, investment in workforce development including providing opportunities to veterans, and engagement with communities and stakeholders.

The Canary Media article notes that DOE’s talks with Westinghouse have focused on the issue of the risks of cost overruns. The twin AP1000s at the Vogtle site in Georgia, as FOAK units, experienced very significant schedule delays and cost overruns which are clearly on DOE’s mind relative to this plan for a new round of ten of them.

What Does a 10 Reactor New Build Look Like?

Assuming Westinghouse can deliver all ten AP1000 reactors in “fleet mode” at $9 billion each, that’s $90 billion spread over 14 year period. This assumes the reactors are built in pairs with two units started every two years.

It took South Korea eight years to build each of the APR1400s in the UAE. Russia is doing no better clocking also at eight years each for the four 1,200 MW VVER it is building in Turkey. In “fleet mode” it is plausible each of the 10 AP1000s could be completed in six years. Even so, six years is a tight schedule.

It is unknown how fast the firm’s rivals could deliver their reactors. Clearly, South Korea has extensive experience building its APR1400 at home and abroad. Less is known about schedules and costs for an ESBWR since none have ever been built.

What About the Promises by Japan and South Korea to Invest Billions in U.S. Nuclear Reactors?

Also worth considering is Japan’s promise of up to $100 billion of investments in U.S. nuclear energy projects related to a trade deal intended to blunt the economic impact of President Trump’s aggressive program of using tariffs to strong arm other nations into meeting U.S. demand. The deal now needs to be seen in light of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the President did not have the legal authority to impose the tariffs. The same can be said for South Korea’s pledge of $350 billion. Both countries, at least for now, are actively working on plans to implement their investment pledges.

Here is where a spanner gets tossed into the machinery of tariff driven trade deals. Following the Supreme Court decision, the U.S. Court of International Trade subsequently ordered Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds for levies US President Donald Trump introduced last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

“All importers of record whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties are entitled to the benefit” from the high court’s ruling, Judge Richard Eaton wrote.

It remains unclear whether Japan or South Korea will continue to honor their respective trade deals made under the duress the imposition of tariffs now declared to be illegal. The ruling set by the Trade Court could plausibly have as splash effect on the trade deals The money DOE is depending on for new reactors, slow walking or not, could vanish one day in a puff of diplomatic smoke.

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DOE Approves Safety Documents for MARVEL Microreactor Initial Criticality

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office has approved a key safety document for the MARVEL microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The approved document, called a Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA), marks a major milestone toward building and operating the microreactor for research, development and end-user demonstrations.

MARVEL, the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation project, is a sodium-potassium-cooled microreactor developed at INL to produce 85-100 kilowatts of thermal energy and approximately 20 kW of electricity.

The PDSA outlines a dry initial criticality configuration, a near zero-power experiment that will generate essential data on reactor physics behavior. This configuration is a foundational step on the pathway to full power operation.

The approval reflects the culmination of extensive safety calculations and engineering analyses that define the safety basis for MARVEL’s initial criticality. The PDSA affirms that the reactor can operate safely under this configuration and paves the way for final safety documentation and full assembly of the reactor.

“This is more than just a regulatory requirement — it’s a blueprint for the future of advanced nuclear,” said INL’s Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, MARVEL microreactor lead.

“By receiving approval for our safety documentation, we are now able to share this template with developers to learn from our process and streamline their own timelines.”

The approved PDSA builds on a 2024 version and incorporates updated modeling, lessons learned and a risk-informed methodology — an approach that uses risk analysis to guide design decisions and enhance safety. MARVEL’s approach has already influenced other DOE-authorized reactor projects such as Pele, the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment and the Versatile Autonomous Lightweight Kilowatt-class Reactor Experiment, commonly known as VALKRE.

Researchers will conduct the dry criticality experiment at INL’s Transient Reactor Test Facility, a DOE-authorized research facility that supports a variety of reactor experiments. The next phase includes engagement with DOE-Idaho and project stakeholders to finalize the safety basis for full reactor assembly and fuel loading. This phased approach is designed to identify and address potential issues earlier in development.

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Radiant Receives DOE approval of Preliminary Document Safety Analysis

• First-ever full-power test approval paves way for summer 2026 start up

Radiant Nuclear announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted approval of its DOE Authorization Request for Kaleidos (DARK). This documentation submitted by Radiant is designed to meet the intent of a Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA), and approval allows Radiant to keep on track to start up its first reactor this summer.

This approval, the first granted for a full-power test, closes out the second of three nuclear safety document submittals in DOE’s new Authorization Pathway for Nuclear Facilities, paving the way towards reactor startup at the National Reactor Innovation Center’s (NRIC) Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

“The DOE’s approval of our DARK submission is a major validation of Radiant’s safety-first approach and the strength of our reactor design,” said Dr. Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer at Radiant.

“Completing the second phase of the Authorization Pathway positions us to move confidently into start up activities and demonstrates that advanced nuclear systems can progress rapidly while meeting rigorous safety requirements.”

Radiant’s Kaleidos microreactor is designed to deliver reliable power in mission-critical environments, supporting both national security and commercial energy resilience objectives. The DARK approval reflects close collaboration between Radiant, DOE, and INL to establish a repeatable, efficient regulatory model for advanced nuclear deployments.

With this milestone complete, Radiant is now preparing for the final documented safety analysis submittal, and readiness review, leading to authorization and startup of its first reactor at INL this summer.

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EU’s Von der Leyen Has a Plan for New Nuclear

(WNN)  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced new financial support for innovative nuclear technologies and a European Union strategy for small modular reactors which aims to see them operational in Europe by the early 2030s.
 
Von der Leyen said the EUR200 million ($232 million) investment, funded via the Emissions Trading System, will help the European Union’s “home-grown low-carbon energy sources: nuclear and renewables … become the joint guarantors of independence, security of supply, and competitiveness – if we get it right – now”.

In a speech to the Nuclear Energy Summit being held in Paris, she added: “In 1990 one-third of Europe’s electricity came from nuclear, today it is only close to 15%. This reduction in the share of nuclear was a choice, I believe that it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power.”

She said that with the EU not being an oil or gas producer “the current Middle East crisis gives a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities this creates … nuclear energy is reliable, providing electricity all year, around the clock. So the most efficient system combines nuclear and renewables, and is underpinned by storage, flexibility, and grids … Europe has been a pioneer in nuclear technology and could once again lead the world in it. Next-generation nuclear reactors could become a European high-tech high-value export.”

The strategy calls on industry to develop standards for building fleets of SMRs based on consistent designs across multiple countries, with modular manufacturing drawing on experience from shipbuilding and aircraft production.

Von der Leyen said a new ‘European Strategy for Small Modular Reactors’ will have three main elements.

“First, we need simple rules. We will create regulatory sandboxes so that companies can test innovative technology. And we will work with Member States so that rules are aligned across borders. The logic is clear. When it is safe to deploy, it must be simple to deploy – all across Europe.”

“Second, we need to mobilize investment. The EU will create a EUR200 million guarantee to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies. And the resources will come from its Emissions Trading System. Not only will it de-risk investments in these low-carbon technologies, it will give a clear signal for other investors to join. This is one concrete step and part of a broader effort to improve the investment conditions for Europe’s nuclear sector.”

“Third, this must be a joint European effort. The modular reactors’ business model needs scale. So cooperation across European borders is vital. This is why the EU will work with Member States to align their regulatory frameworks, speed up permitting, and develop the skills the sector needs. Companies from Member States and trusted partners should also come together. For instance, they could co-invest in research, in testing facilities and in creating European value chains for nuclear fuels.”

As part of the EU’s place in the “nuclear tech race” here would also be strengthening of the “wider nuclear ecosystem – from fuel to technology, from supply chains to skills”.

European Union member states are split on the issue of nuclear energy – it is generated in 13 of the 27 EU member states and its vocal opponents have included Germany and Austria. But a growing number of member states are developing plans for new capacity, as well as some countries rethinking their previous phase-out policies.

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EU Has a Nine-Point Plan For Deployment of SMRs

• Commission targets first units by early 2030s, warns against fragmented approach

(NucNet) The European Commission has published a strategy for the development and deployment of small modular reactors in Europe, setting out nine actions covering industrial organization, financing, regulatory cooperation and skills.

The strategy document provided the full detail behind the announcements made by Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris on 10 March. It laid out a step-by-step program to move SMRs from development to commercial operation in the EU within the next decade.

The Commission said “SMRs should be considered a shared European industrial project, built on strong collaboration in research, supply chain, licensing, skills, and financing across the EU, and founded on the principles of safety, sustainability and circularity.”

The plan warned against going it alone. “A fragmented approach would lead to duplicated efforts, slower regulatory approvals, limited manufacturing capacity, and higher unit costs, undermining public confidence and future investments,” the plan said. “Such a scenario should not be accepted for the development of this strategic technology for Europe”.

The document called for interested member states to form an “SMR coalition” that would align licensing procedures or accept each other’s licensing decisions for selected reactor designs. The coalition would work alongside the European Nuclear Safety Regulators’ Group, which already has a taskforce for sharing information on SMR designs during the pre-licensing phase.

The Commission said it would help member states set up “regulatory sandboxes” for SMRs, which are to be frameworks that allow companies to test and validate new components under the supervision of one or more national regulators working together.

Fleet Approach and Supply Chain

The strategy calls on industry to develop standards for building fleets of SMRs based on consistent designs across multiple countries, with modular manufacturing drawing on experience from shipbuilding and aircraft production.

A competitive European supply chain should ensure a high share of local content in all projects, including fuel cycle services. The document urges SMR developers working on the same or similar designs to join forces and share testing facilities, even if they expect to compete in end markets.

The Commission said that some of the most advanced light-water SMR projects in Europe are based on non-EU designs, but said EU partners must retain intellectual property rights over technologies developed in Europe.

The strategy builds on work by the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs, which was setup in February 2024 and now brings together nearly 400 organizations including companies, research bodies and government agencies.

The Alliance presented its 2025-2029 Strategic Action Plan in September 2025 and has already identified concrete SMR projects for support. Several of the strategy’s nine actions are directed at the Alliance, including project selection, supply chain development and industrial standardization.

Financing and De-risking

On financing, the Commission said it “will consider” a temporary InvestEU top-up of €200 million ($232 million) until 2028 to support first commercial units of innovative nuclear technologies, covering light-water SMRs, advanced modular reactors, microreactors and fusion.

The Commission said a new Clean Energy Investment Strategy will be delivered in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB) which intends to deliver more than €75 billion of financing over the next three years for energy transition projects.

The clean energy strategy said the EIB “will support, through venture debt and other financial products, the de-risking of investments in line with the SMR strategy, and the associated fuel cycle facilities and supply chain, which can be eligible for support also under the InvestEU program.”

The EC said the IPCEI (important project of common European interest) framework “can be instrumental” in supporting innovative nuclear technologies. The Commission said this could help pool resources and make it easier to attract private investment.

The Innovation Fund, the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework and the European Innovation Council’s Scaleup Europe Fund are also identified as potential sources of support for nuclear start-ups.

Member states and regions are encouraged to set up “SMR Valleys” under the bloc’s Net-Zero Industry Act as designated zones for SMR manufacturing or assembly that would benefit from faster permitting, easier access to financing and possible tax breaks.

The Net-Zero Industry Act is an EU initiative adopted in 2024 that aims to scale up manufacturing of clean energy technologies in Europe by streamlining permitting, fast-tracking strategic projects and improving access to finance.

The strategy also points to the Finnish Mankala and Swedish Industrikraft models of industrial co-investment as possible templates for how companies could jointly fund SMR projects.

Timeline and Global Competition

Preliminary estimates put expected EU SMR capacity by 2050 at between 17 GW and 53 GW. First-of-a-kind installations are targeted for the early 2030s.

The tone of the conclusions reflects urgency. “In the global race of the emerging SMR market, the EU needs to take urgent action to stay at the forefront, remain competitive and continue developing new technologies.”

The US announced $900 million in SMR grants in December 2025. Canada and the UK are also investing heavily. SMRs are already operating in China and Russia.

SMR plants have not been commercially deployed in the Western world, with first demonstration plants expected online in North America at the turn of the decade. Europe has several companies developing SMR technologies eyeing the 2030s for pilot deployment. All of Europe’s nuclear-powered electricity, or about fifth of the bloc’s total generation, comes from a fleet of about 100 large-scale conventional reactors.

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French SMR Start Ups Secure $210 Million

Two French nuclear startups, Jimmy Energy SAS and Calogena, have raised approximately $210 million (€180 million) to complete the designs of their small modular reactors (SMRs). This funding round, supported by both private investors and the French government, aims to bring their first-of-a-kind units into construction by the end of the decade.

Jimmy Energy is developing a 60 MW gas cooled advanced reactor that will use TRISO fuel. The target market is to supply high-temperature heat to European food, paper, and chemicals manufacturers as a competitive alternative to natural gas. The firm plans to start construction in 2029 for a reactor supplying steam to a producer east of Paris.

Calogena has raised approximately €100 million (approx. $117 million). It includes €48 million in fresh government funding. Investors include Gorgé SA, engineering group SNEF, and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. The firm is developing a 30 MWt light water design SMR specifically for district heating networks.

The funds will allow both companies to complete detailed designs and obtain necessary approvals from the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN).Jimmy Energy plans to use the capital to increase its engineering capacity beyond its current 80 employees.

These projects are part of a broader French initiative to bolster nuclear technology and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

# # #

• DOE to Make Mixed Oxide Fuel at Savanah River Site to Boost HALEU Supplies
• SRNL to Recover Isotopes from Legacy Nuclear Materials
• Q&A Interview with ZetaJoule About its High Temperature Research Reactor
• ONE Nuclear Energy  IPO plans to Fund SMR Expected in 2026
• Copenhagen Atomics Secures Thorium Supply from Norway

DOE to Make MOX Fuel at SRS

• DOE’s Office of Environmental Management Restarts One-of-a-Kind Facility in South Carolina to Fuel America’s Nuclear Future

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) announced the decision to restart HB-Line operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.

Restarting HB-Line provides the capability to power America’s nuclear future by recycling surplus plutonium and partnering with industry to produce uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for advanced nuclear reactors.

The facility is an integral part of H-Canyon, the only chemical separations facility of its kind in the United States.

New Lamps for Old – Will MOX Replace HALEU?

With the shortfall of supply of HALEU fuel for advanced reactors, DOE has decided that a faster path to uranium fuel with enrichment levels of 9-19% U235 will be to supply advanced reactors developers with MOX fuel.

GENIV design reactors are capable of burning MOX fuel. In 2025 Oklo proposed to build a $1.68 billion nuclear fuel plant at Oak Ridge, TN, that would convert plutonium into HALEU equivalent fuel to serve the fuel  needs of advanced reactors.

DOE will need new funding for this effort. Congressional appropriation of funds might not be available until FY 2027 or FY 2028.

History of Commercial Efforts to Use MOX Fuel in U.S. Advanced Reactors

The TerraPower Natrium reactor is based on the GEH PRISM reactor design that was intended to run on surplus plutonium. TerraPower runs on uranium metal fuel which can be fabricated, via reprocessing methods, from surplus plutonium.

GEH pitched the PRISM design to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in 2012  to dispose of its huge inventory of surplus plutonium, and to make nuclear fuel from it to run the PRISM reactors, but no deal was ever signed for the project.

The PRISM design was also offered to the U.S. Department of Energy for a proposed Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) to be built at the INL. The VTR had a design configured for R&D not power generation. It would have given the INL an ‘anchor facility’ and opened up nuclear fuel and materials testing to a wider range of R&D efforts. However, Congress did not fund the program.

In 2020, GE Hitachi partnered with TerraPower to develop the Natrium reactor, which incorporates PRISM’s 840 MWt pool-type sodium-cooled architecture. This design replaces waste recycling, or geologic disposal, with a once-through HALEU metallic fuel system and adds a molten salt energy storage island. It exploits the energy potential in the surplus plutonium for peaceful purposes.

In 2022 TerraPower, which is developing the 345 MWe Natrium sodium cooled fast reactor, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and two Mitsubishi business units to collaborate on sodium fast reactor technology.  [press release].

The agreement will enable both sides to advance fast-reactor technologies for commercial use.  JAEA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi FBR Systems will share data and resources related to the development of advanced sodium fast reactor (SFR) technology with TerraPower.

On March, 2026, the NRC approved a constructoin permit for the first-of-a-kind Natrium reactor to be built on the windswept plains of Wyoming 150 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, UT. The reactor will burn uranium metal fuel to be produced by Framatome and fabricated into fuel assembles by GE Hitachi.

On November 5, 2025, Framatome and TerraPower achieved a key milestone in uranium metallization for advanced reactor fuel commercialization, producing successful elements of uranium metal. These metallic uranium ‘pucks’ represent a key component in the fuel supply chain for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor.

Who Will Turn DOE’s Plutonium into MOX Fuel?

DOE did not identify which private sector firms would be involved with the project either as contractors or on a shared cost basis with a firm that would operate the plant and sell the fuel to advanced reactor developers and the utilities that acquire advanced reactors.

Also, DOE did not indicate the fuel fabrication path for the MOX fuel, e.g., uranium /plutonium metal or oxide forms. It is unclear how or whether Oklo will be one of the contractors selected for the reprocessing and conversion of plutonium into HALEU fuel. DOE’s selection of one or more contractors for this work is expected to follow its standard procurement process.

Last May the agency’s Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program request for applications (RFA) contains the details of what material are being offered – oxide and metal forms, the agency’s requirements for civilian nuclear reactor developers to use it, and the outcomes the government wants from the use of the weapons grade material in civilian nuclear reactors.

Legal Mandates for Disposition of Surplus Plutonium

In late October 2025 the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to dispose of about 20 tonnes of surplus plutonium by making it available to developers of advanced nuclear reactors.

DOE issued a request for applications (RFA) stating that it is establishing a program to make surplus plutonium materials available to industry for use in advanced nuclear technologies. The formal process to apply for the surplus plutonium is in DOE’s Request for Applications (RFA). Responses were required by 11/21/25.

Applicants from commercial companies were required to describe their detailed recycling and processing plans, including funding commitments and schedules to use the surplus plutonium materials for reactors that will be built and operated in the U.S. or, under export controls, operated in other countries.

The 19.7 metric tons of plutonium materials listed by DOE as surplus in the RFA reportedly include about 15.3 metric tons of plutonium in oxide form and about 4.4 metric tons in metal form. It is unclear how much work will be required to convert the materials from either form into usable fuel, e.g., HALEU levels of enrichment at less than 20% U235, for use in advanced reactors.

A key driver of DOE’s surplus plutonium program is that the National Nuclear Security Administration( NNSA) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is under legal obligation to dispose of six tonnes of “impure” surplus plutonium which means removing it from the SRS site in South Carolina. DOE’s objective Is “to expedite the removal of plutonium from South Carolina and permanently dispose of weapons-grade plutonium declared excess to national security.”

DOE’s plan, apparently, is to hand off all the SRS material to advanced reactor firms to turn it into HALEU grade fuel. The other approximately 14 tonnes will come from other NNSA sources including the NNSA Pantex Site in Amarillo, TX, which disassembles obsolete nuclear weapons and recovers the fissile materials from them. The current announcement appears to be in line with this plan. DOE will need to arrange for securre transportation of the surplus plutonium from its current stored locations to the selected contractor’s facilities which will also need appropriate levels of physical security.

For its part the government is confident this new use of the surplus plutonium will have important benefits for developers of advanced reactors.

“Restarting HB-Line is the right decision for taxpayers, for our national security and for America’s energy future,” said EM Assistant Secretary Tim Walsh. “We are restoring a unique capability that will accelerate our mission, strengthen the domestic nuclear industrial base and deliver fuel the country needs to power advanced reactors.”

New Plans for Making MOX Fuel at SRS

At SRS the restart decision is the first step in a multi-year restart plan. Once operational, HB-Line will accelerate EM’s plutonium disposition mission by 10 to 13 years while reducing the existing cost and saving American taxpayers up to $350 million. Restarting HB-Line also creates an opportunity to recover valuable isotopes currently available in limited quantities domestically, supporting critical needs in scientific research and commercial applications.

HB-Line is a specialized processing facility within the H-Canyon complex that has supported critical national nuclear missions. Following completion of its last mission in 2018, the facility was placed in a managed layup state, preserving its one-of-a-kind capability for future use.

“Savannah River Site has been integral to America’s nuclear mission for more than 70 years, and HB-Line is one of the unique capabilities the site has to offer,” said Edwin Deshong, Savannah River Operations Office manager. “Our workforce has the expertise, experience and dedication to execute the mission safely and successfully.”

The decision directly advances White House executive orders, “Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base and Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security”  which call for jumpstarting America’s nuclear industrial base to ensure national and economic security.

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SRNL to Recover Isotopes from Legacy Nuclear Materials

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Environmental Management (EM), and Office of Science collaborated to achieve a significant milestone in transforming Cold War-era legacy materials into critical national assets.

The successful transfer of the first Mark-18A target at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) marks the beginning of operations for a newly established radiochemical separation capability to recover valuable isotopes.  

The multi-year Mark-18A Target Recovery Program establishes a new radiochemical process at SRNL that fulfills mission needs across the DOE/NNSA complex. By combining EM’s environmental cleanup prowess with NNSA’s national security expertise, the team demonstrated how legacy materials previously destined for disposal can be recovered and transformed into valuable resources.

The Mark-18A targets contain significant quantities of heavy curium and the world’s only supply of unseparated plutonium-244. This isotope of Plutonium, which is incredibly rare, is useful in nuclear forensics. The heavy curium will later be converted into californium-252, which is a vital start-up source for nuclear reactors, among other uses.

The initiative provides hands-on opportunities for scientists, engineers, and technical personnel to address challenges presented by the nuclear industry and nonproliferation policy. This recovery process was largely designed, constructed, and programmed at SRS. It also sharpens the staff’s experience in radiochemical processing system design as well as construction and operation.

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Q&A with ZetaJoule About its High Temperature Research Reactor

Texas A&M And ZettaJoule Explore High-Temperature Research Reactor: The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station has signed an agreement with advanced reactor developer ZettaJoule to explore building a high-temperature gas-cooled research reactor in College Station, TX.

Under the agreement, ZettaJoule would construct its proposed ZJ0 reactor next to the TEES Nuclear Engineering & Science Center, which already operates two research reactors. The ZJ0 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed to provide process heat of up to 950°C, suitable for applications such as hydrogen production, synthetic fuels and advanced manufacturing.

Industrial Applications of High Process Heat from HTGR Reactors.
Chart: Optimum Reactor Outlet Temperatures for High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors Integrated with Industrial Processes, Idaho National Laboratory, INL/EXT-11-21537, April 2011

The technology is based on Japan’s High Temperature Engineering Test  Reactor.  The technology ZettaJoule has based its design for its ZJ reactor on Japan’s High
Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) which has been in operation since 1998.

If built, the reactor would make Texas A&M the only US university with more than two nuclear research reactors on campus. The partners said the project could support expanded research collaboration with industry and federal agencies in advanced energy systems. ZettaJoule is a US- and Japan-based advanced reactor company developing high-temperature gas-cooled small modular reactor technology for industrial heat and power applications.

Prior Coverage at Neutron Bytes of Japan’s HTTR

Japans HTTR Restarts to Demonstrated Hydrogen Production

Japan Regulator Says HTTR Complies with Post Fukushima Safety Standards

Q&A with ZetaJoule

ZetaJoule Responded by email to a series of questions about the project from Neutron Bytes

1. What is the expected cost of the research reactor?

The project is estimated to cost between $500 million to $850 million over an anticipated 5–7-year development period. These figures represent very rough preliminary planning estimates, and a more accurate budget will be formally determined as the engineering design, licensing, and siting process progresses.

2. Who is paying for it?

Are there multiple research parties involved in providing funding? Are any Japanese businesses / organizations involved in the project? Given the rush of nuclear firms in the U.S. to partner with Texas universities, are any of them collaborators with ZettaJoule?

The proposed research reactor will be owned and licensed by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), which will take the lead for the fundraising with support from ZettaJoule. 

We will actively support these efforts, including facilitating discussions with potential funding entities and exploring avenues for financial participation.

3. When will the research reactor be operational?

The ZJ0 research reactor is planned for deployment in the early 2030s but the official project timeline will be determined and publicized once subsequent definitive agreements, engineering scope planning, regulatory planning, and funding milestones have been determined.

4. What are the key R&D areas for research? Will other universities and private sector firms be able to access the facility for R&D projects?

The proposed advanced small modular reactor will provide TEES and the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), the State of Texas and national and international science and industrial communities with extensive research, applied research and educational opportunities for various scientific and engineering disciplines (nuclear, mechanical, petroleum, aerospace, chemical, biomedical, electrical, and physics).

The new facility would be unique with many external stakeholders interested in projects there. Specifics about access and operations will be addressed when definitive agreements are in final form.

5. What kinds of R&D research require extremely high outlet temperatures produced by the reactor designs?

The high temperature heat produced by the ZettaJoule reactor would be useful in a range of research areas including various scientific and engineering disciplines (nuclear, mechanical, petroleum, aerospace, chemical, biomedical, electrical, and physics). 

Another area of research would be to examine industrial heat applications for sectors such as oil refining, chemical refining, mining, steel making, and transportation. A few examples of R&D research in this area might include testing how very-high temperature process heat could replace fossil-fired heaters in petrochemical operations; how high-temperature heat can support more efficient hydrogen production for e-fuels; and how it can supply heat for energy-intensive operations in steelmaking such as hot rolling and annealing. 

6. Are there any metal alloys available in commercial quantities, e.g. INCO variants, etc., that can handle these high temperatures for a heat transfer system assuming the research reactors is a precursor to a commercial offering?

The Hastelloy family of nickel-based alloys has been successfully utilized for high-temperature service in the HTTR reference plant in Japan. We intend to recommend using this alloy for the ZJ0 and beyond.  (Note to readers: See this Wikipedia article on ‘Super Alloys” for a deep dive into these materials).

One of the major focal points for the TEES reactor will be materials research on new and existing alloys to support high-temperature environments. Combined with existing international and domestic knowledge, we expect emergent research to improve and lead to new opportunities.  

7 . Among the applications of HTGR high process heat, which industries are expected to be target markets for the ZettaJoule commercial offering.

With the promise of the ability to deliver high-temperature process heat (i.e., up to 950 degrees Celsius), supply-reliable baseload electricity, and a combination of process heat and electricity (i.e., co-generation), ZettaJoule’s reactor will have the capability to provide energy solutions across key industrial and commercial sectors – including oil refining, chemical refining, mining, trucking, aviation, shipping, steel making, data centers, and utilities. 

8. Does the firm have any MOUs or other non-binding letters of intent at this time from any of these potential customers?

Not at the moment. We are in discussions with major companies and we’re excited about exploring opportunities with additional potential customers. 

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ONE Nuclear Energy  IPO plans to Fund SMR Expected in 2026

Recently, One Energy agreed with Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII (NASDAQ: HVII) to become a publicly traded company on Nasdaq under the ticker (ONEN). This business agreement values ONE Nuclear at approximately $1 billion, with the possibility to raise to $210 million in gross proceeds before transaction expenses. The deal is also expected to become official in the first half of 2026. The company, filed an S-4 statement with the SEC earlier this year.  (SEC Edgar Docuemetn S-4)

Previously, in May 2024 the Findlay, OH, firm received signed commitments to purchase additional shares of One Energy Series A convertible preferred stock which, together with prior purchases and sales of OE Series A Shares represent an aggregate oversubscribed total raise of over $35 million. The Company intends to use the expected proceeds from the Additional Series A Investments to pursue the Company’s business plans and fund working capital needs.

ONE Nuclear will deploy a multi-technology approach to its energy parks by selecting the most suitable advanced nuclear technology vendor for the customer and for the site. The Company plans to use SMR nuclear technology up to 470 MW and modular technology up to 1 GW.

ONE Nuclear has identified its first two priority development sites – one in Oklahoma another in East Texas – where it plans to develop up to 2 GW of gas generation capacity by 2028 and 3 GW of advanced nuclear SMR capacity by 2034. ONE Nuclear states it has a development pipeline for gas and nuclear projects, up to an estimated 15 GW of gas and nuclear capacity by 2032.

ONE Nuclear’s business strategy is centered on a “develop-own-operate” framework, which unites technology selection, site development, financing, and operations. This might seem like a protracted process, but people will be able to witness and enjoy the benefits gradually. As of now, the corporation has identified more than 75 potential sites nationwide, with priority projects in Oklahoma and East Texas. All in, the developments intend to deliver up to 2 GW of gas generation capacity by 2028 and an extra 3 GW of advanced nuclear SMR capacity by 2034.

ONE Nuclear has agreements with Black & Veatch for engineering, procurement and construction work and with Futureworx for program management, providing proven execution capability.

Fast-Track Natural Gas Power Generators

ONE Nuclear has a strategic relationship with Rolls-Royce Solutions America, Inc. for access to natural gas power generators, to enable ONE Nuclear to build large GW-scale low-cost generation capacity at its project sites.

This approach is expected to enable ONE Nuclear to provide the earliest possible power generation demanded by customers through natural gas, while its nuclear facilities are under construction, and provides a faster path to revenue generation.

SMRs to Follow Gas Plants?

ONE Nuclear’s business model indicates it centers on developing nuclear parks that can host multiple SMR units, providing scalable clean energy solutions for industrial applications, grid power, and specialized energy-intensive operations. This approach allows for phased development and deployment while maximizing site utilization and operational efficiencies.

The firm so far while describing the benefits of building small modular reactors, has not publicly released information on which SMR design it plans to commercialize.

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Copenhagen Atomics Secures Thorium Supply from Norway

(WNN) Denmark’s Copenhagen Atomics has signed a Letter of Intent with Rare Earths Norway to secure future access to thorium – the key fertile material in its molten salt reactor technology – extracted from the Fensfeltet deposit in Norway.

Copenhagen Atomics is developing a containerized molten salt reactor. Moderated with unpressurized heavy water, the reactor consumes nuclear waste while breeding new fuel from thorium. Small enough to allow for mass manufacturing and assembly line production, the reactor has an output of 100 MWt. Copenhagen Atomics’ goal is to deliver energy at a levelised cost of $24 per MWh.

The company’s thorium reactors are expected to consume the transuranic elements in used nuclear fuel from conventional nuclear reactors, which radically reduces the amount of long-lived radioactive waste. To achieve this, Copenhagen Atomics intends to separate used nuclear fuel from light water reactors into four streams: zircaloy, uranium, fission products and transuranics. Its reactor designs can make use of plutonium (a transuranic) to ‘kickstart’ the use of thorium.

Copenhagen Atomics says its Letter of Intent (LOI) with Rare Earths Norway “represents a strategic step in establishing a long-term, European supply chain for thorium”.

The Letter of Intent outlines the intention of the parties to collaborate on the responsible utilization of thorium resources associated with Rare Earths Norway’s planned rare earth element production. Thorium occurs naturally in the Fensfeltet deposit – one of Europe’s largest known rare earth deposits – and has historically been treated as a byproduct. Through this partnership, the material may instead become a valuable energy resource.

Copenhagen Atomics expects its first nuclear test reactor to operate at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, with commercial deployment targeted in the early 2030s.

# # #

• NRC Issues  Construction Permit For TerraPower Reactor in Wyoming
• TerraPower’s Statement on NRC’s Decision
• TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Enters UK GDA Process
• INL’s NRIC Opens a Launch Pad for Advanced Nuclear Technologies
• Inertia Raises $450 Million To Build a Fusion Laser
• Shine Raises $240 Million in New Funding for Fusion Technologies
• Proxima Fusion To Develop Fusion Power in Bavaria
• NRC Begins Rulemaking To Establish Fusion Regulatory Framework

NRC Issues First Commercial Reactor Construction Approval in 10 Years For TerraPower in Wyoming

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has authorized the staff to issue TerraPower a construction permit for the company’s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 commercial nuclear power plant in Kemmerer, WY, which is 150 miles northeast of Salt Lake City..

NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said, “This is a historic step forward for advanced nuclear energy in the United States and reflects our commitment to delivering timely, predictable decisions grounded in a rigorous and independent safety review.”

This is the first commercial reactor the NRC has approved for construction in nearly a decade and the first approval for a non-light water reactor in more than 40 years. NRC staff finished their technical review of this new design in less than 18 months.

Following a streamlined mandatory hearing process, the Commission authorized its Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation to issue the permit, having found the staff’s review of the Kemmerer application adequate to make the necessary regulatory safety and environmental findings. The staff expects to issue the permit soon.

TerraPower filed the application in March 2024, requesting a permit to build the sodium-cooled, advanced reactor design on a site near an existing coal-fired power plant. The NRC staff accepted the application and began formal review in May 2024.

The 345 MW plant includes an energy storage system to temporarily boost output up to 500 MWe when needed. US SFR Owner would need to submit a separate operating license application, and the NRC staff would need to approve it before the facility could operate. More information about new reactor licensing is available on the NRC website.

The NRC staff issued its safety evaluation for the permit in December 2025, and the final environmental impact statement for the site in October 2025.

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TerraPower’s Statement on NRC’s Decision

• TerraPower’s president and CEO, Chris Levesque, issued the following statement

“Today is a historic day for the United States’ nuclear industry. We are beyond proud to receive a positive vote from the Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners to grant us our construction permit for Kemmerer Unit One. This is the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear plant to receive this permit.”

“Our team has worked relentlessly for over 4 years with the NRC staff to get to this moment. We had extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC; and we submitted a robust and thorough construction permit application almost 2 years ago. We have spent thousands of manpower hours working to achieve this momentous accomplishment.”

“We plan to start construction on the Natrium plant in the coming weeks and look forward to bringing the first Natrium reactor and energy storage system to market in the great state of Wyoming.””

Aerial photo of TerraPower’s reactor site in southwestern Wyoming. Image: TerraPower

TerraPower’s regulatory strategy has been built on providing thorough technical content and robust engagement opportunities to discuss the Natrium technology and design with regulators. This includes extensive engagement through both the pre-application and application phases of this permit process.”

NRC Streamlined the Process

TerraPower was the first developer to submit a construction permit application for a commercial advanced reactor to the NRC in March 2024, it was docketed by the NRC in May 2024. The NRC established an initial 27-month review schedule.

In 2025, the review process was streamlined due to TerraPower’s complete application, the company’s responsiveness to questions, the NRC staff’s dedication to the review process, Congressional support with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act and President Trump’s Executive Orders that support nuclear energy. The review was completed in 18 months.

About the Natrium Plant

The Natrium technology is the first-mover in the advanced reactor sector and is well positioned to support rapidly increasing energy demand. The Natrium plant design features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a patented molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed as it is designed to keep base output steady, ensuring constant reliability, and can quickly ramp up when demand peaks — it is the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature.

The first Natrium plant is being developed through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership. That project is expected to be completed in 2030 and will be the first utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the United States.

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TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Enters UK GDA Process

(WNN) TerraPower’s Natrium 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor, with a molten-salt-based energy storage system, has been accepted into the UK’s Generic Design Assessment process. TerraPower submitted its Generic Design Assessment (GDA) application in October, the first regulatory filing for Natrium technology in a market outside the USA.

The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said that it, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales had been asked to begin the GDA for the Natrium reactor design after the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s review of TerraPower’s application concluded that the design was ready to enter the process.

A Generic Design Assessment is the process to assess nuclear power plant designs, notably the safety, security and environmental implications. It looks at this aspect separately from applications to build them at specific sites.

The ONR says that by assessing at the design stage, any potential safety, security or environmental concerns can be identified and highlighted so “they can be addressed before commitments are made to construct any reactors based on that design. GDA is also designed to be generic, allowing the results of the regulators’ assessment to potentially be applied to multiple sites where that design is subsequently constructed”.

Recently, social media giant Meta announced that its future nuclear energy plans included funding to support the development in the U.S. of up to eight Natrium sodium fast reactors – two new units capable of generating up to 690 MW of firm power with delivery as early as 2032, plus the rights for energy from up to six other Natrium units capable of producing 2.1 GW and targeted for delivery by 2035. The Natrium reactor is a TerraPower and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy technology.

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INL’s NRIC Opens Nuclear Launch Pad for Advanced Nuclear Technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center are proud to announce the establishment of the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad.

This NRIC initiative will promote the rapid development and implementation of advanced nuclear technologies by private industry.

The Launch Pad initiative builds on the success of Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program, creating a strong innovative ecosystem to speed up advanced nuclear technology deployment using flexible technical and regulatory frameworks on federal and nonfederal lands.

DOE established the Reactor Pilot Program in June 2025 in response to Executive Order 14301, leveraging DOE authorization and establishing a new DOE pathway for advanced reactor demonstration with the goal of achieving criticality in at least three reactors by July 4, 2026.

In August 2025, DOE established the Fuel Line Pilot Program to support the Reactor Pilot Program and leverage DOE authorization to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain for testing new reactors.

To date, DOE has accepted 11 projects into the Reactor Pilot Program and nine projects into the Fuel Line Pilot Program, demonstrating strong demand and validating the approach. DOE plans to extend and expand the ability for nuclear technology developers to obtain DOE Authorization by transitioning the pilot programs’ new and future applicants to the Launch Pad.

Purpose of the Launch Pad

The Launch Pad will build on DOE’s pilot programs and expand beyond authorization to include the testing and operation necessary to scale first-of-a-kind technologies toward widescale commercial deployment. This integrated approach ensures continuity from initial pilot authorization through extended operational validation, reducing the risk and timelines for advanced reactors and other advanced nuclear facility commercialization.

“The Launch Pad initiative will empower developers by providing the resources and support necessary to advance the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and contribute to a sustainable and secure energy future for our nation,” said Rian Bahran, DOE deputy assistant secretary for Nuclear Reactors.

“Through this initiative, developers can access infrastructure, expertise, and services essential for the siting, construction, and operation of their nuclear facilities.”

“The Nuclear Energy Launch Pad represents a significant evolution in the ecosystem for advancing nuclear technologies from concept to deployment,” said Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner.

“Launch Pad INL offers nuclear developers something unprecedented: An 890-square-mile federal site with more than 75 years of reactor testing experience, existing infrastructure, direct access to national nuclear expertise and streamlined regulatory pathways — all enabling developers to move from demonstration to deployment at the pace America’s energy security demands.”

The Launch Pad initiative offers two pathways for nuclear developers – Launch Pad Idaho National Laboratory and Launch Pad United States of America.

Launch Pad INL

Launch Pad INL covers more than 2,000 acres, divided into several plots for private nuclear tech developers. Eligible projects include advanced reactors, fuel fabrication, recycling, enrichment and other innovations.

Overall benefits:

• Land suitable for different nuclear applications and regulatory deployment structure.
  
• Accelerated identification, allocation and assessment of sites.
  
• Access to INL’s existing utilities and services.
  
• Direct access to specialized nuclear expertise, as needed.
  
• Assistance navigating the complexities of nuclear regulations for DOE authorization or Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing.
  
• A flexible contract framework with DOE and INL.

Launch Pad USA

Launch Pad USA will facilitate projects at other DOE sites, national laboratories, and nonfederal sites. This pathway will build upon the successes of DOE’s pilot programs and continue to offer the ability to authorize the operation of nuclear reactors and fuel cycle facilities outside of Idaho National Laboratory.

Overall benefits:

• Remote or project-specific access to specialized nuclear expertise at INL or other national laboratories, as needed.
  
• Assistance in navigating the complexities of nuclear regulations for DOE authorization.
  
• A flexible contract framework with DOE.
  
• High flexibility to leverage unique regional or project-specific advantages.

When to apply

NRIC will accept and evaluate applications for the Launch Pad annually, with the initial request for applications (RFA) expected in the next few months. Application requirements and review criteria will mirror those used in the DOE Reactor and Fuel Line Pilot Programs RFAs.

This will ensure that companies that have already applied for the pilot programs can seamlessly transition to NRIC Launch Pad without reapplying. To learn more about Launch Pad, visit nric.inl.gov. NRIC will also host an Industry Day in conjunction with the release of the RFA for nuclear energy developers that will be announced at a later date. (Launch Pad FAQ website)

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~ Fusion Energy News ~

Inertia Raises $450 Million To Build a Fusion Laser’

• The startup is backed by Google Ventures and other venture capital firms

(NucNet) California-based fusion energy startup Inertia Enterprises has raised $450m  in funding to build a fusion pilot plant backed by investment from venture capital company Bessemer and firms including Google Ventures.

In a statement, Inertia said the capital would advance the company’s plans to build ‘Thunderwall’, which it said would be the world’s most powerful laser, as well as building a production line to mass manufacture fuel targets at scale. (Inertia Technology FAQ)

The company, founded in 2024, said its ultimate aim was to deliver grid-scale energy, and claimed it would bring to market the the only proven fusion energy that produces more power than it consumes.

The company said its power design was based on a laser beam delivering a 10 kJ beam 10 times per second. Thunderwall’s performance will be 50 times as powerful – measured in average power – as any prior laser of its type.

Laser fusion, or inertial confinement fusion, is a method of generating clean energy by using high-powered lasers to implode a tiny fuel capsule containing deuterium and tritium. Intense laser beams hit a target, creating a plasma that causes an rapid implosion, compressing the fuel to 4,000 times solid density.

When the compressed, super-hot fuel ignites, it releases more energy than the lasers delivered to the target.

“Our plan is clear: build on proven science to develop the technology and supply chain required to deliver the world’s highest average power laser, the first fusion target assembly plant, and the first gigawatt, utility-scale fusion power plant to the grid,” said Jeff Lawson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Inertia.

The company’s other co-founder is Annie Kritcher, who worked as lead designer of fusion experiments at the federal National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Kritcher led a laser design that achieved “the first controlled fusion experiment to achieve net target energy gain”, producing more energy than went in to the experiment.

“We’re now focused on translating physics we know works into a pathway toward commercial-scale fusion energy, and the real benefits it can deliver for people and the planet,” said Kritcher.

The company’s third co-founder is Mike Dunne, who joined from Stanford University and research facility SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. He has also led the UK’s Central Laser Facility.

“For the first time, the fusion industry is seeing the alignment of three elements crucial to commercialization: proven physics, public sector partnerships, and private sector investment needed at the scale to deliver,” said Dunne.

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SHINE Raises $240 Million in New Funding

SHINE Technologies, a nuclear fusion company based in Janesvile, WI, announced it has raised $240 million in equity funding, and appointed Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Executive Chairman of ImmunityBio and founder of NantWorks, to its Board of Directors. The round was led by NantWorks with additional participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, Pelican Energy Partners, Deerfield Management, Oaktree Capital Management, and other existing investors.

The investment will support SHINE’s commercial fusion technology across its current portfolio of products and services – providing neutron testing that qualifies mission-critical components for defense and aerospace and supplying radioisotopes that power targeted cancer therapies and diagnostic imaging.

The funding also marks the beginning of the company’s next stage of growth – developing technology to recycle used nuclear fuel and building toward commercial fusion energy production.

“Fusion energy is one of the most important technologies humanity will ever develop — it will forever change how we power our species, and is already having major impact across advanced manufacturing, healthcare and recycling,” said Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE. “Dr. Soon-Shiong is a visionary who has spent his career turning breakthrough science into products that have made the world better. We are honored to have him as a partner.”

Dr. Soon-Shiong is a physician scientist, serial entrepreneur, and multi-sector investor who has built and sold two major pharmaceutical companies, founded the NantWorks ecosystem spanning healthcare, technology, and media. He has developed a multitude of FDA-approved therapies that have reached patients globally. Across all of it, his research has returned to the same challenge: how to transform cancer care and harness the immune system, and reduce the toxicities of standard high dose chemo-radiation therapy. That conviction aligns directly with where oncology is heading. Lu-177-based therapies deliver targeted radiation precisely to cancer cells, and researchers are actively studying how combining that approach with immune activation could produce more durable patient outcomes.

“This partnership is about harnessing powerful science to serve humanity. SHINE’s leadership in fusion technology and Lu-177 production aligns with my lifelong mission to make cancer treatment more precise, targeted, and ultimately curative by activating the patient’s immune system. Lu-177 is currently approved as a radio ligand targeting prostate cancer cells and the opportunity to further expand this difficult to manufacture technology is exciting. I’m honored to join SHINE’s Board as we translate breakthrough science into real-world impact for patients and society,” said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Chairman of NantWorks and ImmunityBio.

In connection with Soon-Shiong’s $150 million investment, NantWorks and SHINE have entered a strategic partnership that includes priority access arrangements for Lu-177 supply from SHINE, positioning both organizations to advance the next generation of targeted cancer treatment.

SHINE has now raised more than $1 billion in total funding, reflecting sustained investor confidence in its commercially-driven path to fusion energy.

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Proxima Fusion Signs MoU With RWE & Bavaria To Develop Fusion Power

• Company aims to build demonstrator before building commercial unit

(NucNet) German company Proxima Fusion has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with utility major RWE, the region of Bavaria, and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) as it delivers a roadmap to build a nuclear fusion plant.

In January, the company laid out plans to build a test reactor called Alpha in Garching, to build a commercial scale fusion reactor plant called Stellaris within 15 years at a nuclear site at Gundremmingen being decommissioned by RWE, and to build a commercial reactor using laser-based technology in southern Bavaria.

Proxima Fusion said in a statement that under the MOU, its partners would work together on site selection, permitting and regulatory processes, project structure and financing.

Proxima Fusion would take the lead on engineering, public procurement processes and construction. RWE would provide its experience in operating power plants and its global industrial network.

The company said the cost of its Alpha demonstration reactor alone was $1.7bn, while it did not detail the cost of the two other plants. The company said that it aimed to finance 20% of the total project costs through private investment. A further 20% would potentially come from the state of Bavaria funding, and RWE would also contribute. Proxima Fusion said that they would also apply for federal funding from Germany.

The company’s Stellaris reactor (right) will use high-temperature superconducting magnets in a stellarator. A stellarator is a doughnut-shaped ring of precisely positioned magnets that can contain the plasma from which fusion energy is born.

Proxima is designing QI stellarators, a magnetic confinement fusion approach in which toroidal currents cancel out to zero, resulting in stable and continuous operation. The company is leveraging recent advances in stellarator optimization, computational design, and superconductivity to build on the achievements of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator experiment at the Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics

While Germany has closed its nuclear power plants, the government has shown support for fusion research and aims to be the first country to connect a fusion reactor to the grid.

&  & &

NRC Begins Rulemaking To Establish Fusion Regulatory Framework

• FIA industry group welcomes move towards ‘thriving fusion energy economy’

(NucNet) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed amendments to its regulations to make the existing byproduct material framework inclusive of fusion machines.

The NRC’s proposal published in the Federal Register would revise title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Parts 30 and 20, which govern domestic licensing of byproduct material, to cover the possession, use and production disposal of radioactive material associated with fusion machines.

The NRC said the rule is designed to be “technology-inclusive and risk-informed” to accommodate a wide range of anticipated fusion machine designs across the National Materials Program.

The commission said the rule implements congressional direction under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act of 2019 and the ADVANCE Act to establish an efficient and predictable regulatory framework for emerging nuclear technologies.

The NRC said benefits will include clearer requirements, reduced need for exemptions and improved regulatory efficiency.

Alongside the proposed rule, the NRC has opened a 90-day public comment period. The commission said comments will be accepted until 27 May, with at least one public meeting planned during the consultation period.

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) said the move marks “an important and nearly final step in solidifying specific and clear fusion regulations” in the US. The FIA said the new rule is expected to be finalized and published in October.

“The implementation of this rule serves as an important step towards building a thriving fusion energy economy in the US,” said the FIA.

The association has said previously that the US needs targeted federal investment of billions of dollars and a strategy that speeds up commercialization of nuclear fusion reactors if it is to match the ambition of China and other competitors.

The appeal came in December 2025 as fusion energy industry leaders met with US Department of Energy (DOE) officials to urge them ​to allocate billions of dollars for projects seeking to generate electricity ‌by fusion.

# # #

A number of questions have been raised in recent months about the tactics and the capabilities of Valar Atomics, a California-based startup. The firm is one of ten competing in a Department of Energy program to show one or more of them can achieve criticality for its nuclear design by next July.

Valar Atomics has raised eyebrows with two publicity stunts. The first was a “cold critically” exercise at LLNL which was intended to promote the progress of the reactor design. The second was arranging for the transport of a mock up of its microreactor on a C-17 flying it from an airfield in California to an air force base in Utah. In terms of a public relations effort to showcase the reactor, it produced spectacular media coverage.

Three Cargo Jets No Waiting

Actually, there were three C-17s involved in the event. According to the Dessert News, a Utah newspaper, “Components of the 5-MW advanced nuclear reactor, manufactured by Valar Atomics in Southern California, were transported to Hill Air Force Base in Utah, aboard three U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft.”

According to avaiation industry trade press reports,  operating costs for a C-17 hover around $25,000 per flight hour. This encompasses fuel consumption—approximately 10,000 pounds per hour—maintenance expenses including inspections and repairs, crew salaries, and other operational overheads. Assuming the flight time from take off to landing for the trip from California to Utah was roughly two-to-three hours, that’s about $75,000 per plane and with three planes comes to $225,000. According to news media reports, Valar paid for the flights.

The massive aircraft lift capacity of the C-17s used to move the Valar reactor pieces to Utah, also transported political heavy weights including Under Secretary of War Michael Duffey, Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), and a special guest, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who delivered congratulatory remarks about entire project upon arrival at Hill AFB in Utah .

Was It a Real Test?

A real test would require a real reactor including all parts and shielding. Fuel would likely travel separately and be loaded in the reactor after being assembled at its destination. For microreactor developers thinking of replicating the Valar experience, note that the open source information about the C-17 is that the cargo compartment is 88 feet long by 18 feet wide by 12 feet 4 inches high. The maximum payload of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds or 85.5 tons.

With a payload of 160,000 pounds (80-tons) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 ft, the C-17 has an unrefueled range of about 2,400 nautical miles. The distance for the flights of the three aircraft from California to Utah was a piece of cake being a mere 700 miles. Even with these impressive numbers, it still took three of them to move all the parts of the Valar reactor mock up.

By comparison Radiant’s 1 MW microreactor reportedly weighs 70 tons or 140,000 pounds. Based on the dimensions posted on Radiant’s website, transportating the large 70 ton reactor, that is 11 ft high and 11 ft wide, in a single shipment will take only one C-17, not three, to fly the complete reactor to a military site. Power ratings matter beause they drive size and weight, and their numbers will determine the feasibility of delivering various microreactor designs by C-17 cargo aircraft.

The people at Project Pele, which is developing microreactors for the U.S. Army, and will build and test a prototype at the Idaho National Laboratory, probably liked Valor’s exercise since it proves the principle that size and weight issues for moving their microreactor via a C-17 are not necessarily show stoppers. The Project Pele 1.5 GW Triso fueled HTGR is designed to fit inside a standard shipping container.

A Cold Criticality Test Doesn’t Prove the Reactor Works

According to a report by World Nuclear News (WNN), last November the company said its NOVA Core achieved zero-power criticality at LANL’s National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Valar said it is collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) National Criticality Experiments Research Center in Project NOVA (Nuclear Observations of Valar Atomics).

WNN reported that the project is a series of criticality experiments on Valar’s graphite-moderated core using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) TRISO fuel, carried out under the oversight of the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration. The NOVA Core builds on LANL’s 2024 Deimos experiment, which was the first criticality experiment using HALEU fuel to be carried out in the USA in more than 20 years.

Last month Katy Huff, who served as the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the Department of Energy, commented to Latitude News Media that a “zero power criticality test” doesn’t prove a firm has a working nuclear reactor. Here’s is what she said;

“Katy Huff: It depends on the type of criticality. A “zero power criticality test” can be achieved without making real engineering progress on fuel or design; it simply checks if you can multiply neutrons. For example, Valor Atomics reached criticality at Los Alamos, but it was a cold zero power test that did not take the fuel up to actual power densities. I want to see “hot full power” criticality. Historically, the median time from pouring concrete to hot full power criticality is about two years. Most reactors are not on pace for the July 4th milestone because it is extremely aggressive and perhaps unfair to an industry that builds high-precision machines. The DOE was not prescriptive about whether they meant zero power or full power criticality, which might allow companies to declare victory even if the milestone is less meaningful.”

Separately, in 2024 Valar made an audacious claim to the Governor of Utah that it will build and operate a test nuclear reactor in Utah by 2026. On its face the claim is unbelievable due to the rigors of NRC licensing and time it takes to actually build one.

Does the Mother Jones Article Pass the Duck Test?

The third alarm bell that has rung, and it is a big bell, is a major article which appeared this week published by Mother Jones Magazine. It profiles the firm’s founders in detail concerning their lack of nuclear experience, political ties to the Trump White House, and use of a fund raising firm reported by the magazine to have ties to Kremlin oligarchs and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

This isn’t the first time Mother Jones has published an article detailing connections between Valar Atomics and the Trump Administration. In January 2025 the magaine reported that Valar Found Isaiah Taylor visited Mar A Lago in the company of a group of like minded tedchnology investors to present at an event called Nuclear Energy Space & Defense Tech Investor Summit. Taylor highlighted his role at the meeting via a post on “X” on 01/05/25.

The Mother Jones article contains so many amazing facts about Valor Atomics that appear to be inconsistent with expected actions of a nuclear energy start up that they generate an interest in what Wikipedia refers to as the “duck test.”

According to Wikipedia the duck test is a frequently cited colloquial example of abductive reasoning. Its usual expression is: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Wikipedia writes, “The test implies that a person can identify an unknown subject by observing that subject’s habitual characteristics. It is sometimes used to counter abstract arguments that something might not be what it appears to be.”

It is up to readers to decide whether the Mother Jones article passes the “duck test” or might otherwise be classified as a case of “you can’t make this stuff up.” It is not alleged in the Mother Jones article that Valar Atomics has broken any laws nor violated any SEC investor rules.

One Investor Fact Follows Another

The Mother Jones article documents the ties Valar Atomics founder, 26 year old Isaiah Taylor has with an Idaho based Christian Nationalist Church.  The magazine writes that Talor made connections through the church to an investment firm which was instrumental in booking a $130 million round in the firm’s future. Taylor’s Linkedin profile indicates he’s been leading Valor Atomics for the past two years and intially raised $19 million as seed funding.

Valar Atomics raised $19 million in a seed funding round to develop its first test reactor. The financing was led by Riot Ventures, with AlleyCorp, Initialized Capital, Day One Ventures, and Steel Atlas participating.

According to industry trade presss reports, the Series A round for the $130 million includes investors Snowpoint Ventures, the VC firm managed by Palantir’s former head of global defense, Doug Philippone, and also Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar. Others are Day One Ventures, Dream Ventures and Lockheed Martin board member John Donovan. The deal includes $25 million in debt.

Day One Ventures, a firm that says it aims to “back early-stage companies with customer obsession in their DNA.” Accordoing to the Mother Jones report, Day One’s founder and partner is Masha Bucher, who “is a one-time pro-Putin Russian political activist-turned Jeffery Epstein publicist-turned Silicon Valley kingmaker.” 

Her credentials as listed in her Linkedin profile include a masters degree in public administration (2011) from Moscow State University and her decade long work history in the U.S. raising money for early startup firms.

In the Mother Jones article several executives from Valar Atomics refute the information in the article and defend the firm’s efforts to promote their reactor design as legitimate business operations.

That’s a lot to take in. What the firm has certainly done is it carried out several publicity efforts that earned it extensive media coverage. The rest of what is reported by Mother Jones is about some of Valor Atomics’ business relationships, the credentials and the lack of nuclear energy related experience of several of its key executives, and related information that raise serious questions about the company. Valor has, since it was formed, hired nuclear engineers on its staff and maintains it will cross the finish line in the DOE fission test by July 2026

Summary of Mother Jones Article

The Mother Jones article is a very long read about Valar Atomics. This is a 500 word summary.

Title: The Trump Administration’s Favorite Nuclear Startup Has Ties to Russia and Epstein, Also, Christian nationalism. Author: Kiera Butle, National Correspondent, Mother Jones, published on 02/26/26

A report from Mother Jones details the rapid rise of Valar Atomics, a Southern California nuclear startup led by 26-year-old Isaiah Taylor, which has gained significant traction under the Trump administration despite concerns regarding its safety claims and controversial financial ties.

Valar Atomics and Isaiah Taylor: Valar Atomics aims to dominate the microreactor nuclear energy sector by producing small-scale nuclear reactors Taylor envisions these compact units—capable of powering roughly 5,000 homes—as the energy equivalent of SpaceX, providing constant power for AI data centers and remote military bases.

Despite having no formal nuclear background, Taylor has successful rasised nearly $150 million from investors and carried out two high profile publicity campaigns for his firm.

Splitting Atoms: In late 2025, Valar claimed to be the first venture-backed startup to split atoms using its own reactor. This was not a true criticality according to nuclear experts.

Legal Challenges: Taylor sued the NRC to loosen what he describes as “prohibitively restrictive” nuclear safety rules. Subsequently, the Department of Energy secretly significantly loosened its regulatory requirements for startup reactor projects like the Valor Atomics mircoreactor and 10 others racing to prove their plants can achieve a critical fission chain reaction by July 2026.

Safety and Expertise Concerns: Nuclear experts have raised significant red flags regarding Valar’s technical claims. Isaiah Taylor, the founder, is a high-school dropout with a background in auto repair and software. He has clashed with nuclear energy experts over the handling of spent fuel and other topics.

Lethal Radiation: While Taylor claimed Valar’s spent fuel was safe enough to hold by hand, nuclear engineer Nick Turan, Ph.D.,  calculated that the fuel would actually deliver a lethal dose of radiation within milliseconds of contact.

Inexperienced Leadership: Much of Valar’s top brass consists of Taylor’s associates, several of whom has no nuclear industry experience. Several like Taylor are linked to a Christian nationalist church in Idaho including a Head of Operations who previously caused a fuel explosion that set a colleague on fire. These personal ties have shaped the firm’s culture and, without any nuclear energy credentials, have led to key relationships not only with silicon valley investors but also with Trump administrations officials in key defense and energy roles.

Controversial Financial Ties: A significant portion of Valar’s funding—including a $130 million round—was co-led by Day One Ventures, headed by Masha Bucher. According to Mother Jones, Bucher is a former pro-Putin activist and has documented ties to the Kremlin. She also reportedly served as a publicist for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A pull quote on the Day One website highlights Bucher’s importance to firm.

Russian Connections: Mother Jones reports that Bucher’s former boss, Serguei Beloussov, was tracked by the U.S. government for allegedly attempting to export U.S. tech to Russia.

Epstein Communications: Mother Jones reports that files show Bucher asked Epstein to connect her with “adequate Russian oligarchs.”

Political Alignment: The Trump administration has supported Valar as part of a broader push for “American energy dominance.” Last fall, NPR reported the Department of Energy loosened safety and environmental regulations for nuclear facilities with government contracts—changes that were not made public at the time but which benefited microreactor companies like Valar Atomics. Taylor has lauded the administration, predicting it will usher in a “nuclear golden age.” He attended a high profile conference of energy-related investors, who gathered at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in January 2025.

On 02/26/25 NPR reported that the Department of Energy made the changes to these DOE rules public and posted them on the website of the DOE Idaho Operations Office, located in Idaho Falls, ID. This DOE field office is the federal management center for the agency’s contracts with the Idaho National Laboratory.

Leveraging Politics & Publicity in the Nation’s Capital

Among Friends in High Places Oklo Stands Tall

Valar isn’t the first microreactor firm to leverage political influence. Oklo’s CEO Jacob DeWitt, who provided advice to the Department of Energy in the writing of President Trumps four nuclear energy executive orders, attended the signing ceremony on the White House Oval Office with the President and DOE Secretary Chris Wright.

Oklo’s CEO Jacob De Witte has a talent for having friends in high places. Billionaire tech investor Sam Altman was an early investor in the firm. Until April 2025 he was the chairman of Oklo’s board and was instrumental in bringing the company public through a merger with his special purpose acquisition company, AltC Acquisition Corp., in May 2024.

Oklo said Altman’s departure in April 2025 allows it to form business deals with OpenAI and other AI firms as well as hyperscale data centers. Also, Chris Wright, now Secretary of the Department of Energy, was previously a member of the Oklo’s board. Oklo replaced Wright with Daniel Poneman, a former DOE official who was previously CEO of Centrus Energy.

Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte joined DOE Secretary Wright on 05/23/25 in the Oval Office at the White House as President Trump announced four executive orders intended to promote the development of the nation’s nuclear energy industry.

Last Energy Stands Up a 20 Ton Model of a PWR in Downtown DC

As for publicity stunts designed to attract the attention of power figures in the nation’s captial, on April 2024 Last Energy plunked a full size mock up of its 20 MW PWR in front of the Washington DC convention center. In the annals of trade show events taking place in Washington, DC, most exhibitors show up with elaborate Powerpoint slide decks and the occasional video. Last Energy blew the doors off in terms of trade show and tell with its outside the conference center exhibit.

Taking a page out of the promotional legacy of P.T. Barum, who paraded a line of elephants down city  streets to promote his circus, Last Energy brought a full-size mockup of its 20 MW PWR, complete with a huge crane to lift it into place outside the convention center.

On the afternoon of April 16, the module (referred to as the “nuclear island”) was hung vertically from a crane outside the Washington Convention Center. 

Last Energy’s prototype, as displayed outside the data center conference,  is non-functional, weighs 22 tons, and stands 12’x’12’x’48’.

The prototype represents part of the underground portion of Last Energy’s broader power plant (referred to as the “PWR-20”) where key nuclear components are located, such as the reactor, pressurizer, steam generator, and cooling pumps.

Bottom line, the lessons and tactics of P.T. Barnum Circus side shows are alive and well in 2026.

# # #

• INL Partners with NVIDIA for Nuclear AI Applications
• ORNL, Kairos Power Ink $27M Partnership for Advanced Reactors
• Deep Fission Raises $80 Million in New Financing
• Radiant Adds Lockheed Martin as Strategic Investor
• NuCube Energy Raises $13 Million for HTGR Microreactor
• ASP Isotopes Business Unit Opens Office in Austin, TX
• Romania’s Prime Minister Favors PHWR Upgrades Over NuScale’s SMRs

INL Partners with NVIDIA for Nuclear AI Applications

•  Idaho National Laboratory to accelerate nuclear energy deployment with NVIDIA AI

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and NVIDIA have partnered to support nuclear energy deployment through artificial intelligence. The purpose of the collaboration is to accelerate deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies and and reduce the costs of implementing them.

INL and NVIDIA’s collaboration is part of the Genesis Mission, a national initiative to build the world’s most powerful scientific platform to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security, and drive energy innovation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced 26 national science and technology challenges for the nation.

The goal of the Genesis Mission is develop an integrated platform that connects the world’s best supercomputers, experimental facilities, AI systems, and unique datasets across multiple major scientific domains.

The INL / NVIDIA partnership will accelerate nuclear energy deployment by using AI to design, license, manufacture, construct, and operate reactors with human-in-the-loop workflows, enabling at least 2X schedule acceleration and greater than 50% operational cost reductions.

Two critical national priorities are (1) harnessing artificial intelligence to drive a new industrial and scientific revolution; and (2) meet surging electricity demand to power the economy. This collaboration is designed to support the use of AI to enable rapid deployment of nuclear energy technologies that provides the baseload power required for next-generation AI infrastructure.

“This partnership represents a transformative approach to one of our nation’s greatest challenges for deploying abundant, reliable nuclear energy at the speed and scale required for our AI-driven future,” said John Wagner, INL director.

“NVIDIA is honored to collaborate with the U.S. government to apply AI and accelerated computing to advance nuclear energy, while reducing energy costs for Americans,” said John Josephakis, global vice president of Sales and Business Development for HPC/Supercomputing at NVIDIA. “

“This is the moment to decisively advance AI-accelerated nuclear energy deployment, increasing America’s energy affordability while also catalyzing the development of Artificial Intelligence in the United States,” said Rian Bahran, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Reactors.

The collaboration will focus on five strategic initiatives:

• AI-Computing Power: Support nuclear design, licensing, manufacturing, construction, and operation: Developing generative AI, digital twins, and agentic workflows to accelerate nuclear energy deployment.
• Industry Advancement: Support broader nuclear industry adoption of accelerated computing and AI tools while providing guidance to regulatory entities on state-of-the-art autonomous and digital nuclear capabilities.
• Supercomputing Infrastructure: Leverage Department of Energy leadership-class supercomputers for large-scale model training and simulation while evaluating on-premises NVIDIA AI systems for real-time operations.
• Data Validation: Use INL’s legacy nuclear data, laboratory data, and on-site reactors — including the Neutron Radiography Reactor, or NRAD, and the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation, or MARVEL (not yet operational)— to provide real-world data for digital twin validation.
• Code Acceleration: Accelerate nuclear simulation codes including MOOSE, BISON, Griffin, and Pronghorn on NVIDIA GPU architectures to unlock advanced simulation capabilities.

The collaboration may expand to include additional stakeholders including nuclear reactor developers, utilities, investors, and other national laboratories to establish a comprehensive ecosystem for AI-driven nuclear deployment.

The dollar value of the collaboration was not disclosed. The INL has multiple mechanisms for crafting industry partnerships for sharing costs and developing commercial applications of laboratory innovations.

& & &

ORNL, Kairos Power Ink $27M Partnership for Advanced Reactors

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Kairos Power have entered into a $27 million strategic partnership to accelerate the technology needed to deploy a new generation of advanced nuclear reactors and support U.S. nuclear energy goals. 

Under the partnership, ORNL will provide expertise and access to specialized facilities to review and evaluate various aspects of Kairos Power’s fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor design, which uses molten fluoride salt coolant with Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel.

ORNL will manufacture components for reactor development and testing, and assess the performance of coated particle fuel elements following irradiation under conditions relevant to their planned reactor operation.

Ultimately, the project outcomes will support the design, construction and eventual operation of Kairos Power’s planned Hermes demonstration reactors currently under construction in Oak Ridge, TN, and subsequent commercialization of its planned fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor which will also be built in Tennessee.

ORNL demonstrated the proof-of-concept and performance of the world’s first molten salt reactor 60 years ago. Since then, ORNL has helped nurture the continued development of molten salt reactor technology, which uses salt rather than water as the primary coolant.

DOE is investing up to $303 million of risk reduction funding in Kairos Power’s Hermes demonstration reactors under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program to support development of the company’s molten salt reactor design.

Over the next five years, ORNL will provide key results from testing and assessments conducted at its specialized facilities, including the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Coated Particle Fuel Development Laboratory, and Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory. The unique combination of infrastructure capabilities are not available in the private sector.

The scope of work includes:

• Assess fuel manufacturing and synthesis methods to evaluate product quality and production methods for TRISO fuel particles 
• Understand the properties of TRISO fuel pebbles to support a fabrication capability and quality control infrastructure
• Complete a comprehensive spent fuel pebble management plan to include on-site cask storage, transportation and final disposition
• Produce components using advanced manufacturing techniques to better understand how materials that come into contact with the salt, such as ceramics, carbon composites, and metallic materials, perform in extremely high temperatures
• Enable remote maintenance systems capable of operating under high temperatures with simultaneous exposure to radiation and corrosive salts.

The data from these activities will support the next steps necessary toward commercial operation. 

The project marks the fourth partnership between ORNL and Kairos Power since 2020, and continues the significant interest in nuclear energy in the Oak Ridge Corridor and across the state of Tennessee.

& & &

Deep Fission Raises $80 Million in New Financing

•  Deep Fission raised $80 million in new financing to support its plan to put small LWR type reactors in a mile deep borehole.

The financing was completed through the offer and sale of 5,3 million restricted shares of common stock at a fixed price of $15.00 per share. Seaport Global Securities and The Benchmark Company acted as agents for the private placement. Investors included Ed Eisler of EE Holdings and Mark Tompkins of Montrose Capital, who led the Company’s previous financing round in September 2025.

In addition to the financing, Deep Fission has formed a new strategic relationship with Blue Owl Capital’s Real Assets platform. The companies will collaborate to deploy Deep Fission SMR projects for Blue Owl’s digital infrastructure portfolio, A Blue Owl-managed fund participated in the financing.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Deep Fission and will continue to provide strategic financial advisory services to support Deep Fission’s long-term growth and capital planning.

Deep Fission’s proprietary design combines pressurized water reactor technology (PWR) with deep borehole drilling techniques used in the oil and gas industry and heat-transfer methods drawn from geothermal applications.

By leveraging established supply chains and techniques, Deep Fission estimates this approach can reduce construction costs by approximately 70–80% compared to traditional nuclear plants.

Deep Fission was selected for participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program in 2025 and recently broke ground on its pilot project located in Parsons, KS. The Company has also announced a development pipeline representing 12.5 GW of future planned deployments.

& & &

Radiant Adds Lockheed Martin as Strategic Investor

• The investment could shift the firm’s customer focus to the defense sector.

Radiant Nuclear, which plants to build mass-produced nuclear microreactors, announced a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin through their investment arm, Lockheed Martin Ventures.

Radiant said in its press statement, “Lockheed Martin’s participation adds generations of defense and advanced technology expertise to Radiant’s growing coalition of investors and partners. In addition, the oversubscribed round demonstrates strong market validation of Radiant’s Kaleidos microreactor and its progress toward first-of-a-kind deployment.”

“As national security becomes even more dependent on advanced DOE technologies, the ability to dispatch significant power quickly to remote locations is critical,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures.

“Advances in portable nuclear power could help make our warfighters more resilient and the battlefield more survivable, and we’re proud to support growth in these innovations for defense and energy security.”

Radiant is developing mass-produced nuclear generators designed to provide power for remote communities, critical infrastructure, and defense applications. The company plans to start testing its first reactor this summer at the Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility.

& & &

NuCube Energy Raises $13 Million for HTGR Microreactor

NuCube Energy, Inc. announced that it has secured $13 million in funding as increased demand for electricity by artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and industrial reshoring intensifies the race to deploy next-generation nuclear technology in the United States.

Arizona Nuclear Ventures lead the investment. It includes Rob Walton and Jordan Rose Walton, and Emission Reduction Corporation back HTGR Microreactor designed for industrial heat and power. The firm says its design will deliver 15 MW of power for up to 30 years.

NuCube Energy, co-founded at Idealab Studio in 2023 by entrepreneur Bill Gross and nuclear engineer Dr. Cristian Rabiti. Rabiti is the former Vice President Business Development, U.S. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation. Two other former executives from Ultra Safe also now work at NuCube.

The firm is developing a high-temperature modular “solid state” microreactor designed to deliver both electricity and industrial heat up to 1,100 degrees Celsius. The company faces significant materials science challenges in handling heat at this level.

The company said in its press statement that the microreactor’s  architecture “is engineered for simplicity, inherent safety, and supply-chain efficiency—with the objective of enabling scalable deployment for industrial campuses, remote operations, and rapidly expanding data infrastructure. “

“Over the past year, we have designed a series of technical validation tests to generate the data required to support regulatory engagement,” said Dr. Rabiti.

“This funding allows us to perform those critical tests, advance toward licensing, and move decisively toward demonstration.”

NuCube is headquartered in Idaho Falls, ID, near Idaho National Laboratory, and is expanding its strategic footprint in Arizona—a state experiencing accelerating grid demand driven by semiconductor expansion, advanced manufacturing, and hyperscale data centers. The financing was led by Arizona Nuclear Ventures, reflecting a broader strategy to position Greater Phoenix as a national hub for advanced nuclear innovation and deployment.

“Arizona’s growth across advanced industries is driving demand for reliable, always-on power,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority.

With this funding secured, NuCube will continue materials testing, refine its final design configuration, and advance regulatory engagement necessary to move toward demonstration and commercial deployment.

& & &

ASP Isotopes Business Unit Quantum Leap Energy Relocates Its HQ to Austin, TX

ASP Isotopes Inc. (NASDAQ: ASPI)  announced its plans for Quantum Leap Energy LLC, (QLE) a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASPI dedicated to advancing innovative technologies and processes across critical segments of the fission and fusion nuclear fuel cycle, to establish QLE’s new global corporate headquarters in Austin, TX, strengthening its presence in Texas and strategically positioning the company to better serve its customer base in the U.S.

In addition to the planned global corporate headquarters, QLE intends to build a significant operational presence in Texas, with QLE’s management focused on working with Fermi America to implement the joint venture outlined in the Joint Venture Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by QLE, ASPI and Fermi America last year.

The collaboration contemplated by the MOU includes a joint venture between QLE and Fermi America focused on the development of a high-assay-low enriched uranium (HALEU) enrichment research and commercial production facility.

ASPI plans to build a commercial facility for the production of stable isotopes and advanced nuclear materials in texas, and both will to be affiliated with Fermi America’s hypergrid campus in Amarillo, TX. FERMI has conceptual plans to build SMRs at the site, but has not chosen a design type or vendor for them. It’s plans also include building up to four Westinghouse AP1000 PWRs at the site.

& & &

Romania’s Prime Minister Favors PHWR Upgrades Over NuScale’s SMRs

When is a final investment decision (FID) not the starting gun for breaking ground and pouring concrete for a new nuclear reactor, or , more importantly, six of them? The answer is that hestitation occurs when you are the Prime Minister of Romania, and you are in charge of writing the checks. Last week he signed off on a $7 billion FID for six NuScale SMRs. It is the single biggest commitment to nuclear power in Romania’s history.

It appears from his candid press statements that he’s having second thoughts about the FID for the six SMRs. While his comments do not appear to be a case of “buyers’ regrets,” it does sound like he’s facing some tough financial choices in terms of fulfilling near term priorities to complete three 700 MW PHWRs.

In an interview with Romanian language news media, as reported in English by the Balkan Green wire service, Romania’s Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan says he does not expect the six SMR project to be completed any time soon, given the high estimated cost and complexity of the effort. He also believes that the ongoing modernization and expansion of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant is more feasible, less costly, and more likely to bring power to the grid sooner than the SMRs.

Bolojan said that an “immediate investment” in the SMR facility in Doicesti is unlikely, given the large amount of money that needs to be secured, the complexity of such projects, and the fact that it is still in initial phases. Referring to the NuScale plan for six 77 MW SMRs, Bolojan said,“Such investments take five to six years.”

The SMR project in Doicesti would cost up to $ 7 billion. For 462 MW, that works out to $15,000/kW which is significantly higher than other new nuclear projects in eastern Europe.

For instance, South Korea’s KHNP is reported to have told the Czech Republic’s state owned nuclear utility CEZ that one or more new 1,400 MW PWRs is under contract to build in the country will come in at $9,000/kw.

Romania’s Nuclearelectrica approved the final investment decision for the SMR facility, which would use NuScale’s VOYGR SMR design. The plan is to build and test one of the six 77 MW units before deciding whether to go ahead with the remaining five. The facility is planned for construction on the site of a former coal-fired power plant.

CANDUs Come First

Bolojan also said his immediate preference is that Romania should focus on the ongoing investment projects at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which include the refurbishment of unit 1, estimated at over EUR 3.5 billion, and the construction of units 3 and 4, worth about EUR 7 billion. Each of the CANDU type PHWRs come in at 700 MW. For units 3 and 4 the combined 1,400 MW at a cost of 7 billion works out to about $5,000/kW taking into account currency conversions from euros to dollars.

He added that the project at Cernavoda, Romania’s only nuclear power plant, is based on a technology that Romania has operated for years, adding that he believes it is “more feasible than this new type (SMRs) of investment.”

The overhaul of unit 1 at Cernavodă began in September 2025. The overhaul of Cernavoda’s unit 1 was launched in September 2025 by an international consortium led by South Korean state-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP). The refurbishment will extend the operating life of the 700 MW reactor by 30 years.

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• Final Investment Decision Approved for Six 77 MW NuScale SMRs in Romania
• US Pledges $9 Billion Investment for Armenia SMRs
• Centrus Taps Fluor as EPC for Expansion of Uranium Enrichment Plant
• Solstice Plans Expansion of UF6 Conversion Capacity
• NRC Licenses TRISO-X LLC Fuel Fabrication Facility in Tennessee
• Project Omega to Recycle Spent Nuclear Fuel
• NGO Coalition Wants to Slam the Lid on Spent Fuel Reprocessing
• Inertia Fusion Raises $450 million in Series A Funding
• Helion Heats Up Fusion Progress with Tritium Fuel
• NuScale Power and ORNL Use AI to Reduce Nuclear Fuel Costs  
• ORNL to Give SMRs a Competitive Edge with Digital Twin Software

Final Investment Decision Approved for Six NuScale SMRs in Romania

(WNN and additional sources) The shareholders of Romanian nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica have approved the Final Investment Decision for the small modular reactor project in Doicesti, Romania. According to a Reuters report  Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said Romania’s plan for a 460 MW small modular nuclear reactor plant would cost up to $7 billion and it will take time to devise a funding plan for such a big investment.

The Prime Minister cautioned that the investment decision would not result in immediate action to break ground. “The investment will be made once a funding formula will be found. Given the very large amount of money, the complexity of such projects and the technology being in early days, I estimate we will not see the investment immediately.”

Romania’s small modular reactor (SMR) project calls for 462 MWe installed capacity, using NuScale technology with six 77 MW modules at the former coal plant site at Doicesti – about 100 miles northwest of Bucharest. The proposed timeline for the first module to be in commercial operation is 2033.

Bogdan Ivan, Romania’s Minister of Energy, said: “The Final Investment Decision for the SMR project in Doicesti marks the transition from the analysis phase to the implementation phase, consolidating Romania’s position at the forefront of the new European nuclear industry. We are replacing 600 MW from a former thermal power plant with 462 MW of clean, stable, and predictable energy.”

In December the energy ministry said that after “discussions with the project company’s shareholders, the solution for the full financing of the current development stage” had been identified and that “based on the conclusions of the feasibility study, we will open the project to investors.” It also said it was exploring the possibility of developing further SMR projects in Romania but did not specify a timeline for them.

Romanian news media reported that a key condition that is part of the investment decision is that building a first of a kind (FOAK) unit and testing it will take place before the other five are given a green light. The project would proceed with the remaining five SMR units if the trial is successful. RoPower would take responsibility only for the first reactor. The construction of the other five will depend on potential additional commitments from Romanian utilities, support from the government, U.S. export financing, and private investors.

Another key element is the mix of grid and private wire arrangements for the six SMRs. Given Romania’s commitment to large PHWRs, it is likely that one or more of thesix SMRs could be targeted at power market segments that include data centers, large indusrtrial users, and other customers that need 24X7/365 reliable power.

Project company RoPower Nuclear – owned jointly by Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas, which is part of E-INFRA – said that it would, by May 2026,

• complete geotechnical investigations,
• continue the licensing process;
• complete contract negotiations;
• negotiate contracts for long-lead items;
• define supply chains for materials and equipment; and
• prepare the organization for the pre-EPC and the EPC phases, extension of the technology license agreement with NuScale; and
• conduct environmental impact assessment agreements.

Project Development History

The partnership between the USA and Romania on SMRs began in March 2019 with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between state-owned nuclear power corporation Nuclearelectrica and NuScale to study potential developments.

In 2021, NuScale and Nuclearelectrica signed a teaming agreement to deploy a NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant in Romania by the end of the decade. In June 2022, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to begin conducting engineering studies, technical reviews, and licensing and permitting activities for the project.

NuScale Power and RoPower Nuclear – owned jointly by Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas – completed Phase 1 of a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study in late 2023, which analyzed the preferred site of the first VOYGR-6 SMR power plant.

The FEED 2 study has also been completed. It’s scope carried out by  Fluor Corporation and RoPower Nuclear provided the design and engineering services required for the implementation of the project, including an updated cost estimate and schedule as well as the safety and security analyses needed for the final investment decision.

The US Export-Import (Exim) Bank approved in 2024 a $98 million loan for pre-project services, and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Exim also issued Letters of Interest for potential support of up to $1 billion and $3 billion, respectively, for project deployment. In short, the U.S. government commitment covers about $4 billion of the expected $7 billion in project costs.

Current Nuclear Plants in Romania

Nuclearelectrica has two 706 MW PHWR reactors that use Canadian CANDU technology, owned by AtkinsRealis, formerly known as SNC-Lavalin group, accounting for a fifth of Romania’s power production.

In 2024, it signed a 3.2 billion euro ($3.80 billion) main engineering contract to build an additional two 700 MW PHWR nuclear reactors by 2032 with a consortium of four firms including U.S. Fluor Corp and Sargent & Lundy.

It has also signed the main engineering contract to extend the life of its first reactor three decades, which was connected to the national grid in 1996,at a cost of about 1.9 billion euros.

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US Pledges $9 Billion Investment for Armenia SMRs

(NucNet contributed to this report) US vice-president J.D. Vance signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Armenia, pledging as much as $9 billion in potential investment. It included a 123 Agreement and commitments of financial support for construction of U.S. supplied small modular reactors.

The vendor for the SMRs was not named in press statements. The deal involves $5 billion covering initial US exports of SMRs to Armenia and an additional $4 billion to cover long-term fuel and maintenance costs.

The legal accord, known as a Section 123 agreement, establishes the legal framework for US companies to export nuclear technology, fuel and services to Armenia and opens the door for US firms to compete for a deal to replace the Soviet-era Armenian nuclear power station.

VP Vance said at a briefing in Yerevan,“It’ll pave the way for American and Armenian companies to strike deals on civil nuclear projects. That means up to $5 billion in initial US exports, plus an additional $4 billion in long-term support through fuel and maintenance contracts.”

Armenia has relied on Moscow for both energy and security since independence from Russia in 1991. The Armenian nuclear facility is operated by Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom and nuclear fuel for the plant is imported from Russia.

The Armenian nuclear power station has a 416-MW VVER, Armanian-2, that went into commercial operation in 1980. Another unit, Armanian-1, was permanently shut down in 1989. Both units were supplied by Russia.

Last year the Armenian government established a company that will evaluate options for new reactor construction in the country. The company will look into technology vendors’ proposals on the possible design and cost of a new nuclear unit in Armenia, with the goal of having a development plan for the new capacity by the middle of 2026.

Regional Politics Play a Role

The visit by VP Vance comes just six months after Armenian and Azerbaijani officials signed an agreement to resolve hostilities which have sporadically roiled relations between the two countries over the past four decades. Both sides said they will no longer use military forces to seek resolution of their disputes.

What’s in it for the US is the creation of a major rail and road transit corridor through Armenia with connections in Azerbaijan. VP Vance said the transit corridor would help promote trade in the region.

Azerbaijan is a major oil producing country which uses a pipeline through the region to reach an oil export terminal in Turkey. The Baku-Tibllisi-Ceyhan pipeline from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Ceyhan, Turkey, bypasses Armenia and picks up output from producing oil wells in Georgia and Turkey. (map) The Caspian Sea oil fields lie above one of the world’s largest collections of oil and gas fields. Baku, Azerbijan, is a port city on the Caspian Sea.

Russia Reacts to US Entry into its Market

Reuters reports senior Russian officials have challenged the viability of U.S. proposals to build a nuclear power plant in Armenia. The wire service reported this response as a sign of Moscow’s concern about the risk of losing a lucrative energy deal in a country it sees as part of its sphere of influence.

Reuters noted that the selection of a U.S. proposal would deal a significant blow to Russia, whose state corporation Rosatom is a global leader in building nuclear power plants.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, on a visit to Armenia this week, poked the Russian bear by saying an agreement to build SMRs in Armenia “is a new chapter in the deepening partnership between Armenia and the United States.”

It is clear from the experiences in Romania and Armenia that the U.S. government has finally figured out that exports of nuclear reactors, large and small, are tools of geopolitical influence.

Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, pointed tried to throw some technical shade on the deal by claiming the SMRs would be at risk from seismic faults. He said on on 02/12/26 that Soviet technology had enabled Armenia’s existing nuclear plant to withstand a devastating 1988 earthquake.

“Armenia, as we know, is a seismically active region,” state news agency RIA quoted Shoigu as saying.

“If the construction of small reactors using American technology in Armenia moves into the practical phase, we, like all other states in the region, and the people of Armenia itself, will be forced to consider these nuclear safety risks.”

According to Reuters, other senior Russian officials have weighed in on the issue this week with offers of financial aid and cost containment. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia newspaper that Rosatom could move ahead very quickly in Armenia on attractive financial terms. On 02/11/26 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that the U.S. was offering Armenia untested designs that were likely to exceed cost estimates.

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Centrus Taps Fluor as EPC for Expansion of Uranium Enrichment Plant

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) announced that its subsidiary, American Centrifuge Operating, LLC, has agreed to a strategic collaboration with Fluor (NYSE:FLR) to serve as its Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor as Centrus proceeds with its previously announced multi-billion-dollar expansion of its uranium enrichment capacity in Piketon, Ohio. 

Under the multi-year contract, Fluor will lead engineering and design of the expanded capacity in Ohio, manage the supply chain and procurement of key materials and services, oversee construction at the site, and support the commissioning of the new capacity.

The expansion project includes large-scale production of Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) (U235 at 3-5%) to address its substantial commercial LEU enrichment contingent backlog of $2.3 billion and growing demand from existing reactors. 

The company also recently announced that it is planning on building capacity to produce 12 metric tons of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) for next-generation reactors.

In December 2025, Centrus launched centrifuge manufacturing to support this expansio. Last month the Department of Energy selected Centrus for a $900 million HALEU task order. Also, Centrus announced that it is investing $560 million in its advanced centrifuge factory in Oak Ridge, TN.

& & &

Solstice Plans Expansion of UF6 Conversion Capacity

(WNN) Solstice – which was spun-off from Honeywell in October last year – said it has invested in removing bottlenecks from uranium enrichment and conversion projects at Metropolis Works following its 2023 restart in response to strong customer demand for uranium hexafluoride (UF6). The company’s expansion efforts, it said, are underpinned by its backlog of more than $2 billion in orders from long-term customers many of which are domestic utility companies

Backed in part by the Department of Energy (DOE), Solstice said it is “actively exploring additional projects” to increase production at its Metropolis Works facility. The company has also retained a leading engineering, procurement and construction firm to conduct an initial engineering analysis for new capacity expansion investments and, at the same time, has initiated long-term supply discussions with customers.

Metropolis was built in the 1950s to meet military conversion requirements, and began providing UF6 for civilian use in the late 1960s. Original nameplate capacity was up to 15,000 tU per year, but this was reduced to 7000 tU per year in 2017 in light of global demand.

Honeywell announced in November 2017 the temporary suspension of UF6 production at Metropolis pending an improvement in business conditions. The decision was a result of “significant challenges” faced by the nuclear industry at that time, including a worldwide oversupply of UF6. The plant was restarted in July 2023.

ConverDyn, a partnership between Solstice and General Atomics, serves as the exclusive marketing agent for all UF6 produced at the Metropolis Works facility, which holds a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that is valid until 2060.

Uranium must be converted from uranium oxide – the “yellowcake” that is shipped from uranium mines and mills – to gaseous UF6 before it can be enriched in fissile uranium-235 for use in nuclear fuel. In addition to Metropolis, commercial conversion plants are also in operation in Canada, China, France and Russia.

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NRC Licenses TRISO-X LLC Fuel Fabrication Facility in Tennessee

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a license to TRISO-X, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-energy, LLC, authorizing the commercial fabrication of nuclear fuel for advanced reactors known as tristructural isotropic fuel. This license marks the first-ever U.S. approval of a category II fuel fabrication facility. The license is good for 40 years.

“Commercial-scale production of this fuel is key to enabling the deployment of advanced reactor designs,” said NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh.

“This license represents an important milestone that supports the Department of Energy’s program to accelerate deployment of nuclear technologies and deliver more power to the grid.”

The license allows TRISO-X to possess and use special nuclear material at a facility that is under construction on the 110-acre Horizon Center Site, a greenfield site in Oak Ridge, TN.

TRISO fuel is composed of small spheres of enriched uranium that are coated with multiple layers of carbon and ceramic materials, forming a robust shell that can withstand high temperatures.

Compared to the fuel used by the operating fleet, high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel, or HALEU, has a higher percentage of U-235, the form of uranium that is able to sustain a chain reaction. Enriched uranium is one form of special nuclear material, which is defined based on its ability to fission.

The NRC’s review of the license application included a safety and security review and an environmental review. The application was approved three months ahead of the published schedule due to multiple efficiencies applied in the staff’s review processes.

A safety evaluation report documenting the technical review will be made public within 30 days. The final environmental impact statement was published on Feb. 12, 2026.

TRISO-X submitted its license application April 5, 2022, and its environmental report Sept. 23, 2022, then supplemented the application on Dec. 30, 2024.

X-Energy said in its press statement about the license that X-energy and TRISO-X’s first fuel facility, TX-1, is currently under construction at the Oak Ridge Horizon Center, and is part of X-energy’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

TX-2 is currently in the design phase, and would significantly scale TRISO fuel production capacity to support X-energy’s 11 GW commercial pipeline, equivalent to 144 Xe-100 small modular reactors as well as other SMR developers.

& & &

Project Omega to Recycle Spent Nuclear Fuel

• Firm claims its core technology has been successfully demonstrated in a laboratory setting

Project Omega, an advanced nuclear fuel recycling company, emerged from ‘stealth mode’ to announce its mission to rebuild America’s nuclear fuel cycle end-to-end. It says it will do this by developing and deploying technologies and processes to recycle spent nuclear fuel into long-duration, high-density power sources, and to produce critical materials for the nuclear industry. Its first offering is a power source that could resemble AA, AAA or smaller batteries for use by the military.

The business Project Omega, developed with Chris Hanson, former chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, plans to make batteries that convert radiation from isotopes into electricity using semiconductors. The battery technology generally offers longer lifespans but lower power output than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Project Omega is led by founder and CEO Stafford Sheehan, a cofounder and former chief technology officer of Air Company, which turned atmospheric carbon dioxide into ethanol-based products, including jet fuel and vodka. Sheehan brings to his current role high tech entreprenurial experience in three startups and a Ph.D. in chemical physics from Yale University.

Project Omega raised an oversubscribed $12 million seed round. The round was led by Starship Ventures with participation from Mantis Ventures, Decisive Point and Slow Ventures. The government is involved through a contract from ARPA-E (the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy).

The company says its efforts to recycle spent nuclear fuel will extract key isotopes using proven spent fuel chemical processing techniques to develop new products that will create new revenue streams for the nuclear economy.

The firm did not disclose details of its spent fuel reprocessing method, how or where it would be carried out, nor indicate its had received any expressions of interest from any branches of the military for its planned product offerings.

For a detailed description of various methods of spent fuel reprocessing, see this web page at the World Nuclear Association

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NGO Coalition Wants to Slam the Lid on Spent Fuel Reprocessing

• US campaign puts case for disposal, not reprocessing, of used fuel

(WNN and other sources) The Nuclear Scaling Initiative (NSI), which is a collaboration of the Clean Air Task Force, the EFI Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, says is objective is to “build a new nuclear energy ecosystem that can quickly and economically scale to 50+ gigawatts of safe and secure nuclear energy globally per year by the 2030s.”

Despite the non-governmental organization’s (NGO) expressed interest in “building a new nuclear ecosystem,” the organization’s leadership is dead set against spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and has the expressed objective of slamming the lid on this sector of the nuclear industry.

Its work was recently energized by a $3.5 million million philanthropic commitment from the Bezos Earth Fund “to accelerate the responsible deployment of nuclear energy in the United States as a source of secure, clean, reliable power.”

The grant by the Bezos Fund will directly support NSI’s effort to facilitate an orderbook — a model that brings together multiple buyers to commit to building the same reactor design — for new large reactor builds of mature design in the United States. The press statement about the funding is silent about the efforts of several of its 16 member advisory board to curtail spent fuel reprocessing.

NSI, whose global advisory board is chaired by former US Secretary of State John Kerry. He says that all forms of energy production produces waste, and says that in nuclear’s case, directly storing and “eventually disposing of intact spent fuel” underground “is a safe, straightforward process that uses existing expertise and infrastructure.”

Neutron Bytes Commentary

As an aside – John Kerry is back wearing his anti-nuclear hat. Readers may recall that in the 1990s during the Clinton administration, then U.S. Senator Kerry led the effort in the Senate to kill the Integral Fast Reactor.

It’s difficult to reconcile Kerry’s opposition to spent fuel reprocessing with his board role at NSI that supports building new nuclear plants. The reality is that all PWRs, BWRs, PHWRs, and various types of advanced reactors will produce plutonium as an outcome of the nuclear fisson process.

Managing it for its commercial energy potential requires extracting it from spent fuel. There are multiple methods for carrying out spent fuel reprocessing which, with appropriate controls, will prevent diversion to bomb making purposes.

Had Kerry and the other boad members that agree with him focused on international controls of fissile materials rather than burying them, the entire effort would be seen as less conflicted than it does now with two policy positions at 180 degrees of difference under the same NGO roof. It is just not plausible, or freankly credible, to on one hand promote an “order book” for new nuclear reactors and at the same time advocate a policy of the “once through” practice of disposition of spent fuel in geologic repositories.

Burying it in a permanent geologic repository removes forever the opportunity and advantages of applying it to peaceful usess for energy security and for fission processes that produce heat and power without CO2 emissions.

NSA board member former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Energy John Deutch echoed Kerry saying, “Reprocessing is not a reasonable option: it threatens security, is not cost-effective and will slow our ability to scale nuclear energy.”

Nuclear Scaling Initiative (NSI) Executive Director Steve Comello said: “Making smart fuel management choices today, that acknowledge that reprocessing technologies today are not economically viable and pose security and waste management risks.”

NSI’s public campaign to spike efforts to reprocess spent fuel arrive at the same time the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy awarded $19 million to five US companies to research and develop recycling technologies for used nuclear fuel.

Nuclear reactor develper Oklo has plans to build a $1.68 billion nuclear fuel fabrication plant in Oak Ridge, TN, using plutonium some of which is expected to be sourced from reprocessing spent fuel. As noted in the previous story, a new startup believes it can develop a novel process for turning spent nuclear fuel into long lasting AA and AAA size batteries for military and civilian applications.

The Department of Energy noted in its funding announcement that less than 5% of the potential energy in the nation’s nuclear fuel is extracted after five years of operation in a commercial reactor. It says recycling used nuclear fuel could increase resource utilization by 95%, reduce waste by 90%, and decrease the amount of uranium needed to operate nuclear reactors. Additional benefits to nuclear fuel recycling include the recovery and extraction of valuable radioisotopes for medical, industrial, and defense purposes.

Some years ago U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who’s congressional district includes the Idaho National Laboratory, said in a public speech that failing to reprocess spent nuclear fuel was like mining gold and then throwing nine pounds out of every ten back in the ground.

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Inertia Fusion Raises $450 million in Series A Funding

Inertia Enterprises, a commercial fusion energy company, announced a new Series A $450 million investment to bring clean energy to the world. The Series A round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, GV (Google Ventures), Modern Capital, Threshold Ventures, Neo, Uncork Capital, Long Journey Ventures, WndrCo, IQT, and others.

Founded in 2024, Inertia said it will build a fusion pilot plant based on the physics proven at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

The milestone-based funding will advance Inertia’s plans to build the world’s most powerful laser, Thunderwall, and a production line to mass manufacture fuel targets at scale. These technical tracks lay the foundation for Inertia to deliver grid-scale energy through a phased commercialization roadmap.

According to a report by TechCrunch, the startup’s reactor relies on a form of fusion known as inertial confinement. In Inertia’s flavor of inertial confinement, lasers bombard a fuel target, compressing the fuel until atoms inside fuse and release energy. The technique is based on NIF’s designs, in which laser light is converted into X-rays inside the target. The X-rays are what ultimately heat and compress the fuel pellet.

Techcrunch also reported that the startup’s reactor relies on a form of fusion known as inertial confinement. In Inertia’s flavor of inertial confinement, lasers bombard a fuel target, compressing the fuel until atoms inside fuse and release energy. The technique is based on NIF’s designs, in which laser light is converted into X-rays inside the target. The X-rays are what ultimately heat and compress the fuel pellet.

Co-founder Dr. Annie Kritcher has served as the lead designer of fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) dating back to 2017, and more than 20 years at LLNL. She led the development of the “Hybrid-E” inertial confinement fusion integrated physics design, including the hohlraum, capsule, and laser specifications and experimental design.

In December 2022, that design enabled the first controlled fusion experiment to achieve net target energy gain, more energy produced from fusion than went into the experiment. Under a first-of-its-kind agreement, Dr, Kritcher was able to co-found Inertia and act as its Chief Scientist while continuing to serve in her role at LLNL, applying her expertise to advance inertial fusion energy toward the power grid.

“In just three years, we’ve gone from the first experiment to ever produce more fusion energy than was delivered to the target, to repeating that result many times and pushing the target gain higher. We’re now focused on translating physics we know works into a pathway toward commercial-scale fusion energy, and the real benefits it can deliver for people and the planet,” said Kritcher.

According to the press statement, the company’s “thunderwall” fusion machine is expected to have performance which will be 50 times as powerful (measured in average power) as any prior laser of its type. Coupled with mass manufacturing of targets based on Kritcher’s breakthrough design approach and a system that can feed those targets into chambers hit by the lasers in fractions of a second, Inertia will design and build a commercially viable, grid-scale fusion power plant.

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Helion Heats Up Fusion Progress with Tritium Fuel

Geekwire reports from Seattle, WA, that Helion Energy announced in a press statement two milestones for the company and commercial fusion sector: reaching a plasma temperature of 150 million degrees Celsius and being the first private venture to test its fusion device with a radioactive fuel called tritium.

Helion is highlighting its use of tritium in combination with deuterium as a fusion fuel. Both are forms of hydrogen, but deuterium is nonradioactive, so most companies run experiments with that isotope alone as it’s safer to handle and more abundant. Helion’s commercial fuel mix will be deuterium and helium-3, which requires higher plasma temperatures for fusion but is more efficient for electricity production.

The Everett, Wash.-based company is part of the global race to solve the physics and engineering challenge of harnessing fusion reactions to generate usable energy. Though its technology has yet to reach that milestone, Helion last summer broke ground on a commercial power facility in Eastern Washington. The firm says it plans to have a working fusion device in 2028. Geekwire notes that this ambitious goal has many skeptics.

Running tests with tritium provided insights into how the helium-3 could perform and allows the company to demonstrate its ability to manage the fuel through its entire system. As construction on the plant proceeds, the company is continuing  tests on its seventh-generation device, Polaris, which achieved the new temperature and fuel benchmarks.

Helion’s objective is produce fusion using magneto-inertial, pulsed operation, field-reversed configuration devices. What that means is the system sends a pulse of energy into the fusion device where magnetic fields compress the plasma and fusion occurs. As the plasma pushes against the field, it creates a current that sends electricity back into the system. The ultimate goal for the device is to hit 200 million degrees C.

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NuScale Power and ORNL Use AI to Reduce Nuclear Fuel Costs  

NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) announced that it will partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to utilize an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled nuclear design framework for a 12-NuScale Power Module (NPM) configuration to strategically explore how fuel could be even more efficiently and effectively managed across multiple reactors at a single site.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative awarded funding to ORNL to collaborate with NuScale in this innovative research program. GAIN provides technical, regulatory, and financial support needed to advance nuclear technology towards commercialization. This is part of the first round of GAIN Vouchers awarded in fiscal year 2026.

Methods for optimizing the management of nuclear fuel for a single reactor are well-known. As part of this study, NuScale will partner with ORNL to use the power of AI to explore potential options for reducing fuel costs across multiple reactors.

NuScale uses proven, off-the-shelf fuel PWR type assemblies, and unlike large reactors, NuScale’s multi-module architecture offers an opportunity to enhance fuel efficiency in up to 12 reactors with a single shared fuel pool and a significant number of fuel options.

By sharing fuel across modules, NuScale said it may find ways to improve overall plant fuel efficiencies beyond what can be normally achieved in a single reactor plant, ultimately reducing costs. ORNL will share their expertise in AI, machine learning, fuel management, and computational resources to help drive this important research.

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ORNL to Give SMRs a Competitive Edge with Digital Twin Software

• ORNL’s new digital twin technology models small modular reactors to improve performance, reduce downtime and cut costs.

Advanced nuclear is within reach — and a new digital twin reveals how smarter plant operations can enhance the economic viability and safety of small modular reactors, or SMRs.

In collaboration with the University of Tennessee and GE Vernova Hitachi, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently published innovative research on a new risk-informed digital twin designed to enhance operational decision-making for the GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR design.

SMRs are compact nuclear systems designed to be easier and more less expensive to build than traditional reactors. A digital twin — a virtual model that adapts with real-time data — can improve their competitiveness by using probabilistic risk assessment to determine the likelihood of potential failure events.

The ORNL digital twin tracks SMR equipment health and performance to inform decision-making and decrease the likelihood of unplanned shutdowns, which drive higher operational costs. The technology can also support today’s reactors and future designs.

“This research moves the needle for SMRs, providing a vital tool to make smarter, faster decisions while keeping costs down,” said ORNL’s Michael Muhlheim.

# # #

• DOE-EM Restarts Uranium Recovery at SRS
• DOE Awards $19M for Spent Fuel R&D
• DOE Recycles Hanford Building for Uranium Fuel Production
• Six Things You Should Know About Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
• Natura, NGL Collaboration for Nuclear Powered Water Treatment in Texas
• NextEra Pitches Investors to Fund New Nuclear Capacity
• Newcleo Closes Funding Round Of $85 Million for Lead Cooled SMR
• Avalanche Energy Raises $29 Million for Fusion Work

DOE-EM Restarts Uranium Recovery at SRS

• Decision leverages Savannah River Site to produce fuel for advanced nuclear reactors.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) announced that it is restarting uranium recovery operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) H Canyon facility in South Carolina. The action is a follow-on to the announcement by DOE-EM in April 2023 that highly enriched uranium stored at SRS would be downblended to produce HALEU.

The decision to restart uranium recovery will produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) needed for advanced reactors, create an opportunity to recover valuable isotopes with limited availability and demonstrate America’s capability to manage the complete nuclear fuel cycle.

In October 2024 officials at SRS told Neutron Bytes the lab will downblend HEU from stocks at the Savannah River Site which is at 20-50% U235 into high assay low enriched fuel (HALEU) at 5-19% U235 for use in advanced reactors including micro reactors.

The current inventory of used nuclear fuel at SRS contains enough highly enriched uranium to create as many as 19 metric tons of HALEU, enough to fuel several proposed small modular reactors. This is a significant increase over DOE’s original plan released in April 2023 of producing just two tonnes of HALEU from the HEU stocks.

Isotope Recovery

The process of uranium recovery also creates an opportunity to recover valuable isotopes currently available in limited domestic quantities, supporting critical needs in scientific research, medical applications and commercial uses.

The decision enables the facility to once again recover uranium and valuable isotopes through its chemical separations capabilities while continuing to safely process used nuclear fuel as part of the site’s cleanup mission.

H Canyon remains the only operating, production-scale, radiologically shielded chemical separations facility in the U.S., successfully operating and recovering uranium and other valuable materials from used nuclear fuel for more than 70 years.

Recovering uranium from used fuel before final disposal also reduces the number of high-level waste canisters needed, advancing EM’s cleanup mission by reducing long-term risks and cost.

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DOE Awards $19M for Spent Fuel R&D

• DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy awarded $19 million to five U.S. companies to research and develop recycling technologies for used nuclear fuel.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy awarded $19 million to five U.S. companies for research and development related to recycling technologies for used nuclear fuel.

“Used nuclear fuel is an incredible untapped resource in the United States,” said Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish.

Less than five percent of the potential energy in the nation’s nuclear fuel is extracted after five years of operation in a commercial reactor. Recycling used nuclear fuel could increase resource utilization by 95 percent, reduce waste by 90 percent, and decrease the amount of uranium needed to operate nuclear reactors.

Additional benefits to nuclear fuel recycling include the recovery and extraction of valuable radioisotopes for medical, industrial, and defense purposes. 

The following companies were selected to help solve the economic and technological challenges associated with nuclear fuel recycling technologies that also meet the nation’s strict nonproliferation standards and national security goals:

• Alpha Nur Inc. will research and validate a process that will recover highly enriched uranium (HEU) from used nuclear fuel produced by U.S. based research reactors and transform it to a usable high assay low enrichment uranium (HALEU) form for reuse in small modular reactor designs.

• Curio Solutions, LLC will develop a process designed to produce uranium hexafluoride gas from used fuel.

• Flibe Energy Inc. will study the use of electrochemical methods to process used nuclear fuel.

• Oklo Inc. will study heavy element deposition in molten salt to optimize a pyro-processing plant design.

• Shine Technologies, LLC will develop a process design that incorporates transport, storage, and disposal together with hydro-processing of used fuel.

Why this Funding is Important

This funding represents a strategic shift in how the U.S. views nuclear fuel—moving from a “waste problem” to a “resource opportunity.”

By investing in these five companies, the Department of Energy (DOE) is laying the groundwork for a Closed Fuel Cycle. Currently, the U.S. uses an “Open Cycle,” where fuel is used once and then stored. Transitioning to a closed cycle has three massive “Big Picture” impacts:

1. Resource Sustainability – Used nuclear fuel still contains about 95% of its original energy. Recycling allows the extraction of the remaining energy, drastically reducing the need for new uranium mining. It’s like finishing the whole meal instead of throwing away the plate after two bites.

2. Radical Waste Reduction – Recycling can reduce the volume of high-level waste by up to 90%. Furthermore, by removing specific long-lived isotopes, the “lifespan” of the remaining waste’s radioactivity can be shortened from hundreds of thousands of years to just a few centuries. This makes long-term storage much simpler and safer.

3. Energy Independence – Advanced reactors (like Small Modular Reactors or SMRs) often require HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium). Currently, much of the world’s supply comes from foreign sources. Recycling “Highly Enriched Uranium” (HEU) from old research reactors into HALEU (as Alpha Nur is doing) helps secure a domestic supply chain.

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DOE Recycles Hanford Building for Uranium Fuel Production

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) announced 02/03/26 that it is partnering with American nuclear fuel company General Matter for the potential use of Hanford’s Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF).

DOE said in its press statement that the “partnership holds great promise for rebuilding the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain and unlocking nuclear energy critical for meeting growing demand for affordable, reliable baseload power needed to fuel the artificial intelligence (AI) race.”

DOE signed a lease with General Matter for the use FMEF for advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies and materials. General Matter will evaluate the engineering feasibility and costs of  returning the facility to service, including site characterization, potential facility upgrades and engagement with community leaders and stakeholders.

FMEF is a 190,000-square-foot facility originally intended to support the Liquid Fast Breeder Reactor Program but was never used in any nuclear capacity. The facility has not supported a DOE mission since 1993 and has since remained in a dormant surveillance and maintenance status.

The effort is related to General Matter’s ongoing development of a new American uranium enrichment facility at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky to rebuild U.S. domestic enrichment capacity.

According to trade press reports, the firm claims to have a novel method for re-enriching uranium tails left over from uranium enrichment processes and held in storage at various sites by DOE in the form of uranium hexafluoride (UF6). The firm has not disclosed technical details of the enrichment process.

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Six Things You Should Know About Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

– NASA could one day use nuclear-powered rocket engines to send astronauts to Mars.

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems aren’t new, but they could significantly reduce travel times and carry greater payloads than today’s top chemical rockets­ — expanding humanity’s opportunity to explore deep space. Here are six  things you should know about nuclear thermal propulsion.

1. NTP Systems Are Powered By Fission

NTP systems work by pumping a liquid propellant, most likely hydrogen, through a reactor core. Uranium atoms split apart inside the core and release heat through fission. This physical process heats up the propellant and converts it to a gas, which is expanded through a nozzle to produce thrust.

2. NTP Systems Are More Efficient Than Chemical Rockets

Engineers measure this performance as specific impulse, which is the amount of thrust you can get from a specific amount of propellant. The specific impulse of a chemical rocket that combusts liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen is 450 seconds, exactly half the propellant efficiency of the initial target for nuclear-powered rockets (900 seconds).

This is because lighter gases are easier to accelerate. When chemical rockets are burned, they produce water vapor, a much heavier byproduct than the hydrogen that is used in a NTP system. This leads to greater efficiency and allows the rocket to travel farther on less fuel.

3. NTP Systems Won’t Be Used At Launch

NTP systems would be launched into space by traditional chemical rockets and enter a planned orbit before they are safely turned on. NTP systems are not designed to produce the amount of thrust needed to leave the Earth’s surface.

4. NTP Systems Will Provide Greater Flexibility

NTP systems offer greater flexibility for deep space missions. They can reduce travel times to Mars by up to 25% and, more importantly, limit a flight crew’s exposure to cosmic radiation. They can also enable broader launch windows that are not dependent on orbital alignments and allow astronauts to abort missions and return to Earth if necessary.

5. NTP Systems Were Developed With Support From DOE

NTP is not new. It was studied by NASA and the Atomic Energy Commission (now the U.S. Department of Energy) during the 1960s as part of the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) program. During this time, Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists helped successfully build and test a number of nuclear rocket engines that today form the basis of current NTP designs.

Although the NERVA program ended in 1972, research continued to improve the basic design, materials, and fuels used for NTP systems.

NASA and DOE are now working with industry to develop updated nuclear thermal propulsion reactor designs. A design competition that led to development of multiple updated NTP reactor designs was held in 2021. Fabrication and initial testing of all major components included in three of the designs has been completed and work continues on integration and manufacturing of full engine systems. 

6. NTP Systems Are Focused On Using Low-Enriched Uranium

DOE is working with NASA to help test, develop and assess the feasibility of using new fuels that require less uranium enrichment for NTP systems. This fuel may be made using new advanced manufacturing techniques and can potentially help reduce security-related costs that come with using highly enriched fuel.

Idaho National Laboratory has helped NASA develop and test fuel composites at its Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility. The testing examined how high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuels perform under the harsh temperature and radiation environments found in NTP reactors. The testing demonstrated that nuclear fuels under development by NASA and DOE are capable of withstanding ramps up to operational nuclear thermal propulsion temperatures without experiencing significant damage.

• Watch the animation above to learn about the benefits of nuclear thermal propulsion.

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Natura, NGL Collaboration for Nuclear Powered Water Treatment in Texas

(WNN) Under the terms of a new agreement, Natura and NGL subsidiary NGL Water Solutions Permian LLC will collaborate in seeking opportunities to combine Natura’s 100 MW molten salt reactor (MSR) with NGL’s produced water treatment and desalination expertise.

The combined system will have potential application for treating produced water from oil and gas operations on an industrial scale and will generate power and clean water for potential beneficial use in data centers, agriculture, and as a new water source for other industries.

The collaboration will also support NGL’s development of critical mineral extraction from its produced water. Produced water is water that is produced as a byproduct of oil and gas extraction, and is typically salty or brackish as well as containing hydrocarbon residues.

The collaboration will utilize NGL’s expected Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit to provide a flexible, economic solution for power generation and create a new water source for Texas.

NGL transports, treats, recycles and disposes of more than 3 million barrels per day of produced and flowback water generated from crude oil and natural gas production in the Permian Basin, the highest-producing oil field in the USA. This sedimentary basin is located in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico.

Natura said in its press statement, “The Permian Basin alone produces more than 20 million barrels of produced water daily. The ability to economically treat large volumes of produced water and enable its beneficial use, particularly for other industrial applications like data centers, will create a scalable alternative to address serious concerns associated with produced water disposal by injection, thereby sustaining the longevity of oil and gas development in the region.”

Natura Resources entered into a memorandum of understanding with Texas Tech University and Abilene Christian University in February 2025 to evaluate integrating Natura’s MSR technology with water desalination systems. The goal of this collaboration, which includes the Texas Produced Water Consortium (TxPWC) at Texas Tech, “is to provide a sustainable solution for water scarcity by purifying produced water from oil and gas operations, making it available for agricultural and other beneficial uses.”

In September 2024, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a license to Abilene Christian University for the construction of a molten salt research reactor on its campus in Abilene, TX, marking the first construction permit for a liquid-fueled advanced reactor and only the second for any advanced reactor issued by the NRC.

The university’s molten salt research reactor (MSRR) will be the first deployment of the Natura MSR-1, a 1 MWt, graphite-moderated, fluoride salt flowing fluid (fuel dissolved in the salt) research reactor. The MSRR will be used for on-campus nuclear research and training opportunities for faculty, staff and students in advanced nuclear technologies.

The reactor – which is expected to be deployed later this year – will significantly expand the university’s salt reactor research and development infrastructure, supporting US molten salt reactor design, development, deployment and market penetration. Natura expects to deploy its first 100-MW commercial-scale reactor – the MSR-100 – in 2029.

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NextEra Piteches Investors to Fund New Nuclear Capacity

(WNN) Speaking during a call with investors last week, NextEra CEO John Ketchum made a pitch to investors saying its NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary “remains focused on both optimizing and adding generating capacity to its nuclear fleet. We continue to advance the recommissioning of our Duane Arnold nuclear plant in IA, made possible by the 25-year power purchase agreement with Google we announced last year. Our nuclear fleet outside Florida is also ripe for advanced nuclear development.

“That’s why we are spending time closely evaluating the capabilities of various SMR OEMs. All told, we have 6GW  of SMR co-location opportunities at our nuclear sites and are working to develop new greenfield sites. Of course, any nuclear new build would have to include the right commercial terms and conditions with appropriate risk-sharing mechanisms that limit our ultimate exposure.”

NextEra Energy Resources, along with its affiliate company Florida Power & Light Company, operates seven nuclear units at four sites: Turkey Point and St Lucie in Florida; Seabrook in New Hampshire; and Point Beach in Wisconsin. Additionally, it plans to restart the Duane Arnold plant in Iowa, which ceased operations in 2020. The plant is scheduled to become operational at the beginning of 2029, pending regulatory approvals.

In October last year, NextEra Energy signed two agreements with Google, including a 25-year purchase power agreement (PPA) from the Duane Arnold plant, as well as agreeing to explore the development of new nuclear generation to be deployed in the USA.

NextEra announced in December an expansion of its collaboration with Google Cloud. Together, the companies plan to jointly develop multiple new gigawatt-scale data center campuses with accompanying generation and capacity. According to NextEra, the companies are already in the process of developing their first three campuses and are working to identify additional locations.

“Our breadth and depth allow us to have a multi-year, multi-gigawatt, multi-technology discussion with hyperscalers,” Ketchum said.

“These data centre hub opportunities, as we call them, represent a powerful channel to originate large generation projects with expansion opportunities where we can grow alongside our hyperscaler partner rather than building on a project-by-project basis. As we discussed in December, our data center hub strategy is all part of our new ’15 by 35′ origination channel and goal for Energy Resources to place in service 15 gigawatts of new generation for data centre hubs by 2035.”

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Newcleo Closes Funding Round Of $85 Million for Lead Cooled SMR

• Investment will be used partly for Precursor demonstration reactor in Italy

(NucNet) Newcleo, a European developer of advanced nuclear technologies, has announced the close of an $85m (€71m) financing round, bringing total funds raised in the past 12 months to over $125m.

The company said in a statement that the latest funding round brings total funds raised by the company since 2021 to over $755 million.

The round included support from existing shareholders such as venture capital firms Kairos and Indaco Ventures, asset manager Azimut Investments, the CERN pension fund and heavy industrial components manufacturer Walter Tosto.

New industrial investors included steel mill manufacturer Danieli, cement and concrete manufacturer Cementir and valves manufacturer Orion Valves, through its investment vehicle Ecoline.

Technology company NextChem, part of the Italy-based engineering group Mairie, has become a newcleo shareholder following the establishment of Next-N, a joint venture focused on the development of engineering services and technologies for the conventional island and balance of plant for the global mall modular reactor market.

Newcleo chief executive officer Stefano Buono said the financing will support the continued deployment of the company’s R&D infrastructure in Europe, including the construction of Precursor, its non-nuclear reactor. It will also accelerate newcleo’s expansion in the US.

The firm said in its press statement that, “the US represents the most dynamic market for advanced reactor technologies. The US is also home to key institutional, strategically aligned investors and market opportunities that we are eager to explore.”

Precursor is a non-nuclear reactor mockup rated at 10 MW thermal with power conversion of approximately 3 MW. Precursor is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies’ Brasimone Research Center in Italy.

Newcleo has said its long-term strategy is to develop and deploy advanced reactor technologies and facilities for multi-recycling of spent nuclear fuel.

The company’s engineering team is working on the basic design of its LFR-AS-30 reactor. Newcleo’s lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology is designed to operate with recycled nuclear fuel, offering the promise of greater sustainability and reduced waste in nuclear energy production.

LFR plants are not yet operating, but are being developed as next-generation, or Generation IV, reactors. Lead has a very high boiling temperature of 1,749°C which means the problem of coolant boiling is for all practical purposes eliminated. This brings with it important safety advantages that also result in design simplification and improved economic performance.

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Avalanche Energy Raises $29 Million for Fusion Work

• Capital enables full private match for Washington State Green Jobs grant and supports buildout of Avalanche’s commercial FusionWERX test facility

Avalanche Energy, a fusion energy startup developing modular compact fusion machines, announced $29 million in new funding led by RA Capital Management. New investors include 8090 Industries, Overlay Capital, and others, with full participation from existing investors Congruent Ventures, Founders Fund, Lowercarbon Capital, and Toyota Ventures, demonstrating increased confidence in Avalanche’s technical progress and commercial roadmap.

The funding reflects significant recent advances in the performance of Avalanche’s compact fusion technology and provides the private matching funds for Avalanche’s $10M grant issued in July 2025 by the Washington State Department of Commerce Green Jobs Grant Program, as well as additional capital to fund the company’s continued commercial growth.

The funding will primarily be deployed to scale FusionWERX, Avalanche’s commercial-scale fusion test facility located in Richland, WA. Funds will also be used to build out Avalanche’s team, order long-lead equipment (including superconducting magnets), and advance the development of the company’s next-generation compact fusion devices that will have use-cases across a broad range of applications including material irradiation, mobile power generation, and power for the electric grid.

Avalanche launched its FusionWERX facility in April 2025 as the first commercial-scale fusion test facility designed to serve the broader fusion industry. The site will operate under a broad-scope radioactive materials license with advanced tritium handling capabilities when fully licensed and operational, expected in 2027.

FusionWERX will provide critical testing infrastructure for fusion technologies, materials development, and workforce training while serving as the site for Avalanche’s own Q>1 deuterium-tritium test program aimed at demonstrating the world’s first net-energy compact fusion system.

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• U.S. Tech Park in Israel May Have a Nuclear Power Plant
• UK is Seeking a Pipeline of Advanced Nuclear Projects
• Think Tank; Europe Must Show Stronger Policy Support Towards Nuclear

U.S. Tech Park in Israel May Have a Nuclear Power Plant

Israel signed an agreement with the U.S. on 01/16/26  to build an industrial park to produce advanced computer chips at a location in the Negev desert that would use a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) to power the factory and nearby data centers also planned for this location.

Where things stand now, according to Israel news media, Israel and the US have inked an agreement to jointly build and operate a large technological park in Israel. The deal is part of a strategic cooperation agreement on AI signed in Jerusalem last month. (Israel government statement)

One of the surprising details to emerge from the discussions on the agreement relates to the energy infrastructure. The huge power demands of data centers and AI computer systems require a large, reliable 7/24/365 energy solution. As a result, the possibility appears to be kicking around of constructing one or more nuclear power plants, most likely SMRs, at the site.

Concept Profile of SMRs powering AI data centers at a site in Israel’s Negev Desert.
Image: Google Gemini

The MOU, signed by the head of the National AI Directorate, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Erez Eskel, and the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, reveals an ambitious plan to allocate 4,000 acres to the U.S. The semiconductor manufacturing industrial park, which will be constructed in the Negev Desert, or less likely in the Gaza Strip border area, will be called “Fort Foundry One.” Israel aired a similar proposal in May 2025 to develop a commercial nuclear reactor near Shivta which is located in the Negev desert about 100 miles due south of Tel Avi.

Helberg travelled to Israel after signing similar agreements in Doha and Abu Dhabi. He said that Israel was an “anchor partner” in the effort, thanks to its technological ecosystem and its ability to produce “asymmetric results” in relation to its geographical size.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Jacob Helberg said, “With the launch of Pax Silica, the United States and Israel are uniting our innovation ecosystems to ensure the future is shaped by strong and sovereign allies leading in critical technologies like AI and robotics.”  

Helberg comes to his role as a former lobbyist for Silicon Valley information technology firms and as a former executive for Google. One of his key interest areas has been addressing the national security risks posed to the U.S. by China. He wrote a book on the subject, The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power, (2021) calling for a stronger U.S. strategy against China’s technological ambition. According to the publisher’s book jacket, Helberg led Google’s global internal product policy efforts to combat disinformation and foreign interference in U.S. domestic affairs.

U.S. Thinks a Contractual Fig Leaf Can Cover the Absence off a 123 Agreement

Israel to date has no experience with civilian nuclear power plants used for electricity generation. The country has reportedly produced an unspecified number of nuclear weapons used as a deterrence factor when dealing with hostile neighbors like Iran. Also, Israel has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty due to its policy of strategic ambiguity and its obvious reluctance to reveal the extent of its nuclear arsenal.

The official MOU for the Negev AI data center remains somewhat vague referring to a “high-intensity energy infrastructure” but it clearly is pointing to small modular reactors (50-300 MW). Due to the location in the extremely dry Negev desert, an advanced design, such as an HTGR, which does not require cooling water to operate, is likely to be chosen should the project reach a stage where a reactor design would be selected for this site.

The joint initiative is part of a broad international framework launched by the Trump administration called “Pax Silica“, a coalition of about twelve countries in technology, the aim of which is to secure supply chains of semiconductors and AI. Taiwan did not sign the agreement.

Israel joined the initiative in December 2025, and was the first country to sign a bilateral agreement with the U.S. in this framework. Among the other countries in the coalition are Qatar, the UAE, Australia, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and United Kingdom.

The Heavy Lift Associated with Civilian Nuclear Power in Israel

Israel has abundant natural gas supplies to support private wire gas power generation for data centers. It doesn’t need small modular reactors to power them.

The geopolitical heavy lift that would be required for a civilian nuclear power plant in Israel would probably set off a similar request from Saudi Arabia for the same kind of deal.

The Saudi government has been stalled for years in its quest for US nuclear reactors due to its insistence on the right to uranium enrichment as part of a 123 Agreement with the U.S.

The Saudi government sees enrichment as a deterrence signal to Iran over its nuclear program. If the U.S. gives a green light to Israel, through some kind of three bank policy pool shot, to build U.S. supplied civlian SMRs, without a 123 Agreement,  the Saudis would likely ask for a similar deal.

While President Trump has busted through a lot of international norms, and removed the U.S. from multilateral agreements like climate change, busting the bounds of the Nonproliferation Treaty would set a dangerous precedent that could be followed by similar actions by Russia and China.

This would move the planet into dangerous territory. For this reason, consideration of a U.S. managed nuclear power plant in Israel may be too hot a potato for even Trump to toss over the transom. Bipartisan opposition in the Senate would be almost certain for a civilian nuclear reactor deal with Israel without a 123 agreement.

Israel does not have an agreement with the U.S. under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy act as such a move would require it to declare the extent of its nuclear infrastructure. The Israeli government has relied on strategic ambiguity about how many nuclear devices it has as a deterrence measure. The Israeli government is not going to give that a significant military advantage away to get a couple of small modular reactors to power data centers in a white collar industrial park.

Finally, the news release by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office about the U.S. deal may be one of a series of trial balloons the Israeli government has floated over the years about civilian nuclear power so it should be viewed with some skepticism for that point alone.

The U.S. plan apparently is to cover these issues with a contractual fig leaf that depends on a unique model in which the reactor operates under U.S. safety regulation and supervision, despite being located on Israeli territory. It’s a pretty thin leaf.

Watch What We Do Not What We Say

It is not lost on the Saudi and Israel governments that India enjoys a special relationship regarding recent developments that open the door to India for acquisition of civilian U.S. nuclear reactor technologies, without having a 123 Agreement, while these two nations are locked out the same opportunities.

Where things get complicated is that the Saudi government has undoubtedly been watching how U.S. nuclear reactor firms are faring with India for some time. Recently, India opened the door to U.S. nuclear reactors by terminating its supplier liability law that had acted very effectively as a trade barrier for U.S. firms.

Almost at the same time, the Department of Energy granted Holtec permission to export its 300 MW SMR to India.  The authorization names three Indian companies – Larsen & Tubro (Mumbai), Tata Consulting Engineers (Mumbai) and the company’s own subsidiary, Holtec Asia (Pune) – as eligible entities with whom Holtec can share necessary technical information to execute its SMR-300 program. Holtec also plans to build a factory in India to manufacture the small reactors as well as other nuclear energy components. Westinghouse is expected to seek to enter the Indian nuclear market in the near future.

What the Saudi government sees is that U.S. policy towards India shows a remarkably different approach to a country which has declared it has a nuclear arsenal, has tested its nuclear weapons, and is not a party to the Nonproliferation Treaty. Further, India does not have a 123 agreement with the U.S. and has no immediate plans to seek one. Israel has likely come to the same point of view.

The fact that Israel has signed an MOU with the U.S. that could potentially involve it  acquiring U.S. manufactured SMRs is a signal that if India can do it, so can Israel. Saudi Arabia will not be far behind in asking for the same deal should the Israeli industrial park agreement move forward beyond the MOU stage.

Saudi Plans for AI Data Centers Points to Nuclear Reactor to Power Them

The Saudi government’s ambitious plans and programs to transform the oil rich company into a regional powerhouse for artificial intelligence will require significant investments in electricity generation to power the AI data centers needed to carry out this effort.

According to a report in the New York Times, Saudi Arabia is investing $40 billion to become a dominant player for the use of AI in the Middle East. Data centers to support this program will require enormous amounts of electrical power to support the advanced semiconductors that process AI software, to power the data centers themselves, and to keep them cool in one of the hottest regions on the planet.

It follows that the Saudi government will coordinate its plans for a  nuclear new build with its massive investments in AI. It is likely that sooner or later Saudi Arabia will need to break ground on the first two reactors in anticipation of the need for power for its AI program and related data centers.

It may decide that building commercial nuclear power plants to power its AI program is more important than the geopolitical consideration of having access to nuclear technologies with or without a U.S. 123 Agreement. Given the U.S. course of actions with India, Saudi Arabia may ask for the same kind of deal thus bypassing the entire enrichment policy issue it has with the U.S.

The Saud government has a tender outstanding, which has been on hold for some time, to build two 1,400 MW PWR type reactors. It has also explored options for SMRs for data centers and to power desalination plants to provide potable water for general and industrial uses. A award for the two reactors could be the first order of business the Saudi government will seek to pursue in asking for the same deal the U.S. gave India.

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UK is Seeking a Pipeline of Advanced Nuclear Projects

(WNN) In order to speed up deployment of advanced nuclear and attract private investment, the UK government said it is launching a ‘pipeline’ of credible projects that meet essential readiness criteria. It said a ‘concierge-style’ service will help developers understand requirements around UK planning, regulation and fuel, as well as enabling them to crowd-in private investment. (Complete UK Government Statement Regarding ‘Project Enablers’)


The U.K. government wants to create a “pipeline” of nuclear power plants, of all sizes and technology/design types through a series of enabling policy mechanisms.  Image: Google Gemini.

Developers can use the Advanced Nuclear Framework to submit proposals to join the pipeline from March this year, which will then be assessed by experts in government and Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) according to key criteria such as technology status, developer capability, and financing plans.

Successful applicants would receive in-principle government endorsement. While they would be expected to be privately financed, it would also open up discussions on what support from the government might be needed to help get projects off the ground, while providing value to the taxpayer and billpayer, including: revenue support once projects are operational; and risk protections for extremely rare events to develop projects with little risk for the taxpayer. Additionally, projects can approach the National Wealth Fund, who can act as a catalytic investor for projects that meet their investment criteria, and help de-risk further private investment.

“Advanced nuclear technology could revolutionize how we power industry and propel the AI data center boom – delivering more clean energy and jobs,” said Minister for Nuclear Patrick Vallance.

Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “This framework provides welcome clarity and momentum for advanced nuclear projects in the UK. A clear process by which projects can get an in-principle government endorsement is vital to unlocking private investment and giving developers the confidence to move from ambition to delivery.”

Scope of Advanced Reactors Projects in the UK

Lord Livermore, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, added: “This government is delivering the largest investment in nuclear power in a generation to create new jobs and to drive economic growth right across the UK. The plans we have published today will provide investors with the long-term confidence they need to back advanced nuclear technologies here in Britain.”

“Britain is one of the first to champion the development of cutting-edge nuclear projects driven by the private sector, recently announcing major commercial deals between UK and US companies,” said the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. “This includes plans for X-Energy and Centrica to build 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, supporting 2,500 jobs, as well as plans for Holtec, EDF, and Tritax to build small modular reactors at the former coal-fired power station Cottam in Nottinghamshire, providing clean, secure power to data centers on the site. Meanwhile TerraPower is working with engineering firm KBR to explore the potential deployment of its Natrium advanced reactor technology in the UK and beyond.”

The government is also publishing a Statement on Civil Nuclear Fuel Use, which sets out the requirements for uranium-based fuels used in civil nuclear reactors, providing clarity for the sector. It ensures alignment with national objectives for energy security, environmental protection, and long-term used fuel and waste management.

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Think Tank; Europe Must Show Stronger Policy Support Towards Nuclear To Attract Private Investment

(NucNet) Brussels-based think tank the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) says financing for nuclear projects within the European Union remains the central bottleneck for a real nuclear renaissance. Clearer public policies are required to stimulate private investment.  (full CEPS statement)

Image: Google Gemini

CEPS said that while the advent of small modular reactors (SMRs) might eventually alter the dynamic, strong public backing, as well as funding, remained indispensable.

“This doesn’t diminish the role of private investment,” CEPS said. “Strong political and policy support, including de-risking options such as state-backed guarantees, are essential for underpinning private investment and lowering financing costs.”

CEPS added that private investors would only commit to financing projects if EU states provide “robust, transparent risk-sharing to kickstart deployment.”

It said that EU funding and de-risking tools also matter, with the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) “cautious re-engagement” with nuclear being welcomed. The EIB finances some nuclear power projects, but is particularly focused on those that are seen as “technically, environmentally and economically justified.”

Sweden’s Policy Outlook

CEPS said that currently perhaps only Sweden met the conditions of providing a clear policy outlook. It said its government loans, political guarantees, and two-way contracts for difference were useful case studies. Sweden has since 2022 looked to bring back nuclear power to the table having recognized the limitations of creating a system principally led by renewables.

According to the CEPS, Poland also provided a good example having committed state aid to finance its first nuclear power station. The project was signed off in a record time of under 12 months by the European Commission.

Poland’s Commitments

Poland committed an estimated PLN 60 billion (€14.2b, $16.8bn) for a power station that will use three Westinghouse AP1000 reactor units. Having provided such support, the country also said in December that it had received 26 preliminary offers from banks to support the debt financing for the project.

CEPS said that more EU states were beginning to turn to nuclear in recognition of its system-level benefits, its contribution to meeting climate goals, and its role as a core component of the energy system transformation.

“At EU level, pragmatism appears to be gaining ground, even as existing frameworks still fall short of fully leveraging nuclear’s strengths,” CEPS said.

It cautioned, however, that the prospects of nuclear still hinged on the industry’s ability to deliver projects on time and within budget, and most importantly on states’ willingness to provide financial and political backing.

CEPS said that all eyes would be on the ability of Korea Hydro & Nuclear (KHNP) to replicate its on-time and on-budget Barakah nuclear project in the United Arab Emirates with its $18bn (€15.7bn) project in the Czech Republic.

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