Making AI fit for purpose: DOE-led applications in energy and nuclear research

August 5, 2024, 12:00PMNuclear News
The ALCF AI Testbed includes the AI systems represented in this collage: Cerebras, Graphcore, Groq, and SambaNova. (Image: Argonne National Laboratory)

Generative artificial intelligence paired with advanced diagnostic tools could detect potential problems in nuclear power plants and deliver a straightforward explanation to operators in real time. That’s the premise of research out of the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, and just one example of the DOE’s increasing exploration of AI applications in nuclear science and technology research. Training and restraining novel AI systems take expertise and data, and the DOE has access to both. According to a flurry of reports and announcements in recent months, the DOE is setting out its plans to ensure the United States can use AI to its advantage to enhance energy security and national security.

IAEA: Cooling pond water levels decreasing at Ukraine nuclear plant

August 5, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News

The water level in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant cooling pond continues to decrease, creating a serious safety threat.

“If this trend continues, ZNPP staff confirmed that it will soon become challenging to pump water from the pond. Maintaining the level of the pond is made more difficult by the hot summer weather,” said Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in an update issued August 2.

Segmentation of Italy’s Garigliano reactor vessel continues

August 5, 2024, 7:00AMRadwaste Solutions
Remote equipment is used to remove components from the Garigliano reactor vessel. (Photo: Sogin)

Sogin (Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari), the state-owned company responsible for the decommissioning of Italy’s nuclear plants and the management of radioactive waste, announced on July 30 that it has completed the first phase of dismantling Garigliano nuclear power plant’s reactor vessel with the removal of contaminated metal components from the deflector.

The JT-60SA project

August 2, 2024, 3:01PMNuclear NewsTakahiro Suzuki
Fig. 1. A photograph (left) and schematic figure (right) of JT-60SA. (Source: Naka Institute)

JT-60SA (Japan Torus-60 Super Advanced) is the world’s largest superconducting tokamak device. Its goal is the earlier realization of fusion energy (see Fig. 1). Fusion is the energy that powers the Sun, and just 1 gram of deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel produces enormous energy—the equivalent of 8 tons of crude oil.

Last fall, the JT-60SA project announced an important milestone: the achievement of the tokamak’s first plasma. This article describes the objectives of the JT-60SA project, achievements in the operation campaign for the first plasma, and next steps.

Constellation accepting applications for 2024 Energy to Educate grant program

August 2, 2024, 12:00PMNuclear News

Constellation is taking applications for its 2024 E2 Energy to Educate grant program, which provides funding for student projects focusing on energy innovation.

Educators and students in grades 6–12 can apply for program grants of up to $25,000, and those in two- and four-year colleges can apply for grants of up to $50,000.

Navajo Nation tests tribal law banning uranium transport

August 2, 2024, 9:31AMNuclear News

Members of the Navajo Nation are challenging the legality of uranium ore transport from a mine in Arizona across tribal lands to a processing facility in Utah.

A 2012 law bans uranium transport on the vast Navajo Nation land, which covers portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Navajo Nation president Buu Nygren issued an executive order on Wednesday saying that there must be an agreement before uranium is transported through the reservation.

Subsequent license renewal critical to meeting U.S. climate goals

August 2, 2024, 7:01AMNuclear NewsDoug Lawrence

Doug Lawrence

As the United States intensifies its efforts to combat climate change and transition to a low-carbon energy future, the role of nuclear energy has never been more critical.

One key strategy in this transition is the subsequent license renewal (SLR) of our existing nuclear power plants, allowing them to operate for up to 80 years. This extension brings several significant benefits.

Continued low-carbon energy production—By extending the life of existing nuclear power plants, we ensure a steady supply of low-carbon energy, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and helping meet our nation’s emission reduction targets. Given that nuclear power currently provides nearly 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply and more than half of its low-carbon electricity, maintaining this capacity is vital for a sustainable energy future.

DOE asks for input on spent fuel package safety demonstration

August 1, 2024, 3:00PMRadwaste Solutions
The Atlas railcar carries a simulated shipment of spent nuclear fuel during testing in September 2023. (Photo: DOE)

The Department of Energy has issued a request for information to gather input on its proposed package performance demonstration, which is intended to demonstrate the robustness of spent nuclear fuel transportation casks in hypothetical accident conditions. By simulating severe accident scenarios, the DOE said it intends to show to the public and stakeholders the safety and reliability of transporting SNF by rail, heavy-haul truck, and barge.

TVA exploring advanced nuclear plans at Clinch River, Bellefonte

August 1, 2024, 12:00PMNuclear News
Bellefonte nuclear power plant. (Photo: TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority this week discussed the potential for new nuclear technology at its sites during its second-quarter earnings call.

TVA and GE Hitachi signed an agreement in 2022 to develop and deploy a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tenn.

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The U.S. and U.K. are both investing in HALEU. How do the programs compare?

August 1, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News
Urenco’s Capenhurst enrichment site in the U.K. (Photo: Urenco)

A plan to build up a high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel cycle in the United Kingdom to support the deployment of advanced reactors is still in place after the Labour party was voted to power on July 4, bringing 14 years of conservative government to an end. A competitive solicitation for grant funding to build a commercial-scale HALEU deconversion facility opened days before the election, and the support of the new government was confirmed by a set of updates on July 19. But what does the U.K. HALEU program entail, and how does it differ from the U.S. HALEU Availability Program?

NWTRB meeting to focus on DOE plans for spent fuel disposal

August 1, 2024, 7:00AMRadwaste Solutions

The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) announced it will hold a public meeting on August 29 to review information on the Department of Energy’s management and plans for disposing of its spent nuclear fuel. The hybrid (in-person/virtual) meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. EDT and is scheduled to adjourn at approximately 5:00 p.m. EDT.

After months of troubleshooting, SRS system gets a new component

July 31, 2024, 3:47PMRadwaste Solutions
The original 1950s-era condenser is lifted out of the GPE system by a 100-ton crane at SRS's H Canyon chemical separations facility. (Photo: DOE)

Workers at the Savannah River Site have recently completed the replacement of a piece of equipment that the Department of Energy said in a July 31 press release is “essential for operations in the site’s H Canyon chemical separations capable facility.”

Rolls-Royce SMR earns second U.K. assessment

July 31, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News
Rendition of a Rolls-Royce SMR site.(Image: Rolls-Royce)

The small modular reactor design from Rolls-Royce has cleared step two of the United Kingdom’s generic design assessment (GDA) and is moving to the third and final step.

The company announced its progress and lauded “Rolls-Royce SMR’s position ahead of any other SMR in Europe” in a July 30 press release. Rolls-Royce SMR touts its ability to deliver new nuclear power based on proven technology, providing a “factory-built” power station to provide enough energy for a million homes for a 60-year stretch.

Construction begins on Kairos’s fluoride salt–cooled test reactor

July 30, 2024, 3:00PMNuclear News
Workers begin construction at the Hermes site in Oak Ridge, Tenn. (Photo: Kairos Power)

Earlier today, on a site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., that was formerly home to the K-33 Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Kairos Power marked the start of construction on its low-power demonstration reactor. Named Hermes, the 35-MWt test reactor claims status as the first Gen IV reactor to be approved for construction by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the first non–light water reactor to be permitted in the United States in more than 50 years.

Waste retrieval underway on third set of underground tanks at Hanford

July 30, 2024, 12:01PMRadwaste Solutions
A June 2024 photo shows solid waste inside the single-shell Tank A-101 at the Hanford Site’s A Tank Farm. (Photo: DOE)

Work crews have started retrieval of radioactive and chemical waste from a third set of underground storage tanks at the Hanford Site, according to the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management. Contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is retrieving and transferring more than 325,000 gallons of waste from the single-shell Tank A-101 at the site's A Tank Farm. The waste is being sent to a newer double-shell tank for continued safe storage.

Retrieval activities began one month after workers emptied the site’s 21st single-shell tank. Waste removed from the 21 tanks totals about 3 million gallons.

U.K., Japan step up progress toward fusion power demonstrations

July 30, 2024, 9:30AMNuclear News
A screengrab from a video released by the STEP program on July 23 illustrating the future home of the prototype fusion power plant. (Image: UKAEA/STEP)

Japan’s recent moves to boost fusion power in the nation’s energy plan and accelerate the timeline for a prototype fusion power plant come in response to increased global attention on fusion energy. Even as ITER faces delays, more than 40 private fusion developers are pursuing different technologies and competing for attention. And so are other countries, including the United Kingdom, which announced its plans for a fusion pilot plant back in 2019. Fusion companies and nations alike are responding to a growing sense that there is a race—or at least collective momentum—to commercialize fusion energy.