Industry

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published its 2024–2025 Information Digest, NUREG-1350, Vol. 35, which describes the agency’s responsibilities and activities and provides general information regarding nuclear-related topics.

According to the NRC, the digest is intended to be a quick reference with important facts about the NRC and the industry it regulates presented publicly in an “easy-to-understand format” with visual aids.

The NRC published the digest annually from 1989 until 2023, when the agency switched to a two-year publication cycle. The next digest containing updated data will be published in February 2027.

A team from Idaho National Laboratory and the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy recently visited Carolina Fabricators Inc. (CFI) in West Columbia, S.C., to launch the fabrication process for the primary coolant system of the MARVEL microreactor. Battelle Energy Alliance, which manages INL, awarded the CFI contract in January.

Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.

Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.

SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Trump last week and agreed to a new initiative to drive “transformative change across key pillars of cooperation” between the two countries.

Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

Mission of Gen IV International Forum is extended

A framework agreement to continue the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) beyond its scheduled February 2025 expiration was signed by representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom at November’s COP29 meeting in Azerbaijan. The new agreement, which excludes previous signatory Russia, focuses on the sharing of information and pooling of funds for advanced nuclear technologies. The agreement also sets a goal of deploying fourth-generation nuclear technology by 2030. The specific advanced technologies identified by the forum are gas-cooled fast reactors, lead-cooled fast reactors, molten salt reactors, sodium-cooled fast reactors, supercritical water–cooled reactors, and very-high-temperature reactors.

From lifting moratoriums to launching studies to labeling it as clean, state lawmakers are exploring ways to give nuclear energy a boost in 2025. Here’s a look at some of the pronuclear legislation under review.

The Tennessee Valley Authority announced last week the selection of several partners—Bechtel, Sargent & Lundy, and GE Hitachi—to advance plans for what the company hopes will be its first small modular reactor project at its Clinch River site.

Wright

Chris Wright, president-elect Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, spent hours today fielding questions from members of the U.S. Senate’s committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

During the hearing, Wright—who’s spent most of his career in fossil fuels—made comments in support of nuclear energy and efforts to expand domestic generation in the near future. Asked what actions he would take as energy secretary to improve the development and deployment of SMRs, Wright said: “It’s a big challenge, and I’m new to government, so I can’t list off the five levers I can pull. But (I’ve been in discussions) about how to make it easier to research, to invest, to build things. The DOE has land at some of its facilities that can be helpful in this regard.”

The U.S. departments of Energy and State have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Korea’s ministries of Trade, Industry and Energy and of Foreign Affairs for the two nations to partner on nuclear exports and cooperation.

Nuclear manufacturer BWX Technologies has announced its plan to acquire Kinectrics Inc. for approximately $525 million. The deal is expected to close in mid-2025.

Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

DOE signs up first foreign partner for ARPA-E project

The Department of Energy has selected Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre as the first-ever foreign partner to join an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) research project. The program is designed to accelerate the commercial development of fusion energy, with a focus on developing materials for the fusion reactor wall that can withstand extreme temperatures and radiation.

The U.S. General Services Administration has announced a historic long-term purchase of electricity, including carbon-free electricity, from Constellation New Energy Inc. to power 13 federal agencies. In combination with another GSA contract, Constellation secured more than $1 billion from the deal.

Constellation is launching a pilot program that allows its Washington, D.C., customers to purchase 100 percent nuclear energy for their homes.

It's been another successful publishing year for the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear News, Radwaste Solutions, the online Nuclear Newswire, and the NN Daily newsletter.

For Nuclear News, below are the publishing themes for 2025.

If you have story ideas for any of these themes or for Radwaste Solutions, please contact Nucnews@ans.org.

Lisa Marshall
president@ans.org

Several questions loom after federal and state elections: What does the future hold for nuclear science and technology? Will there be a shift in direction? How do we continue and expand our impact on energy and nonenergy initiatives? The American Nuclear Society is an organization of people, policies, and products. We innovate, educate, and facilitate collaboration. We advance the field, serving our members and engaging with communities. With every travel assignment, I have witnessed the collective passion and action of our members toward fuller participation and societal enhancement based on nuclear technology. The work is not done, but there is forward momentum.

We have never been a field that does not answer the call, and at this year’s Winter Conference and Expo, we explored the very apt theme “Now comes the hard part.”

Among the plenaries and technical sessions were panels about engaging and educating the next generation of nuclear professionals, the growth of nuclear engineering departments in higher education, a student design competition, and—as one might expect in November during an election year—keeping nuclear out of the political fray.

Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

Partnership formed for Idaho microreactors

Aalo Atomics has partnered with Idaho Falls Power to focus on the deployment of seven Aalo-1 microreactors that would provide a total of 75 MWe of power. The sodium-cooled microreactors—each with a 10-MWe capacity—are to be built at Aalo Atomics’ new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. The reactor’s safety system, incorporating uranium zirconium hydride fuel, is designed to automatically shut down the reactor should it overheat. Aalo Atomics, which is currently constructing an Aalo-0 nonnuclear test reactor in Austin, intends to build an Aalo-X experimental reactor at Idaho National Laboratory before shifting to the Aalo-1 commercial unit. The Aalo-1 is not expected to come on line before 2030.

Advanced reactor developer Terrestrial Energy and Utah-based waste management company EnergySolutions announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the siting and deployment of Terrestrial Energy’s integral molten salt reactor plants at EnergySolutions-owned sites.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency in late November reported on a range of “New at the NEA” activities.

Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) has acquired a 665-acre parcel of land for its planned Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) in Kentucky.

Here is a recap of industry happenings from the recent past:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

Startup Longview Fusion signs CRADA with LLNL

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Longview Fusion Energy Systems have reached a cooperative research and development agreement that builds upon the LLNL National Ignition Facility’s repeated demonstrations of fusion energy gain and supports Longview’s efforts toward the commercialization of fusion energy. The agreement calls for the national lab and the California company to combine their laser fusion science and technology expertise for the purpose of developing a performance/economic model that can optimize Longview’s fusion power plant designs. In addition, critical requirements are established for Longview’s fusion technology systems and facilities, while a technology road map to mature these systems is being developed. The new agreement complements a set of Department of Energy programs involving LLNL and Longview that are designed to accelerate the delivery of laser fusion energy according to the Biden administration’s Bold Decadal Vision for fusion commercialization.