Articles tagged with "microreactors"
Canada's transportable nuclear power plant tech ready for remote use
Canadian company Prodigy Clean Energy has completed a two-year research and development program to advance its Transportable Nuclear Power Plant (TNPP) technology, a type of small modular reactor (SMR) designed for deployment in remote and off-grid regions. The TNPP aims to provide clean, reliable, and emission-free baseload power to challenging environments such as Canada’s North, where extreme remoteness, harsh Arctic conditions, and reliance on costly diesel fuel complicate energy supply. The technology targets applications including military bases, Indigenous communities, and critical infrastructure, supporting food and water security, Arctic trade corridors, and Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy. To address logistical and environmental challenges in Northern construction—such as limited transportation infrastructure, extreme weather, and permafrost thaw—Prodigy combines established nuclear technology with maritime-style factory fabrication and transport. The TNPP arrives fully assembled and is installed within a protected enclosure at shorelines, either on land or in marine harbors, with fueling and commissioning completed on-site
energynuclear-powersmall-modular-reactorsmicroreactorsclean-energyremote-power-generationCanadian-energy-technologyUS firm gets first nuclear material shipment for advanced reactor fuel
US-based Standard Nuclear has received its first shipment of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) feedstock at its Oak Ridge, Tennessee facility, marking a significant milestone in the US Department of Energy's (DOE) initiative to establish a domestic fuel supply chain for advanced nuclear reactors. Standard Nuclear, specializing in tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel production, is the first company authorized by the DOE to both receive HALEU and process it into fuel. This shipment, allocated by the DOE to Radiant—a California-based nuclear microreactor developer—provides enough material to produce a full core load for Radiant’s planned advanced reactor demonstration in 2026. The project operates under an Other Transaction Agreement with the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office and is part of a broader federal effort backed by $2.7 billion in funding to develop a domestic supply of uranium enriched between 5% and 20%, reducing reliance on foreign sources. Radiant aims to test its
energynuclear-energyadvanced-reactorsTRISO-fuelHALEUmicroreactorsuranium-materialsFrance’s next-gen reactor burning nuclear waste gets robotic upgrade
French nuclear startup NAAREA has partnered with Italian robotics firm Fluid Wire Robotics (FWR) to equip its next-generation XAMR microreactors and fuel production facilities with advanced robotic systems. The XAMR is a fourth-generation fast neutron microreactor designed to generate 40 megawatts electric and 80 megawatts thermal power by burning long-lived nuclear waste from spent fuel. NAAREA plans to deploy these microreactors near energy-intensive industrial sites, retaining ownership to ensure ongoing safety and maintenance. Given the reactors’ operation in extreme environments—characterized by high radiation, temperatures, and underwater conditions—robotic solutions are critical for inspection, maintenance, fuel handling, and eventual dismantling. FWR’s proprietary “Fluid Wire” hydrostatic transmission system enables robotic arms with six degrees of freedom to operate remotely in high-radiation zones without exposing sensitive electronics to damage. This technology offers precise manipulation with force feedback and can withstand radiation doses up to 1.5 MGy, temperatures
roboticsnuclear-energymicroreactorsrobotic-automationindustrial-roboticsradiation-resistant-robotsnuclear-waste-managementMultiple small nuclear reactors to power US Army bases within a year
The U.S. Army, in partnership with the Department of Energy, has announced the Janus program to deploy multiple small nuclear reactors at military bases, particularly in the Pacific region, within the next year. These next-generation microreactors aim to provide resilient, secure, and uninterrupted power to national defense installations, reducing reliance on vulnerable fossil fuel supply chains such as diesel generators. The reactors are designed to operate for decades without refueling or servicing, enhancing energy security and operational readiness for forward-deployed forces. Janus builds on earlier efforts like Project Pele, which focuses on mobile, transportable microreactors using advanced fourth-generation nuclear technology, with operational reactors expected by 2026. The program aligns with Executive Order 14299, mandating the deployment of Army-regulated nuclear reactors at domestic military installations by 2028. The Army will lead Janus with support from the Department of Energy, emphasizing safety, oversight, and integration with the full nuclear fuel cycle to strengthen defense and industrial capabilities.
energynuclear-powersmall-modular-reactorsmilitary-energy-solutionsmicroreactorsUS-Army-energyadvanced-nuclear-technologyUS team funded to explore nuclear fuel for space, remote reactors
Scientists at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) are collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory on a Department of Energy-funded project to study the performance of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel in small modular and microreactors. Led by Dr. Ayodeji Alajo, the research focuses on HALEU fuel enriched between 5 and 20 percent uranium-235, which is higher than the fuel used in current commercial reactors but lower than highly enriched uranium used in older research reactors. The goal is to evaluate how HALEU behaves under various conditions, including remote locations and space missions, where reactors must operate safely for extended periods without refueling. The Missouri S&T Reactor (MSTR), operating at 200 kilowatts and housed in a large water pool for radiation shielding, will serve as the testbed for this research. Unlike commercial reactors that generate electricity, MSTR is used solely for research, allowing scientists to observe nuclear fission and
energynuclear-fuelsmall-modular-reactorsmicroreactorsHALEUnuclear-engineeringspace-reactors4th-gen nuclear reactors near US launch as advanced fuel line goes live
BWX Technologies (BWXT) has launched a new production line for Uranium Nitride TRISO fuel at its Lynchburg Technology Center in Virginia, marking a significant step toward supporting Generation IV nuclear reactors. The completion of a chemical vapor infiltration furnace enabled the line to become operational, allowing the facility to produce additively manufactured fuel forms with a higher density of TRISO particles per pellet. TRISO fuel particles feature a uranium core surrounded by carbon and silicon carbide layers designed to contain fission products at extremely high temperatures, enhancing fuel efficiency and potentially reducing reactor system costs. This initiative is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), which backs BWXT’s BANR high-temperature gas microreactor design. BWXT’s new line focuses on uranium nitride fuel, distinct from its existing uranium oxycarbide TRISO fuel used in the Department of Defense’s Project Pele. The company collaborates with Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to test
energynuclear-energyadvanced-reactorsTRISO-fueladditive-manufacturingmicroreactorsfuel-efficiencySweden team tests 100 rare nuclei to unlock nuclear fission secrets
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden conducted an experimental study using a large superconducting magnet to investigate nuclear fission in 100 exotic nuclei, including elements like platinum, mercury, and lead. Their goal was to better understand the fission process, which is fundamental both for improving cleaner nuclear energy generation and for insights into element formation in the universe. Nuclear fission typically produces asymmetric fragments—unequal in size and mass—due to the nuclear shell structure, where certain numbers of protons and neutrons confer greater stability. However, prior research focused mainly on a limited set of long-lived isotopes, leaving the fission behavior of many exotic, short-lived nuclei poorly understood. The team specifically studied nuclei with more protons than neutrons to identify which shell effects cause the nucleus to split asymmetrically into a lighter and a heavier fragment. Their surprising finding was that the enhanced stability of the smaller fission fragment is linked to a specific proton number—36—indicating a previously un
energynuclear-fissionnuclear-energyclean-energyradioactive-wastesmall-modular-reactorsmicroreactorsWorld’s first mass-produced nuclear reactor to enter testing in US
nuclear-energymicroreactorsenergy-innovationmodular-reactorsportable-energy-solutionsadvanced-nuclear-technologyrenewable-energy