NRC report updates decommissioning cost guidance

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has updated its guidance for nuclear power plant owners and operators in estimating the cost of decommissioning their reactors. Licensed power reactor operators are required under NRC regulations to annually adjust the estimated costs (in current year U.S. dollars) of decommissioning their plants to ensure that adequate funds are available when needed.

SMR simulator development is focus of North Carolina grant

The North Carolina Collaboratory, a research funding agency established by the North Carolina General Assembly to partner with academic institutions and government entities, has awarded a grant to North Carolina State University and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) for research into small modular reactors. The funded research project, “Academic Boiling Water–Small Modular Reactor (BW-SMR) Simulator for Research, Development, and Educational Purposes,” focuses on the development of a digital-based simulator for GEH’s BWRX-300, a Gen III+ light water SMR.

IEA report focuses on SMRs and investment

Tue, Feb 18, 2025, 5:57PMANS Nuclear Cafe

The International Energy Agency has published a new report examining opportunities for the nuclear power industry to address concerns related to energy security and climate change. The Path to a New Era for Nuclear Energy explores areas of policy, innovation, construction, and financing with an emphasis on investment-related issues regarding small modular reactors.

The IEA report describes encouraging developments taking place in the nuclear energy industry, such as increasing investment, technology advances, and supportive policies in many countries. But it also notes that certain key challenges need to be overcome if nuclear energy is to meet the needs of rising electricity demand, including demands from artificial intelligence and data centers. In addition to examining the present global status of nuclear power, the report evaluates the long-term outlook, quantifying expected capacity and investment through 2050.

IAEA: Chernobyl drone strike latest threat to nuclear safety in Ukraine

Tue, Feb 18, 2025, 3:31PMNuclear News
The New Safe Confinement over unit 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 2017. (Photo: Tim Porter)

Social media this past weekend streamed with reactionary posts following a drone strike last Friday at the site of the destroyed reactor from the 1986 Chernobyl accident. The drone—armed with a warhead—ripped a hole in the New Safe Confinement (NSC), a large structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the damaged reactor unit 4 and to protect it from any external hazard. The drone strike caused a fire that was still smoldering in places as of Monday morning, and left a hole larger than 500 square feet. Efforts continue to mitigate the consequences of the fire and extinguish isolated smouldering areas of the NSC's insulation material.

Due to damage to the external and internal cladding of the NSC's arch and main crane system equipment, the safety boundaries and operational conditions of the NSC complex have been compromised, according to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant Facebook page.

Neutron Vision at Los Alamos: Exploring the Frontiers of Nuclear Materials Science

Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 8:58PMNuclear NewsAlexander Long and Sven Vogel
Beamline scientist Sven Vogel installs a highly radioactive post-irradiated nuclear fuel sample into the sample chamber on Flight Path 4 (HIPPO) at the Lujan Center. The sample chamber is equipped with a robotic arm capable of precisely positioning and orienting samples within the pulsed thermal neutron beam originating from the spallation target. This advanced setup enables simultaneous neutron diffraction and Bragg-edge imaging, allowing researchers to analyze the structural and microstructural properties of irradiated nuclear fuels under controlled conditions. (Photo: LANL)

In materials science, understanding the unseen—how materials behave internally under real-world conditions—has always been key to developing new materials and accelerating innovative technologies to market. Moreover, the tools that allow us to see into this invisible world of materials have often been game-changers. Among these, neutron imaging stands out as a uniquely powerful method for investigating the internal structure and behavior of materials without having to alter or destroy the sample. By harnessing the unique properties of neutrons, researchers can uncover the hidden behavior of materials, providing insights essential for advancing nuclear materials and technologies.

A diamond battery for Valentine’s Day?

Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 6:00PMANS Nuclear Cafe
Weak radio luminescence captured by a low light intensity camera from a synthetic diamond carbon film made from beta-emitting carbon-14 atoms. (Image: University of Bristol)

The world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery became a reality in a United Kingdom laboratory this past December when it was created by scientists from University of Bristol and the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority.

Legislators look to advance nuclear power in the Lone Star State

Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 3:30PMNuclear News

Texas lawmakers are considering legislative action this session on recommendations made last November by the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group.

Senate Bill 1105 calls for the establishment of a state-run advanced nuclear energy authority, a state permitting office, and an advanced nuclear innovation fund. Republican state Sen. Tan Parker introduced the bill.

Nuclear footprint: Texas currently has two large nuclear plants—Commanche Peak and South Texas Project—comprising four reactors that supplied nearly 10 percent of the state’s power last year.

Small modular reactors are also planned in Texas. Dow Chemical and X-energy are targeting a cluster of SMRs to support Dow’s manufacturing site in Seadrift on the Gulf Coast. At Abeline Christian University, about 200 miles west of Dallas, Natura Resources plans to install a test reactor using molten-salt cooling.

Framatome, IBA to develop At-211 production network in Europe and U.S.

Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 1:00PMNuclear News

French nuclear energy company Framatome and Belgian particle accelerator technology company Ion Beam Applications (IBA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the industrial-scale production of the alpha-emitting medical radioisotope astatine-211 across Europe and the United States.

Nuclear connections

Thu, Feb 13, 2025, 6:01PMNuclear NewsLisa Marshall

Lisa Marshall
president@ans.org

As I watched the coverage of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter’s earthly farewell, I reflected on being too young to remember his presidency yet being impacted many years later. A man of service, Carter had a connection to the nuclear field, and his experiences shaped his decisions and our enterprise.

Carter was admitted into the U.S. Naval Academy in 1943 and successfully graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. He was chosen by Admiral Rickover, after the legendary two-hour rite of passage interview, to be a naval submariner.

In December 1952, an experimental nuclear reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, experienced mechanical problems compounded by operator error that damaged the reactor core. Carter was part of the team that helped in the cleanup and repair operation.

Type One Energy inks expanded fusion development deal with TVA

Thu, Feb 13, 2025, 1:02PMNuclear News
Concept art showing Type One Energy’s Infinity One prototype stellarator inside TVA’s Bull Run fossil plant. (Photo: Business Wire)

Type One Energy said it has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority to jointly develop plans for a potential TVA fusion power plant project in the Tennessee Valley region using Type One Energy stellarator fusion power technology. The company said its 350-MWe fusion pilot power plant, named Infinity Two, could provide a complementary source of baseload electrical generation for the region as early as the mid-2030s.

Garrish up for repeat term as DOE’s nuclear energy secretary

Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 9:04PMNuclear News

Garrish

Theodore “Ted” Garrish—who has spent more than four decades working in nuclear—is President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for nuclear energy, or, NE-1.

The nomination was referred to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 3. Garrish previously held the office from 1987 to 1989 under President Ronald Reagan. Most recently, Kathryn Huff held the NE-1 post, and Michael Goff has served as interim assistant secretary since Huff stepped down in May 2024.

Garrish’s most recent term in public office was as assistant secretary for the Office of International Affairs at the Energy Department, from 2018 to 2021, during Trump’s first term. Supporters say Garrish’s 40-plus years working in the nuclear industry and in nuclear energy oversight positions makes him more than qualified to serve in the DOE office again.

Noted nuclear scientist passes away

Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 6:04PMANS Nuclear Cafe
Senamile Masango (Photo shared on LinkedIn by Colleen Larsen)

The government of South Africa has announced the passing of Senamile Masango, the country’s first black female nuclear scientist. The 37 year old, who many South Africans thought of as the “queen of science,” died on February 9 from undisclosed causes. Deputy President Paul Mashatile described Masango as “a beacon of hope for many young people, especially women.”

Constellation to invest $100M in Maryland nuclear plant

Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 3:30PMNuclear News
Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant. (Photo: Constellation)

Nuclear powerhouse Constellation Energy announced Tuesday it will spend roughly $100 million to upgrade critical electrical systems and plant equipment at its Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, where the company may pursue license renewals.

UC San Diego joins General Atomics–led fusion collaborative

Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 1:02PMNuclear News
An experimental chamber that will be used by UC San Diego as part of the TINEX project. (Photo: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering)

The University of California–San Diego has joined a new research collaborative focused on overcoming critical obstacles in developing and scaling up inertial fusion power plants. Led by San Diego-based General Atomics, the group was one of six research teams that were collectively awarded $107 million in January by the Department of Energy as part of the Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives.