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America's First "Large Reactor in a Chemical Plant" Clears the Hurdle: X-energy Xe-100 Ushers in the Conclusion of Safety Review and a Key Springboard to Commercialization

In the global race to industrialize advanced nuclear energy technologies, the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor is reaching a milestone. In late October 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) formally issued the Final Safety Evaluation Report (FSER) for the construction permit application of the Long Mott Generating Station, proposed to be built at Dow Chemical's Seadrift site along the Texas Gulf Coast. This means that the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, developed by X-energy with an installed capacity of 320 megawatts electric, has successfully passed the most central safety examination at the U.S. nuclear regulatory level, clearing...

2026-11-03

Standard Nuclear CEO Discusses U.S. Oak Ridge Expansion Project

Recently, Kurt Terrani, CEO of U.S. advanced nuclear fuel producer Standard Nuclear, stated that the company is planning to expand advanced nuclear fuel production capacity in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to meet strong market demand for advanced reactor fuel. It is reported that Standard Nuclear was founded in 2024 and primarily produces advanced nuclear fuel serving the fields of national security and space exploration. Terrani noted that as multiple U.S. nuclear companies invest billions of dollars in Oak Ridge, the area has become the core hub of U.S. advanced nuclear innovation, but current advanced nuclear fuel supply capacity still lags far behind market demand. As an advanced...

2026-10-31

US Plans $15 Billion Nuclear Reactor Manufacturing Hub in Oak Ridge

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and several nuclear energy companies jointly announced that they will invest a total of $15 billion to build a nationwide advanced nuclear reactor development and equipment manufacturing center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It is reported that the project is primarily driven and supported by private capital and is expected to create approximately 10,000 high-paying technical jobs locally over the next five years. The plan aims to completely reshape Oak Ridge's nuclear energy industrial landscape by shutting down legacy gaseous diffusion facilities and building new advanced nuclear fuel fabrication plants, uranium enrichment facilities, and modular reactor production lines, establishing a reactor manufacturing supply...

2026-10-28

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Develops 3D-Printed Composite Molds, Significantly Shortening Construction Cycles for Advanced Nuclear Power Plants

According to reports, the US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and its partners have successfully developed new 3D-printed composite molds that can shorten the production cycle of specialized concrete formwork for nuclear facilities from approximately six months to about two weeks. The project, titled Advanced Composite Formwork for Accelerated High-Precision Nuclear Infrastructure Construction, was awarded the 2026 CAMX Combined Strength Award for its breakthroughs in additive manufacturing and advanced materials. It is understood that the technology has been fully...

2026-10-16

Amentum Establishes Global Nuclear Headquarters in Oak Ridge, Simultaneously Launches Nuclear Scholars Program

Recently, Amentum, a leading U.S. provider of engineering, project management, and innovative technology solutions, opened its global nuclear headquarters in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and established a Nuclear Center of Excellence, making it the centralized hub for the company's international nuclear business operations. The center is located at 151 Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge and houses more than 150 experts across various fields, dedicated to delivering innovative engineering, technology solutions, and advanced energy capabilities. Amentum is already a major partner of the Oak Ridge Unified Cleanup Organization (UCOR), the primary environmental management contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Oak Ridge Reservation....

2026-10-09

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Advances 3D-Printed Nuclear Components Manufacturing and Certification

The US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is working with industry partners to advance the application of advanced manufacturing technologies, with a focus on heavy-duty 3D printing, AI-driven automated manufacturing, and digital qualification methods, to address issues such as unstable US industrial supply chains, shortages of skilled workers, and long lead times for large custom components. At an advanced manufacturing facility in Tennessee, ORNL demonstrated two large-scale 3D printing manufacturing cases for the nuclear energy sector. Among them, a three-arm robotic system called MedUSA printed a steel nuclear pressure vessel approximately 3 feet by 5 feet with complex dome geometry by guiding molten steel. Researchers said...

2026-09-10

Demolition Begins on Contaminated Buildings in Isotope Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Oak Ridge Environmental Management Office in Tennessee recently initiated demolition of a group of highly contaminated buildings in the Isotope Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Located in the laboratory's central campus, this area is considered one of the more challenging sites in the local cleanup effort. The Isotope Area comprises 10 facilities, constructed between the late 1940s and early 1960s, which once served the laboratory's isotope program. These facilities were used for decades in the production, processing, and research of chemical elements for medical, industrial, and scientific applications. As the laboratory evolved, the facilities were taken out of service in the early 1990s but remained standing. According to reports, the area retains contaminated...

2026-09-02

New Analytical Laboratory Completed at Oak Ridge to Support U-233 Cleanup and Medical Isotope Supply

The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Environmental Management Office (OREM) and its contractor Isotek Systems completed installation of a new analytical laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on August 25, 2026. The laboratory will support ORNL's highest-priority environmental cleanup project and accelerate delivery of critical medical isotope materials for cancer treatment research. Isotek Systems is responsible for removing the U.S. uranium-233 inventory stored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Uranium-233 was primarily developed in the 1950s and 1960s, initially intended for use as nuclear reactor fuel, but was later proven unsuitable as a commercial fuel source...

2026-08-26

Two U.S. National Laboratories Collaborate to Advance Arc-Based 3D Printing of Nuclear Pressure Vessels

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), both under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced a collaboration focused on advancing wire-arc 3D printing technology for industrial pressure vessels and qualification capabilities for critical nuclear components, aiming to expand the U.S. domestic supply chain. The two laboratories unveiled the collaboration during the Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Day event hosted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on August 19. The event focused on topics such as advanced manufacturing, nuclear infrastructure, energy security, and domestic supply chains, and featured demonstrations and tours of the DOE Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF). This facility is a large-scale research platform open to industry, primarily...

2026-08-22

US LIS Technologies Initiates Site Preparation for Oak Ridge Laser Uranium Enrichment Project

LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) announced on August 20 that it has initiated preliminary site preparation work on the "LIST Island" parcel at the Heritage Center of the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The 206-acre parcel is located within the former K-25 gaseous diffusion plant site. This phase of work includes environmental characterization, environmental assessment, and technical feasibility studies tailored to site conditions. These efforts will provide the preliminary basis for the company's planned commercial laser uranium enrichment headquarters and technology campus, LEU-3. Under current plans, the LEU-3 facility will host the company's FUEL project, namely the Future Uranium Enrichment by Laser project, and support its long-term operations and research...

2026-08-21

Kairos Power Launches NuCAMP Collaboration Initiative in Oak Ridge

Kairos Power announced on August 18 that it has launched the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing and Prefabrication Center (NuCAMP) collaboration initiative in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, focusing on advancing advanced reactor manufacturing, construction method validation, and local nuclear technology workforce development. Under the signed memorandum of understanding, Kairos Power will work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), Barnard Construction Company, Roane State Community College...

2026-08-19

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Advances Radioisotope Nuclear Battery Development

On August 17, 2026, the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory stated that its nuclear battery program is advancing the development of radioisotope power systems to meet the demand for stable, long-life power sources in deep space exploration, long-term power supply in remote areas, and national security-related scenarios. NASA's Perseverance Mars rover poses with several of the 10 sample tubes it placed in a sample depot it established in a region of Jezero Crater called "Three Forks." The rover's radioisotope thermoelectric generator is powered by a nuclear battery. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Nuclear batteries generate electricity from the energy released by the decay of radioisotopes, making them suitable for environments such as the seafloor, remote deserts, and extraterrestrial surfaces where maintenance is difficult and continuous power supply is needed for years or even decades.

2026-08-19

Oak Ridge National Laboratory marks 80 years of isotope research and production, with applications spanning medicine, industry, and scientific research

On August 2, 1946, the Clinton Laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, held the first formal ceremony to deliver reactor-produced radioactive isotopes. A shipment of carbon-14 was sent from there to the Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the past 80 years, this event has been regarded as the starting point of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's isotope research and production endeavors, and also marked the beginning of broader civilian applications for reactor-produced radioactive isotopes. After World War II, the U.S. scientific community began exploring peaceful uses of atomic energy, with radioactive isotopes becoming an important direction. As unstable variants of elements, radioactive isotopes release radiation during decay and can be used...

2026-08-15

TRISO-X and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extend Advanced Nuclear Fuel R&D Collaboration

TRISO-X announced on August 11 that it has extended its Collaborative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The newly signed agreement has a term of 30 months and will continue to advance commercial-scale development of TRISO fuel, manufacturing process optimization, and technology transfer, building on the collaboration established since 2016. TRISO-X is a wholly-owned subsidiary of X-energy, primarily engaged in advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing. Under the agreement, TRISO-X will continue to operate its existing pilot-scale facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with a focus on transitioning TRISO fuel from laboratory R&D to commercial-scale manufacturing. The collaboration includes optimizing fuel...

2026-08-12

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Restarts Tungsten-188/Rhenium-188 Generator Production to Support Targeted Cancer Therapy Research

The US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently restarted and upgraded its tungsten-188/rhenium-188 (W-188/Re-188) generator manufacturing operations to meet the demand for the rare medical isotope rhenium-188 in targeted cancer therapy research. The laboratory last manufactured such generators in 2011. Radiochemist Becca Hores demonstrated the assembly process of the W-188/Re-188 generator. Depending on radioactivity levels, these generators must be assembled in gloveboxes or hot cells. Image credit: Maggie Gregg/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy. Rhenium-188 is produced by the radioactive decay of tungsten-188. ORNL irradiates tungsten-186 in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to produce tungsten-188...

2026-08-12