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X-energy and SGL Carbon to Expand Nuclear-Grade Graphite Production Capacity

X-Energy and SGL Carbon announced on August 3 that they have signed a binding agreement to expand production capacity for NBG-18 medium-grained isotropic nuclear-grade graphite. NBG-18 is a critical specialty material for X-Energy's Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, supporting the company's subsequent commercial project deployments. Under the agreement, X-Energy will invest up to $8 million in phases to support the construction of new facilities and equipment upgrades at SGL Carbon's plant in Chedde, France. Upon completion of the expansion, the plant will be capable of producing graphite billets annually sufficient for up to eight Xe-100 reactors. SGL Carbon has also agreed to expand its graphite billet processing capacity in the United States to enhance the stability of this safety-critical material supply chain.

2026-08-04

CCTE Signs Supply Agreement with BWXT Canada to Advance Commercial Demonstration of ANEEL Fuel

U.S. nuclear fuel company Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) announced on August 3 that it has signed a fuel manufacturing supply agreement with BWXT Canada Ltd. to further refine manufacturing conditions for the commercial demonstration of its ANEEL nuclear fuel platform. Under the agreement, BWXT Canada will provide qualified fuel assembly hardware for integration with ANEEL fuel pellets, and assemble them into complete, reactor-representative full-scale demonstration fuel assemblies at the Chalk River Laboratories under Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). CCTE is responsible for providing ANEEL fuel...

2026-08-04

Dominion Energy Renews Early Site Permit for North Anna Nuclear Plant

Dominion Energy Virginia is taking steps to renew the early site permit for its North Anna nuclear power plant, originally issued in 2007. Located in Louisa County, the North Anna plant currently operates two reactors. The company submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on July 14, seeking to extend the early site permit for a period of 20 years, or 20 years from the date of issuance, whichever is later. The NRC has formally acknowledged receipt of the request and is reviewing it for docketing acceptance. An early site permit is an optional process through which the NRC can confirm whether a site is suitable for a new nuclear power plant; obtaining such a permit can reduce risks of delays during the licensing and construction process...

2026-08-04

Valar Atomics Completes $1 Billion Equity Financing, Sequoia Capital Partner Joins Board

Nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics confirmed on August 3 that it has completed a $1 billion equity financing round led by Sequoia Capital. Company founder and CEO Isaiah Taylor stated that Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire has joined the company's board of directors. In addition to the equity financing, Valar Atomics also secured a $200 million credit facility from Erebor and other banks. Valar Atomics did not disclose its post-financing valuation. Reports indicate the company is valued at approximately $6 billion. Valar Atomics primarily...

2026-08-04

GAO Report Urges DOE-EM to Learn from Canada, UK, France, and Belgium in Reshaping Nuclear Waste Cleanup Strategy

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in a new report that countries such as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom have taken proactive measures in recent years to accelerate nuclear waste cleanup. The report recommends that the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) engage in strategic exchanges with these countries to identify and evaluate alternative approaches that could reduce risks, lower costs, or expedite cleanup activities. Currently, DOE-EM estimates its cleanup mission could cost between $641 billion and $840 billion and may not be completed until 2100. The report found that while DOE-EM has some level of exchange with other countries on nuclear cleanup, such exchanges are not strategic and lack proactive learning...

2026-08-04

Study Shows Sustained Deuterium Fusion in Palladium and Titanium Metal Foils at Ultra-Low Energies

U.S. researchers have observed a low-energy deuterium fusion phenomenon in thin palladium and titanium metal foils: when the incident deuteron energy drops to levels where fusion reactions are generally expected to weaken significantly or even nearly cease, the reactions continue to occur. Experiments show that as incident energy decreases, the fusion rate does not continue to decline exponentially but instead enters a plateau region below approximately 2 keV. At the lowest detectable energy, the measured low-energy fusion rate exceeds predictions from isolated-nucleus models by more than 10^18 times. Image courtesy of Marina Light/University of California, Davis. The related research was conducted by teams at the University of California, Davis and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory...

2026-08-04

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Proposed Rule to Update Radioactive Material Transport Regulations for New Reactor Technologies

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a proposed rule aimed at updating regulations for the transport of radioactive material to accommodate the development of new reactor technologies. The existing regulatory framework has not fully kept pace with advances in nuclear technology, particularly as microreactors and other advanced reactor types present new challenges to current rules. Approximately three million packages containing radioactive material are transported across the United States each year, and this vast logistics operation has been managed by federal agencies for decades. The NRC's proposed rule addresses a specific issue: how to safely transport new types of nuclear reactors and their associated radioactive materials. Microreactors are compact, factory-manufactured...

2026-08-03

Dutch ULC-Energy and US McDermott sign cooperation agreement to advance Rolls-Royce SMR deployment in the Netherlands

Dutch nuclear development company ULC-Energy and US engineering and construction firm McDermott announced on August 2 the signing of a cooperation agreement to support the project development of Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors (SMR) in the Netherlands. The cooperation includes integrating SMR energy supply solutions with energy-intensive industrial processes, leveraging McDermott's experience in energy transition and industrial decarbonization (low-carbon hydrogen, ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel, carbon capture and utilization), combined with ULC-Energy's nuclear project development capabilities. The two parties previously collaborated in 2023 to study industrial hydrogen production using "Rolls-Royce SMR + solid oxide electrolyzer," with ULC coordinating and McDermott providing engineering design and cost information for thermal integration/plant layout systems. McDermott's Senior Vice President of Low Carbon Solutions, Rob Shaul, stated that the agreement consolidates the existing relationship and reflects a shared commitment to advancing low-carbon energy in the Netherlands; the company has a long-standing presence in the country with its Hague center supporting projects across Europe. ULC-Energy CEO Dirk Rabelink noted that nuclear energy is effective when integrated into the energy system, and that SMRs flexibly supply electricity, heat, and hydrogen, with earlier cooperation having demonstrated this pathway, expressing hope to expand to other applications.

2026-08-03

South Korea's Trade Minister Meets Governors of 11 U.S. States to Expand Nuclear Power and Shipbuilding Cooperation

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated on August 2 that the Trade Negotiation Minister attended the 2026 National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City from July 30 to August 1, during which he held a series of meetings with governors from 11 states including Tennessee, Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, Delaware, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah, Maryland, South Dakota, and Vermont, calling for expanded cooperation in high-tech and strategic industries such as nuclear power, shipbuilding, and batteries, and requesting support from state governments for Korean companies' investments and local operations in the U.S. Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Energy is advancing the Nuclear Life-cycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) project, and on the 28th of last month...

2026-08-03

Kairos Power Advances Flibe Molten Salt Applications to Support KP-FHR High-Temperature Reactor Development

Kairos Power announced on July 29 that its Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR) will be among the early adopters of a fluoride salt coolant. This coolant, commonly referred to as Flibe, is composed of lithium fluoride (LiF) and beryllium fluoride (BeF₂). In the 1960s, Oak Ridge National Laboratory used this material as a coolant in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. According to Kairos Power, Flibe has a high specific heat capacity, enabling it to effectively absorb and transfer heat generated in the reactor core. Compared with some sodium-cooled or helium-cooled reactor systems, fluoride salt offers certain advantages in heat transport...

2026-08-03

Utah Finalist for DOE Nuclear Fuel Cycle Site, with Great Salt Lake Rescue as Bargaining Chip

Utah is seeking an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hoping to secure federal nuclear hub status while also gaining assistance in addressing the Great Salt Lake crisis. Governor Spencer Cox and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed a memorandum agreeing to collaborate on realizing the full value of the nuclear fuel cycle. However, this agreement does not mean Utah has decided to build the nuclear hub, and the state will decline if it is deemed unsafe or disadvantageous. Currently, Utah is one of five states competing for the federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Park, which aims to consolidate all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle in one location, including fuel fabrication, enrichment,...

2026-08-03

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Signs Memorandums of Understanding with Coast Guard and Marine Minerals Administration to Strengthen Offshore Nuclear Energy Cooperation

Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the newly established Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), respectively, aimed at strengthening coordination and cooperation on civilian offshore nuclear projects. These initiatives come at a time of growing interest in nuclear technology within the commercial shipping sector, including projects such as nuclear-powered vessels and floating nuclear power plants. The agreement with the Coast Guard updates a previous agreement signed with the Atomic Energy Commission in 1973, aiming to modernize regulatory processes and ensure effective management of the design, construction, operation, and oversight of civilian nuclear reactors at sea. Meanwhile, the NRC's cooperation with the MMA focuses on clarifying jurisdictional issues for any potential nuclear projects on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

2026-08-03

Global Nuclear Power Construction Accelerates, Asian Countries Lead the Way

Global nuclear power construction is accelerating, particularly in the Asian region. China is currently the most active country in nuclear power construction worldwide, with more than twenty nuclear reactors under construction, far surpassing other nations. This large-scale investment reflects China's emphasis on energy security and reducing carbon emissions. India follows closely behind, also actively expanding its nuclear power capacity to meet growing electricity demand and achieve climate goals. Beyond Asia, several European countries are also increasing their nuclear power capacity. Although France already possesses a large number of existing nuclear power plants, it is also advancing the construction of new nuclear reactors, aiming to maintain the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix. The United Kingdom is likewise committed to developing nuclear power, with plans to build new...

2026-08-03

US Utility Xcel Energy's Nuclear Plant Life Extension Boosts Q2 Earnings Significantly

Xcel Energy, a multi-state regulated electric and gas utility headquartered in Minneapolis, USA, achieved significant earnings growth in the second quarter, primarily driven by reduced depreciation expenses resulting from extended operating lives of its nuclear power plants. The company extended the expected operating lives of its nuclear plants to 2050 and beyond, thereby lowering quarterly depreciation costs and positively impacting its financial performance. Despite a decline in operating revenues, net income still grew by 32% to $586 million, with diluted earnings per share rising from $0.75 to $0.93. The extension of nuclear plant operating lives does not imply an immediate increase in cash flow or power generation...

2026-08-03

Fuse Signs Five-Year Cooperative R&D Agreement with Nevada National Security Sites

U.S. fusion energy company Fuse Energy Technologies Corporation (Fuse) announced on August 2 that it has signed a five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Mission Support and Test Services (MSTS) at the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS). MSTS manages and operates NNSS. The agreement establishes a long-term collaboration framework between Fuse and NNSS. The initial research projects will focus on next-generation fusion technology validation, tritium-related capability enhancement, increasing neutron yield from pulsed fusion generators, and U.S. domestic...

2026-08-03