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Kairos Power Launches Nuclear Manufacturing and Construction Workforce Collaboration Program

Kairos Power announced on August 21 the establishment of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing and Prefabrication Center (NuCAMP), planning to advance nuclear manufacturing, construction method validation, and technical workforce development in eastern Tennessee to support advanced nuclear reactor deployment. The NuCAMP program was officially unveiled at Kairos Power's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Image credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy. The program was announced at Kairos Power's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Under a signed memorandum of understanding, Kairos Power will collaborate with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 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, Chattanooga State Community College, and Oak Ridge Schools.

2026-08-22

NANO Nuclear and QNI Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Domestic HALEU Fuel Supply Cooperation in the U.S.

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NANO Nuclear) and Quadrant Nuclear Industries, Inc. (QNI) announced on August 18 that the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a non-binding framework for future high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel supply cooperation. Under the MOU, the parties will engage in discussions regarding the supply of HALEU to be produced by QNI in the future and long-term offtake arrangements. The fuel in question is planned to come from QNI's proposed Vanguard facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). QNI stated that once the facility operates at full capacity, its annual HALEU production...

2026-08-19

Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety to Host First Advanced Reactor Safety Technology Symposium

The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) announced that it will host the 1st Symposium on Advanced Reactor Safety Technology (SARST 2026) on September 1-2, 2026, at the Grand Ballroom on the first floor of the Commodore Hotel Busan. The event aims to facilitate exchanges on domestic and international advanced reactor technology trends and safety regulation issues, promoting technical communication and cooperation among regulatory bodies, developers, and research institutions. As the inaugural symposium, SARST is planned to be held annually thereafter. This year's conference will be divided into a plenary session and two technical sessions, covering topics such as the development of regulatory frameworks for advanced reactors, regulatory research progress, responses to standard design certification for innovative small modular reactors (i-SMR), and verification plans for related design features, among other subjects.

2026-08-16

X-energy says U.S. Department of Energy plans to add up to $1 billion in funding for Texas advanced nuclear reactor project

X-energy CEO Clay Sell said during an earnings call on August 13 that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has informed the company it will add up to $1 billion in public funding for the advanced nuclear energy project it is advancing with Dow Inc. in Texas. Sell stated that total available public funding for the Dow project in Seadrift, Texas, will reach up to $2.15 billion since 2021. The additional funding will carry the same 50-50 cost-sharing requirement as the initial award. The project is supported by the DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP)...

2026-08-14

U.S. NRC to Debut Modernized Hearing Process in Advanced Reactor Licensing Review for the First Time

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will hold a public hearing on August 13 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to consider the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) application to build a small modular reactor at the Clinch River site. This will mark the first time the NRC applies its modernized mandatory hearing framework in an advanced reactor licensing review. According to the NRC, the new hearing process is designed to give the public earlier insight into the agency's review of the project's safety and environmental impacts, while improving the transparency, predictability, and efficiency of licensing reviews. As part of its licensing modernization efforts, the NRC currently aims to complete construction permit-related decisions within 18 months. TVA plans to...

2026-08-07

Newcleo Initiates U.S. Regulatory Pre-Application Engagement for MOX Fuel Facility, Accelerating Advanced Reactor Fuel Supply Chain Development

Advanced reactor and nuclear fuel company Newcleo has initiated regulatory pre-application engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility, with plans to advance construction at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This move indicates that the company is not only advancing the licensing of its advanced reactor itself but also seeking to establish supporting fuel supply capabilities in parallel, aiming to mitigate fuel bottlenecks in future commercial deployment. The submitted regulatory engagement plan represents a key step prior to formal license application, with the core objective of communicating with regulators in advance on facility design, safety standards, review scope, and key technical issues. Newcleo previously submitted its regulatory engagement plan for the LFR-AS-200 lead-cooled fast reactor to the NRC in July...

2026-08-07

Oklahoma Strives to Build the Nation's First Nuclear Energy Innovation Hub

Oklahoma is actively competing to become the first nuclear energy innovation hub in the United States, having submitted a detailed 31-page proposal. The plan aims to cover the entire nuclear fuel lifecycle management, encompassing fuel fabrication, advanced reactor construction, spent fuel recycling, and permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Oklahoma's goal is to establish the first permanent waste disposal solution in the U.S., achieving this before commercial nuclear power deployment. In the proposal, deep borehole drilling for radioactive waste disposal emerges as a key component. This method involves drilling thousands of feet deep and placing radioactive waste sealed in specially designed containers into the subsurface, followed by sealing the borehole.

2026-08-05

UK Office for Nuclear Regulation contributes to IAEA regulatory cooperation toolkit for advanced reactors

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently published the Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) Regulatory Cooperation Toolkit. The UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) played a significant role in the development of this toolkit, which is designed to support cooperation among national nuclear regulators in the review of advanced reactor technologies. The toolkit is one of the key outputs of Phase 2 of the NHSI (2025–2026), developed jointly by multiple regulators participating in the NHSI Regulatory Track and the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Regulators' Forum. The toolkit provides practical guidance, templates, and methodologies to help regulators conduct collaborative reviews, leverage existing regulatory assessment outcomes, and address...

2026-08-05

U.S. Department of Energy Selects Five States to Explore Building Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Hubs

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on July 28 that it has selected Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho as potential host states for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Hubs. The DOE has signed memorandums of understanding with these five states and will continue to evaluate the conditions and plans for hosting the hubs in each state. On January 28 of this year, the DOE issued a Request for Information, inviting states to express interest in building Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Hubs. The proposed hubs are intended to support full lifecycle activities for nuclear fuel, including fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, and waste disposal. Depending on state priorities and regional capabilities, the hubs may also accommodate...

2026-07-30