Microreactor developer Last Energy states that it has received a letter of intent from the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (EXIM) for one hundred- and four-million-dollar debt financing relating to its project in South Wales in the U.K.
     The company says that the letter, from the bank’s structured and project finance division, confirms its “willingness to diligence” the financing. It follows an in-depth review of Last Energy’s “technology, business model, manufacturing plan and access to nuclear fuel. Upon final commitment, the Bank’s facility would cover Last Energy’s entire costs for a single power plant installation”.
    U.S.-based Last Energy is a spin-off of the Energy Impact Center which is a research institute devoted to accelerating the clean energy transition through innovation. Last Energy’s reactor technology is based on a pressurized water reactor with a capacity of twenty megawatts of electricity or eighty megawatts of thermal power. Power plant modules will be built off-site and assembled on-site.
     A Last Energy plant, referred to as the PWR-20, is comprised of a few dozen modules that, the company says can “snap together like a Lego kit”. The PWR-20 is designed to be constructed, transported, and assembled within twenty-four months. It is scaled to serve private industrial customers, including data centers. Under its development model, Last Energy will own and operate its plug-and-play power plant on the customer’s site. It will bypass the decade-long development timelines of electric transmission grid upgrade requirements.
     Last Energy has been advancing plans to develop four PWR-20 units on the vacant site of the Llynfi coal-fired power station. The company said the new plant would “provide energy security to local manufacturers, create jobs, and unleash a long-term economic investment in the region”. The Llynfi power station is a one hundred twenty-megawatt coal plant. It operated between 1951 and 1977. Following the decommissioning of the Llynfi in 1977, the fourteen-acre site has remained vacant.
     Bret Kugelmass is the Founder and CEO of Last Energy. He said, “Receiving this Letter of Interest from EXIM is the latest in a series of recent milestones that further validates Last Energy’s unique approach to accelerating nuclear deployment by focusing on design for manufacturability. They put us through the wringer – interrogating our physics, technology, supply chain, business model, partnerships, and timelines to delivery – and, after 18 months of rigorous review, have determined that we’re ready for the next step.”
     Last Energy said it has been actively engaging with the U.K.’s Office for Nuclear Regulation, Natural Resources Wales, Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, the Environmental Agency, and with local and national Welsh and U.K. officials. Last Energy has pledged to continue to do so throughout the project. The company said last October that it was targeting 2027 to commission the first plant, “following a successful planning and licensing process”.
     Last Energy estimates the entire project represents a capital investment of three hundred and ninety-three million dollars, which will not require any public funding. Contracts with local suppliers would amount to more than thirty-eight million dollars, while more than one hundred full-time local jobs would also be created.
     Last Energy announced agreements for thirty-four units in 2023 and began 2024 with agreements for fifty units. Of the agreements, thirty-nine of the eighty-four units are slated to be built to serve data center developers. The company says its goal is to ten thousand units in the next fifteen years.
    The EXIM is the country’s official export credit agency “with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist US businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans”.

Last Energy

     GoviEx Uranium Inc and its fully owned subsidiary GoviEx Niger Holdings Ltd have begun proceedings under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes Between States and Nationals of Other States (known as the ICSID Convention), because Niger has breached its legal obligations under a May 2007 agreement between the state and GoviEx Niger, and under Nigerien law.

     The Vancouver-based company is seeking arbitration on the basis that the State of Niger breached its legal obligations when it cancelled the company’s mining permit for the Madouela uranium project earlier this year.
     GoviEx started operations in Niger in 2007, and has advanced the Madaouela mine from the initial exploration phase, through to the publication of a feasibility study in late 2022. The company said the project had been “poised for development” and that GoviEx had started to move forward despite the political changes in Niger since the coup d’état of July 2023. Over the last year and a half, it has received statements of interest in excess of two hundred million dollars for project-related debt finance, started social and environmental due diligence research with a prospective lender, updated the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, and begun front-end engineering designs and initial ground works, including the construction of an access road.

     With a forecast initial capital expenditure of three hundred and forty-three million, the Madouela project was forecast to create up to eight hundred jobs over its projected twenty-year mine life. During this time substantial royalty payments and taxes will be payable to the state. The companies said that they believe that the withdrawal of GoviEx’s rights to the project will have a serious negative impact on the economic and social development of the region.
     GoviEx said, “While the Companies have attempted to settle their dispute with the State amicably, including through initiating a local administrative recourse before the Niger President of the Republic, the State has shown no willingness to engage with the Companies to reach an amicable settlement. The Companies strongly believe that they are entitled to be reinstated in their rights to the Project and/or be awarded monetary compensation as a result of the State’s conduct in relation to the Project and are accordingly pursuing a legal remedy under the Mining Convention to safeguard their rights, adding that they may pursue other available remedies, including international arbitration as required. Notwithstanding the commencement of this Arbitration, the Companies remain committed to engaging constructively with the State to resolve the dispute.”

     Earlier this year, the Nigerien authorities also cancelled the operating permit issued to Orano subsidiary Imouraren SA for the Imouraren project. More recently, Orano confirmed that Nigerien authorities have taken operational control of SOMAÏR, its subsidiary which operates the Arlit mine. It is currently Niger’s only operational uranium mine. Global Atomic’s development of the Dasa uranium mine is ongoing. In November of this year, Mining Minister Ousmane Abarchi reportedly said that Niger was actively seeking to attract Russian investment in natural resources including uranium.

GoviEx

     Scott Nolan worked at SpaceX engineer before he became the CEO of a startup named General Matter. He is on a mission to help end Russia’s monopoly on a special type of more-enriched nuclear fuel for advance nuclear fission reactors by producing it at commercial scale in the United States and slashing its costs.
     Nolan incorporated San Francisco-based General Matter this year for the purpose of producing high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, for a variety of planned nuclear power reactors including small modular reactors, or SMRs, that backers hope will take off in the 2030s.
     HALEU is uranium enriched to between five percent and twenty percent, which backers say has the potential to make new high-tech reactors more efficient. The uranium fuel used in current nuclear power reactors is enriched to about five percent. Big Tech companies such as Amazon have plans to construct new reactors to serve power-hungry data centers.
     Nolan told an interviewer in his first media interview since forming the company that “We believe HALEU is the most urgent need in the market today, and the most sensitive to enrichment cost. We are focused not only on bringing back domestic capacity, but on bringing the cost down significantly.”
    The long-term goal of General Matters is to cut the cost of HALEU enrichment in half according to Nolan. Today, HALEU is made primarily in Russia, and its price is volatile. Current estimates range from twenty-five thousand dollars to thirty-five thousand dollars per kilogram of enriched uranium.
     The U.S. Department of Energy in October awarded initial contracts to four companies including General Matters seeking to produce HALEU in the United States. This is part of an initiative to kick start domestic production. The U.S. plans to award two billion seven hundred million dollars in contracts for HALEU production, subject to approval of Congress in coming years.
     General Matter currently has no infrastructure to make uranium fuel. It will face stiff competition from other companies who do have experience and facilities in the uranium industry.
    The other companies receiving U.S. support are: Urenco USA, a European firm with operations in New Mexico; Orano USA, based in Maryland with global headquarters in France; and Centrus Energy’s subsidiary American Centrifuge Operating.
     Critics of the use of HALEU have claimed that the level of its enrichment means it is a nuclear weapons proliferation risk, and they recommend limiting its enrichment to ten to twelve percent. Nolan said his company will look to regulators to determine the level of desired enrichment.
     Nolan said he hopes that nuclear fission energy production “should and will be” an important part of Trump’s efforts to expand sources of baseload electricity.
     Nolan worked at SpaceX from 2003 to 2007. He added that his company’s planned HALEU production will share SpaceX’s focus on developing new technology and cutting costs.
     Nolan said that “SpaceX combined people from Silicon Valley in the software startup industry with the aerospace industry, and converged these two skill sets. We’re doing something similar, where we have deep experience on the team from the fuel cycle in the nuclear space, and are combining it with experience from the technology industry to rethink the problem and come at it from a new direction.”

General Matter

     There is increasing demand for sustainable electricity across the world and scientists are focusing on the development of very small nuclear reactors. These are called microreactors (MR). To make these reactors safer, researchers have turned to a new technology powered by AI that can detect potential hazards in these reactors in seconds.
    This technology is referred to as smart component systems and it can provide remote surveillance of MR. Developed by researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, the system includes embedded optical fiber sensors to monitor components in the reactor and send alerts during abnormal conditions.
     The UNIST breakthrough involves a novel technology that combines 3D printing with AI, allowing the rapid processing of multiple continuous variables from optical fiber sensors. The team successfully manufactured smart nuclear parts using a Directed Energy Deposition (DED) printing method. They seamlessly integrated fiber optic sensors within the metal components.
     MR designs vary, but most of them would be able to produce one to twenty megawatts of thermal energy that could be used directly as heat or converted to electric power. They can be used to generate clean and reliable electricity for commercial use. They could also be used for non-electric applications such as district heating, water desalination and hydrogen fuel production. These MRs are compact enough to be transported by truck and could help solve energy challenges in a number of areas.
     Most MR designs will require nuclear fuel with a higher concentration of uranium-235 than is currently used in today’s full-sized reactors. However, some MRs may benefit from the use of high temperature moderating materials that would reduce fuel enrichment requirements while maintaining the small system size.
     The recent study proposes a novel DED approach to incorporate an optical fiber sensor into MR components, enabling real-time monitoring with artificial intelligence.
     Researchers conducting the study said, “The embedded optical fiber generates real-time data that allows for AI-driven in-vivo thermal deformation analysis. Our smart MR component can detect structural anomalies, identify abnormal operations, and assess operational conditions through augmented reality interfaces and AI technology.”
     Im Doo Jung is a Professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, UNIST. He stated that researchers tackled the challenges associated with traditional inspection methods through AI convergence technology. This can greatly enhance the stable and efficient operation of next-generation small nuclear power plants.
    Jung continued, “This convergence technology could extend its applications beyond nuclear power, potentially benefiting diverse industries such as autonomous manufacturing systems, aerospace, and advanced defense. We introduced a novel method for producing smart micro reactor components by embedding optical fiber sensors during the DED process. This method includes an optimized DED process for metal components of MR systems.”
     Researchers emphasized that the proposed process, involving sensor embedding within metal components, could be applied to create smart metal components with various sensors with the DED process.
     This research will also allow expanded applications in a variety of industries and research fields which require digitalization and AI within additively manufactured component.

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     The report says that “One method of improving flexibility of nuclear power is to combine it with thermal storage. The higher temperatures produced by some AMRs (advanced modular reactors) make them particularly suited to production of hydrogen and other synthetic fuels, as well as heating for a large range of industrial applications. This potential is further exploited in several AMR conceptual designs that choose to incorporate molten salt thermal storage … this arrangement of a reactor plus thermal store opens the prospect of broader commercial uptake by end users, through considerable availability of economic, flexible, useful energy output, and should be investigated.”
     The report explains that the thermal storage concept follows experience with solar thermal power “where it has been proved effective and economic in countries with abundant sunshine … molten salts are used to store heat in large, insulated silos, and the molten salts are then run through steam generators or heat exchangers. The cooled molten salt is then stored in separate silos to be used in the next cycle … alternatively, the heat can be stored in large, insulated masses of cheap solid materials such as sand or gravel which are heated and depleted by molten salts, but this system has a lower thermal efficiency than the two-tank molten salt option … several AMR conceptual designs include molten salt thermal storage combined with energy conversion plants up to three times the capacity of the reactor system. At times of low electricity demand, energy is directed to the heat store; at times of high demand, this stored heat energy can be converted into electricity along with the reactor’s output. This allows continuous operation of a reactor plant while allowing unrestricted load following, including at very low levels of electricity delivery to the grid”.
     The report recommends that the U.K. government should prioritize research to allow in-depth investigation of the opportunities to use reactors with thermal storage. It also recommends that government assessments of the impact of new nuclear capacity should recognize and incorporate cogeneration applications. It goes on to say that “government and industry should aim to reduce the need for curtailment of renewable electricity by using cogenerated nuclear heat to power high-temperature electrolysis hydrogen production, in addition to short-term storage”, while “planning for future nuclear deployment should envisage an integrated system where nuclear and variable renewables work in harmony through cogeneration and energy storage, while planning around energy (not just electricity) infrastructure delivery should be fully coordinated to best ensure the UK has a functional whole system”.
     With respect to potential next steps, the report says that “further research and development into thermal energy storage technology is necessary, as the technology’s engineering feasibility is central to achieving the potential economic benefits of the Flexible Nuclear approach”.
     Zara Hodgson adds that “Our analysis indicates future promise for a flexible, fossil fuel free energy system that integrates the synergistic advantages of renewable energy and cogenerating nuclear energy, as the technologies become deployable in the system from now to 2030, then onto 2040, and finally full implementation by 2050. Capitalizing on the flexibility of nuclear energy to contribute more than just low-carbon electricity is a key innovation opportunity for the UK and offers leadership in international net-zero initiatives and enhanced energy security.”

University of Manchester

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     Nuclear power is a flexible energy source, producing electricity, hydrogen and heat with large-scale energy storage and not merely a source of baseload power.      This means it can complement the variability of renewable energy sources without the need for back-up natural gas power plants according to a new report from the Dalton Nuclear Institute. Nuclear could be a flexible source in fossil-free energy systems, the report says.
     The report is titled The road to net zero. It promotes the idea of renewables and nuclear working together and says that such a change could help the U.K. to achieve its goal of a net-zero power and energy system by 2050. It can create more jobs and lower the projected costs by up to seventeen billion nine hundred million dollars.
     Zara Hodgson is the Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester. The Dalton Nuclear Institute is the umbrella organization for nuclear activity at Manchester, spanning three faculties to co-ordinate the most advanced nuclear research capability in UK academia.
     Hodgson says in the forward to the report, “The U.K. has been highly successful in driving forward the expansion of renewable energy to displace fossil fuel burning power plants … yet, wind and solar are inherently variable … the installation of backup natural gas burning power plants and energy storage technologies has so far been the proposed solution to the UK’s changeable island weather, despite drawbacks of high-cost electricity, wasted energy and continued CO2 emissions.”
     She continues, “So we have asked ourselves if the U.K. should look again at how nuclear electricity and nuclear heat could accelerate the renewable energy technology led transition to net-zero, and also underpin UK leadership in addressing climate change.”
     The potential fossil-free energy future scenario “to spark further discussion” is for generation of more than eight hundred and forty terawatts total supply. Three-quarters is supplied by variable renewable energy, one tenth by nuclear plants and zero percent from fossil fuels. That would constitute roughly doubling the current overall supply and the current U.K. nuclear output.
     In the report’s “Flexible Nuclear” scenario, nuclear energy primarily delivers heat to produce hydrogen and other fuels that are essential to decarbonize the U.K. Renewable energy sources would deliver the bulk of electricity generation. When renewable output drops, nuclear energy is then diverted to generate electricity for the grid. This avoids the need to have new natural gas-fired power plants designed only to be used to cover times of low renewables output.
     Juan Matthews, William Bodel and Gregg Butler are the co-authors of the report. They say that in current official U.K. energy system modelling, nuclear power is seen as a baseload energy source. Natural gas generation will operate for “only a small percentage of the time”. The co-authors note that “seemingly cheap sources of electricity become expensive when their capacity factor is reduced”. They also mention the potential cost of having to curtail energy production at times of maximum generation from renewable sources.
Please read Part 2 next

Dalton Nuclear Institute

     Chris Bowen is a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy. He recently said that support for nuclear power is likely to evaporate once Australians face a clear choice at the next election and realize that the Liberal–National Coalition Party’s nuclear power policy would mean relying more on old coal plants and increased risk of blackouts.
     Bowen went on to say that while some polling had suggested some voters were open to nuclear plants being allowed in Australia, surveys had also consistently found they preferred renewable energy.
     Bowen added that “Every bit of research I’ve seen, public and private, says that when shown details and given a choice between nuclear and other forms of energy, nuclear fares very, very badly. If you look at the popularity of different forms of energy, it’s solar, wind, gas, daylight, coal, nuclear, in that order, every single time.”
     The Coalition has named seven sites where it says it would eventually replace coal-fired power plants with nuclear power plants but not how much this would cost. Multiple energy analysts argue nuclear power would be more expensive than any other option and that a nuclear industry would not be possible in Australia until after 2040. Most of the country’s coal plants are scheduled to close in the 2030s.
     The Coalition has suggested that it would limit the rollout of large-scale renewable power and bridge the gap by keeping ageing coal plants running longer and using more gas-fired power.
     The Coalition has not yet said what type of gas plants this means. With nuclear power banned, natural gas is the most expensive form of electricity in the national electricity market and it use is largely restricted to “peaking” power turned on only when required. Natural gas provided less than three percent of the electricity in the national grid over the past month.
     Claire Savage is the chair of the Australian Energy Regulator. She told a parliamentary inquiry she did not believe that nuclear plants could be built in enough time to cover the closure of coal-fired power plants. More than a one fourth of the coal power capacity in the national grid was offline on the day she gave evidence due to planned and unplanned outages.
     Polling on nuclear power in Australia has produced varied results. A Lowy Institute poll in June found sixty one percent strongly or somewhat supported nuclear power use alongside other sources of energy.
     A Guardian Essential poll was split between people who considered it “an attempt to extend the life of gas and limit investment in large-scale renewables” and those who said it was “serious, and should be considered as a part of the nation’s energy future”.
     Bowen said some Australians were open to nuclear power, but he was not concerned because there was a difference between people being open to it and agreeing to it.
     Bowen added that “When you say to people, whether it’s in a formal market research setting or a punter in the street setting, ‘I don’t object to nuclear, morally … but I object to it because it’s so expensive, but probably even more importantly, because it takes so long, and we don’t have time if we’re going to wait the 20 to 30 years it would take, and that means more coal in the system and coal in the system longer, and even the Liberals aren’t proposing to build new coal-fired power stations so they’re just going to rely on these old ones longer, and that’s blackouts’ – then the support or openness evaporates.”
     Ted O’Brien is the Coalition’s climate change and energy spokesperson. He has promised to provide more details of the opposition’s proposal before the end of the year. O’Brien has rejected claims there would be a risk of an electricity shortage under the Coalition’s plan and said that government and clean energy industry analysis of how much it would cost were inaccurate as they were not based on its full policy.

Australian Energy Regulator

     Matt Kean is the chair of the Climate Change Authority in Australia and a former New South Wales Liberal energy minister. He told a parliamentary estimates hearing that there is “no bigger rent-seeking parasite than the nuclear industry” during a heated exchange with senators supporting nuclear power.
    Appearing at an estimates hearing for the first time since his appointment in June, Kean argued with the independent senator Gerard Rennick about the cost of nuclear power. He told the hearing, “If you want to see who are needing rent-seeking [and] trying to pull one over on the Australian public, it is the nuclear industry.”
    Kean said that the nuclear industry was “there propping up the coal industry, who want to extend their business models, squeeze out the last bits of profit at the expense of Australian consumers”.
     He also clashed with the Nationals party senator Ross Cadell over an analysis by Australia’s science agency CSIRO. The agency found that nuclear power was the most expensive form of large-scale energy available. He estimated that an initial nuclear power plant could cost more than ten billion U.S. dollars.
     Kean told Cadell that “most rational people do trust the CSIRO, this is the body that developed wifi” and that their advice “is good enough for me and it should be good enough for our political leaders”.
     Cadell responded by accusing the authority chair of not being willing to question things or actually looking for the truth.
    Kean told the senator, “I know you’re trying to get your grabs up on Sky at the moment”.
    Later he told Rennick that advice from CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator indicated that the least expensive way to replace Australia’s ageing electricity infrastructure was with renewable sources of power.
     The Coalition has proposed seven sites where it says it would eventually replace coal-fired power plants with nuclear power plants but not how much this action would cost.
     Multiple energy analysts have argued that nuclear energy would be more expensive than any other source of electricity and that a nuclear industry would not be possible in Australia until after 2040. The bulk of the Australia’s coal plants are scheduled to close in the 2030s.
     The opposition has criticized Labor’s goal of 82% renewable energy by 2030. The opposition went on to say that it would limit the rollout of large-scale renewable energy. It added that it would bridge between closing the coal fired plants and bringing new sources of electricity online by keeping ageing coal plants running longer and using more gas-fired power.
     With nuclear banned, natural gas is the most expensive form of electricity in the national electricity market and its use is largely restricted to “peaking” power turned on only when required. Natural gas provided less than three percent of electricity in the Australian national grid over the past month.
     Clare Savage is the chair of the Australian Energy Regulator. She told a parliamentary inquiry that she did not believe nuclear plants could be built in time to cover the closure of coal-fired power plants.

Climate Change Authority

     A compact nuclear reactor with the capacity to operate for eight years without water is set to come online by 2029 in Saskatchewan, Canada. It was recently announced by the Saskatchewan government. The eighty-million-dollar CAD project, led by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in collaboration with Westinghouse, is intended to demonstrate the capabilities of this innovative microreactor, known as eVinci.
     Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe expressed optimism about the project’s transformative potential. He emphasized its unique ability to match Saskatchewan’s energy needs while also heralding a greener future. He added that “Microreactors provide a custom solution for Saskatchewan’s unique energy needs.”
     Westinghouse is the company behind the eVinci microreactor. They claim that this technology will not only revolutionize energy production but also significantly reduce air pollution. According to Westinghouse, each eVinci unit will contribute to a yearly reduction of up to fifty-five thousand tons of air pollution.
     One of the key features of the eVinci microreactor is its impressive versatility. According to the SRC, it will have the capability to generate five megawatts of electricity, produce over thirteen megawatts of high-temperature heat, or operate in combined heat and power mode,
     The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported in 2012 that a single megawatt of capacity from a conventional power plant can meet the energy needs of four hundred to nine hundred homes a year.
     Microreactors are attractive for their portability and potential to provide power to remote and underserved locations. The U.S. Department of Energy says that various types of microreactors are currently in development across the U.S.
     With respect to physical installation, the eVinci microreactor will be above ground and occupy a relatively small footprint. The supporting infrastructure for the unit can easily fit inside a standard hockey rink. This compact design permits easy integration into existing power grids and facilitates pairing with renewable energy sources.
     One of the most attractive aspects of the eVinci microreactor is its innovative “heat pipe technology,” which eliminates the need for water to cool the system. Traditional nuclear reactors rely on vast quantities of water for cooling. In contrast, the eVinci’s cooling system is water-independent.
     According to Westinghouse, after approximately eight years of service, the eVinci unit can be removed for disposal, making way for a replacement unit. The simplicity of this design, often compared to that of a battery, increases its appeal as a sustainable and efficient energy source.
     In the U.S., there are currently fifty-four commercial nuclear power plants, as reported by the Energy Information Administration. Canada has six nuclear power stations, according to the Canadian government.
     Despite their impressive energy output, traditional nuclear power plants generate substantial amounts of nuclear waste. The quantity of waste generated in the U.S. is approximately two thousand two hundred tons per year which is less than half the volume of an Olympic swimming pool.
     However, the waste generated by the eVinci plants consists of ceramic pellets which eliminate the risk of hazardous radioactive materials. Researchers are exploring innovative methods, such as utilizing bacteria, to manage and reduce this waste more efficiently.
    Westinghouse’s approach to nuclear waste with the eVinci microreactor is different. The company plans to take responsibility for the spent nuclear fuel, either returning it to their facilities or storing it deep underground for long-term safekeeping.
     This design not only eliminates the risks associated with high pressure and coolant loss but also allows for the extraction of valuable heat for industrial applications.
     The first eVinci unit is being seen as a proof-of-concept, paving the way for future installations. Mike Crabtree is the CEO of the SRC. He affirmed the significance of this pioneering project, emphasizing its role in preparing the council to assist communities and industries in future nuclear projects.
     Patrick Fragman is the President and CEO of Westinghouse. He said, “Westinghouse is proud to be working with the team at SRC on this vital project, and for the support from Premier Moe and the Government of Saskatchewan. The eVinci battery technology is the perfect fit for Saskatchewan since it is fully transportable. It also provides carbon-free electricity and heat, uses no water, and can be completely removed from site after operating continuously for eight years or more.”
     The SRC is Canada’s second largest research and technology organization. With nearly three hundred and fifty employees, two hundred and thirty-two million dollars in annual revenue and seventy-six years of experience, the SRC provides services and products to its one thousand six hundred clients in twenty-two countries around the world. SRC safely operated a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear research reactor for thirty- eight years before they decommissioned it in 2021.
     With its compact design, water-independent cooling system, and potential to harness industrial heat, the eVinci microreactor demonstrates the possibilities of modern nuclear technology. As the first of its kind, it serves as a indicator of a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for Saskatchewan and beyond.

Saskatchewan Research Council

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     Tech companies are scrambling to find new power sources for AI’s huge energy needs. Some of them are turning to startups that are developing new nuclear technology. Google recently announced that it plans to start using power from Kairos Power’s small modular reactors (SMRs) by 2030. Amazon is investing in X-Energy, which is another nuclear startup. Microsoft hasn’t yet announced a similar investment. However, Microsoft recently agreed to purchase electricity from Helion Energy’s first fusion power plant, scheduled for deployment in 2028.
     Nuclear boosters claim that the newest nuclear tech is safer and more sustainable than traditional nuclear power plants. However, some critics argue that next generation “advanced” nuclear technology isn’t necessarily that advanced and that it’s unlikely to be ready on the timeline that Big Tech wants.
     Ed Lyman is the director of the nuclear power safety program at the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists. He said, “I think it’s highly unlikely that these reactors are going to perform the way that their developers are promising.”
     X-Energy is making a small reactor filled with fuel “pebbles”, each around the size of a billiard ball. They contain thousands of tiny particles of uranium that are each surrounded by layers of carbon. This type of fuel is “tristructural isotropic” fuel (TRISO). The Department of Energy (DoE) calls it “the most robust nuclear fuel on Earth,” a claim that Lyman says is “wildly overhyped.”
     TRISO fuel continuously rotates through the core of the reactor, along with helium that absorbs the heat. The heat turns water into steam which drives a turbine to make electricity. The X-Energy claims that its design is “meltdown-proof” and says the particles “retain their integrity under all foreseeable conditions.”
     Lyman wrote a detailed report about next-gen nuclear reactors in 2021 and closely follows the industry. He argues that it’s too early to say that it’s safe. He explains that “X-Energy’s specific fuel type has not yet been tested under any circumstances.” When TRISO fuel from another manufacturer was tested in a reactor at Idaho National Laboratory, the experiment had to stop early because it was producing high levels of radioactive cesium at certain temperatures. X-Energy also claims that its fuel is so inherently safe that a containment building isn’t necessary, but Lyman disagrees. He says that the reactors could be vulnerable to air or water leaks, and that the TRISO fuel has to be made to exacting specifications that have yet to be proven. He adds that “They’re still kind of basing all their safety analyses on optimistic assumptions.”
     X-Energy says their reactors run efficiently, using more than ninety percent of the available uranium in each pebble. However, Lyman says it’s less efficient than traditional nuclear power plants and that it generates more radioactive waste. The spent fuel will be stored on site for the 60-year life of the reactor. After that the DoE will have to store it in a geological repository. So far, these repositories don’t exist, and nuclear waste from decades of older nuclear power plants is still piling up. The U.S. started to build a repository in Arizona at Yucca Mountain, but the project was canceled in 2011.
     Kairos also uses TRISO fuel, with their own type of reactor. Lyman argues that there are other problems with the Kairos reactors. He says that the coolant that the company uses is corrosive and it could be difficult to find materials for the reactor that won’t be damaged by it. Kairos responded that it has done thousands of hours of testing with “very little corrosion” under normal operating conditions. Lyman still says that it’s too early in the process to know how the reactor will actually perform. Construction began in July on the company’s demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
    The full-scale TRISO reactor will also release more tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, than existing nuclear power plants. Lyman argues the tritium poses a threat to the environment. Kairos says the levels of tritium release “do not pose a significant risk to public health or the environment.” They note that some level of tritium naturally exists in groundwater. They say that they will “conduct regular monitoring and mitigation efforts to limit any tritium releases.”
Please read Part 2 next