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Analysis
One step forward for US SMRs?
The US ADVANCE Act aims to smooth the way for new advanced reactors and SMRs. But commercialisation funding for the technology almost fell casualty to a presidential order.
Signed into law in July 2024, the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advance Nuclear for Clean Energy Act (the ADVANCE Act) had bipartisan support among US legislators. The Act is designed to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy capacity, including by smoothing the path for advanced nuclear reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs) by accelerating licensing and creating new incentives for such technologies. In a commentary on the Act, law firm Sidley Austin said it “shows a sincere appetite among US policymakers to innovate regulation in an industry viewed as critical but somewhat stagnant of late.”
The ADVANCE Act coincided with an announcement in July 2024 of $900m in Federal Department of Energy (DOE) funding for Generation III+ reactors, specifically the SMR Pathway to Deployment.
Bids for the funding stream were due to be submitted by 17 January. Soon afterwards, DOE’s funding streams for energy technologies came under threat.
CONTRACTORS SELECTED FOR BELGIAN WASTE FACILITY
Belgian National Agency for Radioactive Waste & Enriched Fissile Material, Ondraf/Niras (Organisme National des Déchets Radioactifs et des matières Fissiles enrichies/ Nationale Instelling voor Radioactief Afval en verrijkte Splijtstoffen) has appointed contractors to construct a surface disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level, short-lived waste at Dessel. NucleusSafe will be responsible for civil engineering and Denys for electromechanical work.
The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC – Federaal Agentschap voor Nucleaire Controle) granted a permit to Ondraf/Niras to construct the facility in 2023. Ondraf/Niras applied to FANC for the licence initially in 2013 but FANC requested additional clarifications.
FIRST WESTINGHOUSE FUEL FOR DUKOVANY
The Dukovany NPP in the Czech Republic has taken delivery of the first batch of fuel manufactured by US-based Westinghouse for its VVER-440 reactor units. In May, the first Westinghouse fuel was delivered for the VVER-1000 units at the Temelín NPP. Previously both plants had used fuel provided by Rosatom fuel company TVEL.
Nuclear currently provides about a third of the Czech Republic’s electricity. The two VVER-1000 units at Temelín began operation in 2000 and 2002, and the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany between 1985 and 1987.
EUROPE TO DEVELOP NEXT-GEN SMR
Four European nuclear technology organisations have established the Eagles Consortium with the aim of developing and commercialising EAGLES-300, a next-generation lead-cooled small modular reactor (SMR). The consortium comprises Belgium’s SCK-CEN nuclear research centre; Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy & Sustainable Economic Development ENEA; Italian company Ansaldo Nucleare; and Romanian Atomic Energy Technology Company RATEN (Regia Autonoma Tehnologii pentru Energia Nucleara).
The agreement strengthens collaboration among consortium members Focused on Generation IV lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology, with the aim of delivering its first demonstrator by 2035 and developing the EAGLES-300 SMR by 2039.
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DEAL SIGNED FOR FORSMARK REPOSITORY
Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management (SKB – Svensk Kärnbränslehantering) has signed a collaboration agreement with Implenia for the construction of the Spent Fuel Repository’s hard rock facility in Forsmark. This includes the planning, design and construction of access routes down to a repository level of 500 metres and the first parts of the final repository.
The Repository, SKB’s largest construction project, will be built in Forsmark in Östhammar municipality, and preparatory work above ground officially started at the beginning of the year. Implenia has now been selected to work with SKB to build the underground repository facility.
KYOTO, ASTRAL JOIN CULHAM FUSION HUB
Japan’s Kyoto Fusioneering and UK-based Astral Systems have joined the fusion technology and AI organisations located at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA’s) Culham Campus near Oxford.
UKAEA said the arrival of Kyoto Fusioneering and Astral Systems marks another significant step in the evolution of Culham Campus as a community of like-minded people. The site has organisations across sectors including fusion energy, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and computing, supporting the UK’s ambition to lead the global quest for commercial fusion energy. “Kyoto Fusioneering, a leading developer of fusion technologies, and Astral Systems, a leader in compact fusion innovations, bring cutting-edge capability to Culham, enhancing the dynamic ecosystem of science and technology tenants already based on site.”
NUSCALE ADVANCES SMR DESALINATION & HYDROGEN
US-based NuScale Power Corporation has announced research programmes to develop an integrated energy system that can provide both clean water and an energy efficient means for hydrogen production.
A single NuScale Power Module (NPM) coupled to a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis desalination system could yield approximately 150m gallons of clean water a day without generating carbon dioxide. NuScale says 12 NPM’s could provide desalinated water for a city of 2.3m and also have surplus power to provide 400,000 homes with electricity.
While NPMs offer an immediate solution for cleanly powering desalination, the resulting brine production remains an environmental challenge. To address this issue, researchers at NuScale developed a new approach for hydrogen storage, transport, and production using leftover brine from the desalination process as industrial feedstock.
CONTRACTORS SELECTED FOR BELGIAN WASTE FACILITY
Belgian National Agency for Radioactive Waste & Enriched Fissile Material, Ondraf/Niras (Organisme National des Déchets Radioactifs et des matières Fissiles enrichies/ Nationale Instelling voor Radioactief Afval en verrijkte Splijtstoffen) has appointed contractors to construct a surface disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level, short-lived waste at Dessel. NucleusSafe will be responsible for civil engineering and Denys for electromechanical work.
The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC – Federaal Agentschap voor Nucleaire Controle) granted a permit to Ondraf/Niras to construct the facility in 2023. Ondraf/Niras applied to FANC for the licence initially in 2013 but FANC requested additional clarifications.
EU DROPS RUSSIAN NUCLEAR FUEL BAN
The European Commission (EC) is not going to propose measures to limit the European Union’s (EU’s) reliance on Russian nuclear fuel but proposals to ban Russian gas will go ahead, according to EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen. The EC is expected to propose legal measures to end Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.
Previously, the EC had indicated that it planned to propose trade measures targeting enriched uranium imports from Russia and to encourage countries to switch to other suppliers. The Commission also said it intended to propose restricting new supply contracts for Russian uranium and enriched uranium which are co-signed by the Euratom Supply Agency.
WORLD BANK LIFTS NUCLEAR FUNDING BAN
The World Bank’s board has agreed to end a longstanding ban on funding nuclear energy projects in developing countries as part of a broader push to meet rising electricity needs, according to World Bank President Ajay Banga. The Bank stopped funding nuclear power projects in 2013. To date, the World Bank’s only loan for new nuclear capacity was $40m in 1959 for Italy’s NPP.
The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident resulted in the World Bank imposing a de facto ban on nuclear funding. This was then formalised in 2013. The policy reversal followed similar decisions on nuclear energy, including the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy signed by 22 countries in December 2023, as well as recent decisions by the European Investment Bank, Germany, and Canada to boost nuclear power.
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