Nuclear Momentum: From Oak Ridge Fuel to First Criticality
Momentum is building across the U.S. nuclear sector, and this issue rounds up three developments spanning fuel supply to next-generation reactors.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted Orano USA's application for a $5 billion uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee which aims to supply roughly a third of the nation's nuclear fuel needs and cut reliance on Russian imports.
On the reactor side, Antares Nuclear's microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory has reached "criticality," the first advanced reactor to hit that self-sustaining milestone.
The NRC has accepted a construction permit application for NANO Nuclear Energy's fourth-generation KRONOS micro modular reactor, slated for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where it would deliver carbon-free heat and power for industry, data and AI centers, and surrounding communities.
You can read the articles below.
Orano USA’s Oak Ridge nuclear facility could be licensed by April 2027
By Mariah Franklin, Knoxville News Sentinel
Orano USA's $5 billion Oak Ridge nuclear fuel site could start operations after a federal review that lasts a fraction of the standard time as the U.S. works to build up nuclear capacity.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in May accepted Orano's licensing application for a uranium enrichment site in Oak Ridge. Orano in 2024 committed to the biggest private investment in Tennessee history with a goal to provide the U.S. with about a third of its nuclear fuel needs – rendering future imports from U.S. rival Russia unnecessary – through the enrichment facility.
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Energy Department says advanced nuclear reactor first to reach critical milestone
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US nuclear firm advances 4th-gen 45 MWth Kronos modular reactor with key clearance
The KRONOS reactor is a proprietary, stationary, high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor designed for transportability and scalable deployment.
By Aman Tripathi
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted a Construction Permit Application (CPA) to deploy NANO Nuclear Energy’s KRONOS micro modular reactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.).
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The KRONOS MMR is a fourth Generation nuclear energy system designed to deliver electricity to users. The system provides carbon-free process heat and electricity for co-located industries such as data and AI centers, chemical and industrial operations, and population centers.
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