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Paducah facility in Kentucky could be operational in late 2020s Australia-based Silex says its laser enrichment technology is the future of uranium enrichment. Australia-based technology company Silex Systems has completed a “rigorous” eight-month test programme of the first module of full-scale laser enrichment technology required for US-based Global Laser Enrichment’s (GLE) commercial pilot demonstration project in Wilmington, North Carolina.

GLE is the exclusive worldwide licensee of the laser enrichment Silex technology, which Silex says is “the future of uranium enrichment”.

The technology is a unique laser-based process that has a number of advantages over other uranium enrichment processes including higher efficiency, lower costs and greater flexibility in producing advanced fuels for advanced small modular reactors.

GLE is commercialising the technology to produce nuclear fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. The company has exclusive rights to enrich a significant portion of the US Department of Energy’s depleted uranium “tails” at a proposed facility in Paducah, Kentucky.

Date: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/silex-completes-rigorous-testing-of-technology-for-us-demonstration-project-9-3-2022

With Australia moving to decarbonise, it is time to seriously consider a role for advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs), the head of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) said today.

Date: Thursday, 07 October 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/SMRs-ideal-fit-for-Australian-market-report-finds

Coalition discussion paper says small reactors ‘have potential’ NuScale told an inquiry last year that its SMR design would suit rural areas in Australia. Photo courtesy NuScale. The Australian federal government wants to look at the possibility of deploying small modular reactors as part of its policy to achieve its medium- and long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target as part of its obligation under the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

The nuclear proposal was contained in a discussion paper, released on 21 May, that is part of the ruling Liberal-National party coalition government's policy to detail how it will meet its target of reducing GHG emissions by 26-28% by 2030 from 2005 levels, as well as the broader Paris aim of the globe achieving net-zero emissions.

The discussion paper said emerging nuclear technologies – for example, small modular reactors – have potential but require R&D and identified deployment pathways. “Engineering, cost and environmental challenges, alongside social acceptability of nuclear power in Australia, will be key determinants of any future deployment,” the paper said.

The paper examined more than 140 technologies including hydrogen, renewables, biofuels and carbon capture and storage.

Date: Friday, 22 May 2020
Original article: nucnet.org/news/government-to-examine-smrs-as-part-of-energy-planning-5-4-2020

A startup looking at proposals to build a small modular reactor in Estonia by the middle of next decade has said it is set to begin the process of site selection for a first unit.

Fermi Energia’s founder and chief executive officer Kalev Kallemets said in a television interview that no decision had been made about a site, but that authorities in the municipality of Viru-Nigula, in the north of the country, were interested.

Mr Kallemets said: “If we do not deal with this discussion and research today, then in 10 years it could be too late and the opportunity will be gone”. He said Estonia needs to consider new generation SMR technology to maintain energy independence and achieve climate neutrality.

He said an “optimistic scenario” provides for the first plat to begin operation in the early 2030s.

Date: Tuesday, 28 January 2020
Original article: nucnet.org/news/fermi-energia-to-begin-site-selection-for-first-smr-1-1-2020