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The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has received a shipment of used next-generation light water reactor LWR) fuel from a commercial NPP to support research and testing for the first time in two decades. INL said it had received 25 experimental fuel rods irradiated in the reactor core of a commercial reactor. The fuel rods were developed and manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Company with technical assistance from several US national laboratories, including INL.

Date: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsinl-receives-irradiated-next-generation-fuel-for-testing-11473480

Centrus Energy Corp has made its first delivery of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to the US Department of Energy, (DOE). This completes Phase One of its contract with DOE by demonstrating its HALEU production process. Phase Two will now begin, which requires a full year of HALEU production at the rate of 900 kilograms a year using its American Centrifuge Plant (ACO) in Piketon, Ohio.

Date: Saturday, 11 November 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newscentrus-delivers-first-haleu-to-us-doe-11286837

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Savannah River Site (SRS) says the H Canyon facility recently initiated actions to recycle a small amount of used highly enriched uranium (HEU) stored in the Site’s H Area in order to down-blend it into high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU). “The projected demand for HALEU far exceeds the current supply,” said HALEU Programme Manager Jeff Hasty for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the site’s managing and operating contractor.

Date: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newshaleu-production-planned-for-savannah-river-site-as-clean-up-continues-10731144

The US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management achieved most of its goals for calendar year 2022, with all but three of the priorities on its mission "scorecard" for the year complete or partially complete. All six of its primary mission areas have received increased funding under the recently enacted budget for fiscal 2023.

Date: Saturday, 14 January 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/US-cleanup-mission-looks-to-build-on-2022-success

Holtec International and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co Ltd (Hyundai E&C) have signed an agreement to launch an accelerated programme to complete the balance of plant design of the remaining systems and structures for the SMR-160 advanced small modular reactor (SMR). The SMR-160 is a pressurised light-water reactor, generating 160MWe (525MWt) using low-enriched uranium fuel, with flexibility to produce process heat for industrial applications and hydrogen production.

Date: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsholtec-and-hyundai-agree-to-accelerate-the-smr-160-programme-10115947

The 2022 Virginia Energy Plan, announced by Governor Glenn Youngkin, calls for a nuclear innovation hub to be established in the state and for a commercial small modular reactor to be deployed in southwest Virginia within the next decade.

Date: Thursday, 06 October 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-central-in-Virginia-s-energy-plan

Dr Kathryn Huff, recently appointed the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) assistant secretary for nuclear energy, discussed her priorities for the nuclear sector in a lengthy interview published on DOE’s website.

Date: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsus-assistant-secretary-for-nuclear-energy-discusses-priorities-9772725

Facility will be ‘critical tool for developing transformational technologies’ The US is expected to make a final decision on the VTR project by late June. Courtesy DOE. The US Department of Energy has published a final environmental impact statement for the Versatile Test Reactor, a 300-MW sodium-cooled, fast-neutron reactor that would help develop advanced nuclear technologies.

The DOE has chosen the Idaho National Laboratory as the preferred site for building the VTR and is expected to make a final decision on the project by late June. An alternative site in the final environmental impact statement was Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

The VTR will be used to provide a source of fast neutrons for testing and evaluating nuclear fuels, materials, sensors, and instrumentation to support the development of advanced reactor technologies. Such facilities are available in only a few locations worldwide, and the US has not operated one in more than 20 years.

The VTR will be based on many of the design and passive safety features of GE Hitachi’s Prism small modular reactor. According to DOE researchers, the Prism design would require several changes, notably the elimination of electricity production and the accommodation for experimental locations within the core.

Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/us-doe-chooses-inl-over-oak-ridge-as-preferred-site-5-2-2022

A new method to remove and process used fuel at the Savannah River site in South Carolina that will save more than 20 years of work and billions of dollars in costs has been approved by the US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM).

Date: Saturday, 23 April 2022
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/DOE-approves-method-to-hasten-legacy-waste-removal

Kathryn Huff also addressed impact of Russian invasion of Ukraine Ms Huff addressed a number of topics including the existing nuclear fleet and new reactor technologies. Courtesy US Senate/DOE. Kathryn Huff told a Senate energy and natural resources committee hearing that if she is confirmed to head the Department of Energy’s office of nuclear energy she will prioritise activities to preserve the existing fleet of nuclear power plants, deploy advanced reactor technologies, manage spent nuclear fuel and work with international partners to support technological transfer and American innovation.

During the hearing’s question-and-answer portion, Ms Huff addressed a number of topics, including investment in domestic uranium conversion and enrichment infrastructure to eliminate US dependence on Russia for nuclear fuel.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, she said, “puts into stark contrast the importance of our energy security. I completely agree that we need to build out the capacity for a Western alternative to the Russian component of the uranium market, including conversion and enrichment capacity.

Date: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/nuclear-nominee-plans-to-preserve-existing-fleet-deploy-advanced-reactor-technologies-3-2-2022