DOE Opens Its Checkbook for SMRs, Plans to Spend $800M
NRC Completes Safety Review of TerraPower Construction Permit Application
BWXT Delivers TRISO Nuclear Fuel to INL for Project Pele Microreactor
INL Produces Fuel for Molten Salt Reactor
Microreactor Developer Antares Raises $96M in Series B Funding
TAE Technologies and UKAEA Partner to Commercialize Fusion Power
IAEA Signs Agreement with Atomic Canyon for AI Software
Studsvik To Provide Key Reactor Design & Verification System For Romania SMR Project
Final Investment Decision for NuScale Romania Project Delayed
INL Selects 1st Round of Firms for MARVEL Experiments
DOE Opens Its Checkbook for SMRs; Plans to Spend $800M
The Department of Energy has opened its checkbook and is now funding the middle ground between large 1000MW+ reactors and microreactors with power ratings of less than 25MW. The agency has selected two developers of small modular reactors (SMRs) awarding each of them $400 million in cost shared funding.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is selected by DOE to deploy the GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at the Clinch River Nuclear site in Tennessee. Also, the funds will be used to accelerate the deployment of additional units with Indiana Michigan Power and Elementl.
Additionally, TVA plans to work with the domestic nuclear supply chain partners Scot Forge, North American Forgemasters, BWX Technologies, and Aecon. Other partners supporting the project include Duke Energy, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the Electric Power Research Institute. As the lead applicant, TVA and DOE will now enter further discussion around project milestones and co-applicant awards.
Don Moul, TVA President and CEO said that TVA is the first utility in the U.S. to have a construction permit application for a BWRX-300 SMR accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The agency assessed that the application as complete and ready for review last July.
“The Clinch River project will serve as a national model for how to deploy SMRs safely, efficiently, and affordably – laying the groundwork for a new era of American nuclear energy leadership, Moul said.
A spokesman for TVA told Neutron Bytes that the design for the BWRX300 is not yet complete so it is premature to discuss the cost of building the first unit. He added that a key focus at this time for TVA and GE Vernova Hitachi is to develop the supply chain for the SMR.
In addition to its work to develop the BWRX300 at Clinch River, TN, TVA is also collaborating with Ontario Power Generation which is planning to build four of the SMRs at its Darlington, ON, site.
The agreement allows the companies to coordinate their explorations into the design, licensing, construction and operation of small modular reactors. While no exchange of funding is involved, the collaboration agreement will help OPG and TVA reduce the financial risk that comes from development of innovative technology, as well as future deployment costs.
Holtec Funded for SMRs at Palisades Plant in Michigan
Holtec is the second firm to received $400 million to support its plans for SMRs. The firm plans to deploy two SMR-300 PWR type reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Covert, MI. The twin units will also fulfill a role as demonstrator units telling a story of the viability of SMRs which will promote additional orders both domestically and abroad.
Holtec is pursuing an innovative one-stop-shop approach to SMR deployment by fulfilling the roles of technology vendor, supply chain vendor, nuclear plant constructor in partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, plant operator, and as an electricity merchant selling the power to near-by utilities and end-users.
Holtec said in a press statement the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) project, which will add 680 MW in a dual unit (340 MW per unit) configuration. The firm that that the twin SMRs are envisaged to be built by Holtec with construction financing from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office. Holtec added that with the financial pathway secured, the firm expects the SMRs to enter revenue service in the early 2030s.
As part of the program, DOE will provide milestone-based cost-share support to the company that is intended to support licensing, pre-construction, and supply-chain mobilization for the Palisades SMR-300 project. Holtec’s proposal includes a multi-site deployment pathway that establishes a repeatable, fleet-scale model — a core requirement of the DOE SMR Tier 1 program intended to drive down costs and shorten construction durations through standardization and manufacturing efficiency.
Holtec added in a press statement, “DOE’s support is an essential enabler of the Palisades SMR-300 project, moving it from development to deployment by building on the government’s prior support for Holtec’s SMR technology under the 2020 DOE Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) Risk Reduction for Future Demonstrations to support commercial readiness.”
Dr. Kris Singh, CEO and Executive Chairman of Holtec International, said in the same press statement, “We are energized by DOE’s confidence in our SMR-300 reactor, which we view as validation of our 14-year quest to develop a walk-away-safe and cost-competitive nuclear reactor. This grant positions Holtec to accelerate deployment of a standardized SMR-300 fleet that strengthens U.S. energy security and grid resilience.”
In March 2025, DOE issued a $900 million solicitation to de-risk the deployment of Gen III+ SMRs and the remaining $100 million will be awarded later this year to support additional deployments and address key barriers in design, licensing, supply chain, and site readiness.
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NRC Completes Safety Review of TerraPower Construction Permit Application
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has completed its final safety evaluation for the application submitted by TerraPower to build Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 in Kemmerer, WY. The evaluation concludes there are no safety aspects that would preclude issuing the construction permit.
“We’ve finished our technical work on the Kemmerer review a month ahead of our already accelerated schedule, as we aim to make licensing decisions for new, advanced reactors in no more than 18 months,” said Jeremy Groom, acting director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
“We thank TerraPower for promptly addressing the agency’s questions to ensure safety and enable the NRC to efficiently process the application.”
The staff will provide the safety evaluation and the final environmental impact statement to the Commission for the final phase of the licensing process in the coming weeks. The Commission will determine whether the staff’s review supports the findings necessary to issue the permit. Following its deliberations, the Commission will vote on whether to direct the staff to issue the permit.
The NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards independently reviewed new and novel safety-related aspects of the Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 application. The committee provided the results of its review to the Commission on 11/16/25.
TerraPower filed the application in March 2024, requesting a permit to build the sodium-cooled, advanced reactor design on a site near an existing coal-fired power plant. The NRC staff accepted the application and began its formal review in May 2024.
The 345 MWe plant includes an energy storage system to temporarily boost output up to 500 MWe, when needed. If the NRC ultimately issues the permit, the firm would need to submit a separate operating license application before it would be authorized to operate the facility.
TerraPower CEO Statement on NRC’s Findings
TerraPower President and CEO, Chris Levesque, issues a statement on the announcement of the. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s completion of the Final Safety Evaluation for the first Natrium plant1, Kemmerer Unit 1, construction permit application:
“Today is a momentous occasion for TerraPower, our project partners and the Natrium design. This favorable safety evaluation from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reflects years of rigorous evaluation, thoughtful collaboration with the NRC, and an unwavering commitment to both safety and innovation.”
“I am deeply proud of our team’s efforts in pioneering the design and licensing of America’s first, commercial-scale, advanced nuclear power plant. TerraPower remains focused on delivering the next generation of reliable, flexible power to the grid and long-term jobs for the Kemmerer community.”
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BWXT Delivers TRISO Nuclear Fuel to INL for Project Pele Microreactor
BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT), the Idaho National Laboratory, the U.S. Army and the Department of War Strategic Capabilities Office announce the delivery at INL of TRISO nuclear fuel for the Project Pele microreactor. The full Pele prototype will be tested at INL.
Project Pele is the pathfinder design effort for advanced microreactors and is focused on designing, building and testing a 1.5 MW transportable power system. Pele is a Generation IV high-temperature gas- cooled reactor (HTGR). The entire system is designed to fit into four standard-sized shipping containers.
The fuel, called tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, is composed of uranium, carbon and oxygen, which are formed into a small kernel. This kernel is coated in multiple ceramic layers including silicon carbide that make it extremely durable under high heat, radiation, and corrosive conditions. Thousands of these poppy seed-sized particles are combined into compact fuel forms used in advanced reactors like the one being developed under Project Pele.
BWXT manufactured and shipped the fuel from its facilities in Lynchburg, VA. The company’s Specialty Fuels Fabrication Group has more than 20 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of TRISO fuel for government applications.
Jeff Waksman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, said, “This is real nuclear microreactor fuel delivered at its final destination, rather than some letter or memorandum promising to make fuel at a later date.”
“Project Pele is a transformational leap toward Gen-IV nuclear power, and the Army’s Janus Program will follow on to deliver affordable, reliable, commercial nuclear power to ensure that our critical infrastructure has the power they need, whenever they need it, even if the electric grid is disrupted.”
BWXT is constructing the Pele prototype at its Innovation Campus in Lynchburg, and it will ship the completed prototype to INL. The team plans to begin formal system testing as early as 2027.
BWXT is collaborating with Rolls-Royce LibertyWorks, Northrop Grumman and Torch Technologies on the full-system components, including thermal and power conversion modules and instrument and control systems.
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INL Produces Fuel for Molten Salt Reactor
It is the first-ever fuel for fast molten salt reactor experiment, opening door to use for maritime applications
Scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have achieved a breakthrough in nuclear energy by launching full-scale production of enriched fuel salt for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE). It is the world’s first test of a molten chloride salt fast reactor.
Results from the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment will help inform the commercial deployment of TerraPower and Southern Company’s Molten Chloride Fast Reactor that could be deployed in the 2030s.
The fuel salt production process began in 2020. INL scientists set out to convert 90% of uranium metal into uranium chloride and produce 18 kilograms of fuel salt per batch—an ambitious target. Early attempts yielded less than the target amount with only an 80% conversion. But in 2024, the team achieved a breakthrough: 95% conversion and full-batch production. They’ve since demonstrated they can produce a batch in as little as one day.
The team delivered the first fuel salt production batch at the end of September and will produce four additional batches by March 2026.
“This is the first time in history that chloride-based molten salt fuel has been produced for a fast reactor,” said Bill Phillips, technical lead for salt synthesis.
“It’s a major milestone for American innovation and a clear signal of our national commitment to advanced nuclear energy.”
The MCRE project is a public-private collaboration between Southern Company, TerraPower, CORE POWER, and the U.S. Department of Energy to demonstrate advanced nuclear technologies. It is the first planned reactor experiment to be hosted at the Laboratory for Operation and Testing in the United States (LOTUS) test bed, which DOE’s National Reactor Innovation Center is building at INL. Operations are expected to begin as soon as 2030.
Unlike traditional reactors that use solid fuel rods and water as a coolant, most molten salt reactors rely on liquid fuel—a mixture of salts containing fissile material. This design allows for higher operating temperatures, better fuel efficiency, and enhanced safety. It also opens the door to new applications, including compact nuclear systems for ships and remote installations.
Jeff Latkowski, senior vice president of TerraPower and program director for the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor, said, “The Molten Chloride Fast Reactor represents a paradigm shift in the nuclear fuel cycle, and MCRE will directly inform the commercialization of that reactor.”
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Microreactor Developer Antares Raises $96M in Series B Funding
Idaho Falls, ID, based nuclear startup Antares announced it has raised $96 million in Series B funding to fund further development of its microreactor.
Investors include Shine Capital with participation from Alt Capital, Caffeinated, FiftyThree Stations, Industrious, and others, consists of $71 million in equity and $25 million in debt.
Antares says it is targeting commercial, defense, and space-based applications with its R1 microreactor. The reactors is expected to produce between 100 KW and 1 MW electricity. The design uses TRISO fuel. Sodium heat pipes enable redundant, high-temperature, entirely passive heat transfer. Simple recuperated N2 closed Brayton cycle enables efficient power conversion at < 300 psi.
The firm reports on its website that in 2025 it hit critical design and safety milestones including Conceptual Design Review (CDR) and Nuclear Safety Design Agreement (NDSA). The firm is conducting hardware development at a new 145,000 sq-ft facility in Torrance, CA to accelerate in-house manufacturing. It initiated fabrication of TRISO fuel that will support multiple reactor demonstrations.
In August, Antares was named one of 11 participants in the Department of Energy’s reactor pilot program. The goal of the program, which has 10 other competing participants, is for three of them to demonstrate criticality of their respective reactors by July 2026.
In terms of future milestones, in 2026 the firm plans to complete the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA), along with finishing qualification campaigns for a majority of the reactor’s subsystems including the core, heat exchanger, and power conversion system.
In 2027, the firm plans to manufacture, assemble, and turn on a full-power, electricity-producing advanced reactor. It will have completed all remaining design, operations, and safety reviews in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Energy, and others. Key actions include evaluating reactor performance and validate system design ahead of producing additional demonstration and customer units in 2028.
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TAE Technologies and UKAEA Partner to Commercialize Fusion Power
A joint venture with TAE Technologies and the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) will develop neutral beams for fusion and non-fusion applications establishing a critical supply chain and a high paying jobs. The UK government plans to make an equity investment of GBP5.6 million ($7.4 million) in this new venture. TAE has raised $1.3 billion since its launch from private investors.
TAE Technologies, a U.S. private fusion energy firm announced a bilateral and reciprocal investment commitment with the United Kingdom’s national fusion laboratory, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to commercialize TAE’s proprietary particle accelerator technology for the global market.
At the center of the partnership is the new joint venture TAE Beam UK. It is a collaborative entity that will develop particle accelerator technology beginning with neutral beams for fusion. The venture aims to design, develop, and ultimately manufacture and service neutral beams for a wide range of fusion approaches, as well as adapt the accelerator technology for state-of-the-art cancer therapeutics, and other applications like food safety and homeland security.
TAE, with more than two decades of patented intellectual property and particle accelerator R&D, is an industry leader in neutral beams, which are critical for commercial fusion. For a fusion machine to produce electricity, it must keep plasma steadily confined at fusion-relevant conditions.
On TAE’s current fusion machine, eight powerful neutral beams are placed at precise angles to meet those requirements. Inside each neutral beam canister, protons are accelerated and then combined with electrons to create a stream of neutral, high-energy hydrogen atoms (a.k.a., the ‘neutral beam ’).
Because the particles have no charge, they can bypass the fusion reactor’s magnetic field to provide heating, current drive and plasma stability. TAE is the first to use neutral beams for both FRC plasma formation and high-quality plasma sustainment – resulting in a streamlined design that is smaller, more efficient and more cost-effective.
The same accelerator technology that produced TAE’s sophisticated neutral beam system for fusion has also been adapted for TAE’s medtech subsidiary, TAE Life Sciences, to provide a non-invasive, targeted treatment for complex and often inoperable cancers.
TAE Beam UK will operate out of UKAEA’s Culham Campus, in Oxfordshire, U.K., establishing a global hub for fusion technology. TAE already has additional facilities in the UK; its power management subsidiary, TAE Power Solutions, is based in the West Midlands – and TAE Beam UK. Together these entities will anchor a fusion supply chain.
Google Continues as a Major Partner with TAE
Last June Google took part in a $150 million funding round of TAE Technologies. Google says it has been associated with TAE since 2015, when Google Research collaborated with the company, applying AI to drive improvements in plasma temperature and lifetime. The project plans to deliver the first short-pulse beams within 18-24 months of the start of work.
Google’s integration into TAE’s engineering teams has helped the company unlock a practical path to economic fusion and was instrumental in enabling the technical breakthrough that now paves the way for TAE’s next milestone: validating net energy capability in its Copernicus reactor. Google’s renewed commitment to TAE follows a thorough technical and commercial evaluation of TAE’s distinctive fusion approach.
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IAEA Signs Agreement with Atomic Canyon for AI Software
The IAEA has signed an agreement with Atomic Canyon developing AI-powered solutions for the nuclear energy sector. Under this pact, the IAEA and Atomic Canyon will explore opportunities for collaboration and evaluate a proof of concept to lay the groundwork for AI solutions in nuclear information management.
IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi and Trey Lauderdale, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Atomic Canyon, signed an agreement to advance cooperation on AI models that help navigate IAEA publications and other open resources.
In a press statement, Atomic Canyon said, “This isn’t just a milestone for us, it’s a turning point for the industry. Together with the IAEA, we’re building the frameworks, benchmarks, and guidelines that will define how AI transforms nuclear operations worldwide, from design and licensing to maintenance and regulatory reviews.”
CEO Trey Lauderdale said in a post on Linkedin, “Every aspect of the nuclear power lifecycle is going to be transformed.” And now, American innovation will help lead that transformation on a global scale.”
The signing ceremony took place at IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria as global energy and technology leaders met at IAEA headquarters on 12/03/25 in Vienna for the first ever International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Nuclear Energy.
The two-day event included senior representatives from government ministries, international organizations, the nuclear industry and major tech firms — including Google and Oracle — to discuss how nuclear energy can help meet the surging electricity demand of AI data centers, and how AI can support nuclear technology development. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said at the opening ceremony:
“Two forces are reshaping humanity’s horizon at an unprecedented pace: the rise of artificial intelligence and the global transition towards clean, reliable energy. The world’s energy map is being redrawn before our eyes. The essential point, our opportunity and our responsibility, is that these forces are not unfolding separately. They are converging and redefining the new global economy.”
With regard to the partnership with Atomic Canyon he added that nuclear energy is the only source capable of low-carbon generation, round-the-clock reliability, high power density, grid stability and scalability. He described the link between nuclear and AI as structural alliance of “Atoms for Algorithms.”
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Studsvik To Provide Key Reactor Design and Verification System For Romania SMR
Software will verify core and operational safety of NuScale reactor
(NucNet) Studsvik has announced its first sale of design evaluation and verification software to a small modular reactor (SMR) utility customer. Sweden-based Studsvik, which offers technical services to the nuclear power industry, said RoPower Nuclear SA in Romania has selected Studsvik’s Core Management System 5 (CMS5) as its methodology to support the country’s first SMR project.
Romania is planning to build what could be the first European SMR power station using six, 77 MW reactor modules deigned by US-based NuScale.
RoPower Nuclear, the joint venture established for the SMR project, intends to use NuScale’s technology for the facility at a former coal site in Doicesti, about 90 km northwest of the capital Bucharest.
With CMS5, RoPower will be equipped to perform the design evaluation and verification of the SMR plant’s core and operational safety. Studsvik said.
“This new collaboration with RoPower extends the use of Studsvik’s proven technology from the reactor designer to the first utility deploying an SMR fleet,” a statement said.
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Final Investment Decision for NuScale Romania Project Delayed
Delay is due to a change in ownership among the Romanian firms involved in the project
New customers for NuScale expected since NRC approved the firm’s 77 MW SMR design
(NucNet) The final investment decision for a 462 MW small modular reactor (SMR) at a former coal plant site in Romania could be delayed to early 2027, according to John Hopkins, chief executive officer of US-based reactor developer NuScale.
RoPower Nuclear, the joint venture established for the SMR project, intends to use NuScale’s technology for the facility in Doicesti, about 90 km northwest of the capital Bucharest.
NuScale expected RoPower to make the final investment decision early in the second quarter of 2026 at the latest. It is scheduled to be made after the completion of the front-end engineering design (Feed) process. US engineering and construction company Fluor was hired for the job in July, with its subsidiary NuScale as a subcontractor. Infrastructure from the former coal-fired power plant has now been removed. The company is working with Fluor regarding input for the final investment decision.
Hopkins clarified the project is alive and kicking.
“RoPower and the Romanian government continue to pay their bills, and we’re keeping our finger on the pulse and watching it very closely. We have almost weekly conversations on progress”, of the Feed study. The final investment decision looks to be probably between mid-to-late 2026 and early 2027.”
RoPower Nuclear intends to deploy six 77 MW NuScale reactor modules at the planned facility. Deployment had originally been scheduled for around 2029.
The RoPower joint venture is undergoing a change in ownership. Its current owners, each with 50%, are now state-controlled Nuclearelectrica, which operates Romania’s only nuclear plant, Cernavodă, and Nova Power and Gas, a subsidiary of E-Infra, a Romanian group of companies with operations in energy and telecom infrastructure, energy and civil construction.
Last year the US official export credit agency, the Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank), approved a financial commitment of up to $99 Million to support the development of the Doicesti SMR project.
NuScale CEO Bullish on Prospects for New Customers
NuScale Power aims to have “hard contracts” with “two or three major customers” by the end of 2025, chief executive officer John Hopkins told investors and analysts in a 3Q2025 briefing.
NuScale and its developer partner Entra1, a US-based energy production company which is developing, financing and owning plants, have yet to ink a binding contract, but Hopkins said, “we’re getting inundated now” with prospective customers following the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) approval in May of NuScale’s 77-MW power module. Entra1 holds the global exclusive rights to the commercialization, distribution and deployment of NuScale’s SMRs.
According to Hopkins, NuScale’s 77-MW module supplanted an earlier 50-MW design the NRC approved in 2023. Some prospective customers had been waiting as the commission considered NuScale’s application for the uprated module.
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INL Selects 1st Round of Firms for MARVEL Experiments
The Idaho National Laboratory announced initial selections for the Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) end user experiments. The five competitively selected teams will demonstrate several test cases, including desalination of remote operations and advanced sensors.
Marvel is a liquid metal thermal reactor. It uses UZrH TRIGA Fuel with enrichment 19.75 U235. MARVEL is to be installed at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex in 2027. (MARVEL Fact Sheet PDF File)
The experiments will also be among the first to demonstrate the viability of powering data centers with advanced nuclear technologies, a cutting-edge use of nuclear energy that ensures America remains the leader in innovation to dominate the artificial intelligence race.
“Nowhere else in the world will you find this level of support for public sector innovation in nuclear energy,” said John Jackson, national technical director for the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Microreactor Program.
MARVEL is a sodium-potassium-cooled microreactor that is being developed by the Department of Energy. It will generate 85 KW of thermal energy and up to 20 KW of electricity. Slated to be at the Transient Reactor Test Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory, MARVEL will provide a platform where the private sector can gain access to an operational microreactor to demonstrate innovative new use cases for the technology.
The following companies were selected as the first potential end users for MARVEL. The next step will be for them to work with Department of Energy and national laboratory staff members to create implementation plans for their proposed projects:
Amazon Web Services Inc. proposes coupling the MARVEL reactor with a modular data center, a new service that makes it simple and cost-effective for defense and government agencies to build data centers anywhere in the world by enabling the creation of a self-sustaining, rapidly deployable system that can operate independently of traditional power infrastructure.
DCX USA and Arizona State University propose to use MARVEL to demonstrate the feasibility of a microreactor to power a data center for artificial intelligence to yield valuable data on how to provide a stable, continuous power supply capable of handling the unique demands of AI processing.
General Electric Vernova proposes to use MARVEL to demonstrate remote and autonomous reactor operations and establish controls standards for broader application of the technology with commercial reactors.
Radiation Detection Technologies Inc. proposes to use MARVEL to test advanced high-performance sensor technologies that could help monitor the performance of advanced reactors.
Shepherd Power, NOV and ConocoPhillips propose to leverage MARVEL for a pilot-scale desalination project using nuclear-generated process heat to demonstrate the viability of advanced nuclear energy for addressing produced water challenges in oil and gas operations.
Selected firms will coordinate with national laboratory experts to determine the feasibility of their proposed application using MARVEL. This may lead to the opportunity to use MARVEL for demonstration. Final agreements for proposed projects are anticipated to be announced in 2026.
INL Fuel Rods Mimic Nature
INL scientists are experimenting with a fuel concept that replaces traditional cylindrical rods with a continuous 3D lattice modelled on triply periodic minimal surfaces that mimic patterns found in nature.
Early tests show the Influx design can transfer heat roughly three times more efficiently than conventional fuel rods while improving neutron interactions in the core.
The team is now evaluating which reactor types stand to gain the most from the geometry and whether TPMS-based heat exchangers could provide a practical bridge to full fuel adoption.
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