It's Really Happening!
Advanced nuclear is gaining momentum around the world. A growing U.S. project network, new reactor milestones, and continued progress through international regulatory reviews all point to an industry moving steadily from promise to deployment. This month's articles highlight the signs that next-generation nuclear is building real-world traction.
You can read the articles below.
America’s Nuclear Order Book Is Large and Growing
From The Breakthrough Institute (thebreakthrough.org)
Over 70 GW of new demand is in the pipeline, much of it for small and non-light water reactors from hyperscalers.
Thanks to fast-growing electricity demand, especially from AI data centers, demand for new nuclear energy is rapidly growing. In this analysis, we identify 74GW of planned or new nuclear reactor capacity in the United States. While it is unlikely that all of that capacity will ultimately be built, if even a fraction of it is deployed it would mark a historic turnaround for the US nuclear industry.
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Four US microreactors hit criticality milestone
By Neil Ford, Reuters
Four microreactor developers have achieved zero-power fueled criticality under U.S. federal programs to fast-track advanced nuclear reactor designs, paving the way for potential deployments by 2028.
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Valar Atomic’s Ward 250 Becomes Second Reactor to Go Critical Under DOE Pilot Program
From Powermag
Valar Atomics has achieved self-sustaining criticality and completed zero-power testing at Ward 250, its Gen IV tri-structural isotropic (TRISO)-fueled modular high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR), at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County. The project is the second advanced reactor to go critical under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Reactor Pilot Program and the first DOE-authorized reactor built and operated outside the national laboratory system.
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TerraPower’s Natrium reactor begins UK GDA process
From world-nuclear-news.org
TerraPower's Natrium 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten-salt-based energy storage system has officially started the UK's Generic Design Assessment process.
Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower, said: "TerraPower is entering the UK market with a long-term commitment to supporting the nation's clean energy future and establishing ourselves as a serious and reliable deployment partner."
He said that creating the UK-based firm and beginning Step 1 of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process "advances our mission to bring the Natrium technology to Britain".
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