|  | | The Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) announced today that three
nuclear companies will be provided GAIN Nuclear Energy (NE) Vouchers to accelerate the
innovation and application of advanced nuclear technologies. NE vouchers provide
advanced nuclear technology innovators with access to the extensive nuclear research
capabilities and expertise available across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national
laboratory complex. This is the second set of awards in FY 2019. READ MORE
| 4/4/2019 |
|  | | From Marianne Walck, Science & Technology deputy laboratory director:
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Rita Baranwal and Dr. Boryann Liaw have been honored with the Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY) Award for 2019. They are the third and fourth INL recipients of the AAEOY award in the past two years. READ MORE
| 4/4/2019 |
|  | | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced funding selectees for multiple domestic advanced nuclear technology projects. Four projects in two states will receive varying amounts for a total of approximately $19 million in funding. The projects are cost-shared and will allow industry-led teams, including participants from federal agencies, public and private laboratories, institutions of higher education, and other domestic entities, to advance the state of U.S. commercial nuclear capability. READ MORE
| 3/27/2019 |
| | | According to a DOE news release today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced the launch of DOE's Versatile Fast Neutron Source, also referred to as the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR), one of the foundational projects specified in the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017. "U.S. test reactors and user facilities are one reason the United States has maintained an international leadership role in nuclear energy research and development," said Idaho National Laboratory Director Mark Peters. "We currently do not have the fast neutron spectrum research facilities in the U.S. necessary to enable a robust future for advanced reactors. DOE's announcement about the versatile test reactor project is the first important milestone in establishing this capability, and prioritizes investment in this user facility that will serve the science community, industry, regulators and the future of nuclear energy research and innovation." The Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017 (NEICA, S.97, which was enacted into law in September 2018) included provisions for a Versatile Neutron Source and directs the Energy secretary to determine the mission need for a versatile reactor-based fast neutron source operating as a national user facility – as well as a deadline, to the maximum extent practicable – to complete construction and approve the start of the VTR operations by December 2025. INL will lead the VTR project. DOE news release
| 2/28/2019 |
| | | Transfer selected fundamental nuclear energy technology history and experience - including important lessons learned - to the next generation of leaders from industry, government and academia.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Phil Hildebrandt at philip.hildebrandt@inl.gov.
Workshop Details
| 2/27/2019 |
|  | | Excellence in safety and reliability is among the goals identified in the technology roadmap for Generation IV nuclear reactors. This webinar will give an overview of the activities of the Gen IV Risk and Safety Working Group done in support of the six Gen IV nuclear energy systems towards the fulfilment of this goal. Topics include a presentation of the safety philosophy for Gen IV systems, the current safety framework for advanced reactors, and the methodology developed by the group for the safety assessment of Gen IV designs. Other ongoing activities between the group and the designers of Gen IV systems will be also highlighted. February 19, 2019 at 5:30 AM (PST); 8:30 AM (EST)
Webinar Flyer
Please register at the following link
More information about the GIF's webinar series (and past and future webinars) can be found on the GIF website
| 2/5/2019 |
|  | | The Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative has been named by the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council as a
winner of its 2018 Trailblazer Meritorious Achievement Award. The award was presented at USNIC’s Advanced Reactor Summit VI
Jan. 29-31, 2019, in San Diego, California.
GAIN’s award is for its work in providing the nuclear energy community a single point of access to the technical, regulatory, and
financial support necessary to move new or advanced nuclear technologies toward commercialization.
The Advanced Reactors Summit Trailblazer Awards were established in 2017. Jose Reyes, NuScale co-founder and chief technology
officer, was the inaugural honoree that year, followed by Tim Echols of the Georgia Public Utility Commission at Summit V in
February 2018. Terrestrial Energy received the first Trailblazer Special Achievement Award at Summit V.
In addition to GAIN, this year’s honorees include Energy for Humanity, a nonprofit organization based in the United Kingdom and
Switzerland focused on solving climate change and enabling universal access to modern energy services. The organization will
receive the Advanced Reactors Summit Trailblazer Award. “Titans of Nuclear,” a 125-podcast project of the Energy Impact Center,
will be recognized with a Trailblazer Special Achievement Award for its one-on-one interviews of nuclear energy leaders from around
the world.
READ MORE
| 1/31/2019 |
| | | The Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) announced today that three
nuclear companies will be provided GAIN Nuclear Energy (NE) Vouchers to accelerate the
innovation and application of advanced nuclear technologies. NE vouchers provide
advanced nuclear technology innovators with access to the extensive nuclear research
capabilities and expertise available across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national
laboratories complex. Following the successes of the program in FY2016, FY2017 and
FY2018 (quarterly award cycles were introduced), the FY2019 inaugural round kicks off
what is expected to be another productive year. READ MORE
| 1/24/2019 |
|  | | ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers are surveying industry to find companies able to develop a small mobile nuclear reactorfor forward-deployed fighting forces on land and at sea. READ MORE
| 1/23/2019 |
| | | The Nuclear Energy Oak Ridge Site Office (NE-ORSO) of the Department of Energy (DOE) plans to contract with American Centrifuge Operating LLC (ACO), a subsidiary of Centrus Energy Corp., for the demonstration of high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) production to support DOE research and development activities and programs. The HALEU Demonstration Program has two primary objectives: (1) Deployment of a 16 machine AC-100M HALEU Cascade producing a 19.75% U-235 enriched product by October 2020; and (2) Demonstration of the capability to produce HALEU with existing U.S.-origin enrichment technology, and provide DOE with a small quantity of HALEU beginning in 2020 for use in its research and development for the advancement of civilian nuclear energy and security, and other programmatic missions. The period of performance for this award is anticipated to be January 2019 ? December 2020 with a one year option. READ MORE
| 1/7/2019 |
|  | | "Transatomic is extremely grateful to the GAIN initiative for supporting our technology development and the growth of the advanced reactor sector as a whole. Via GAIN, we've worked with the Oak Ridge National Lab to validate our reactor's neutronics and fuel cycle performance, and with the Argonne National Lab to gather material property data for our fuel salt. One of the things we like best about our work with GAIN is that, once a project is completed, the results are openly published so that everyone in the advanced reactor community can learn from the research.
We saw firsthand the benefits of GAIN's collaborative and inclusive attitude – in a new and rapidly-developing sector like advanced reactor design, everyone wins when we can pool resources and share knowledge. Ultimately, GAIN inspired us to put our reactor design in the public domain, making it available for any researchers – private, public, or non-profit – who want to continue the work we've started.
It will take all of us working together to build a robust advanced nuclear sector and make better sources of carbon-free electricity." ~ Leslie Dewan, TransAtomic Power Corporation
| 12/18/2018 |
| | | GEN IV International Forum is happy to announce that they are resuming their webinar series on Gen IV systems and cross-cutting subjects. Mr. Ilya Pakhomov from IPPE, Russia, will give a webinar on the operating experiance of BN600 and BN800 sodium-cooled fast reactors, on December 19th at 5:30 AM (PST); 8:30 AM (EST).
Please register at the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4122346564850819852.
All webinars are archived and can be found at www.gen-4.org.
| 12/17/2018 |
| | | Researchers can support small business-led proposals under the FY 2019 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Release 2 Funding Opportunity Announcement. A webinar is scheduled Dec. 20 to expand your understanding of the opportunity. Please check the Funding Opportunity Announcement website for webinar registration, schedule and details.
| 12/17/2018 |
|  | | ANS Global and Top Fuel 2019, September 22-27, 2019, Seattle, WA
Global is the leading international meeting on the nuclear fuel cycle held every other year, alternating between Asia, Europe, and the US. Bringing these two meeting together will give managers, scientists, and engineers an opportunity to share ideas and enter intro mutually beneficial collaborations.
TopFuel is the preeminent international meeting on new developments in LWR fuel performance held every year, atlernating between Asia, Europe, and the US. READ MORE
| 12/11/2018 |
| | | The primary of objective of this report is to identify the core fuels and materials experimental capabilities available at the Halden Boiling Water Reactor (HBWR), assess potential capability gaps specifically related to the Department of Energy (DOE) Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) program, and provide recommendations for a path forward for DOE ATF. READ MORE
| 12/1/2018 |
| | | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced funding selections for eleven domestic advanced nuclear technology projects. These projects, located across six states, will receive varying amounts for a total of approximately $18 million in funding, with project values totaling approximately $25 million. The projects are cost-shared and will allow industry-led teams, including participants from federal agencies, public and private laboratories, institutions of higher education, and other domestic entities, to advance the state of U.S. commercial nuclear capability.
DOE has selected five companies to receive technology development vouchers under the GAIN program. The companies selected are Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, PA) in the amount of $420,000; Elysium Industries (Clifton Park, NY) in the amount of $500,000; NexDefense (Atlanta, GA) in the amount of $400,000; Exelon Generation (Kennett Square, PA) in the amount of $480,000; and Eastman Chemical Company (Kingsport, TN) in the amount of $350,000. Further detail and description of these awards can be found under the GAIN website. READ MORE
| 11/13/2018 |
|  | | A high-profile, science-based environmental nonprofit is calling for financially struggling nuclear power plants to remain open, citing their benefits to tackling climate change. READ MORE
| 11/8/2018 |
| | | The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites the public to review and comment on a draft environmental assessment for a proposal to fabricate fuel at Idaho National Laboratory's Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) and/or the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) to support efforts by U.S. companies to develop and deploy new reactor technologies. READ MORE
| 10/31/2018 |
| | | DOE is preparing an Environmental Assessment to address the potential use of DOE-owned high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) currently stored at Idaho National Laboratory. The proposed use of this HALEU would involve fabrication of advanced reactor fuel in support of nuclear energy. A draft environmental assessment is being prepared, will soon be issued for public comment, and will be available on the web at http://www.id.energy.gov. DOE will issue a news release announcing the availability of the document for public review and comment. If you would like to be notified when the draft is released for public comment, please contact Dave Herrin, U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 1955 Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-1222; or email haleu@id.doe.gov. If you would like a paper copy of the draft after it is released for public comment, please include your mailing address.
| 10/25/2018 |
| | | The Fiscal Year 2019 Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) funding opportunity announcement has been released. TCF leverages research and development funding in the applied energy programs to mature promising energy technologies with high-impact potential. TCF works to expand the commercial impact of the U.S. Department of Energy's portfolio of research, development, demonstration and deployment activities.
All TCF projects require a minimum 1:1 cost share of nonfederal funds to match the federal investment. Industry partner(s) may provide funds-in or in-kind contributions to meet the cost share requirement. READ MORE |
| 10/15/2018 |
|  | | In honor of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, October 8th, designated for the atomic weight of hydrogen, 1.008, NEI is pleased to encourage the nuclear community to respond to the U.S. Department of Energy's Request for Information(RFI) on H2@Scale. The objective of this RFI is to assess the domestic resources compatible with large-scale hydrogen production, as well as to identify pathways to effectively leverage these resources for near- and long-term use in major industries. Examples include nuclear resource availability (electric power and/or heat) as well as end use opportunities for hydrogen. Deadline is Oct 31. READ MORE
| 10/10/2018 |
| | | A $20+ million funding opportunity that leverages the R&D funding in the applied energy programs to mature promising energy technologies with the potential for high impact for commercialization with a private industry partner. These funds are matched with funds from private partners to promote promising energy technologies for commercial purposes. READ MORE
| 9/27/2018 |
|  | | There’s a lot at stake, but the rewards are high. And the time is now to power America’s future. READ MORE | 9/25/2018 |
| | | IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Today at 5:05 p.m., the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) pulsed for a few seconds, subjecting a small capsule of light water reactor fuel to radiation and heat. The test marked the return of a capability that is critical to the United States’ role in the development of nuclear fuels, for both the existing fleet and a new generation of advanced reactors under design. READ MORE
| 9/18/2018 |
| | | DOE is seeking information, comments, feedback, and recommendations from parties interested in supporting a pilot program to demonstrate a micro-reactor at a DoD or DOE site to provide resilience for critical national security infrastructure. In addition to reactor designers and vendors, nuclear utilities, nuclear fuel manufacturers, independent power producers, and companies with experience in engineering, manufacturing, procurement and construction of nuclear power plants are encouraged to reply to the applicable sections of this RFI with feedback on a potential pilot program. The full Request For Information details may be found at https://www.id.energy.gov/MICRO-REACTOR_REQUEST_FOR_INFORMATION%20Final.doc
| 9/13/2018 |
|  | | Save the date for a U.S. Nuclear Energy Industry face-to-face meeting and webinar on September 26, 2018, in Washington D.C. The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) will host this first annual meeting to obtain feedback from U.S. Industry on the "U.S. Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development, Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)" that was issued in December 2017. In addition, NE will lead the discussion of lessons learned for the parallel Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative technical vouchers program that helps provide U.S. industry with access to the unique capabilities of the U.S. National Laboratories. Also, the meeting will include discussion of planned upcoming activities and potential new aspects for the U.S. Industry FOA. NE has actively evaluated the FOA provisions throughout its first year and has made several modifications due to self-identified improvements and those from U.S. industry participants. This process continues, and NE is committed to evaluating all comments received at this meeting and from all sources, and to establish a feedback mechanism in response to received comments, to continue to improve the effectiveness of the FOA and the U.S. government's appropriate support of U.S. nuclear energy technology development consistent with the GAIN initiative. Register for the meeting/webinar here: https://inr.inl.gov/SitePages/Industry_Event_Registration.aspx. Please be advised that, due to room size limitations, NE anticipates limiting attendance at the face-to-face meeting in Washington, DC to one representative from a registered U.S. company. Other interested parties are strongly encouraged to participate by webinar, which will allow for two-way interaction.
| 8/23/2018 |
| | | DOE has selected two companies to receive GAIN technology development vouchers in this second review cycle. The companies selected are Yellowstone Energy (Knoxville, TN) in the amount of $160,000, and ThorCon US (Stevenson, WA) in the amount of $400,000. Further detail and description of these awards can be found under the GAIN website. READ MORE
| 7/10/2018 |
|  | | IFE's Board of Directors has decided to permanently close the Halden Reactor and to start decommissioning the reactor. IFE will continue its nuclear research activities, with focus on activities that do not depend on the reactor being operational. The closure of the reactor will not affect IFEs other operations.
READ MORE
| 6/28/2018 |
|  | | The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced nearly $64 million in awards for advanced nuclear energy technology to DOE national laboratories, industry, and U.S. universities in 29 states. In total, DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy selected 89 projects for funding for nuclear energy research, facility access, and crosscutting technology and infrastructure development. READ MORE
| 6/18/2018 |
|  | | Titans of Nuclear is a podcast featuring interviews with experts throughout the field of nuclear energy. Host Bret Kugelmass is a climate change thought leader & champion of nuclear energy. This episode features INL's Rita Baranwal.
| 5/7/2018 |