Idaho Lab Opens Its DOME Nuclear Test Bed
The Idaho National Laboratory launched the DOME test bed on April 8, 2026, offering a dedicated micro‑reactor facility that can host experiments up to 20 MWt thermal and will initially test Radiant’s Kaleidos and Westinghouse’s eVinci units. The opening aligns with a wave of U.S. nuclear activity, including Antares’s DOE safety‑analysis approval, the NRC’s proposed rule to streamline licensing by reusing DOE/DOD data, and Fluor’s contract with X‑Energy for a Texas SMR project. The Air Force is also targeting microreactor power for two bases by 2030, while India achieved first criticality of its 500 MWe fast‑breeder reactor and ARC Clean Technology signed a term sheet for a 100 MW SMR in Turkey. Together these moves accelerate the path from prototype to commercial deployment, reshaping the nuclear energy landscape.
From Fusion to Life Saving Medicine: A Revolution in Isotope Production ~ The Journey of Mo-99
SHINE Technologies announced a conditional $263 million Department of Energy loan to finish its Chrysalis facility, a fusion‑driven plant that will produce medical‑grade molybdenum‑99 (Mo‑99) in the United States. Mo‑99 is the parent isotope for technetium‑99m, which powers roughly 85 % of...
A Long Strange Trip ~ Diablo Canyon Licenses Renewed for 20 Years
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a 20‑year operating license extension for Pacific Gas & Electric’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, moving Unit 1’s expiry to November 2044 and Unit 2’s to August 2045. California’s state agencies have only authorized operation through 2030, leaving a regulatory...
Multiple Bottlenecks Face New Nuclear Builds
The Nuclear Scaling Initiative released a 73‑page report that maps critical bottlenecks in the U.S. advanced nuclear supply chain, highlighting fuel shortages, downstream manufacturing constraints, and a skilled‑labor gap that together create a market‑paralysis cycle. It recommends coordinated actions by...
DOE to Make Mixed Oxide Fuel at SRS
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the restart of the HB‑Line facility at the Savannah River Site to fabricate mixed‑oxide (MOX) fuel from surplus plutonium. The move restores a unique national capability, aiming to supply advanced reactors with a faster‑path,...
Why Chima Came Up Short in Nuclear Exports
China dominates domestically with 60 reactors and a growing pipeline, yet its export push for the 1,100 MW Hualong One and 1,400 MW CAP1400 has stalled. Only three Hualong One units have been built abroad, all in Pakistan, while no CAP1400 deals...
INL Partners with NVIDIA on Nuclear AI Apps
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has teamed up with NVIDIA to embed artificial intelligence across the nuclear reactor lifecycle, from design to operation. Leveraging NVIDIA’s GPU‑accelerated computing, the partnership aims to double deployment schedules and cut operational costs by more...
Final Investment Decision Approved for Six NuScale SMRs in Romania
Romanian nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica’s shareholders have approved a Final Investment Decision for a 462 MWe NuScale small‑modular‑reactor plant at Doicesti, comprising six 77 MW modules. The project, estimated at up to $7 billion, targets commercial operation of the first unit by 2033, contingent...
DOE Launches Initiatives to Produce Uranium Fuel
The U.S. Department of Energy is reviving uranium recovery at the Savannah River Site’s H‑Canyon plant to down‑blend highly enriched uranium into roughly 19 metric tons of high‑assay low‑enriched uranium (HALEU) for advanced reactors. A parallel $19 million grant program funds...