• US funding for research into recycling used nuclear fuel The Department of Energy (DOE) noted that less than 5% of the potential energy in the USA’s nuclear fuel is extracted after five years of operation in a commercial reactor. • It says recycling used nuclear fuel could increase resource utilisation by 95%, reduce waste by 90%, and decrease the amount of uranium needed to operate nuclear reactors. • Additional benefits to nuclear fuel recycling include the recovery and extraction of valuable radioisotopes for medical, industrial, and defence purposes. • The DOE has selected five companies to help solve the economic and technological challenges associated with nuclear fuel recycling technologies that also meet the USA’s strict non-proliferation standards and national security goals. • Alpha Nur Inc will research and validate a process that will recover highly enriched uranium (HEU) from used nuclear fuel produced by US-based research reactors and transform it to a usable high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) form for reuse in small modular reactor designs. • “We’re especially grateful to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the opportunity to collaborate on this effort,” the company said.
Article Summaries:
- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced funding for five companies to advance nuclear‑fuel recycling technologies, aiming to boost resource use, cut waste, and reduce uranium demand. DOE estimates that less than 5 % of a reactor’s fuel energy is extracted after five years, while recycling could raise utilization to 95 % and cut waste by 90 %. The awardees-Alpha Nur Inc, Curio Solutions, Flibe Energy, Oklo Inc, and Shine Technologies-will develop processes that recover uranium, minor actinides, and valuable radioisotopes, meeting non‑proliferation and security standards. Projects span up to three years and require a 20 % cost share.
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