Penn State and Westinghouse Electric Co. are partnering to unlock the potential of the industry-leading eVinci microreactor by engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop a new nuclear research facility at the University Park campus.

Penn State submitted a letter of intent to the NRC on 02/28/25 which is the first step in the application process to install an eVinci microreactor at the new research facility.

The eVinci microreactor, a microreactor product of Westinghouse that uses heat pipe technology, is expected to offer a reliable and safe solution for powering the University's research facilities and buildings across campus.

With its passive heat transfer system and its non-pressurized design, it operates like a nuclear battery, providing consistent power for more than eight years without refueling. This innovative approach reduces maintenance and enhances safety. The university has not yet selected a site for the eVinci reactor. Once is does the NRC's regulatory requirements for site environmental assessment will come into play.

However, before any of this takes place, Westinghouse will need to submit license application to the NRC for its advanced design. While Westinghouse has been submitting pre-licensing topical reports, the NRC website, updated for the microreactor as of February 2025, does not list a calendar of proposed licensing actions or milestones including a submission date for a license application.

The agency is in the midst of developing its Part53 regulation for advanced reactors which is composed of 1,300 pages of detailed, prescriptive requirements for getting through the licensing process. A final version of the proposed rule is expected to be released by September 2026

NRC Chair Christopher Hanson said in a statement on 03/04/25 that a final rule could be issued within 12 to 18 months after the proposed rule's publication, taking into account a public comment period. That means the first license application from any advanced reactor developer is unlikely to come in the door at the NRC's HQ before then.

The alternative for Westinghouse is to use the current procedures under either Part50, which requires a construction license and an operating license or Part52 which combines the license application process for construction and operations. Westinghouse will have to assess which of these alternatives paths gives it the fastest time to market, and for Penn State, a schedule it can rely on to break ground and build the reactor.

HALEU Fuel Supply Schedules

The eVinci microreactor is designed to operate on TRISO fuel at 19.5% U235. While the Department of Energy has begun issuing procurements for enrichment services of HALEU fuels, the schedules for delivery remain a work in progress. The delays in ramping up the supply of HALEU have forced TerraPower to push back the start date for its 345 MWe sodium cooled advanced reactor from 2028 to 2030.

The good news for the Penn State project is that in October 2024 Westinghouse Government Services LLC was one of six firms selected by the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy for an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract to provide deconversion services for the production of enriched High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) from new domestic capacity.

The six firms will get at least $2M each for their production of HALEU. The total value of all contract awards over the 10-year period of the program is $800M. In return DOE expects the combined production of all six firms will be about 300 metric tonnes of HALEU in the form of UF6. Fuel fabrication services are not included in the contract.

Westinghouse, which has fuel fabrication plants in the US, UK, and Sweden, inked a deal with Urenco and TRISO-X in 2022 to develop TRISO fuel fabrication production at its Springfields plant in the UK. The objective is to develop a secure and reliable supply of advanced TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuels for use in HTGRs and other advanced reactor designs.

Despite the uncertainties of HALEU fuel supplies and the complexities of the licensing process, which include taking an entirely new reactor design through a new regulatory gauntlet, Penn State officials and Westinghouse executives are bullish on their prospects for success.

"Today, the University announced its intent to make Westinghouse's eVinci microreactor a research priority," said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. "We believe this technology has the potential to change how we think of and use nuclear energy.

Jon Ball, president of eVinci Technologies at Westinghouse, said, "We look forward to bringing our advanced eVinci technology to the FRONTIER program to find new ways of harnessing nuclear energy, while providing students and researchers with unprecedented opportunities."

Of interest here, according to his official biography, is that Jon Ball earned his Ph.D., in Analytical and Computational Chemistry, at Penn State in 1993. This project bring him full circle in a kind of technological homecoming.

Tonya L. Peeples, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering at Penn State added, "We intend to advance and develop the skilled workforce needed in all areas, including engineering, construction, AI, operations, project management, licensing, safety, security, supply chain and many more."

Westinghouse Factory to Build the eVinci Reactors

In October 2023 Westinghouse Electric Company announced it is building a design and manufacturing facility near central Pittsburgh to accelerate commercialization of its eVinci microreactor. The eVinci hub in the borough of Etna, PA, will be home to engineering and licensing operations, testing, prototype trials, business development and sales.

It will also include manufacturing space for producing the innovative heat pipes that are central to the eVinci technology, as well as other components. The reactor core, which will run on TRISO fuel, is designed to run for eight or more full-power years before refueling. The eVinci design is for power outputs between 200 kWe to 5 MWe.

Westinghouse said the Etna location was chosen in part due to its proximity to Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State - New Kensington, and the University of Pittsburgh. These universities are partnering with Westinghouse on the eVinci technology.

About the eVinci Reactor

The eVinci microreactor is a compact nuclear reactor that is designed to be safe, portable, and efficient for producing electricity, especially in places where traditional power sources aren't practical. It works like a nuclear battery that can produce energy for eight years without needing to be refueled. The eVinci microreactor is designed to produce up to 5 MWe and 15 MWt when operating at 350F (150C). This operating temperature is considerably lower than HTGRs which run at about 700C and conventional light water PWRs which run at 350-400C.

The eVinci microreactor will use 19.75% enriched tri-structural isotropic particle (TRISO) fuel. The uranium inside each TRISO particle is surrounded by three layers of inert materials that protect it and prevent the release of any radioactive fission products. TRISO fuel is characterized by its high thermal stability and resistance to corrosion and oxidation.

Full scale commercial deployment of the eVinci microreactor could begin as early as 2029 depending on obtaining an NRC license and HALEU fuel supplies. The reactor is to be fully assembled in a factory before being transported to the site, reducing construction costs and installation time. Westinghouse will soon begin to assemble a scaled down eVinci test reactor for deployment at Idaho National Laboratory.

In September 2024 Westinghouse announced it has submitted its eVinci Microreactor Preliminary Safety Design Report (PSDR) to the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC). Westinghouse is the first reactor developer to reach this milestone in support of siting its test reactor at NRIC's Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

The eVinci microreactor weighs in at 100 metric tons and boasts a compact design measuring only 10 feet in diameter and less than 40 feet in length. Additionally, the entire eVinci microreactor site footprint is less than three acres of land which includes the safety perimeter.

Westinghouse has developed a safe process for managing spent fuel that requires no on-site handling/storage. The reactor is cooled and moved from the site to a licensed facility where spent fuel is removed and put into cask storage at a licensed location. The reactor is then transferred to a factory to be refueled for redeployment.

PT Thorcon Power Indonesia (PT TPI) in February reached a major milestone in its journey toward establishing Indonesia's first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with the official submission of its Site Evaluation Program (PET) and Site Evaluation Management System (SMET) documents to Indonesia's Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN).

The submission, made in collaboration with PT Wiratman, was presented by Thorcon's Chief Nuclear Officer, Kun Chen, to BAPETEN's Deputy Chairman, Haendra Subekti, in an executive meeting held on 02/13/25 at BAPETEN's Jakarta office.

This marks a key step forward in the regulatory process for PT TPI's proposed Thorcon power plant, which will use the company's advanced molten salt reactor (MSR) technology to provide low-cost, sustainable nuclear electricity for Indonesia's future. With this submission, PT TPI officially becomes the first NPP license applicant in Indonesia's history, positioning the country for a new era of nuclear energy innovation and development.

The PET and SMET documents, submitted through BAPETEN's Balis application process, follow almost two years of pre-licensing consultations, which focused on safety, security, and safeguards to ensure that the plant meets Indonesia's stringent regulatory standards.

PT TPI's proposed plant will feature the Thorcon 500, a 500 MWe molten salt reactor power plant, comprised of two 250 MWe reactor modules. Designed for modular manufacturing, the Thorcon 500 will be installed on a floating tethered barge with shoreline grid connections.

According to the Thorcon website, PT TPI's proposed plant is based on molten salt technology developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the 1960s. It will include two low-enriched-uranium-fueled 250 MWe reactors in two replaceable, sealed 'Cans'.

At any one time, just one of the Cans of each power module is producing thermal power. After eight years of operation, the nuclear module is disconnected, replaced with a new one, and the old one is towed to a maintenance center for Can replacement.

Thorcon has ambitions, but not a fixed timeline, to develop thorium-based fuel for the reactors. Much of the interest today in reviving the MSR concept relates to using thorium (to breed fissile uranium-233), where an initial source of fissile material such as enriched uranium is needed to kick start the reactor.

The nuclear plant's construction will benefit from the development of a local manufacturing assembly line for Thorcon reactors, fostering the growth of a new industrial sector in Indonesia. The barge is expected to be manufactured in a South Korean shipyard.

A preliminary site survey conducted on Kelasa Island, located in Central Bangka, has identified the site as a strong candidate for the NPP. The survey focused on safety, ecological, and site suitability factors, with initial results showing promise for further studies.

BAPETEN Deputy Chairman, Haendra Subekti, expressed appreciation for PT TPI's proactive approach to safety and security, noting that the consultations and the submission of the PET and SMET documents reflect a thorough commitment to addressing all aspects of safety, security, and safeguards.

"We recognize and appreciate the efforts of PT Thorcon Power Indonesia for their proactive consultations within the 3S (Safety, Security, Safeguards) framework," Subekti said.

"This approach ensures that all safety and security aspects are addressed and will help minimize technical and administrative obstacles as the licensing process continues."

According to the World Nuclear Association, the government is targeting 8 GWe of installed capacity to come from nuclear power plants in 2035, increasing to 54 GWe in 2060.

(WNN) The Government of Canada is to lend AtkinsRéalis up to CAD304 million (USD212 million) over four years to support the development of next-generation Candu reactor technology, and has also announced millions of dollars in new funding commitments and support for nuclear projects in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson announced that the government had entered into a preliminary agreement with AtkinsRéalis to finance up to half of the design costs of a "new, large-scale, natural uranium-fuelled Canadium deuterium nuclear reactor (e.g. Monark)" to a maximum of CAD304 million, through a loan over four years.

This funding is to be matched by AtkinsRéalis. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL), plant operators and the broader Canadian supply chain will also be included in the work to modernize the Candu design.

Wilkinson announced the Canadian government's latest investment in CANDU technology during a visit to BWXT Tecnhologies Inc's facility in Cambridge, Ontario

The CANDU pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR)design was developed from the 1950s onwards by federal Crown corporation AECL. It sold its reactor division to SNC-Lavalin's Candu Energy subsidiary in 2011 - along with an intellectual property licensing agreement - but it still owns intellectual property rights for the technology. AtkinsRéalis is the original equipment manufacturer of CANDU technology (SNC-Lavalin Group Inc rebranded to AtkinsRéalis in 2023).

AtkinsRéalis unveiled its plans in November 2023 for the 1000 MW Candu Monark, a Generation III+ reactor with the highest output of any CANDU technology. It completed the conceptual design phase in September 2024, and is in the planning stage of a vendor design review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Previous Canadian CANDU designs came in at 700 MW.

Globally, India is building a fleet of 10 CANDU type reactors at 700M each. Romania recently committed to completing two 700 MW PHWR type reactors at its Cernavoda site. There are over two dozen CANDU reactors currently operating in seven countries.

Wilkinson noted that, with their "almost entirely Canadian-made, Canadian-designed supply chain", they provide "good-paying, long-lasting, and sustainable jobs in manufacturing for Canadians" as well as being fueled by uranium mined in Saskatchewan.

SMR collaborations

Wilkinson also announced further funding for nuclear projects under Environment and Climate Change Canada's Future Electricity Fund, on behalf of Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, plus a total of CAD52.4 million for various projects supporting the development and deployment of SMRs and Candu reactors and decarbonization efforts in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario under two Natural Resources Canada programs.

The Future Electricity Fund mainly consists of proceeds collected from electricity-generating facilities which are being returned through funding agreements with provincial or territorial governments for which the federal carbon pollution pricing system for industry currently applies, or has applied in the past, to support clean electricity initiatives.

CAD55 million from the fund has been awarded to Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to support pre-development work for the Darlington New Nuclear Project, where the company plans to build up to four GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs. Specifically, these funds are to be used for planning, site preparation, various procurements and regulatory approvals for units 2, 3 and 4 at the site. OPG signed a commercial contract for the first of the four SMR units in January 2023.

He also announced an increase to Future Electricity Fund program funding to the Saskatchewan Government's Crown Investments Corporation by CAD54 million to CAD80 million, to support of SMR pre-development work by SaskPower. The funding will support pre-engineering work and technical studies, environmental assessments, regulatory studies and community and Indigenous engagement. SaskPower has identified several potential sites for SMRs.

Three projects will receive a total of CAD11.4 million under Natural Resources Canada's Enabling SMRs program:

The University of Western Ontario is to receive nearly CAD5 million to conduct a detailed study of TRISO-based used fuel properties and characteristics.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories will receive just over CAD3.5 million for a project on developing guidelines, strategies and standards for SMR deployment to support the Canadian nuclear industry.

The Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association will receive CAD2.8 million for a project to evaluate the capabilities of the existing supply chain in Saskatchewan to support SMRs.

Under Natural Resources Canada's Electricity Predevelopment Program, four projects in Alberta will receive funding totaling CAD41 million, including CAD13 million to develop an assessment of the potential suitability of three locations in Alberta as potential host locations for SMR deployment and increase public and Indigenous community understanding and awareness of SMRs and nuclear power generation.

CEZ Group, the Czech Republic's state-owed nuclear utility, has become a significant shareholder of Rolls-Royce SMR, acquiring a stake of approximately one-fifth of the company. This strategic partnership aims to advance the development of small modular nuclear reactors.

The first Rolls-Royce 470 MW PWR reactor in the Czech Republic is planned for the Temelín nuclear power plant in the early 2030s. This collaboration, initiated last October, involves CEZ in both development of the 1st and future reactors and global production for export, going beyond mere procurement.

The Rolls-Royce SMR design is a pressurized water reactor incorporating both active and passive safety systems, with an electrical output of 470 MW and an expected operational lifespan of at least 60 years.

CEZ aims to build small modular reactors totaling about 3 GWe (six RR PWRs) by 2050, primarily for electrical power and process heat supply (steam for domestic heat) at various locations. These modular reactors can be mass-produced and assembled on-site. CEZ also plans to use the production facilities to be built in the Czech Republic to drive opportunities for exports of the Rolls-Royce PWR to global markets.

Separately, Rolls-Royce has raised concerns with the current UK government about the slow pace of decision making relate to the GBN SMR Competition. Rolls-Royce pointedly warned Whitehall that it risks seeing the first SMRs built in the EU.

Industry angst over bureaucratic dithering extends to other firms in the mix. X-Energy has threatened to remove itself not only from the competition but also entirely from the UK market if funding decisions now slated for 2029 are not significantly moved up.

In both cases the UK could lose substantial opportunities for new jobs and related economic development as other countries strike while the iron is hot.

(NucNet) The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Italy-based energy company Eni have signed an agreement to jointly conduct research and development in fusion energy, starting with the construction of the world's largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility. Once built it will produce a fuel for future fusion power stations. UKAEA said the new "world-class" facility is designed to provide industry and academia the opportunity to study how to process, store and recycle tritium.

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally in the atmosphere and is also a byproduct of nuclear reactors. It is a potential fuel for future fusion power plants.

UKAEA, the UK's national organization responsible for the research and delivery of fusion energy, said the UKAEA-Eni H3AT (pronounced "heat") tritium loop facility will be bult at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, central England, and will be complete in 2028.

UKAEA chief executive officer Sir Ian Chapman said the H3AT demonstration plant will set a new benchmark as the largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility in the world.

UKAEA said tritium recovery and re-use will play a fundamental role in the supply and generation of the fuel in future fusion power plants and will be crucial in making the technology increasingly efficient.

UKAEA and Eni will collaborate to develop advanced technological solutions in fusion energy and related technologies, including skills transfer initiatives. Eni will contribute to the H3AT project with its expertise in managing and developing large-scale projects.

(NucNet) UK-based nuclear fusion company First Light Fusion is shifting its strategy to capitalize on what it says are huge opportunities in the market for inertial fusion energy. First Light said in a statement that with a renewed strategy and business model, it will provide its unique amplifier technology to the fast-growing global inertial fusion energy industry. The company, whose headquarters are in Oxford, central England, said the move will enable it to generate earlier revenues and lower its long-term funding requirement.

Under the new strategy, First Light plans to enter into commercial partnerships with other inertial fusion energy companies and schemes where its amplifier technology can form a critical and complementary part of a commercial fusion power plant. This replaces previous plans to build its own power plant based on a projectile fusion approach.

First Light Fusion's amplifier technology increases the efficacy of the fusion reaction by both boosting and converging the pressure of the projectile that is used to impact the fuel. This approach means that instead of using complex and expensive lasers or magnets to generate or maintain the conditions for fusion, a fuel "target" is compressed using a projectile travelling at tremendous speed.

According to a report by the Japan Industrial Forum on 02/27/25 the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced a significant revision to the construction schedule for emergency response buildings at Units 6 and 7 of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plants, located in Niigata Prefecture. The buildings are permanent backup facilities to be used in the event of an intentional aircraft strike or terrorist attack and referred to as "specified safety facilities.

Under the revised schedule, the facilities for Unit 6 will be completed five years later than originally scheduled -- in September 2031 rather than in September 2026 while those for Unit 7 will be completed around four and half years later than originally planned, in September 2029 rather than in March 2025.

TEPCO did not indicate a schedule for restart of units 1-5 or whether it ever intends to restart these BWRs which are older than units 6 & 7.

At a press conference held on the same day, Takeyuki Inagaki, the site director of Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs, explained that it was difficult to predict the completion timeline for the facilities as it was an unprecedented and highly large-scale construction project.

He also pointed out such challenges as the volume of construction work and labor shortages, while emphasizing that the work would continue, with safety as the top priority, ensuring steady progress step by step.

The emergency response buildings are a regulatory requirement under Japan's new nuclear safety standards. They will serve as backup systems to prevent reactor containment vessel damage in case of large-scale destruction caused by an intentional aircraft collision or similar attacks, rendering a wide range of equipment unusable.

Inagaki stated that Unit 7 is technically ready for operation since it has met the new regulatory standards for severe accident response facilities and passed the review by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). However, he also stressed the importance of thorough functional testing and safety verification during the upcoming trial operation.

Inagaki further emphasized the critical role of nuclear power in ensuring a stable electricity supply for the country, stating, "Japan's balance of electricity supply and demand -- which remains tight throughout the year -- is particularly severe during the period of summer peak demand. That is especially true in eastern Japan, where most nuclear power plants (NPPs) remain offline, with only a limited number in operation."

Regarding the restart of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs, he reaffirmed TEPCO's commitment to engaging with the local community, stating, "Restarting operations will only be possible with the understanding of local residents. We will continue to make every effort to provide thorough explanations to gain their support."

Currently, the decision of the governor of Niigata Prefecture regarding the restart of Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs remains a key issue. The prefectural technical committee has submitted a report to the governor, stating that there are no major concerns regarding most of the 22 verification points related to disaster prevention measures following the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident of March 2011. A hearing with relevant administrative bodies by the Niigata Prefectural Assembly is expected to take place in March.