TerraPower in Mega Deal with Meta for Eight Natrium 345 MW Advanced Nuclear Plants

• TerraPower in Mega Deal with Meta for Eight 345 MW Natrium Advanced Nuclear Plants
• DOE Awards $2.7 Billion for Uranium Enrichment
• Oklo, Meta Plan 1.2 GW Nuclear Energy Development in Southern Ohio
• Oklo and DOE Partner to Deploy Radioisotope Pilot Facility
• Oklo Developing an Plutonium Fueled Fast Test Reactor
• Terrestrial Energy Executes DOE Agreement Under the Advanced Reactor Pilot Program
• ZettaJoule Targets Industrial Uses of Advanced Nuclear HTGR Technology
• VISTRA Inks 20-Year PPA with Meta; Uprates Planned at Three Nuclear Plants
• DOE Delivers HALEU Feedstock for Advanced Reactor Fuel

TerraPower in Mega Deal with Meta for Eight 345 MW Natrium Advanced Nuclear Plants

TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company, and Meta, which owns and operated multiple social media platforms, announced an agreement to develop up to eight Natrium reactor one and energy storage system plants.

This agreement supports the early development activities for two new Natrium units with rights for energy provided to Meta for up to six additional Natrium units. Each Natrium reactor provides 345 MW of baseload power, with built-in energy storage that can ramp up to 500 MW for over five hours. A dual Natrium reactor site can provide 690 MW of reliable 24/7 365  power, and up to 1 GW of dispatchable electricity. Each site selected by Meta is expect to host twin Natirum reactors for a total of 690 MW at each site.

Under this commercial agreement, Meta will provide funding to support the deployment of the Natrium plants, with delivery of initial units as early as 2032. This is Meta’s largest support of advanced nuclear technologies to date and is the firm’s first direct investment in a new nuclear build. It is expected that many of the data center sites selected to be powered by the TerraPower reactors will by hyperscalers supporting Meta’s customers using the platform’s artificial intelligence products and capabilities.

At a hypothetical cost of $6,000/kW, each Natrium reactor will cost about $2.1 billion and eight of them would require about $17 billion. The size of the deal supports significant economies of scale for TerraPower’s supply chains as well as for the manufacturing of the reactors.

Power Will Support Meta Data Centers

Each reactor site will provide power for Meta’s data centers. Meta owns and operates several prominent social media platforms and communication services, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads. According to official Meta statistics, the combined user community world-wide is 3.9 billion users a month.

The companies will target identification of a specific site for the initial dual reactor unit later this year. The press materials did not indicate whether all sites would be limited to the U.S. Also, it was not indicated whether Meta would connect these sites to local/regional grids or select some or all of them as private wire installations for its data centers which would by pass the current multi-year backlog of FERC approvals of new grid connections.

The eight 345 MW advanced sodium cooled reactors would provide Meta with up to 2.8 GW of carbon-free, baseload energy. Each reactor comes with the Natrium technology’s innovative built-in energy storage system providing the capacity to boost total output to 4 GW of power. 

Chris Levesque, TerraPower president and CEO said, “With our first Natrium plant under development, we have completed our design, established our supply chain, and cleared key regulatory milestones. These successes mean our TerraPower team is well-positioned to deliver on this historic multi-unit delivery agreement.”

Urvi Parekh, director of global energy, Meta, said, “This agreement with TerraPower, the result of Meta’s nuclear RFP process, which identified leading developers of nuclear energy to help us advance our energy goals, marks a significant step forward in advancing next-generation nuclear technology. Supporting new nuclear energy generation spurs job growth, drives innovation in our local communities, and reinforces America’s leadership in energy technology.”

TerraPower began construction on the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear project in the United States, which is expected to be complete in 2030. The Natrium plant is the only commercial advanced nuclear technology with a complete environmental impact statement and final safety review as part of a construction permit application pending with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Betting on HALEU Fuel – Summary of TerraPower’s Nuclear Supply Chain

Meta and TerraPower are betting that sufficient supplies of HALEU uranium metal fuel will be available to fuel the reactors by the early 2030s. In October 2022 Global Nuclear Fuel–Americas (GNF-A), a GE-led joint venture, and TerraPower announced an agreement to build the Natrium Fuel Facility at the site of GNF-A’s existing plant site near Wilmington, NC.

In October 2024 TerraPower announced it executed a term sheet with ASP Isotopes Inc. to expand global production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). The agreement is the first step towards a two-fold definitive agreement; TerraPower plans to invest in the construction of a HALEU enrichment facility in South Africa, and TerraPower would purchase HALEU from the facility. This serves as one of many investments TerraPower has made to secure access to the fuel for the Natrium reactor and energy storage system being developed in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

TerraPower has also made multiple strategic agreements and investments to help spur domestic production capabilities in the United States and ensure a robust and competitive front end of the nuclear fuel cycle. These include MOUs and agreements with Centrus for HALEU commercialization, Framatome to develop a HALEU metallization plant and Uranium Energy Corporation to explore the use of Wyoming uranium as a potential fuel source for Natrium plants.

Enrichment: ASP Isotopes / Centrus Energy – Producing HALEU UF6​ gas and enrichment services.

Metallization: Framatome (Richland, WA) – Converting uranium gas/oxide into the metallic pucks required for the fuel pins.

Fabrication: Global Nuclear Fuel (Wilmington, NC) – Final assembly of the metallic fuel pins into fuel bundles.

Once enriched, Natrium’s fuel will be fabricated at the Natrium Fuel Facility in Wilmington, North Carolina , which is under development at the Global Nuclear Fuel–Americas site through a significant investment by TerraPower and the United States Department of Energy (DOE). TerraPower also remains an active member and participant of DOE’s HALEU Consortium.

TerraPower’s Natrium nuclear reactor, a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor, will require approximately 15 to 20 metric tonnes of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) metal fuel for its first core load. Once operational, the reactor is projected to require roughly 3.6 metric tonnes of HALEU per year for refueling.

The Natrium Fuel Facility will be jointly funded by TerraPower and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which aims to speed the demonstration of advanced reactors through cost-shared partnerships with U.S. industry. The facility represents an investment of more than $200 million.

The process, technologies, and expertise used to produce metal from depleted uranium can be used with uranium at the higher enrichment levels required to power TerraPower’s advanced reactor design. Production of HALEU metal is a crucial part of the fuel fabrication process which allows uranium to transform into a metallic feedstock that is used to fabricate fuel for advanced reactors.

Success in Uranium Metallization

In November 2025 Framatome and TerraPower achieved a key milestone in uranium metallization for advanced reactor fuel commercialization, producing successful elements of uranium metal. These metallic uranium ‘pucks’ represent a critical component in advancing the fuel supply chain for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor. The metallization fabrication line was completed at Framatome’s Richland, Washington, nuclear fuel manufacturing facility.

The input feed stock form is metallic fuel with sodium bonding up to 19.75% enriched feed material.  Metallic fuel fabrication – Feed material cast with melted zirconium to form a slug, processed into a rod up to 19.75% enriched fuel rods. Each Natrium reactor requires refueling outages every 24 months. The outages can be scheduled to occur staggered with two refueling outages every second year and one refueling outage between. For two unit sites, one unit can be operating while another is being refueled. (TerraPower briefing on fuel for the Natrium reactor – PDF file)

Big Tech Rivals Also Looking To Nuclear Power

(NucNet) Meta’s big tech rivals are also looking to nuclear power to help fuel their AI work. Meta, Amazon and Google signed a pledge in March supporting the tripling of global nuclear energy production by 2050. All three companies have signed deals related to the development and use of nuclear power.

In June, Meta announced a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy so it could purchase purchase nuclear power from the company’s Clinton nuclear power station in Illinois beginning in 2027.

In 2024 Google said it will back the construction of seven SMRs from Kairos Power, becoming the first tech company to commission new nuclear power plants to provide low-carbon electricity for its energy-hungry data centres. Google has also agreed with electric utility NextEra to support the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear power station in Iowa.

Microsoft announced that it would commit to buying 20 years’ supply of electricity from the mothballed Three Mile Island nuclear power plant – now renamed Crane – if Constellation restarted one of the two plants at the Pennsylvania site.

Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of the online retail giant founded by Jeff Bezos, acquired US power producer Talen Energy’s Cumulus data centre campus at the Susquehanna nuclear power station in Pennsylvania.

In October Amazon unveiled updated plans for an SMR facility in Washington that have 12 reactors producing a maximum of 960 MW of electricity.

The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility will be constructed in three phases, each with four of X-energy’s 80-MW, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.

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DOE Awards $2.7 Billion for Uranium Enrichment

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $2.7 billion to strengthen domestic enrichment services over the next ten years. The historic investment expands U.S. capacity for low-enriched uranium (LEU) and jumpstarts new supply chains and innovations for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to create American jobs and usher in the nation’s nuclear renaissance.

Enrichment Task Orders

Last year, DOE signed contracts with a total of six companies for LEU and HALEU enrichment that allowed them to bid on future work. Today, the Department announced task order awards with three companies that will transition the United States away from foreign sources of uranium and diversify the nation’s domestic fuel supply.

Developing this new domestic production capacity for LEU and HALEU ensures an adequate fuel supply is available to maintain operations of the nation’s 94 commercial reactors and builds a strong base to supply future deployments of advanced nuclear reactors. To ensure accountability, these awards will be distributed to the companies under a strict milestone approach.

The following companies were awarded task orders totaling $2.7 billion to provide enrichment services for LEU and HALEU: 

• American Centrifuge Operating ($900 million) to create domestic HALEU enrichment capacity
• General Matter ($900 million) to create domestic HALEU enrichment capacity
• Orano Federal Services ($900 million) to expand U.S. domestic LEU enrichment capacity

Innovative Technology Funding Opportunities

DOE also awarded an additional $28 million today to Global Laser Enrichment to continue advancing next generation uranium enrichment technology for the nuclear fuel cycle. The award is the result of a competitive solicitation issued last December.

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Oklo, Meta Plan 1.2 GW Nuclear Energy Development in Southern Ohio

• Meta’s agreement with Oklo highlights growing market demand for advanced nuclear energy and commitment to clean power

Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) an advanced nuclear technology company, announced an agreement with Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META) that advances Oklo’s plans to develop a 1.2 GW power campus in Pike County, OH, to support Meta’s data centers in the region. The agreement provides a mechanism for Meta to prepay for power and provide funding to advance project certainty for Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse deployment. Meta declined to comment on the financial terms of the agreement with Oklo.

Oklo’s reactors are expected to power Meta’s “Meta’s Prometheus” supercluster computing system that’s being built at a data center in New Albany, OH. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Prometheus last July. He said the system is one of the keys to the development of the company’s advanced artificial intelligence efforts. Meta has said it expects Prometheus to come online sometime in 2026.

Oklo will use the funds to secure nuclear fuel and advance Phase 1 of the project—supporting the development of clean, reliable power in Pike County that can scale up to 1.2 GW. Meta’s commitment enables Oklo to pursue development in southern Ohio.

Oklo seeks to develop the project on 206 acres of land in Pike County owned by the company and formerly owned by the Department of Energy. The land purchase was facilitated in part by the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI), a nonprofit working to reuse the land for regional development.

The agreement is expected to lay the foundation for constructing multiple Oklo Aurora powerhouses, creating thousands of construction and long-term operations jobs, expanding Ohio’s clean energy workforce, and generating new local and state tax revenues through investment in energy infrastructure.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently engaged in pre-application activities interactions for the Oklo Aurora Powerhouse reactor. The proposed Oklo reactors are liquid metal-cooled, metal-fueled fast reactors with a maximum power level of 75 MWe.  Oklo would need to build 16 of the 75 ME Aurora Powerhouse advanced reactors to fulfill zMeta’s need for 1,200 MW at the Ohio site.

Pre-construction and site characterization are slated to begin in 2026, with the first phase targeted to come online as early as 2030. The plans for the scalable powerhouse facility are expected to expand incrementally to deliver up to the full target of 1.2 GW by 2034.

Ohio’s location within the PJM interconnection—one of the nation’s largest grid systems—and its strong transmission network position it as a strategic hub for America’s clean energy growth as demand for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure accelerates.

Oklo’s deal with Meta in Portsmouth, OH, in southern OH, and commitment to power Meta site in New Albany, up north near Columbus, presumes a major grid connection.

It is unclear who is responsible for the acquiring and building the grid connection. There is no guarantee that the PJM existing grid can carry the load of new generation of 1,200 MW.

Given the multi year backlog in FERC approvals, it is important for Oklo and Meta to get moving as the grid may involve acquisition of new rights of way for a major power line, as well as the approvals, and ultimately, construction of a new transmission line intended to carry between 135-155 KV over a distance of just over 100 miles.

The project aligns with the broader redevelopment efforts led by SODI to transform thousands of acres at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant—a symbol of national strength where local families played a key role in America’s national security efforts—into a hub for advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

“The project brings into focus the potential for the transformative impact the redevelopment of this site can have on our energy infrastructure and the reinvigoration of our community,” said Kevin Shoemaker, General Counsel at SODI. “We appreciate our strong partnership with Oklo and look forward to continuing to work with them to bring more jobs and economic opportunity to the region.”

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Oklo and DOE Partner to Deploy Radioisotope Pilot Facility

Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO), an advanced nuclear technology company, announced that it has signed a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to support the design, construction, and operation of a radioisotope pilot plant under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program (RPP). Signing the OTA is a major milestone which marks the transition from project selection and planning into active execution under DOE authorization.

Atomic Alchemy Inc., an Oklo subsidiary, is using the Radioisotope Pilot Facility to lay the groundwork for future commercial plants that make medical and research radioisotopes in the United States. These radioisotopes are essential for diagnosing cancer, treating disease, powering medical research, and supporting national security. Today, many are produced overseas or in aging facilities. By first operating a pilot plant, Oklo can then scale into reliable, domestic production that helps ensure hospitals, researchers, and patients have consistent access to these lifesaving materials.

With the OTA now in place, Atomic Alchemy will focus its near-term resources on building the Radioisotope Pilot Facility under DOE authorization. As part of this learn-first-then-scale strategy, Atomic Alchemy has withdrawn its previously submitted Nuclear Regulatory Commission construction permit application for the Meitner-1 commercial radioisotope production facility at Idaho National Laboratory to focus on the Radioisotope Pilot Facility.

Oklo views the RPP as an enabler and accelerator to deliver advanced nuclear technologies that strengthen U.S. energy security, healthcare infrastructure, and industrial leadership.

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Oklo Developing an Plutonium Fueled Fast Test Reactor

The “Pluto” Reactor Project is a plutonium-fueled fast test reactor. Its purpose,unlike Oklo’s primary commercial product (the Aurora powerhouse), is designed as a test reactor to qualify surplus plutonium as a “bridge fuel” for commercial use. The Pluto project was selected under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program (RPP).

The strategic goal of the test reactor is to establish the technical basis for converting surplus U.S. government plutonium into HALEU fuel. This data will eventually support the licensing and operation of Oklo’s commercial Aurora reactors using recycled or alternative fuel sources.

In December 2025, Oklo and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) successfully conducted a series of “fast-spectrum plutonium criticality experiments” at the Nevada National Security Site. These tests demonstrated negative reactivity feedback, a critical safety feature where the reactor naturally shuts itself down as temperatures increase, providing the benchmark data needed for Pluto’s formal design and safety basis.

It is important to note that Pluto is distinct from Aurora. Aurora is Oklo’s flagship commercial powerhouse (intended for data centers, industrial sites, etc.). Pluto is the pilot/test reactor platform specifically focused on the plutonium fuel cycle and R&D.

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Terrestrial Energy Executes DOE Agreement Under the Advanced Reactor Pilot Program

The OTA agreement provides for construction and operation of Project TETRA, Terrestrial Energy’s pilot reactor using Integral Molten Salt Reactor technology

Terrestrial Energy now positioned to move quickly from design to operation under DOE authorization, laying the groundwork for swift commercialization of IMSR plants

Terrestrial Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: IMSR), a developer of small modular nuclear power plants using its Generation IV reactor technology, announced that it has executed an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Project TETRA, an initiative to construct and operate a pilot reactor which will support Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) plant development.

This announcement marks an important milestone in Terrestrial Energy’s engagement with the Advanced Reactor Pilot Program, established by Executive Order 14301, under which the Company is targeting IMSR plant deployment facilitated by the DOE’s accelerated authorization of pilot TETRA reactor operation.

The agreement establishes a direct, streamlined collaboration with the DOE to review and authorize the design and safe operation of the TETRA reactor, a molten salt-fueled, graphite-moderated reactor that uses standard assay, low-enriched UF6-based fuel (SALEU) containing less than five percent U-235.

This agreement enables Terrestrial Energy to move quickly from design to operation under DOE authorization. Executed under DOE’s authority at 42 U.S.C. § 7256(g), the OTA enables the Company to operate outside traditional federal contracting constraints, providing a flexible and agile framework designed for swift advanced reactor innovation.

Terrestrial Energy’s commercial IMSR plant is designed to produce 822 MWth (390 MWe) of flexible low-cost clean firm energy for electricity generation and industrial heat applications. Its high-temperature molten salt fuel design supports electricity generation at superior efficiency and direct thermal delivery for manufacturing, data center operations, and other industrial heat end users.

The reactor’s use of readily available SALEU fuel eliminates substantial obstacles from high assay low-enriched (HALEU) fuel dependency, strengthening supply security and enabling rapid scalability with existing U.S. manufacturing infrastructure. With IMSR technology, Terrestrial Energy is creating a short and practical path to low-cost clean firm nuclear energy at scale.

The Advanced Reactor Pilot Program, established under Executive Order 14301, enables the DOE to authorize privately built reactors outside its national laboratories. The program provides a streamlined pathway to regulatory authorization for operation, bridging the gap between pilot reactor operations for system testing, and licensing for commercial plant operation, advancing U.S. leadership in the advanced reactor sector. In September 2025, Terrestrial Energy was separately selected for the DOE Fuel Line Pilot Program.

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ZettaJoule Targets Industrial Uses of Advanced Nuclear HTGR Technology

• The new design is based on Japan’s R&D work on the HTTR, a 30 MWt HTGR.

ZettaJoule, Inc., an advanced small modular reactor company, says that a major focus for the first commercial application for its ZJ advanced nuclear technology is to provide heat and power to an oil and gas operation. With an emphasis on production of heat and power, a refinery site is a potential location for the firm’s first planned commercial units.

However, in the near term the firm is planning to develop a 30MWt research reactor. With all the activity at Texas university sites for new nuclear technologies, any one of them might welcome the project. ZettaJoule has not yet publicly named the specific university partner for its Texas site, though it has confirmed it is transitioning its headquarters to Houston, Texas to support its initial project at an “as-yet-unnamed Texas university” and its first industrial commercial project in the state. 

While the initial research reactor will be at a university in Texas, one possible commercial focus for ZettaJoule in Texas is the oil and gas refineries. While the first proposed ZettaJoule reactor is designed to produce 30 MWt, commercial units may approach may approach 300MWe.

ZettaJoule’s proposed ZJ research reactor (non-power) is designed with the unique ability to operate operate up to 950 C, which is 600° C higher than conventional water-cooled reactors.

ZettaJoule’s ZJ reactor will be developed by modernizing proven, publicly available, safety-tested technology derived from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s HTTR, which began operating in 1998 and reached full power capacity in 2001.

About the Reactor Technology and Fuel

The ZettaJoule ZJ reactor is a High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) based on modernized technology derived from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s HTTR (High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor). The target for a construction permit for the modernized design is projected by ZettaJoule to be within the next two to three years (by 2028-2029).

Power Ratings: While the initial ZJ reactor is designed to produce 30 MWt, ZettaJoule’s roadmap includes scaling future commercial units to higher capacities approaching, such as 300 MWe from a 600 MWt source.

Heat Transfer System: It uses gas cooling (helium) to produce high-grade process heat.

Fuel Type: The ZJ reactor will use TRISO fuel which consists of uranium particles individually encapsulated in multiple protective layers of pyrocarbon and silicon carbide. They retain fission products even at temperatures as high as 1600° C. The ZJ reactor is expected to use LEU+ fuel, which is at 5-10 percent enrichment, to ensure commercial availability. The possible use of HALEU fuel may be considered at a later time. Most advanced reactors being developed in the U.S. use much higher levels of enrichment, e.g., up to 19.75% U235.

Investors, MOUs and Expected Uses

Aramco Support: ZettaJoule has received formal support from Aramco Services Company (an affiliate of Motiva Enterprises). Aramco is evaluating applications for its upstream and downstream operations.

Major Investors: Globis Capital Partners (GCP) is a known early investor, having participated in a seed round in December 2024. Significant in addition to Globis Capital Partners (GCP) are, Coral Capital, Archetype Ventures, HAX, and SOSV.

Regulatory Affairs: The firm has a dedicated regulatory leadership team, including Rumina Velshi, formerly  President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (Regulatory Affairs) and Andrea Veil, formerly Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation at the NRC (SVP Regulatory Strategy). However, the firm has not yet announced its plans to submit a regulatory engagement plan to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Hydrogen Production: While the primary focus mentioned is high-temperature process heat for industrial sectors, HTGRs capable of reaching 950°C also provide efficient ways to produce hydrogen. Industry analysis continues to highlight hydrogen production as a key expected use for such high-heat technologies.

Prior Coverage at Neutron Bytes of Japan’s HTTR

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VISTRA Inks 20-Year PPA with Meta; Uprates Planned at Three Nuclear Plants

Vistra (NYSE: VST) announced it has entered into 20-year PPAs to provide more than 2,600 MW of zero-carbon energy from a combination of three different Vistra nuclear plants to support Meta’s operations in the region.

The agreements include 2,176 MW of operating generation and an additional 433 MW of combined power output increases, which will be the largest nuclear uprates supported by a corporate customer in the United States. Vistra will now begin planning for subsequent license extensions at all three plants, which would extend operations of these carbon-free assets for another 20 years. Meta’s purchases under the agreements will begin in late 2026, with additional capacity added to the grid through 2034, when the full 2,609 MW of power will be online.

Through the agreements:

Meta is purchasing 2,176 MW of nuclear energy and capacity from the operating Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio;

Meta is also purchasing 433 MW of incremental nuclear energy and capacity from equipment upgrades to increase generation output (called uprates) at the Perry (Ohio), Davis-Besse (Ohio), and Beaver Valley (Pennsylvania) plants – more than 15% of the contracted capacity announced today will be new capacity added to the PJM region;
the electricity generated at the plants will continue to go to the grid for all electricity users.

Each of the three plants has received initial license renewal from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The PPAs provide certainty for Vistra to pursue subsequent license renewal for each of the reactors, which would extend each license an additional 20 years. Currently, Beaver Valley Unit 1 is licensed through 2036; Davis-Besse is licensed through 2037; Perry is licensed through 2046; and Beaver Valley Unit 2 is licensed through 2047.

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DOE Delivers HALEU Feedstock for Advanced Reactor Fuel

(WNN) Standard Nuclear, which describes itself as a reactor-agnostic producer of TRISO (tri-structural isotropic fuel particles), says it is the first company to both receive authorisation from the Department of Energy (DOE) and also physically receive HALEU for production of advanced TRISO fuel.

The HALEU feedstock has been allotted by the DOE to California-based nuclear microreactor developer Radiant. It will be processed by Standard Nuclear into TRISO fuel for Radiant’s advanced reactor demonstration scheduled for 2026. Standard Nuclear said the volume of material is “sufficient to produce a full core load of advanced nuclear fuel for the first reactor startup by Radiant.”

The project operates under an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) executed between Standard Nuclear and the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office, which was announced in December. This provides authorisation for the company to receive and process the material into advanced nuclear fuel.

“Receipt of this shipment of HALEU feedstock is a transformative moment, firmly entrenching Standard Nuclear’s position at the forefront of the advanced nuclear fuel supply chain,” Standard Nuclear CEO Kurt Terrani said.

HALEU – uranium enriched to contain between 5% and 20% uranium-235 – will be used by many advanced reactors. The USA is working to build up its supply chain for the material: it has recently allocated $2.7 billion in funding to strengthen the supply chain for both low-enriched uranium and HALEU. The HALEU Availability Program was established as long ago as 2020 to secure a domestic supply of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use, to enable nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The DOE launched its Fuel Line Pilot Program in July 2025, alongside the Reactor Pilot Program. These two initiatives were launched in response to executive orders issued by President Donald Trump to expedite the testing of advanced nuclear reactor designs under DOE authority outside of the national laboratories, with the goal of three reactors reaching criticality by 4 July this year.

Radiant, developer of the 1 MWe Kaleidos TRISO-fuelled high-temperature gas-cooled portable microreactor, was selected by the DOE in August as one of the first selections under the Reactor Pilot Program. It plans to test its first reactor in 2026 at the Idaho National Laboratory, with initial customer deployments beginning in 2028.

In mid-December, the California-headquartered company announced it had raised more than $300 million in a new round of funding to support the scaling of its commercialisation efforts. It is planning to break ground early this year for a factory to make its transportable nuclear generators at Oak Ridge, TN. According to Radiant, the R-50 factory will be the first in the world to mass-produce portable nuclear reactors.

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