Big tech nuclear confidence boost to advanced fuels market

Announcements from big tech companies that they’re embarking on new nuclear partnerships for their energy needs will have a positive, knock-on effect on the advanced fuels market, a panel has been told.

Head of Technical Sales at Urenco, Dr. Magnus Mori, told a symposium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that announcements from the likes of Google and Amazon provided “comfort” that a market was developing, and developing at pace. 

Google recently announced an agreement with Kairos Power whilst Amazon revealed its deal with X-energy to build smaller, advanced reactors to help meet AI and data centre energy demands. 

Dr.Mori was speaking at the symposium, No fuel, No party, hosted at the MIT in Cambridge, USA, and elaborated with Urenco’s plans for advanced fuels. 

Dr Mori told the audience: 

“The first thing we’re doing is to produce LEU+, uranium enriched up to 10%, at both our US and UK (enrichment) sites, and we will make this commercially available in 2025. 

“This is needed for both existing power plants and it can be used for some advanced fuels until high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) is available. 

“The second thing we’re doing is building a HALEU fuel facility in the UK for up to 20% enriched uranium. 

“And by the early 2030s this supply will be available to support the demonstration and deployment of advanced reactors globally.”  

Dr. Mori was joined on the panel by representatives from UxC, Global Laser Enrichment and Argonne National Laboratory. 

He added that it was in the industry’s interests in the long-term to ensure that the advanced fuels’ market became based on long-term customer contracts, rather than subsidies.  

With regard to the USA, Urenco has been initially selected alongside other companies to provide enrichment services for the production of HALEU on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, on an indefinite basis. We are now considering how we will meet U.S. HALEU demand in the light of this.  
 

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