Today, commercial microreactors are common in the marketplace of nuclear ideas. Dozens of companies are vying for their designs to reach scaled deployment to meet surging energy demand.

However, the term “microreactor” didn’t appear in Nuclear News until 2019, when the Department of Defense popularized it (in a nuclear context) in the early days of what would become Project Pele. Even before then, however, all the way back in 2005, Toshiba was developing the 4S (Super-Safe, Small, and Simple), a 30-MWt, pool-type reactor designed for remote locations with small grids. Once sealed and delivered, the reactor would run for 30 years with no refueling. If the word “microreactor” had been in use then, the 4S would certainly have been categorized as such.

The Belgian government is looking to take control of all seven nuclear reactors in the country in an effort to revitalize a domestic nuclear energy sector that once looked ready to disappear.

GE Vernova has formed a strategic collaboration with nuclear project financing and manufacturing firm Blue Energy to “advance the world’s first gas-plus-nuclear power plant.” The companies say that they intend to design and develop a power plant using GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactors and GE Vernova gas turbines to meet electricity demands related to AI and advanced manufacturing. Subject to a final investment decision in 2027, the first plant is to be located at a Blue Energy site in Texas and will power a nearby data center campus.

The University of Utah announced that it will be producing electricity with its TRIGA reactor for the first time this summer. The project is in collaboration with Elemental Nuclear Energy, and the electricity will be used to power a “mini AI data center.”

System modifications are often treated as the default solution. But in many cases, the problem can be addressed more directly, avoiding unnecessary engineering effort, extended timelines, and significant cost.

The Nuclear Company, a nuclear power project development firm, is partnering with global investment firm Brookfield to form a new company specializing in the execution of projects involving Westinghouse nuclear reactors.

X-energy recently announced that it has begun collaborating with Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities to deploy X-energy’s Xe-100 reactor in Kentucky. The news comes soon after X-energy went public on the Nasdaq and represents the latest in a string of growing investments Kentucky has made in nuclear development over the last two years.

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are exploring methods of using artificial intelligence and machine learning to better optimize formulas for stabilizing low-activity radioactive waste in glass through the vitrification process.

The work is helping inform waste vitrification activities at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site in Washington state. The DOE is currently commissioning the Low Activity Waste Facility at Hanford’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), which will be used to vitrify portions of the site’s nearly 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste.

The end-of-April spot price for uranium was $86.35 per pound, according to uranium fuel provider Cameco. While up slightly from the $84.25 of a month before, it was still lower than the $94.28 spot price at the end of January.

The Department of Energy announced a 10-year project agreement with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) to advance research on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator.

“This agreement reflects our deep commitment to international partnerships that accelerate progress in fusion energy,” said Jean Paul Allain, director of the Office of Fusion at the DOE. “The collaboration between the United States and IPP on W7-X has been extraordinarily productive for more than 20 years already, and this agreement pushes us forward into the next decade and beyond.”

Here is a recap of recent industry happenings:

ADVANCED REACTOR MARKETPLACE

GE Vernova, Hitachi seek opportunities in Southeast Asia

GE Vernova and Hitachi have entered into a memorandum of understanding to identify opportunities for the commercial deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Southeast Asia. The companies agreed to carry out the collaboration through the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Hitachi GE Vernova Nuclear Energy joint ventures. The companies will also look for opportunities to incorporate qualified Japanese suppliers into the partnership and to strengthen the supply chain for future BWRX-300 deployment in Southeast Asia. The BWRX-300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada, and in the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing the Tennessee Valley Authority’s application to construct the BWRX-300 at the utility’s Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

As the United States faces surging electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, data centers, and a push to bring manufacturing back home, Idaho National Laboratory is leading an effort to modernize and expand the nation’s nuclear power capabilities by revamping the Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program.

The breakdown by number of projects, share of megawatts, and generation types in PJM’s new interconnection cycle. (Source: PJM Interconnection)

On April 27, PJM Interconnection closed its first full interconnection cycle since 2022. Under a reformed application process, 811 developers submitted generation projects capable of generating 220 gigawatts. About 400 megawatts of that total share comes from Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which submitted an application for its ARC fusion power plant. This is a notable milestone for the industry: it is the first time a developer has requested to connect a commercial fusion power plant to a major grid.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved subsequent license renewals for St. Lucie Units 1 and 2, extending the operating licenses for the pressurized water reactors by another 20 years.

Tuesday’s approval means that the 1,062-MWe Unit 1 and 1,074-MWe Unit 2 can now operate until March 1, 2056, and April 6, 2063, respectively. Unit 1 commenced operations in 1976 and Unit 2 in 1983. With the original 40-year operating licenses and first 20-year renewals, these second 20-year renewals bring the reactors’ lifespan to 80 years.

Oklo announced a new partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory and Nvidia to perform AI-enabled research on nuclear infrastructure and fuel.

The partnership is focused on exploring plutonium-bearing fuels, including the development of science-based AI models to support fuel validation and materials science and fabrication research and development. The team will also be exploring the development of nuclear-powered AI computing centers at LANL.

At the Canadian Nuclear Association Conference (CNA2026) in Ottawa, Ontario, on April 29, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson announced that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is developing a new Nuclear Energy Strategy for the country. The strategy, which is slated to be released by the end of this year, will be based on four objectives: 1) enabling new nuclear builds across Canada, 2) being a global supplier and exporter of nuclear technology and services, 3) expanding uranium production and nuclear fuel opportunities, and 4) developing new Canadian nuclear innovations, including in both fission and fusion technologies.

Ur-Energy Inc. announced last week that it has begun in situ recovery (ISR) operations at its Shirley Basin uranium mining site in central Wyoming.

The company, which also operates the Lost Creek ISR project in south-central Wyoming, decided to begin construction at Shirley Basin after making a “go” decision in March 2024. It has said that the combined total annual licensed production and toll processing capacity of Lost Creek and Shirley Basin is 4.2 million pounds U₃O₈.

Pending, passed, and coveted legislation involving nuclear energy made their way across multiple state capitol buildings in the month of April. Here are a few notable updates from California, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri.

Last September, in the Chicago suburb of Lemont, Ill., Argonne National Laboratory hosted its first AI STEM Education Summit. More than 180 educators from high schools, community colleges, and universities; STEM administrators; and experts in various disciplines convened at “One Ecosystem, Many Pathways–Building an AI-Ready STEM Workforce” to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping STEM-related industries, including the implications for the nuclear engineering classroom and workforce.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched a five-year coordinated research project (CRP) to strengthen plant health preparedness using nuclear and related technologies.

Wheat blast, potato late blight, potato bacterial wilt, and cassava witches broom disease can spread quickly across large areas of land, leading to severe yield losses in key crops for food security. Global trade and climate change have increased the likelihood of rapid, transboundary spread.