The EDF Group’s Nuclear Operations business, which is the majority owner of the five operating and three decommissioning nuclear power plant sites in the United Kingdom, has released its annual update on the U.K. fleet. UK Nuclear Fleet Stakeholder Update: Powering an Electric Britain includes a positive review of the previous year’s performance and news of a billion-dollar boost in the coming years to maximize output across the fleet.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management said it has transferred four robotic demolition machines from the department’s Portsmouth Site in Ohio to Oak Ridge, Tenn., saving the office more than $1.7 million by avoiding the purchase of new equipment.

General Fusion has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. (SVAC) that would make General Fusion the first publicly traded pure-play fusion firm, the company announced on January 22. The business combination is projected to be completed in mid-2026.

Yesterday, Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced that it is in the process of partnering with Type One Energy and the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. That partnership will have one primary goal: to establish a high-heat flux facility (HHF) at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Energy Complex in Clinton, Tenn.

The Department of Energy is considering revisions to its regulations covering worker safety and health to help expedite the development of new nuclear reactors under its Reactor Pilot Program.

According to the DOE, the proposed changes to 10 CFR Part 851, “Worker Safety and Health Program,” have the benefit of “increased flexibility, streamlined processes, cost savings, enhanced agility, and improved worker engagement.”

Igunma

American Nuclear Society member Thompson Odion Igunma is a doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at the University of Florida (UF) conducting research in collaboration with the Computational Mechanics and Materials Group at Idaho National Laboratory. His work focuses on advanced modeling of the complex interplay between molten salt corrosion, irradiation, and changes in alloy microstructure.

“I see molten salt reactors as a pivotal part of the next generation of nuclear energy,” Igunma said. “Their unique combination of safety, efficiency, and fuel flexibility makes them ideally suited to complement renewables in a low-carbon energy mix.”

Kairos Power has finalized a contract with the Department of Energy to receive high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from the agency for the company’s Hermes low-power demonstration reactor, currently under construction in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

In partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Kairos intends to use the DOE-provided material to produce HALEU TRISO fuel pebbles for Hermes. The company views the Hermes test reactor and the fuel fabrication program as crucial to the eventual success of its power-producing Hermes 2 demonstration plant, also to be sited in Oak Ridge, and future commercial fluoride salt–cooled high-temperature reactors.

Update: Operation of Unit 6 at Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture was suspended Thursday morning after its initial restart on the evening of Wednesday, January 21. According to TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi, an alarm sounded “during reactor start-up procedures.” The cause is currently under investigation, but there is no danger inside or outside the plant. Plant chief Takeyuki Inagaki said at a news conference, “The equipment is essential to safe operation, and we will examine it inside-out.”

On January 16, Tenn. Gov. Bill Lee, Deputy Gov. Stuart McWhorter, and officials from Laser Isotope Separation Technologies announced the company’s plans to expand in Oak Ridge, Tenn. That expansion will come with a $1.38 billion investment from LIS Technologies for what the company says will be the first commercial laser uranium enrichment plant in the United States.

London-based professional services organization and maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register has brought together a group of experts from the U.K. nuclear, maritime, insurance, and regulatory sectors with the primary goal of establishing international standards “for safe, secure, and commercially viable nuclear-powered ships.”

This Maritime Nuclear Consortium includes Lloyd’s Register as the group’s lead, safety administrator, and secretariat; Rolls-Royce, specializing in advanced reactor design; Babcock International Group (ship design, construction, and support); Global Nuclear Security Partners (security and safeguards); Stephenson Harwood (legal and regulatory issues); and NorthStandard (insurance).