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Reading List 05/30/26
17 hours ago
- A California chemical leak involving methyl methacrylate endangered 50,000 people; the tank was stabilized without explosion.
- Weapons-grade plutonium is being considered for use in nuclear reactor startups.
- A startup plans to clean houses to collect robot training data.
- Blue Origin experienced a rocket explosion.
- Iran ended an 88-day internet blackout and claims ship passage fees are for safety, not tolls.
- West coast cities like Seattle and Portland consider vacancy taxes on empty office space; a Denver developer is converting offices into apartments.
- Nvidia plans $150 billion annual investment in Taiwan; Huawei claims a chip design breakthrough equivalent to 1.4-nanometer processes by 2031.
- US missile manufacturing is vulnerable due to concentration of ammonium perchlorate production at few facilities.
- Ukraine is manufacturing thousands of ground-based drones.
African nations eye nuclear for energy security
7 days ago
- Nuclear power is seen as key to Africa's energy security, especially after the Iran war disrupted fuel imports via the Strait of Hormuz.
- African nations face challenges in developing atomic energy, including financing, grid capacity, and a critical need for workforce training and safety regulators.
- Currently, South Africa operates the continent's only reactors; Egypt is building four, and eight other countries have plans for new plants.
- About 600 million Africans lack electricity; expanding nuclear access could help close the gap and power industrialization, but barriers like cost and long lead times remain.
- The World Bank lifted its ban on nuclear funding, and China and Russia are the main funders, giving them geopolitical leverage over the US.
- Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) may be better suited for African countries due to grid size and potential coupling with industries like mining.
- Africa's reliance on imported oil was exposed by the Iran war; nuclear energy could reduce exposure to price volatility and supply risks.
- South Africa's nuclear plans face controversy and legal challenges, requiring the lure back of skilled engineers from abroad, such as those in the UAE.
- Kenya also faces local community resistance to its nuclear power projects.
China's Nuclear Sector Now Able to Build Fifty Reactors at a Time
19 days ago
- China can build up to 50 nuclear reactors at the same time.
- The country is focusing on rapid nuclear power expansion.
- China aims to become a global leader in nuclear energy.
- Information comes from a China Nuclear Energy Association report.
Four nuclear reactors hit a big milestone in the US
19 days ago
- The US Reactor Pilot Program saw four microreactors achieve criticality by the July 4, 2025 deadline, meeting a Trump administration goal.
- Achieving criticality is a milestone showing a reactor can sustain a chain reaction, but it does not mean the reactors are ready to produce electricity for the grid.
- The companies involved—Antares Nuclear, Valar Atomics, Deployable Energy, and Aalo Atomics—must now address technical challenges like cooling systems to generate power.
- Startups project aggressive timelines, with Aalo aiming to power a data center by 2027 and Deployable Energy targeting commercial deployment by 2028, though regulatory hurdles may slow progress.
- Critics argue the program is a diversion from broader nuclear capacity goals, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's new approval framework for microreactors remains untested.
Nuclear Startups Hit a Big Milestone. Why It Matters–and Why It Doesn't
23 days ago
- Three startups in a DOE pilot program have achieved criticality, marking a milestone for the 'nuclear renaissance' aimed at next-gen atomic energy.
- The program, spurred by a Trump executive order with a July 4, 2026 deadline, cuts regulations to accelerate development, though experts note reactors are still in testing phases, not commercial.
- Small reactor designs benefit from regulatory easing and national lab support, but face hurdles like licensing, fuel supply chains, and high costs before commercialization.
U.S. Department of Energy Delivers Third Advanced Reactor Criticality
a month ago
- Deployable Energy's Unity reactor achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, becoming the third advanced reactor to meet President Trump's July 4, 2026, deadline.
- This milestone fulfills an executive order aimed at reigniting U.S. nuclear innovation, with Antares Nuclear and Valar Atomics also achieving criticality earlier in the month.
- The success was praised by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Deployable Energy's CEO Bobby Gallagher, highlighting teamwork and DOE support for energy security and leadership.
- Unity is part of the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, leveraging national lab resources to accelerate advanced nuclear technology demonstrations.
Antares achieves criticality of Mark-0 reactor
a month ago
- Antares' Mark-0 microreactor achieved initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory under DOE authorization, making it the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to criticality under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program.
- The demonstration, supported by DOE, INL, BWX Technologies, and the U.S. Army, establishes a replicable licensing pathway to accelerate future reactor demonstrations and aims to deploy electricity-producing microreactors at military installations by 2028.
- The reactor uses TRISO fuel fabricated by BWXT, benefiting from expertise developed through the U.S. Army's Project Pele, and validates key physics parameters while contributing data to Project Pele.
- This milestone marks progress toward Antares' goals of electricity production in 2027 and power to military installations in 2028, highlighting a collaborative effort between industry and government to revive the American nuclear industry.
- The achievement demonstrates rapid progress from concept to criticality in under 12 months, leveraging decades of DOE investment and enabling iterative reactor testing to advance commercial reactor development.

nuclear energy

Reading List 05/30/26

African nations eye nuclear for energy security

China's Nuclear Sector Now Able to Build Fifty Reactors at a Time

Four nuclear reactors hit a big milestone in the US

Nuclear Startups Hit a Big Milestone. Why It Matters–and Why It Doesn't

U.S. Department of Energy Delivers Third Advanced Reactor Criticality

Antares achieves criticality of Mark-0 reactor