RESEARCH HUB // LATEST PAPERS & REPORTS
Nuclear Research Hub
Track the latest peer-reviewed research, NRC safety evaluations, DOE national lab publications, and policy analyses shaping the small modular reactor industry. 40+ papers across regulatory, materials, fuel cycle, economics, and deployment categories.
Last updated: May 2026
40 papers
RegulatoryMar 15, 2026
SMR Regulatory Approvals on the Horizon: Legal Analysis of 2026 NRC Pipeline
American Bar Association · American Bar Association
Key Finding:Legal analysis of imminent NRC licensing decisions for multiple SMR designs in 2026 and ADVANCE Act implementation.
PolicyMar 10, 2026
IEA Report: The Path to a New Era for Nuclear Energy
IEA Staff · International Energy Agency
Key Finding:Annual nuclear investment must double to $120B by 2030. SMR installations could reach 80 GW by 2040. China overtakes U.S. as largest fleet by 2030.
MaterialsFeb 10, 2026
ORNL-Kairos Power $27M Strategic Partnership for Molten Salt Reactors
ORNL, Kairos Power · Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Key Finding:$27M partnership to accelerate molten-salt-cooled advanced reactor development covering materials testing and modeling.
PolicyFeb 1, 2026
FY 2026 Budget: $750M Credit Subsidy + $30B Loan Authority for Nuclear
DOE, OMB · U.S. Department of Energy
Key Finding:$1.37B for Office of Nuclear Energy, $750M in credit subsidy, and up to $30B in new Title 17 loan authority.
PolicyJan 20, 2026
NEI 2026 Strategy Bulletin: 95% of US Fleet Targeting 80+ Year Operation
Nuclear Energy Institute · Nuclear Energy Institute
Key Finding:95% of U.S. nuclear fleet expects 80+ year operation. 21 sites pursuing extended power uprates in 2026.
Data CentersJan 15, 2026
Meta Platforms Nuclear Energy Procurement Strategy: 6.6 GW by 2035
Meta Energy Team · Meta Platforms
Key Finding:Largest corporate nuclear commitment in history at 6.6 GW, spanning four reactor technologies and signaling permanent hyperscaler demand for firm clean power.
PolicyDec 15, 2025
COP28 Nuclear Tripling Declaration: One Year Progress Assessment
World Nuclear Association · World Nuclear Association
Key Finding:14 of 22 signatory nations have enacted new nuclear support policies post-COP28, but current construction pipeline of 64 GW falls short of the 150 GW needed by 2035.
WasteDec 10, 2025
Finland Onkalo Deep Geological Repository: First Spent Fuel Emplacement Trial
Posiva Oy · Posiva Oy
Key Finding:World's first permanent spent fuel emplacement in deep geological repository, proving the KBS-3V disposal concept after 40 years of research and development.
Data CentersDec 1, 2025
Nuclear Energy and Data Center Electricity Demand: 2025-2040 Projections
EIA Analysis Staff · U.S. Energy Information Administration
Key Finding:Data center demand could drive 20-40 GW of new nuclear capacity additions by 2040, representing a $100-200B market opportunity for SMR developers.
WasteNov 20, 2025
Back-End Fuel Cycle Options for SMRs: Interim Storage, Reprocessing, and Disposal Pathways
William Magwood, Asa Stahl · OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Key Finding:SMR fleet deployment requires 3-5 new interim storage facility designs by 2035 to handle novel fuel forms not compatible with existing LWR spent fuel infrastructure.
Fuel CycleNov 15, 2025
TRISO-X Fuel Fabrication Facility Receives NRC Part 70 Special Nuclear Material License
X-energy, NRC Staff · X-energy / U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
MaterialsNov 8, 2025
Radiation Tolerance of High-Entropy Alloys for Advanced Reactor Structural Applications
Yanwen Zhang, William Weber, Hongbin Bei · Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Key Finding:High-entropy alloys show 4-5x lower void swelling than 316SS at equivalent dose and temperature, opening a new material class for Generation IV reactor internals.
Fusion-FissionNov 5, 2025
IAEA World Fusion Outlook 2025: Status and Prospects for Commercial Fusion Energy
IAEA Fusion Energy Section · International Atomic Energy Agency
Key Finding:Over $7B in private fusion investment with 43 companies pursuing 8 different confinement concepts; IAEA projects first fusion electricity to the grid by 2035-2040.
PolicyOct 20, 2025
IEA World Energy Outlook 2025: Nuclear Energy Projections and Policy Scenarios
IEA Analysis Staff · International Energy Agency
Key Finding:IEA projects SMRs could contribute 50-120 GW of new nuclear capacity by 2050, requiring $150-350B in cumulative investment globally.
WasteOct 1, 2025
Global Deep Geological Repository Progress: 2025 Status Update
NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee · OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Key Finding:Three DGR programs now past the point of no return (Finland, Sweden, France), establishing geological disposal as a proven solution for high-level nuclear waste.
Fusion-FissionSep 30, 2025
China Z-FFR: Conceptual Design of a Z-Pinch Driven Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor
Yican Wu, Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology · Chinese Academy of Sciences
Key Finding:Z-FFR design achieves energy gain Q=30 from the fission blanket even with fusion Q=2, making near-term fusion-fission hybrids viable before pure fusion breakeven.
EconomicsSep 20, 2025
Monte Carlo Estimation of SMR Levelized Costs Under Construction Risk and Learning Uncertainty
Geoffrey Black, Taylor Jamieson · Boise State University / Energy Options Network
Key Finding:P50 LCOE for 5th-of-a-kind SMRs ranges from $58-78/MWh across designs, but P90 values reach $95-130/MWh due to construction risk — highlighting the importance of on-time delivery.
Reactor DesignSep 15, 2025
DOME: Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments Test Bed at INL
Idaho National Laboratory · Idaho National Laboratory
Key Finding:Three microreactor designs simultaneously tested at DOME, validating shared infrastructure model that reduces per-developer qualification costs from $200M to $80M.
RegulatorySep 1, 2025
NRC Part 53: Technology-Inclusive Risk-Informed Framework for Advanced Reactors
NRC Staff · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Key Finding:Expected to save $53.6M-$68.2M per applicant compared to Part 50/52 pathways and accelerate advanced reactor deployment timelines by 2-3 years.
Reactor DesignAug 28, 2025
ORNL Additive Manufacturing Demonstration Program: Reactor Component Qualification Pathway
Michael Kirka, Ryan Dehoff · Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Key Finding:New ASME code case for AM nuclear components could reduce manufacturing lead times from 36 months to 6 months for critical reactor parts.
Fuel CycleAug 22, 2025
Urenco USA Receives NRC Authorization for 10% Enrichment at New Mexico Facility
NRC Staff, Urenco USA · U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission / Urenco USA
Key Finding:Second domestic HALEU enrichment pathway established, reducing single-source risk and adding capacity for early advanced reactor fuel needs.
Data CentersAug 10, 2025
Nuclear Power for Data Centers: Legal, Regulatory, and Commercial Outlook
Amy Roma, Timothy Matthews · Morgan Lewis
Key Finding:Behind-the-meter SMR configurations at data centers may bypass lengthy grid interconnection queues, reducing timeline to power delivery by 3-5 years.
MaterialsAug 5, 2025
Neutronics and Thermal-Hydraulic Optimization of a 200 MWe Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Core
Stefano Lorenzi, Antonio Cammi · Politecnico di Milano / Newcleo
Reactor DesignJul 30, 2025
BWXT Project Pele: Transportable Microreactor Core Fabrication and Assembly
BWXT Advanced Technologies · BWXT / U.S. Department of Defense
Key Finding:First US mobile reactor core assembled since the 1960s, with full system fitting in three standard shipping containers for C-17 transport.
RegulatoryJul 14, 2025
X-energy Xe-100 Construction Permit Application for Dow Seadrift Site
X-energy, Dow Chemical · X-energy / Dow Chemical
Key Finding:First industrial process heat SMR application in the US, demonstrating the cogeneration market beyond electricity-only applications.
EconomicsJul 1, 2025
Competitive LCOE Targets for SMRs in Restructured Electricity Markets
Jesse Jenkins, Nestor Sepulveda · Princeton University / ZERO Lab
Key Finding:SMRs become cost-optimal in most US markets at LCOE below $65/MWh, competing primarily against natural gas with CCS rather than against renewables.
PolicyJun 25, 2025
A New Era for Nuclear Energy: IEA Special Report on Nuclear Power in Clean Energy Transitions
IEA Analysis Staff · International Energy Agency
Key Finding:Global nuclear investment needs to triple from $50B/year to $150B/year by 2030 to stay on track for net zero, with SMRs requiring dedicated financing mechanisms.
MaterialsJun 18, 2025
Redox Control and Corrosion Mitigation Strategies for Fluoride and Chloride Molten Salt Reactors
Raluca Scarlat, Mark Anderson · UC Berkeley / University of Wisconsin-Madison
Key Finding:Active redox control via metallic beryllium or zirconium additions can reduce fluoride salt corrosion rates by 80-90%, extending component service life to 60+ years.
Reactor DesignJun 5, 2025
Additively Manufactured Functionally Graded Materials for Nuclear Reactor Components
Yutai Katoh, Michael Kirka · Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Key Finding:Functionally graded reactor components eliminate dissimilar metal welds — a primary failure mode in conventional reactors — while reducing fabrication time by 40%.
MaterialsMay 20, 2025
Accelerated Ion Irradiation Testing Protocol for Qualifying Advanced Reactor Materials
Gary Was, Zhijie Jiao, Stephen Taller · Oak Ridge National Laboratory / University of Michigan
Key Finding:New protocol reduces material qualification time from 10-15 years (neutron irradiation) to 2-3 years (ion irradiation), accelerating advanced reactor material development.
Data CentersMay 12, 2025
Structuring Nuclear Power Purchase Agreements for Hyperscale Data Centers
Amy Roma, Sachin Desai · Hogan Lovells / Pillsbury Winthrop
Key Finding:Milestone-based progress payments with 10-15% construction risk premium yield IRRs of 12-15% for SMR developers while keeping data center power costs below $60/MWh.
WasteMay 8, 2025
Pyrochemical Reprocessing of Metallic Fast Reactor Fuel: Pilot-Scale Demonstration Results
Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Tae-Sic Yoo · Idaho National Laboratory
Key Finding:99.5% actinide recovery achieved at pilot scale, demonstrating that fast reactor fuel recycling can reduce repository-bound waste volume by 90% and toxicity by 99%.
EconomicsApr 28, 2025
A Realist Approach to Nuclear Energy Innovation Policy
Robert Atkinson, David Hart · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)
Key Finding:Federal procurement guarantee of 10 GW of SMR capacity by 2035 would reduce private capital costs by 200-300 basis points and trigger $50B+ in private investment.
Reactor DesignApr 18, 2025
Qualification of 3D-Printed 316L Stainless Steel for Nuclear Reactor Service
Meimei Li, Wei-Ying Chen · Argonne National Laboratory
Key Finding:3D-printed 316L meets all ASME Section III requirements for Class 1 nuclear components, enabling additive manufacturing of reactor pressure boundary parts.
MaterialsApr 10, 2025
Corrosion Behavior of Structural Alloys in Molten Chloride Salt Environments for MSR Applications
Stephen Raiman, Kevin Robb, Jian Gan · Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Key Finding:Hastelloy-N shows corrosion rates below 25 μm/year in chloride salts at 700°C, meeting the 40-year design life threshold for molten chloride fast reactors.
PolicyMar 28, 2025
The Case for Completing ARDP: Economic and National Security Returns on Federal Investment
Nuclear Innovation Alliance · Nuclear Innovation Alliance
Key Finding:Each ARDP dollar generates $3.40 in economic returns through supply chain development, with demonstration plants unlocking an estimated $100B+ in follow-on commercial orders.
MaterialsMar 22, 2025
Transport and Deposition of Corrosion Products in Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Primary Systems
Mariana Beatriz Azevedo, Alessandro Ferrara · ENEA / Newcleo
Key Finding:Corrosion product deposition on heat exchangers can be reduced by 70% through oxygen control at 10^-6 wt%, enabling 5-year maintenance intervals for LFR primary systems.
EconomicsMar 15, 2025
The Economic Challenges of Small Modular Reactors: Scaling, Learning, and Market Realities
M. Granger Morgan, Ahmed Abdulla · Carnegie Mellon University
Key Finding:SMR factory learning rates of 10-15% per doubling are plausible but insufficient alone to close the cost gap with large reactors — fleet orders of 8+ units are required for competitive economics.
MaterialsFeb 14, 2025
FeCrAl Oxide-Dispersion-Strengthened Steels for Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Fuel Cladding
David Hoelzer, Lizhen Tan · Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Key Finding:FeCrAl-ODS cladding maintains structural integrity to 200 dpa at 550°C in liquid lead, exceeding the 150 dpa requirement for 60-year LFR operation.
Reactor DesignJan 25, 2025
3D-Printed Uranium Nitride Fuel Pellets: Microstructure Control and Performance Testing
Andrew Nelson, Kurt Terrani · Oak Ridge National Laboratory / Ultra Safe Nuclear
Key Finding:3D-printed UN fuel pellets achieve 30% higher thermal conductivity than conventional UO2, reducing peak fuel temperatures by 150°C and enabling higher power density operation.
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