oleocene.org

Urenco USA given go-ahead for 10% enrichment
Thursday, 2 October 2025
Urenco USA has received authorisation from US regulators to produce uranium enriched up to 10% and says it will be the first commercial uranium enricher to produce so-called LEU+.
.......................

“We’re in project Manhattan 2.0”, uranium CEO says

Amanda Stutt | September 19, 2025


The Aurora deposit in Oregon. Image from Eagle Energy Metals.

This week, when US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US should look to boost its strategic uranium reserve to buffer against Russian supplies and increase confidence in the long-term prospects of nuclear power generation, it shone a spotlight on the impending uranium supply deficit.


Uranium is a crucial source of reliable baseload power as nuclear energy, and the US requires an estimated 32 million pounds of uranium annually for its current nuclear reactors. Energy Fuels’ White Mesa Mill in Utah is the only producing mill in the US.

Russia supplies about a quarter of the enriched uranium needed by America’s fleet of 94 nuclear reactors, which generate about a fifth of US electricity.

In 2024, the US purchased 50 million pounds of uranium, but only produced 677,000 pounds, according to the Energy Information Administration. That is just over 1% of their needs, and sums up the current geopolitics around US uranium supply.

The rush to ensure domestic US uranium supply hearkens back to the 1940s era Manhattan Project, a secret US-led World War II program to develop nuclear energy capabilities before foreign adversaries could.

Largest mineable uranium deposit in the US

US uranium miner and nuclear reactor technology developer Eagle Energy Metals this summer struck a deal to go public through a merger with blank-check company Spring Valley Acquisition Corp., capitalizing on growing energy demand amid the AI boom.

The deal gives the combined company a pro-forma equity value of $312 million. The company was founded in late 2023 around the American Energy Independence National Security Narrative, Eagle Energy Metals CEO Mark Mukhija told MINING.com in an interview.

The company acquired the Aurora uranium project in 2024, which it says is the largest mineable uranium deposit in the US. The company’s land package spans the Oregon-Nevada border, with the mine on the Oregon side and the plant on the Nevada side.

The Aurora deposit has a near-surface resource of over 50 million pounds of uranium, generated from more than 500 holes drilled to date. Adjacent to Aurora is the Cordex deposit, which has had over 100 holes drilled into it and offers significant upside of additional uranium resources, Mukhija said.

Rising demand

“We saw what was happening with power demand when it comes to AI and cryptocurrencies and quantum computing and not even mentioning the humanoid robot wave that’s probably going to come as well,” Mukhija said.

“So after two decades of relatively flat power demand, we’re at this inflection point where, you know, energy usage could triple by 2050. So we always wanted to be a part of that and addressing that big problem that’s coming.”

“And nuclear, I believe, is the only way to do that, compared to intermittent power sources like wind and solar, which are great, but they don’t provide that baseload power level at the capacity factor that nuclear does.”

Small modular reactor technology

Alongside its Aurora asset, the company is also bringing to market its small modular reactor technology, which was developed at the University of New Mexico.
..............................

First yellowcake from Lance

Wednesday, 17 September 2025

The production of the first dried yellowcake from the expanded Lance Central Processing Plant in Wyoming sees Peninsula Energy Limited become a fully independent, end-to-end producer of uranium.


The first dried yellowcake from the expanded Lance CPP (Image: Peninsula Energy)

The ASX-listed uranium company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Strata Energy Inc, announced the milestone on 16 September.

Peninsula announced its plans for an in-situ recovery plant - the Lance Central Processing Plant (CPP) - with a nameplate capacity of 2 million pounds U3O8 (769 tU) per year, in a revised production strategy published in 2023. At that point, Lance had not produced uranium since 2019.

Wellfield and uranium capture operations resumed in December 2024. In August, the company received approval from Wyoming's Uranium Recovery Program to commence feeding Phase 2 of the CPP, clearing the way for the processing of captured uranium and the production of dried yellowcake.

The Lance CPP is fully licensed and independently operated, giving Peninsula complete ownership of the production process, the company noted.

"First yellowcake production from our Lance Central Processing Plant, just 14 months from first concrete pour for the CPP expansion, is an excellent achievement and a significant milestone for Peninsula," Managing Director and CEO George Bauk said. "We are building momentum as we meet our milestones and targets, with funding in place and a sustainable and disciplined approach to achieving full production in the years ahead," he added.

Scale-up of production of dried yellowcake is now underway, in line with production targets announced last month, the company said. That guidance sees production of up to 50,000 pounds U3O8 during 2025, ramping up to 400,000-600,000 pounds per year over 2026 and 2027,and targeting full-scale production of 1.2-1.5 million pounds U3O8 per year from the Ross and Kendrick production areas from 2028 onwards.

As well as uranium from the permitted Ross and Kendrick production areas, the CPP has been designed with capacity to process uranium on resin from Peninsula's satellite projects, including the Barber and Dagger projects, which the company say offer "strong upside potential," making Peninsula "well placed to expand production in line with its growing project portfolio."

Second phase of US enrichment expansion completed

Thursday, 11 September 2025

Urenco USA has started up a new cascade of gas centrifuges at its enrichment plant in New Mexico ahead of schedule - and is to supply Aalo Atomics with the enriched uranium to enable its Aalo-X reactor to start up next year.

The new cascade is the second to start up as part of an expansion of the National Enrichment Facility, which will see Urenco USA add 700,000 separative work units (SWU) of new capacity at the site between 2025-2027 and increase the plant's capacity by 15%. Urenco USA brought the initial cascade of the expansion online in May.

Urenco USA is currently the only commercial producer of enriched uranium and has sufficient the capacity to meet around a third of the enrichment needs of US commercial nuclear power plants. The expansion supports the USA's goal of reinvigorating its nuclear industrial base and strengthening the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, the company said.

"With the current expansion campaign, our projects and operations teams are demonstrating their ability to build, install, and start up new cascades on a regular schedule, proving we are capable of growing to meet new demand as it arises," said John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director for Urenco USA. "We know how important this expansion is to our US utility customers, who have relied on us as a long-term domestic supplier of nuclear fuel, and we are confident we can deliver additional capacity on schedule in the years ahead."

Aalo delivery

In a separate announcement, Aalo Atomics said it expects to take delivery of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to fuel its Aalo-X experimental extra modular nuclear reactor from Urenco in late 2025 or early 2026, having signed a contract with the enrichment company in July.

Aalo says it will be the first US advanced reactor company to take delivery of commercially supplied enriched uranium, and the company's CTO Yasir Arafat said the uranium supplied by Urenco is an "exciting catalyst" as the company heads towards first criticality in 2026. "Not only is the uranium available immediately, but it is also completely scalable, providing us with the ability to deploy Aalo Pods for data centres again and again at gigawatt scale, keeping pace with demand," he said.

The company broke ground for the Aalo-X at a site in Idaho in August, planning to complete construction and achieve criticality by 4 July 2026, the goal date set by the Department of Energy for at least three test reactors to reach criticality under the Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program to expedite the testing of advanced reactor designs.

"We have been impressed with Aalo's unique approach of building fully modular nuclear plants, its thoughtfulness in how to execute its vision and its commitment to speed to market," said Urenco's VP Advanced Fuels, Commercial, North America, Alison Poortman. "We look forward to helping the company reach criticality next year and being part of the Aalo mission for many years to come."

Oklo to launch $1.7bn nuclear fuel centre in Tennessee
The initiative aims to generate more than 800 jobs while transforming used nuclear fuel into a resource for advanced reactors.

Swagath Bandhakavi 5th Sep 2025


Oklo unveils $1.68bn plan for nuclear fuel recycling in Tennessee. Credit: Oklo Inc.

Oklo, a company specialising in advanced nuclear technology, has announced plans to establish a fuel recycling facility in Tennessee.

This initiative is the first phase of an advanced fuel centre with investments potentially reaching $1.68bn.

The project is expected to create over 800 jobs and focus on converting used nuclear fuel into a valuable resource for advanced reactors, such as Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse.

According to Oklo, the initiative involves recovering usable material from spent nuclear fuel and fabricating it into fuel for advanced reactors, thus reducing waste volumes and offering more efficient disposal options.

The planned facility aims to utilise over 94,000 metric tons of stored used nuclear fuel nationwide, which contains energy reserves equivalent to about 1.3 trillion barrels of oil.

Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte said: “Fuel is the most important factor in bringing advanced nuclear energy to market.

“By recycling used fuel at scale, we are turning waste into gigawatts, reducing costs, and establishing a secure US supply chain that will support the deployment of clean, reliable, and affordable power. Tennessee is showing the nation that recycling can be done to support new nuclear development and growth.”

Oklo’s collaboration prospects include working with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Under this, the parties will explore recycling TVA’s used fuel at the new site and evaluating potential power sales from future Oklo powerhouses in the region.

If successful, this partnership would mark the first instance of a US utility converting used nuclear fuel into clean electricity via modern electrochemical methods. This would transform a former liability into a resource and establish a secure future fuel supply.

Oklo has completed a licensing project plan for the proposed facility with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is engaged in pre-application discussions with the regulator.

The company anticipates initiating production of metal fuel for its Aurora powerhouses by the early 2030s, subject to regulatory approvals.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said: “Tennessee is well positioned to lead America’s energy independence, which is why we created the Nuclear Energy Fund to support and expand our state’s nuclear ecosystem.

“We’re proud to partner with Oklo to innovate for the future, while bringing continued opportunity and prosperity to Tennessee families.”

Last month, Oklo and its subsidiary Atomic Alchemy were selected for participation in three projects under the US Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. This programme aims to demonstrate reactor criticality by 4 July 2026.

The selections are intended to accelerate deployment timelines and provide insights that will aid long-term commercial licensing readiness.

TVA, ENTRA1 Energy team up for SMR deployment

Thursday, 4 September 2025

ENTRA1 Energy has signed a collaborative agreement with TVA to deploy up to 6 GW of NuScale SMR capacity at sites across TVA’s seven-state service region in south-eastern USA.


How an ENTRA1 Energy Plant could look (Image: ENTRA1)

The six ENTRA1 Energy Plants, each powered by multiple NuScale Power Modules, could provide enough energy to power the equivalent of some 4.5 million homes or 60 new data centres, TVA said.

ENTRA1 is NuScale Power Corporation's strategic partner and has exclusive global rights to the commercialisation, distribution, and deployment of NuScale’s products and services, acting as a one-stop-shop and hub for the deployment, financing, investment, development, execution, and management of ENTRA1 Energy Plants. The plants - containing NuScale’s small modular reactors (SMR) -would be owned and financed by ENTRA1.

NuScale's small pressurised water reactor is the first - and, so far, only - small modular reactor (SMR) design to receive certification by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins described the agreement as "historic", and added that ENTRA1's combined energy and finance sector experience will support the next phase of commercialising and deploying the technology. "Together, we are ready as partners to meet America’s surging demand for reliable, carbon-free baseload power - powering AI data centres, critical mining, semiconductor manufacturing, and the energy-intensive industries that are driving our nation’s economic future," he said.

TVA - the Tennessee Valley Authority - is the largest public power supplier in the USA, providing electricity across seven southeastern states from a diverse portfolio including nuclear, hydro, coal, gas, solar and advanced technologies. Earlier this year, it submitted an application for a permit to construct an SMR at Clinch River, near Oak Ridge in Tennessee, using GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 technology. Recently, it signed a power purchase agreement with Kairos Power for up to 50 MW of electricity from Kairos Power's Hermes 2 demonstration reactor, which is to be built alongside the Hermes low-power demonstration plant currently under construction at Oak Ridge.

In February, the authority signed a cooperative agreement with US fusion energy developer Type One Energy to jointly develop plans for a potential fusion power plant project.

"TVA is leading the nation in pursuing new nuclear technologies, and no utility in the US is working harder or faster than TVA," TVA President and CEO Don Moul said. "This agreement with ENTRA1 Energy highlights the vital role public-private partnerships play in advancing next-generation nuclear technologies that are essential to providing energy security - reliable, abundant American energy - and creating jobs and investment across the nation."

EnCore Energy’s Dewey Burdock uranium project in South Dakota has been approved for the Fast-41 program by federal officials to reduce permitting time.

Dewey Burdock, the first critical minerals project in South Dakota to be added to the federal fast-track system, is to use in-situ recovery (ISR) to tap an estimated 17.1 million measured and indicated lb. of uranium at an average grade of 0.12% uranium oxide (U₃O₈) with an additional 712,600 inferred lb. at 0.06% U₃O₈.

EnCore, currently the only uranium producer in the United States, plans to recover uranium from subsurface sandstone ore bodies at the site in Custer and Fall River counties.

The Fast Track 41 program, part of the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, is overseen by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council. The council identifies priority infrastructure and critical minerals projects to receive accelerated permitting review. Alaska just improved cooperation for fast-tracking projects.

Rosita plant

The company also operates its Rosita central processing plant (CPP) in South Texas as well as the Alta Mesa CPP in a joint venture with Boss Energy (ASX: BOE).

The ISR method employs a chemical-free, water-based solution in the wellfield to dissolve uranium minerals underground, before pumping the uranium-bearing solution to a central processing plant for recovery. Compared to conventional open-pit or underground mining, ISR significantly reduces surface disturbance.

Shares of enCore slipped 3.7% by mid-Tuesday in Toronto to C$3.16 apiece, valuing the company at C$587 million ($426 million).

Peninsula Energy’s processing plant at Wyoming uranium project gets state approval

Staff Writer | August 12, 2025 |


The processing plant at the Ross permit area, part of the larger Lance project in northeastern Wyoming. Credit: Peninsula Energy

Peninsula Energy (ASX: PEN) announced that it has received approval from Wyoming’s Uranium Recovery Program (URP) to commence start-up of Phase 2 of the central processing plant (CPP) at the Lance project.


Lance represents one of the largest US uranium projects in size and scale, with a defined JORC (2012) resource of 58 million lb. of uranium oxide (U3O8). The mine restart plan envisions an initial 10-year in-situ recovery operation with a production estimate of 4.1 million lb. from the Ross area, then moving onto the Kendrick area.

The approval means that Peninsula can now progress transferring uranium on resin into Phase 2 of the CPP, utilizing recovery process solutions to operate the process circuits. No further regulatory approvals are necessary to commence commercial production in Wyoming, the company said.

On completion of Phase 2 construction, the Lance projects will be home to a 5,000 GPM uranium recovery ion-exchange process plant, with the capability to independently produce up to 2 million lb. per annum of dry yellowcake product, the company said in December.

“The approval from the Wyoming URP is another encouraging development, demonstrating the integrity and safety of what we have built at the CPP,” Peninsula Energy CEO George Bauk said in a news release.

“We look forward to start feeding uranium on resin from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the CPP, completing the reset plan and working toward the production of dried yellowcake during this quarter,” Bauk added.

IA : Google mise sur un réacteur nucléaire de nouvelle génération pour alimenter ses centres de données
Google va utiliser un réacteur nucléaire de dernière génération pour faire face à la demande en énergie des centres de données dédiés à l’IA.

Jean-Baptiste Giraud Publié le 21 août 2025

Développer l’intelligence artificielle (IA) demande des ressources en énergie très importantes. Face à ce constat, Google vient de prendre une décision radicale : miser sur un réacteur nucléaire de nouvelle génération pour alimenter les centres de données.

Pour développer l’IA, Google mise sur un réacteur nucléaire de dernière génération

Google vient d’officialiser un partenariat structurant avec Kairos Power et la Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) pour alimenter ses centres de données dédiés à l’IA grâce à un réacteur nucléaire avancé baptisé Hermes 2. L’installation, située à Oak Ridge, doit injecter 50 MW sur le réseau de TVA dès 2030, énergie destinée aux data centers de Google dans le Tennessee et l’Alabama. Dans un marché électrique tendu par l’explosion de l’IA, Google parie sur la constance de la production nucléaire et sur la prévisibilité des coûts.

L’accord avec TVA et Kairos Power garantit, d’abord, une électricité « ferme » : la puissance de 50 MW sera disponible 24 heures sur 24 afin de soutenir l’activité IA. Ensuite, cette électricité proviendra d’un réacteur nucléaire de génération IV refroidi au sel fondu, un choix qui permet de fonctionner à basse pression et peut réduire les coûts de construction tout en améliorant la sûreté. Parce que Google doit concilier performance et sobriété carbone, le recours au nucléaire s’inscrit aussi dans ses objectifs climatiques : l’entreprise acquerra les attributs d’énergie propre associés afin de « verdir » ses centres de données localement, heure par heure.

Le partenariat vise une montée en puissance jusqu’à 500 MW d’ici 2035, ce qui traduit une anticipation des besoins IA à moyen terme. Cette trajectoire donne de la visibilité aux équipes d’ingénierie comme aux fournisseurs, donc elle réduit potentiellement le coût unitaire des futurs réacteurs modulaires. Ainsi, Google veut une base électrique robuste, et il investit sa demande de long terme pour catalyser une filière.

Pourquoi ce réacteur de nouvelle génération coche les cases techniques de Google

Le choix d’Hermes 2 n’est pas anodin : la Nuclear Regulatory Commission a accordé en novembre 2024 un permis de construction. Le design KP-FHR de Kairos Power utilise un sel fondu comme caloporteur et fonctionne à basse pression, ce qui peut simplifier certains éléments d’ingénierie. En outre, de nombreux réacteurs avancés, dont celui-là, envisagent d’utiliser du HALEU (uranium faiblement enrichi à haut taux), carburant permettant une compacité accrue, des cycles plus longs et moins de déchets. Cette caractéristique, bien qu’elle nécessite de structurer une chaîne d’approvisionnement, intéresse Google car elle promet une disponibilité opérationnelle élevée, donc une meilleure adéquation aux profils de charge des centres IA.

Pour Google, l’arbitrage repose sur trois réalités. Premièrement, l’IA rend la charge énergétique plus dense et plus continue. Les centres de données ont besoin d’un socle stable, complémentaire des renouvelables variables ; le nucléaire offre ce socle et l’accord de 50 MW en est le premier étage. Deuxièmement, Google veut sécuriser ses coûts : un PPA de long terme, adossé à une ressource non exposée à la volatilité météorologique. Troisièmement, Google capitalise sur un signal réglementaire positif : permis de construction obtenu en 2024 et engagement d’une grande régie publique.

General Matter to Build $1.5 Billion Uranium Plant in Kentucky

By ZeroHedge - Aug 08, 2025

General Matter will build a $1.5 billion uranium enrichment facility in Kentucky, producing both LEU and HALEU for advanced nuclear reactors.

The project, backed by Founders Fund and Peter Thiel, is the largest economic development initiative in Western Kentucky and will create over 140 permanent jobs.

The initiative aligns with Trump administration efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals and enhance national security.

................

Westinghouse plans ten AP1000 reactors in the USA

Friday, 18 July 2025

Westinghouse plans to start construction of the first of ten new AP1000 reactors in the USA by 2030, interim CEO Dan Sumner told President Donald Trump at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy Summit and Expo in Pittsburgh.


(Image: Westinghouse)

Four executive orders signed by President Trump on 23 May aim to support the entire US nuclear supply chain and the ambition to quadruple the nation's nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Three of the orders are firmly focused on reforms that will boost the civil nuclear energy sector. The fourth one aims to ensure the rapid development, deployment, and use of advanced nuclear technologies to support national security objectives, including AI data centres at Department of Energy facilities.

Hosted by US Senator David McCormick, the Pennsylvania Energy Summit and Expo on 15 July highlighted the state's significant role in shaping the future of AI and energy innovation. Dan Sumner, interim CEO of Pittsburgh-headquartered Westinghouse, took part in a CEO Roundtable attended by President Trump, top Administration officials, including US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.

"We've taken the call-to-action under your executive order to partner with companies across our industry to mobilise a plan to deliver ten AP1000 reactors in the US with construction to begin by 2030," Sumner said. "When we deploy a fleet aligned to your vision, we'll drive USD75 billion of economic value across the United States with USD6 billion of value here in Pennsylvania. Implementing your vision will create or sustain over 55,000 jobs across the country and over 15,000 jobs in the Commonwealth alone, and these are great jobs across manufacturing, engineering and construction."

The event showcased a USD92 billion commitment to cutting-edge AI and energy initiatives.

Utility Constellation announced that it will create 3,000 jobs per year as a result of a USD2.4 billion investment to uprate the Limerick nuclear power plant by an additional 340 MWe.

"We commend state and federal leaders for helping to make these investments possible and for recognising the unique value of reliable and safe nuclear energy to power our economy and bolster our nation's energy security," said Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez.

"As the nation's second largest energy producer and a global nuclear power leader, Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to deliver the abundant, affordable energy that growing AI and advanced manufacturing sectors demand," said Senator McCormick. "We have the skilled workforce to build and operate this critical infrastructure, world-class universities driving innovation, and strategic proximity to over half the country's population."

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted for review the construction permit application from Tennessee Valley Authority for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River site in Tennessee. The regulator said it expects to complete its review within 17 months.


An illustration of a BWRX-300 plant (Image: GVH/TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted its application for Clinch River to the NRC in May, making it the first utility in the USA to submit a construction permit application for GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 technology.

"This is an exciting step to bringing the nation’s first utility-led SMR online," said TVA President and CEO Don Moul. "As the first utility in the United States to have a construction permit application under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the BWRX-300 reactor, this will create a path for other utilities to deploy the reactor - ensuring energy security and reliable electricity for all."

TVA anticipates preliminary site preparation work could begin as early as next year while the NRC reviews the company's construction permit application.

TVA has invested in the standard design of the BWRX-300 as part of a technical collaboration agreement with Ontario Power Generation, Polish company Synthos Green Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy. It is also leading a coalition of utility companies and supply chain partners that has applied for a grant of USD800 million from the US Department of Energy to accelerate construction of the USA's first small modular reactor, and a USD8 million grant to support the cost of the licence review.

Small modular reactors - SMRs - are reactors with a smaller and more modular design than the USA's currently operating commercial nuclear fleet. As well as offering safety enhancements, their smaller footprint and modular design means they can potentially be built more quickly, are easier to operate and better fit into the landscape due to their compact size, TVA said.

TVA already holds an early site permit for SMRs at the Clinch River site, certifying that the site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is suitable for the construction of a nuclear power plant from the point of view of site safety, environmental impact and emergency planning. It has also completed and submitted an Environmental Report for the project to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and says site preparation for the SMR could begin as soon as 2026.

The BWRX-300 design is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of the ESBWR boiling water reactor developed by GEH. In May, the Canadian province of Ontario approved OPG to start construction of the first of four BWRX-300 units planned at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site.

L'Etat de New York lance le projet d'une nouvelle centrale nucléaire, un tournant

Connaissance des Énergies avec AFP le 23 juin 2025

La gouverneure de l'Etat de New York, Kathy Hochul, a annoncé lundi avoir initié le projet d'une nouvelle centrale nucléaire, dans un pays qui n'a plus vu de mise en chantier dans le secteur depuis 2009, une nouvelle illustration du virage pris par les Etats-Unis.

La responsable démocrate a donné mission à l'Agence de l'énergie de cet Etat de "développer et de construire une centrale nucléaire de nouvelle génération dans le nord de l'Etat de New York", a-t-elle indiqué lors d'une conférence de presse.

La décision marque une rupture avec ses prédécesseurs, en particulier l'ancien gouverneur démocrate Andrew Cuomo, aujourd'hui candidat à la mairie de New York, qui avait négocié la fermeture, en 2021, de la centrale d'Indian Point, jugée trop proche de la métropole américaine (environ 50 km).

Plusieurs opérateurs ont initié ces derniers mois la réouverture de centrales existantes inactives ou en voie de fermeture aux Etats-Unis, mais il n'était, jusqu'ici, pas encore question de construire un nouveau réacteur.

La gouverneure de New York souhaite que cette nouvelle centrale ait une capacité d'un gigawatt, équivalent de la production d'une centrale conventionnelle, sur un site encore à déterminer.

Elle n'exclut pas de bâtir d'autres réacteurs dans les années à venir.

Le groupe énergétique américain Constellation s'est dit intéressé par le projet.

La gouverneure est ouverte à un partenariat avec des investisseurs privés, tout en n'écartant pas un financement public à 100%.

Sollicités par l'AFP, ses services ont précisé que le choix de la technologie utilisée pour la nouvelle centrale n'avait pas encore été effectué, entre un réacteur unique et de petits réacteurs de nouvelle génération, les SMR (small modular reactor).

Beaucoup de ces derniers sont en cours de développement mais aucun n'a encore obtenu de permis de construire du régulateur américain du nucléaire, la NRC (Nuclear regulatory commission).

- Rater le train -

Depuis le grave incident du site de Three Mile Island (Pennsylvanie), qui a failli provoquer, en mars 1979, la rupture de la cuve d'un réacteur et la contamination radioactive de toute une région, un seul permis a été délivré aux Etats-Unis.

Il concernait les unités 3 et 4 du site Vogtle, situé près de Waynesboro (Géorgie). L'unité 3 a été mise en service en juillet 2023 et l'unité 4 en avril 2024.

Longtemps impopulaire, notamment du fait d'une série d'accidents, à Three Mile Island, Tchernobyl (1986) et Fukushima (2011), le nucléaire connaît un regain d'intérêt à travers le monde.

Ce retour en grâce s'explique par la redistribution des approvisionnements en énergie du fait de l'invasion russe en Ukraine, de la recherche d'une source d'électricité à faibles émissions, mais aussi de l'appétit insatiable de l'informatique.

Le développement de l'informatique à distance (cloud) et de l'intelligence artificielle (IA) ont démultiplié les besoins en centres de stockage et de gestion des données (data centers), très gourmands en électricité.

Les géants de l'IA, de Google à Microsoft, en passant par Meta, ont, pour beaucoup, passé des accords de fourniture d'électricité provenant du nucléaire, soit via le redémarrage de centrales soit des SMR.

"Nous avons attiré certaines des entreprises les plus innovantes au monde", a souligné Kathy Hochul. "Elles arrivent mais, maintenant, notre défi est de leur fournir l'électricité pour prospérer."

Le nucléaire "est de retour, et si nous ne montons pas à bord, le train va partir sans nous" et "ces sociétés iront ailleurs", a-t-elle martelé.

Plusieurs centres de données sont en cours de réalisation dans l'Etat, notamment à Alabama (nord de l'Etat), où le Texan Stream Data Centers prévoit de consacrer 6,3 milliards de dollars à un nouveau site.

Par ailleurs, incités par la loi IRA (Inflation Reduction Act), qui débloque des subventions et des avantages fiscaux, plusieurs grands acteurs technologiques se sont engagés à investir dans l'Etat de New York.

Le fabricant de semi-conducteurs Micron a promis de consacrer 100 milliards de dollars sur vingt ans.

Kathy Hochul a dit avoir conscience que le nucléaire avait ses opposants, mais a rappelé que la fermeture d'Indian Point avait accru la consommation d'énergie fossile de l'Etat pour assurer ses besoins en électricité.

Quant aux craintes liées aux radiations, "ce ne sera pas la centrale de vos grands-parents", a expliqué la gouverneure, mais "un modèle du XXIe siècle avec la sécurité pour priorité". "Je ne veux pas vivre dans un monde où les gens ont peur."

États-Unis: Oconee peut fonctionner 80 ans
L’autorité de sûreté nucléaire américaine (NRC) a accédé à la demande déposée par Duke Energy Carolinas LLC concernant la prolongation de 20 ans du permis d’exploitation des tranches nucléaires Oconee 1, 2 et 3. Les trois réacteurs peuvent désormais fonctionner 80 ans, tout comme c’est déjà le cas de neuf tranches.

7 avr. 2025

Source: Duke Energy

Aux États-Unis, les tranches nucléaires bénéficient d'une autorisation initiale de fonctionnement de 40 ans – une durée qui se base sur des restrictions d’ordre économique et non technique. Le premier renouvellement (Initial License Renewal) permet de prolonger cette durée de 20 ans, et de la passer à 60 ans. Un second renouvellement (Subsequent License Renewal) passe la durée à 80 ans.

L’examen par la NRC de la Subsequent License Renewal Application de Duke Energy Carolinas s’est déroulé en deux étapes. En décembre 2022, un rapport sur l’évaluation de la sécurité avait été publié, puis en février 2025 une déclaration définitive de compatibilité environnementale. Le renouvellement des autorisations permettra de faire fonctionner Oconee 1 jusqu’au 6 février 2053, Oconee 2 jusqu’au 6 octobre 2053 et Oconee 3 jusqu’au 19 juillet 2054.

Grâce à la nouvelle prolongation du permis d’exploitation d’Oconee 1, 2 et 3 douze réacteurs nucléaires peuvent désormais produire de l’électricité durant 80 ans: (Monticello 1, Turkey-Point 3 et 4, Peach-Bottom 2 et 3, Surry 1 et 2 ainsi que North-Anna 1 et 2). Cinq Subsequent License Renewal Applications concernant dix réacteurs sont en cours d’examen par la NRC.

Energy Fuels shares climb on record uranium output

Staff Writer | June 3, 2025

Energy Fuels shares rose more than 8% on Tuesday after the company reported its highest-ever monthly uranium production.


In May, the company’s Pinyon Plain mine in Arizona produced nearly 260,000 lb. of uranium oxide (U₃O₈), a new monthly record. The strong output pushed Energy Fuels’ share price to C$7.23 ($5.27), up 8.2% on the Toronto Stock Exchange, giving the company a market cap of nearly C$1.1 billion ($770 million).

So far this year, Pinyon Plain has yielded 478,384 lb. of U₃O₈ from approximately 12,461 tons of ore, averaging a grade of 1.92% U₃O₈. That translates to a five-month production rate of about 96,000 lb. per month, with output surging to over 200,000 lb. per month in April and May.

However, the company cautioned that such high production levels are unlikely to continue.

Energy Fuels cited constraints including a shortage of ore haulage trucks, compliance requirements under its agreement with the Navajo Nation, stockpile limits, and the need for further underground development and exploration to access new ore zones.

In addition to its production update, Energy Fuels released a new technical report for its Bullfrog project in Utah, currently in the permitting stage.

The report, dated May 2025, outlined an indicated resource of 10.5 million lb. in U₃O₈ equivalent at an average grade of 0.30%, and an inferred resource of 3.4 million lb. at 0.28%. Compared to the previous report from February 2022, this marks a 15% increase in the indicated category and a 70% jump in inferred.

Energy Fuels also owns the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the United States.