"Unlocking the Secrets of Fast Reactor Fuel Safety: US and Japan Join Forces in a Groundbreaking Experiment"

An experiment in the experiment in Broad Use Specimen Transient Experiment Rig (BUSTER) is loaded into TREAT (Image: INL)

As the world searches for sustainable energy solutions, a groundbreaking research program into the safety of fast reactor fuel is set to resume at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) next month. After being suspended since the 1990s, the program will use INL's Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility to mimic postulated accident conditions in fast reactors and test the safety of high-burnup materials.

INL researchers have crafted a special capsule to house the experiments and repurposed fresh legacy fuel pins from the lab's former EBR-II reactor, which ceased operations in 1994, for experimental commissioning tests. The team will now move on to transient experiments on high-burnup materials archived from historic irradiation testing in EBR-II, including tests on mixed oxide fuel used by Japanese and French fast reactor designs and metallic alloy fuel used by the USA.

This ambitious program is part of a four-year cost-shared initiative between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) under the bilateral Civil Nuclear Energy Research and Development Working Group, established in 2014. However, it also marks the completion of work that began in the late 1980s to test high-burnup fast reactor fuels before it was suspended in 1994, when EBR-II was closed.

Work has begun to load the first of four irradiated fuel experiments into TREAT, with the first transient test expected to start in February. The first three DOE/JAEA fuel experiments are expected to be completed "by early spring" with the US testing completed before the end of 2024.

TREAT is one of the few facilities in the world that can produce bursts of energy several times more powerful than conditions found in a commercial reactor, known as transients, which can be used to study fuel performance under extreme conditions. TREAT was placed on standby the same year that EBR-II closed but was brought back into operation in 2017.

Daniel Wachs, national technical director for the US Advanced Fuels Campaign, said the unique experiments represent an important step towards developing global confidence in the enhanced performance and safety of advanced nuclear reactor technologies. "It's also a remarkable example of how critical international collaborations will enable the next generation of energy technology development," he added.

Source: World Nuclear News

#Japan #Nuclear Fuel #Research to Develop #US #Reactors

Comments

Meta and XGS Energy Partner on 150 MW Geothermal Power Project in New Mexico

Meta and XGS Energy Partner on 150 MW Geothermal Power Project in New Mexico A Game-Changer for AI, Clean Energy, and the Future By Robert Buluma – Alphaxioms Energy Blog In a bold move that signals the future of energy and technology convergence, XGS Energy and Meta Platforms, Inc. have announced a groundbreaking agreement to develop 150 megawatts (MW) of next-generation geothermal energy in New Mexico. This partnership not only promises to reshape the state's energy landscape but also underscores the growing demand for sustainable, round-the-clock power to fuel the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven economies. Clean Power Without Water – XGS’s Unique Edge At the heart of this partnership lies XGS Energy’s proprietary solid-state geothermal technology. Unlike traditional geothermal systems that rely heavily on water and specific geological conditions, XGS’s innovation enables electricity production from hot, dry rock with zero operating water use. This water-inde...

Eavor’s Geretsried Closed-Loop Geothermal Plant Now Powers the Grid

Eavor Technologies Achieves Historic Milestone: World’s First Commercial-Scale Closed-Loop Geothermal System Now Delivering Power in Geretsried, Germany Published: December 2025 By: Robert Buluma The Day Geothermal Changed Forever On a crisp Bavarian morning in late 2025, a quiet revolution in clean energy officially went live. Eavor Technologies Inc ., the Calgary-based pioneer of closed-loop geothermal technology, announced that its flagship commercial project in Geretsried, Germany has begun delivering power to the grid becoming the world’s first utility-scale multilateral closed-loop geothermal system to achieve commercial operation. For anyone who has followed the geothermal sector for the last decade, this is nothing short of seismic (pun intended). What Makes Eavor’s Closed-Loop System Truly Disruptive? Traditional geothermal plants rely on naturally occurring hot water reservoirs or enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) that require hydraulic fracturing and massiv...

Exergy ORC Sets New World Record: 46 MW of Geothermal Power in Turkey Delivered in Under 13 Months

Exergy ORC Delivers Two Geothermal Power Plants in Turkey in Record Time: 46 MW Added in Under 13 Months By: Robert Buluma On November 30, 2025, Exergy International proudly announced the successful commissioning of two new geothermal power plants in Aydın, Turkey: Maren Nezihe Beren 2 (13 MWe) and Emir (33 MWe), totaling 46 MW of new clean electricity capacity. What makes this milestone truly remarkable is the execution speed , both plants were delivered in less than 13 months from contract signing to full commercial operation, setting a new benchmark in the geothermal ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) industry. Why This Achievement Matters in 2025 In an era where renewable energy projects often face delays of 24–36 months (or longer), completing two binary-cycle geothermal plants totaling 46 MW in under 13 months is nothing short of extraordinary. Turkey already ranks 4th globally in installed geothermal capacity (~1.7 GW as of 2024), and these new plants reinforce the country’s lead...

China Just Built the World’s Cleanest Large-Scale Geothermal Heating System – And Barely Anyone Noticed

China Just Quietly Built One of the Greenest Heating Systems on Earth – And Hardly Anyone Noticed By: Robert Buluma In a quiet corner of Shaanxi Province, something remarkable just happened. On an ordinary day in late 2025, nine deep geothermal wells in Qishan County, Baoji City, began pumping clean heat from 2,800 meters beneath the Earth’s surface into thousands of homes. No smoke. No coal. No water extracted from the ground and no wastewater discharged back into it. This is China’s first large-scale mid-deep geothermal closed-loop district heating project, and it might be one of the most under-reported green energy milestones of the decade. The Numbers Are Staggering 9 geothermal wells (drilled to 2,800–3,000 m) 100% closed-loop heat exchange – zero fluid leaves or enters the rock formation Supplies central heating to the entire southern district of Qishan County Annual savings: 12,000 tons of standard coal Annual CO₂ reduction: 3...

Iceland Ignites a Geothermal Revolution: ISK 600 Million Bet on Low-Temperature Innovation

Iceland's Geothermal Renaissance: Government Bets Big on Low-Enthalpy and Innovative Uses By: Robert Buluma Iceland has long been the poster child for geothermal energy. With legendary high-temperature fields powering everything from the famous Blue Lagoon to nearly 100% of the country’s electricity and district heating, most people assumed the geothermal story was already written. Apparently not. In a move that has the global geothermal community buzzing, the Icelandic government has just announced a massive ISK 600 million (roughly €4 million / $4.4 million USD) grant program specifically designed to kick-start innovative geothermal projects, with the state covering up to one-third of total project costs. What makes this announcement truly exciting isn’t the money itself (Iceland has funded geothermal before), but the deliberate shift in focus: low-enthalpy resources and non-traditional applications. Why This Matters The Low-Enthalpy Revolution For decades, Iceland’s geothermal ...

Germany’s Laufzorn II Geothermal Heating Plant Achieves Positive Results from First Drilled Well

“The Water Is Hot!” – Successful Geothermal Drilling in Laufzorn Powers Grünwald’s Energy Future By: Robert Buluma Grünwald, October 23, 2025 – A dramatic plume of white steam over Laufzorn recently caught the attention of residents in nearby Oberhaching, prompting several calls to the local fire department. But there was no fire — the vapor marked a breakthrough moment for renewable energy in the region. “The water is hot!” announced Grünwald’s Mayor Jan Neusiedl (CSU) after the first geothermal drilling at Laufzorn II struck success. The discovery marks a major step forward in the community’s plan to secure sustainable heating for future generations. A Major Milestone for Renewable Heat The successful test pumping confirmed results similar to the earlier Laufzorn I project — with temperatures well above 100°C and a flow rate exceeding 100 liters per second. These promising figures ensure the project’s technical viability and future operational stability. Mayor Neusiedl highlighted th...

Kenya’s Low Electricity Supply Threatens to Derail Data Centre Ambitions

Kenya’s Low Electricity Supply Threatens to Derail Data Centre Ambitions By: Robert Buluma Earlier on Alphaxioms.blogspot.com, we explored how the EcoCloud Data Centre project represented Kenya’s bold leap into renewable-powered digital infrastructure — a model for how clean energy can drive sustainable data innovation. However, new developments suggest that this vision may be facing serious challenges. President William Ruto has revealed that Kenya’s ambitious plan to host world-class data centres powered by renewable energy has stalled due to the country’s limited electricity generation capacity. While Kenya has earned global recognition for its geothermal and wind power leadership, the current generation levels remain too low to sustain the heavy energy demands of data infrastructure. Ruto pointed to Ethiopia’s 5,400 MW mega-dam, commissioned last month — two and a half times Kenya’s total installed capacity — as a clear indicator of the widening energy gap Nairobi must ...

Indonesia’s First 50:50 Geothermal Joint Venture Takes Shape — PT Daya Mas Bumi Sentosa Officially Launched

In a landmark move that signals Indonesia’s deepening commitment to renewable energy, PT DSSR Daya Mas Sakti — part of the Sinar Mas Group — and PT FirstGen Geothermal Indonesia , a subsidiary of the Energy Development Corporation ( EDC ) , have officially formed a joint venture company named PT Daya Mas Bumi Sentosa . By: Robert Buluma This follows the signing ceremony held in August, marking the official wrap-up of one of the most anticipated geothermal partnerships in the region. The new company, PT Daya Mas Bumi Sentosa , represents the first-ever 50:50 geothermal partnership of its kind in Indonesia — a perfect balance of local expertise and international technical excellence. A Powerful Collaboration for a Sustainable Future The newly formed entity will spearhead the exploration and development of six geothermal prospects across Indonesia , with a combined development capacity of 440 megawatts (MW) . This strategic partnership aims to accelerate the nation’s shift ...

DeepU Laser Drilling: Pioneering a Cleaner, Cheaper Geothermal Future

DeepU Laser Drilling Technology Enters Field Testing: A Leap Toward Cleaner, Cheaper Geothermal Energy By : Robert Buluma October 29, 2025 The quest to make geothermal energy more accessible and sustainable has taken a major step forward. The DeepU project , a European research and innovation initiative, has announced that its cutting-edge laser drilling technology is now ready for field testing , after 44 months of intensive research, laboratory experiments, and simulations. The DeepU system uses a laser beam combined with a supercritical nitrogen stream to drill through rock without physical contact, a breakthrough that promises to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and minimize the environmental impact of deep drilling operations. Funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder programme under Horizon Europe, DeepU is coordinated by the University of Padua and RED SRL, in collaboration with Prevent GmbH, Fraunhofer IAPT, Geoserv Ltd, the University of Wroc...

Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 2026: Nominations Now Open

Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 2026 Is Now Open , Submit Your Nomination Today! By: Robert Buluma The geothermal sector has never been more vibrant, more competitive, or more innovative and at the center of this momentum stands one of the most respected honours in the industry: The Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award. The 2026 edition is officially open, inviting innovators, companies, research teams, and technology developers to showcase groundbreaking contributions that are shaping the next frontier of geothermal energy. If you or your organisation have been pushing boundaries, developing solutions that boost performance, reduce emissions, or introduce new possibilities in the geothermal value chain this is your moment. 🌋 Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Innovation Named after Ruggero Bertani, a globally respected geothermal visionary, the award recognises: Originality & innovation Reliability & technological robustness Reduction of e...

Search This Blog