U.S. DOE Grants Over $19 Million to Advance Nuclear Fuel Recycling Research
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DOE awards $19 million to five firms for fuel‑recycling R&D – The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy allocated more than USD 19 million to Alpha Nur, Curio Solutions, Flibe Energy, Oklo, and Shine Technologies to develop technologies that recycle used nuclear fuel, with projects lasting up to three years and requiring a minimum 20 % cost share from each recipient [1].
Recycling could raise fuel utilisation by 95 % and cut waste 90 % – DOE estimates that only less than 5 % of the energy potential in U.S. nuclear fuel is extracted in a typical five‑year reactor cycle; recycling could increase resource utilisation by 95 %, reduce high‑level waste by 90 %, and lower the amount of uranium needed for reactors, while also recovering radioisotopes for medical, industrial, and defence uses [1].
Alpha Nur to convert HEU from research reactors into HALEU for SMRs – Alpha Nur Inc. will research and validate a process that extracts highly enriched uranium (HEU) from used fuel of U.S. research reactors and transforms it into high‑assay low‑enriched uranium (HALEU) suitable for small modular reactor designs, working in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) [1].
Curio’s NuCycle aims for commercial‑scale uranium recovery and waste reduction – Curio Solutions will develop its proprietary NuCycle technology with collaborators including INL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, targeting uranium recovery as UF₆, complete minor actinide extraction, and co‑extraction of transuranics; the effort will produce detailed engineering designs and prepare for a pilot‑scale demonstration [1].
Flibe Energy, Oklo, and Shine receive funding for complementary recycling methods – Flibe Energy will explore electrochemical processing, Oklo will study heavy‑element deposition in molten‑salt pyro‑processing to support licensing of its Oak Ridge facility, and Shine Technologies will design an integrated transport, storage, disposal, and hydro‑processing system; each project must match the DOE’s non‑proliferation and security standards [1].
Assistant Secretary Ted Garrish frames recycling as a national resource – Garrish highlighted used nuclear fuel as “an incredible untapped resource,” noting the Trump Administration’s “common‑sense approach” to maximize efficiency, secure energy independence, and drive economic growth through these recycling initiatives [1].
- Alpha Nur (company statement) – “We’re especially grateful to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the opportunity to collaborate on this effort… Continuing our work alongside INL is deeply meaningful to our team, and we’re excited to build on that partnership.”
- Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio Solutions – “This award is further validation of Curio’s game‑changing advanced nuclear recycling technology and process for the future of nuclear energy in the United States… NuCycle will fundamentally change how used nuclear fuel is processed and managed.”
- Ted Garrish, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy – “Used nuclear fuel is an incredible untapped resource in the United States… The Trump Administration is taking a common‑sense approach to making sure we’re using our resources in the most efficient ways possible to secure American energy independence and fuel our economic growth.”