There are no fundamental geologic limitations to disposing of radioactive waste in deep horizontal boreholes in Estonia, a study conducted by US nuclear waste disposal company Deep Isolation on behalf of Fermi Energia has concluded. Such a repository could be used for the disposal of used fuel from small modular reactors proposed for deployment by the Estonian company. Fermi Energia is the first European company to contract with Deep Isolation on a preliminary geologic study to manage advanced reactor waste.

Using nuclear plants to generate heat as well as electricity for non-grid industrial applications could be central to deep decarbonisation efforts beyond being a source of zero-carbon electricity. Speakers at the fifth Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum last week looked at how hydrogen - and nuclear - can contribute to carbon abatement efforts in areas that have so far been hard to decarbonise.

The use of advanced nuclear technologies could help the world meet increasing electricity demand whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the deployment and commercialisation of advanced reactors faces many challenges, according to a discussion on nuclear innovation at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum.

Shearwater Energy, which describes itself as a UK-based hybrid clean energy company, is developing a wind-small modular reactor and hydrogen production hybrid energy project in North Wales. Shearwater says it has selected the SMR technology being developed by NuScale and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US company to further collaboration in advancing the proposed project.

Romanian national nuclear company Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica has been awarded a non-refundable grant of USD1.28 million by the US Trade and Development Agency for use in the identification of potential sites in Romania to host small modular reactors. The USTDA is an independent federal government agency focused on connecting US companies with export opportunities in emerging markets.

The US Administration has issued an Executive Order on Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National Defense and Space Exploration, which it says will further revitalise the US nuclear energy sector and reinvigorate its space exploration programme. This includes directives to demonstrate the use of microreactors on military bases and also to ensure a viable US-origin supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium.

Agreements announced yesterday between NuScale Power and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to facilitate the development of a project to deploy small modular reactors at the Idaho National Laboratory could lead to the placement of a first order for NuScale Power Modules in 2022.

Tests that simulate the temperatures and pressures which the reactor systems will be subjected to during normal operation have started at the demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled reactor plant (HTR-PM) at Shidaowan, in China's Shandong province. The twin-unit HTR-PM is scheduled to start operations later this year.

The US Department of Energy has released the draft Environmental Impact Statement for construction of the Versatile Test Reactor, a sodium-cooled reactor that will provide a source of fast neutrons needed to test advanced reactor technology, fuels and related materials. The draft EIS will be open for a 45-day public comment period.

The Canadian government has released a national Small Modular Reactor Action Plan, which responds to the 53 recommendations identified in the country's SMR Roadmap that was launched in November 2018. The plan lays out the next steps for the development, demonstration and deployment of SMRs for multiple applications at home and abroad.

The US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy has selected five teams to receive USD30 million in initial funding for risk reduction projects under its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. All five of the selected designs have the potential to compete globally once deployed, DOE said.

Synthos Green Energy has announced the completion of a deployment feasibility study for the implementation of a fleet of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactors in Poland. The study, which was prepared by Exelon Generation, will help the Synthos Group estimate how many reactors would need to be built to make the most of the cost effect of serial SMR production.