However, there are abundant potential use cases for AI in the nuclear sector, a theme of one panel at POWERGEN International, which is February 11-13, 2025, in Dallas, Texas.

The panel, “AI in Nuclear: Unfulfilled Promise or Just Getting Started?,” will explore how we can build a foundation for the next wave of AI innovation in nuclear power. It will feature Joshua Guzman Bell, Nuclear Technology & Innovation Consultant for Dominion Energy; Forrest Shriver, CEO of Sentinel Devices; and Greg Alder, Director of Plant Optimization for Curtiss-Wright.

Shriver, whose company offers OTAware, a monitoring platform designed to reduce equipment downtime, told Power Engineering he plans to discuss thecutting-edge applications being seen in the nuclear industry, as well as what Sentinel is doing to move AI-driven predictive maintenance forward.

“I think it’s very important for power producers to get an understanding of what’s out there and what’s being done at a high level in AI applications for industry, so they can better understand how to parse and judge the trends that are at the heart of the decisions they have to make every day,” said Shriver. “If you know the field, and know how the pieces move, you can be much more prepared to intelligently react and make decisions based on new information.”

Shriver highlighted the critical need for offline-first AI solutions to address the unique challenges faced by power producers. These companies often have strict cybersecurity requirements that prevent the use of standard off-the-shelf software, or they operate assets in remote locations where 24/7 data streaming is impractical.

Shriver said current AI solutions tend to be cloud-centric, with no clear middle ground between fully on-premises infrastructure and full cloud dependence.

“I’ll be talking a bit about how we’re solving that challenge,” he continued, “but I really do think it’s one of the wider unanswered questions at the moment for power producers that are sensitive about cybersecurity.”

“AI in Nuclear: Unfulfilled Promise or Just Getting Started?” is scheduled for Thursday, February 13 at 11:30 am – 12:30 pm as part of the Nuclear’s Evolution track.

Register for the POWERGEN technical conference program here.

This collaboration leverages NANO Nuclear’s advanced nuclear reactor technologies in development to provide energy for Digihost’s operations, including AI-driven data centers and digital asset colocation programs. The non-binding MOU is the first step in a broader strategic relationship, the companies said, and it establishes a framework aimed at “enhancing public understanding and community support” for nuclear energy, and particularly advanced nuclear technologies such as NANO Nuclear’s ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN’ portable microreactors, which are designed to reliably and safely provide consistent and carbon-neutral baseload energy.

“The opportunity to collaborate with NANO Nuclear represents a bold move toward achieving our sustainability goals,” said Michel Amar, CEO of Digihost Technology. “By leveraging NANO Nuclear’s advanced nuclear reactor technology, we gain the potential ability to scale quickly across our existing power assets following successful initial deployment. This collaboration positions Digihost at the forefront of delivering reliable, modular baseline power, enabling the development of Tier III HPC data centers in locations previously deemed unfeasible. This strategic move also allows us to capitalize on the rapidly expanding Tier III data center market, further solidifying our leadership in the industry.”

The deployment of NANO Nuclear’s advanced nuclear reactor technology is expected to replace Digihost’s existing infrastructure, advancing Digihost’s commitment to carbon neutrality and providing baseload power for Digihost’s expanding data center operations. The project’s timeline aligns with the NANO Nuclear’s overall expectations for licensing and deployment, with reactor integration within Digihost’s operations targeted for 2031. Before deployment, the companies will conduct a site assessment of Digihost’s location, initiate site preparations and develop a phased implementation strategy, collaborate on the design, construction, testing, and commissioning of an advanced microreactor power system, and work together on regulatory and licensing activities. The companies will also look to further memorialize their relationship with definitive agreements.

The ZEUS microreactor prototype is designed to harness thermal energy for direct heat applications or to convert it into electric power. This allows for diverse applications, ranging from heating to electricity generation.

The ODIN reactor will operate at higher than conventional water-cooled reactor temperatures, which will boost resilience and conversion efficiency in generating electricity.

According to NANO, the ODIN design aims to take advantage of the natural convection of coolant for heat transfer to the power conversion cycle at full power and for decay heat removal during reactor shutdown, operational transients, and off-normal conditions.

Both microreactors use High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel, are modular, and are easily transportable, NANO said.

Under the non-binding Master Power Agreement signed by the companies, Oklo would develop, construct and operate powerhouses to provide power to Switch across the United States through a series of power purchase agreements.

Switch is a builder and operator of AI, cloud and enterprise data centers. Digital infrastructure has become a significant driver of new power demand.

Since January 2016, all Switch data centers have been powered by 100% renewable energy, representing nearly 984 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually.

This latest multi-decade relationship aims help accelerate Oklo’s early powerhouse deployments and help the company scale up in response to growing demand. As of July this year, Oklo had non-binding letters of intent for about 1,350 MW of microreactor capacity, a 93% increase from its 700 MW project pipeline in July 2023, the company told investors in its Q2 earnings call. Of the 650 MW announced during the second quarter of this year, 600 MW were for data center projects. By November, Oklo’s pipeline had grown to 2,100 MW, almost entirely for data centers.

Oklo is developing next-generation nuclear power plants called “powerhouses” that run on nuclear waste. The company’s Aurora powerhouse design is a fast neutron reactor that would transport heat from the reactor core to a power conversion system and is designed to run on material from used nuclear fuel known as HALEU, or “high assay, low-enriched uranium.” The reactor builds on the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II and space reactor legacy. The Aurora powerhouse is designed to scale to 15 MW and 50 MW offerings today. Oklo is also evaluating a 100 MW or larger offering that it is developing.

Oklo argues its business model simplifies clean energy access by selling power, not power plants – offering customers a direct pathway to advanced nuclear energy. Aurora powerhouses are planned to support growing energy demands as they are deployed in the future.

Oklo’s first Aurora powerhouse is targeted for deployment in 2027 at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The company received a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy, was awarded fuel material from INL, submitted the first advanced fission custom combined license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

The partners said this Master Agreement establishes a framework for collaboration and that individual binding agreements would be finalized as project milestones are reached.

“This is an historic moment for Virginia and the world at large,” said Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

As part of this effort, the MIT spinout has reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise, as well as leasing rights for the proposed site. Dominion currently owns the proposed site.

The proposed plant would generate about 400 MW of electricity. CFS conducted a global search for the site of this first commercial fusion plant, known as ARC, which the company will independently finance, build, own and operate.

“Our customers’ growing needs for reliable, carbon-free power benefits from as diverse a menu of power generation options as possible, and in that spirit, we are delighted to assist CFS in their efforts.” said Dominion Energy Virginia President Edward H. Baine. 

CFS is currently completing development of its fusion demonstration machine, SPARC, at its headquarters in Devens, Massachusetts. The company said it expects SPARC to produce its first plasma in 2026 and net fusion energy shortly afterward. This would be a significant achievement, as it would be the first time a “commercially relevant” design would produce more power than consumed. In CFS’ eyes, SPARC paves the way for ARC, which the company expects to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s.

Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms combine to form a single atom. The combined atom has less mass than the original two atoms, with large amounts of energy released in the process. Fusion is considered the holy grail of clean energy because of its potential to produce nearly limitless, carbon-free energy. But getting energy from fusion – the process that powers the sun and stars – has been a great challenge on Earth. Scientists have been trying to replicate it as far back as the 1930s.

But there have been recent breakthroughs. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California for the first time produced more energy in a nuclear fusion reaction than was used to ignite it, a long-sought accomplishment known as net energy gain.

The extremely brief fusion reaction, which used 192 lasers and temperatures measured at multiple times hotter than the center of the sun, was achieved December 5, 2022.

In August 2023, the laboratory said it had achieved net energy gain once again.

Achieving net energy gain has been challenging because fusion happens at such high temperatures and pressures that it is incredibly difficult to control.

CFS was spun out of MIT in 2018. Since then, it has raised more than $2 billion in capital. In addition to this private capital, CFS has been awarded $16.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The most recent grant of $15 million was announced in June 2024 as part of the first phase of the DOE’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.

During the outage, the Watts Bar team completed more than 12,000 work activities to return the unit to full generating capacity and supply enough energy for at least 650,000 homes.

“The work our team members completed during this outage will allow us to continue to provide safe, reliable, carbon-free electricity for people throughout the Tennessee Valley for the next 18-month operating cycle,” said Chris Reneau, Watts Bar site vice president. “As the region continues to grow at a rapid rate and the need for power grows with it, we’re appreciative that our highly skilled team of TVA, union, and contract partners works safely and with full attention to craftsmanship and operational excellence to make the upgrades and enhancements further to improve the reliability of Unit 1 and our plant.”

Inspections, upgrades, and updates

In addition to replacing 92 of Unit 1’s 193 fuel assemblies, the Watts Bar team performed inspections of reactor components and other plant systems in an effort to ensure continued safe operation of components, replaced or serviced plant equipment and installed enhancements. The team attributes the increase in power for Unit 1 to upgrades made during the outage, such as replacing two low-pressure turbine rotors and increasing the cooling tower, condenser, and plant efficiency.

Watts Bar is TVA’s second largest nuclear plant—its two pressurized water reactors produce about five percent of TVA’s total generation capacity. Each unit produces about 1,150 MW of electricity. Watts Bar Unit 1 is one of seven operational TVA nuclear reactors across the Valley, with TVA’s nuclear fleet providing more than 40% of all its electricity generated.

Over the summer, TVA named new leadership for the Watts Bar nuclear plant. Chris Reneau was named site vice president, effective June 12. Current Watts Bar Site Vice President Tony Williams stepped into the role of Vice President, Outage Services and Supplemental Resources for TVA’s entire nuclear fleet. Reneau most recently served as vice president for operations support at the TVA Nuclear Fleet Center in Chattanooga. Since joining TVA in 2009, he has held multiple leadership roles, including Senior Manager Systems Engineering, Senior Manager Design Engineering, Site Engineering Director and Director of Operations before becoming Plant Manager at the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in 2021.

Unit 1 at Watts Bar entered commercial operations in 1996. In 1988, TVA suspended construction activities on Unit 2 due to a reduction in the predicted power demand growth. In 2007, TVA approved the completion of Unit 2 after finishing studies of energy needs, schedule, costs, environmental impacts and financial risks.

In November 2022, TVA’s Watts Bar Unit 2 completed a steam generator replacement project at the 1,150 MW facility in eastern Tennessee. Unit 2 entered service in 2016 at a construction cost of $4.7 billion.

The original steam generators were built in the 1970s using a metal alloy that prematurely developed leaks and other problems at other nuclear plants. The equipment was installed at Watts Bar in the 1980s before TVA halted work at the site due to cost overruns, employee safety concerns and a drop in projected power demand. 

TVA determined it would be too costly to replace the original steam generators when construction resumed, so Unit 2 entered service with its original steam generators. The cost to replace the steam generators rose to around $590 million and took weeks longer to install than originally expected due to weather issues.

Under the agreement, BWXT Canada has the potential to manufacture key AP1000 and AP300 reactor components, including steam generators, reactor vessels, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, BWXT Canada has more than 60 years of expertise and experience in the designing, manufacturing, commissioning, and servicing of nuclear power generation equipment including pressurized water reactor steam generators, nuclear fuel and fuel components, critical plant components, parts and related plant services.

“Canada is home to one of the strongest nuclear supply chains in the Western world, that when combined with the U.S. supply chain, provides a powerful platform to deliver new nuclear generation quickly to North America,” said John Gorman, President of Westinghouse Canada. “By taking advantage of our combined presence in both Canada and the U.S., Westinghouse and BWXT will work together to further strengthen both nations’ capacity to promote and build cost-effective nuclear solutions at home and abroad.”

The AP300, a single-loop pressurized water reactor launched in 2023, is a 300 MW small modular reactor (SMR) with a design based on the AP1000 reactor. Westinghouse said the AP300 SMR is an “ultra-compact, modular-constructed unit.” It will use identical AP1000 technology, to include major equipment, structural components, passive safety, fuel, and I&C systems. The reactor is expected to benefit from a mature supply chain, constructability lessons learned, fast load-follow capabilities and proven O&M procedures and best practices from 18 reactor years of AP1000 operations, a prior press release said. 

The AP300 is designed to operate for an 80+ year life cycle, and uses Gen III+ advanced technology, which has regulatory approval in the U.S., Great Britain and China, as well as compliance with European Utility Requirements standards for nuclear power plants. The company said the design will be marketed to the utility, oil & gas and industrial sectors. Design certification is anticipated by 2027, followed by site specific licensing and construction on the first unit toward the end of the decade. 

This announcement is the latest in a series of agreements with Canadian firms to support Westinghouse’s AP1000 and AP300 projects globally. For each AP1000 unit that is built outside of Canada, Westinghouse could generate almost $1 billion of Canadian dollars in gross domestic product (GDP) through local suppliers.

Late last year, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Westinghouse signed a MOU establishing a framework for the two organizations to identify potential areas of cooperation for the deployment of nuclear technologies. Under the MOU, the companies will seek to explore potential commercial opportunities for Westinghouse’s AP1000, AP300, and eVinci reactor technologies; investigate licensing and regulatory pathways for new nuclear projects in Canada; and examine other potential areas for collaboration in the new-build market.

To effectively decarbonize the broader economy, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator says demand for clean, reliable baseload electricity will rise sharply in coming years and has called for almost 18,000 MW of new nuclear capacity by 2050.

In September, Westinghouse signed a MOU with Curtiss-Wright’s Nuclear Division to support AP1000 and AP300 projects in Canada. The MoU leverages Curtiss-Wright’s portfolio of nuclear power equipment, technology and services to complement Westinghouse’s resources in new build opportunities.

Meta is seeking both small modular reactors (SMRs) and larger nuclear reactors in this request. The company said it is looking for developers that can help accelerate the availability of new nuclear generators and create “sufficient scale” to achieve material cost reductions by deploying multiple units. Ultimately, Meta wants partners who will permit, design, engineer, finance, construct and operate the nuclear power plants.

Meta noted that compared to renewable energy projects like solar and wind, nuclear energy projects are more capital intensive, take longer to develop, are subject to more regulatory requirements, and have a longer expected operational life. Thus, Meta said it needs to engage nuclear energy projects earlier in their development lifecycle, while considering their operational requirements while designing a contract. Additionally, Meta argues that scaling deployments of nuclear technology offers the best chance of “rapidly reducing” cost.

Interested parties must complete a qualification intake form by Friday, January 3, 2025, with initial RFP proposals for participants due on Friday, February 7, 2025.

Since 2020, Meta has matched its global operations with 100% clean and renewable energy, totaling over 12,000 MW of renewable energy contracts worldwide to date.

But Meta is not alone in eying nuclear for powering data center operations. In October, Google and Kairos Power signed an agreement aimed at deploying a fleet of nuclear power projects totaling 500 MW by 2035. The deal would allow Kairos Power to “quickly advance down the learning curve” as it works to deploy its fluoride salt-cooled, high temperature reactor.

Days later Amazon signed three new agreements to enable the construction of several small modular reactors (SMRs) in Virginia and Washington state. This includes an investment in SMR developer X-energy, who is building the four reactors as part of the Washington state project.

Oklo is another advanced nuclear company that is making a big data center play. Of the 650 MW in its project pipeline announced during the second quarter of this year, 600 MW were for data centers.

Aside from nuclear, geothermal has also emerged as potential solution to energy-hungry data centers. Google recently entered into an agreement with Berkshire Hathaway electric utility NV Energy to power its Nevada data centers with about 115 MW of geothermal energy, and Houston-based geothermal startup Sage Geosystems and Meta Platforms recently announced an agreement to deliver up to 150 MW of new geothermal baseload power to support the latter’s data center growth.

According to a study published by EPRI in May, data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030 — more than double the amount currently used. Demand for computing power from data centers, fueled by artificial intelligence and other new technologies, requires enormous amounts of power.

In the U.S., data center demand is expected to reach 35 GW by 2030, up from 17 GW in 2022, McKinsey & Company projects. Grid operators and utilities expect to see significant load growth driven by electrification, new manufacturing, and data center development. 

The ongoing quest for sustainable and low-carbon energy solutions has led to the emergence of a number of innovative technologies. The vision of reducing carbon footprints while maintaining reliability and resilience in energy systems is attracting billions in both private and public sector investment.

Among these technologies, nuclear microreactors present a revolutionary approach, particularly for campus district energy systems. Advanced nuclear offers a pathway to zero carbon emissions that several large institutional energy users are considering, particularly because of the potential to provide many years of always-on power and thermal energy to maintain the reliability that bustling campuses demand.

Emergence of Nuclear Microreactors

Advanced nuclear microreactors are at the forefront of an energy transformation, offering a compact, scalable solution to the urgent problem of decarbonizing campus energy systems.

Microreactors address the challenges that have long held back the growth of nuclear energy produced by large, commercial reactors. Emerging microreactor technology pathways provide a manageable, safe energy resource, capable of delivering electricity and heat on a scalable basis, with virtually zero carbon emissions. Their compact size and modularity mean they can be deployed within campus settings, providing a reliable source of energy while supporting the academic mission and sustainability goals of institutions.

Design Innovations and Safety Features

Advanced microreactors are a testament to the strides made in nuclear technology, focused upon advanced safety and efficiency. New fuel in the form of HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) offers a long-life fuel with cladding capable of withstanding temperatures much higher than the operating requirements of the reactor.

Passive safety features are a hallmark of these designs. Unlike conventional reactors with water-based cooling systems dependent on a complex system of pumps and failure mode responses, microreactors have passive shutdown controls that rely on gas or molten salt to slowly cool the reactor in the event of an issue that would require a shut down. These safety features, coupled with their compact footprint, make microreactors an attractive option for large energy users like universities.

Universities as Pioneers

Universities are uniquely positioned to lead the integration of nuclear microreactors into district energy systems. With campuses resembling small cities, they are ideal proving grounds to demonstrate how sustainable energy systems can address challenges and opportunities of transitioning away from traditional fossil fuels.

Several large research organizations are actively exploring how microreactors can be integrated to achieve ambitious carbon reduction goals. By adopting this technology, universities not only contribute to reducing global carbon emissions, but also engage in cutting-edge research and development, helping to prepare the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite the promising potential of nuclear microreactors, challenges remain. Early adopters will be helping to further the technology’s adoption, but these first-of-a-kind implementation costs are a significant barrier, posing hurdles for many institutions. Despite these front-loaded costs — mainly in licensing and technology deployment — ongoing operational costs are expected to be low in comparison with other energy technologies.

Public perception of nuclear energy is another critical issue. Dispelling myths and educating communities on the safety and benefits of modern nuclear technology is essential to making progress for widespread public acceptance.

Additionally, the current licensing and permitting process for commercial nuclear power applications is ill-suited for the scale and swift adoption of microreactor technologies. A streamlined regulatory pathway and approval process will be required to enable these advanced systems to enter widespread commercial deployment.

Nuclear microreactors offer a path to transforming fossil fuel-dependent campus district energy systems into sustainable, resilient low-carbon energy networks. As this technology continues to develop, its integration into campus settings could serve as a model for broader adoption, contributing significantly to the global effort to combat climate change. The journey toward a zero-carbon future is complex, but with innovative solutions like nuclear microreactors it is increasingly within reach.

Originally published by Burns & McDonnell.

About the Author: Kevin Fox is an engineering manager for the OnSite Energy and Power Group at Burns & McDonnell. Kevin has more than 25 years of experience in the energy and power sector, specializing in developing resilient and sustainable projects for district energy facilities, microgrids, distributed generation networks and emerging clean energy technologies.

FNPPs are meant to be centrally manufactured and easily transported to operation sites, combining advanced nuclear technology with shipyard efficiency. Westinghouse argues its eVinci microreactor is suited for this type of deployment, given its size and the company’s claim that it can operate at eight years at full power without refueling. The concept is meant to reduce the need for building permanent infrastructure, allowing the use of nuclear power in areas where it would otherwise be difficult.

“There’s no net-zero without nuclear. A long series of identical turnkey power plants using multiple installations of the Westinghouse eVinci microreactor delivered by sea, creates a real opportunity to scale nuclear as the perfect solution to meet the rapidly growing demand for clean, flexible and reliable electricity delivered on time and on budget,” said Mikal Bøe, CEO of CORE POWER. “Our unique partnership with Westinghouse is a game changer for how customers buy nuclear energy.”

Under the agreement, Westinghouse and CORE POWER will aim to advance the design of a FNPP using the eVinci microreactor and its heat pipe technology. Heat pipe technology is meant to improve reliability while providing a non-pressurized method of passively transferring heat. Heat pipes in the eVinci microreactor transfer heat from the nuclear core to a power conversion system, which Westinghouse says eliminates the need for water cooling and the associated recirculation systems. In addition, the companies will collaborate to develop a regulatory approach to licensing FNPP systems.

The eVinci microreactor builds on decades of industry-leading Westinghouse innovation to bring carbon-free, safe and scalable energy wherever it is needed for a variety of applications, including providing reliable electricity and heating for remote communities, universities, mining operations, industrial centers, data centers and defense facilities, and soon the lunar surface and beyond. The resilient eVinci microreactor has very few moving parts, working essentially as a battery, providing the versatility for power systems ranging from several kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity, delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for eight-plus years without refueling. It can also produce high temperature heat suitable for industrial applications, including alternative fuel production such as hydrogen, and has the flexibility to balance renewable output. The technology is factory-built and assembled before it is shipped in a container.

The idea of FNPP hasn’t quite caught on in North America yet, but Russia seems to be ahead of the curve. In 2020, the FNPP “Akademic Lomonosov” was fully commissioned in Pevek, the Chukotka region in far east Russia – marking the deployment of the world’s first FNPP. The FNPP started providing electricity to the isolated grid of the Chaun-Bilibino energy center of Chukotka on December 19, 2019. The plant has already generated over 47.3 million kWh of electricity between being connected to the grid and the commissioning.

Earlier this year, Westinghouse announced it was collaborating with Prodigy on a transportable nuclear power plant (TNPP) that will feature one of Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactors, meant to serve power needs in remote or harsh climates like the Arctic. The two companies, which have been collaborating since 2019 to evaluate deployment models for the eVinci microreactor, are still in the design stages of the project. Next steps include completing the development of a nuclear oversight model for TNPP manufacturing, outfitting and transport, and progressing licensing and site assessments to support a first project in Canada by 2030.

In a 2019-2020 study, Prodigy assessed the eVinci microreactor for deployment in a TNPP setting. The company then undertook the development of TNPP civil structures standardized for deployment at a range of sites. Prodigy’s Microreactor Power Station TNPP, which is intended to be able to integrate one or multiple 5MWe factory-built and fueled eVinci microreactors, would be prefabricated and transported to a site for installation at the shoreline or on land.

The core design of eVinci is built around a graphite core, with channels both for heat pipes and TRISO fuel pellets. Hundreds of passive in-core heat pipes, filled with liquid sodium, are intended to increase system reliability and safety. Pipes embedded in the core transfer heat from one end to the other, where it is captured in a heat exchanger. For cooling, each heat pipe contains a small amount of sodium liquid as the working fluid to move heat from the core and is fully encapsulated in a sealed pipe

Westinghouse engineers laud the microreactor’s passive cooling design. There are no pumps to circulate water or gas. The reactor’s heat pipes replace the reactor coolant pump, reactor coolant system, primary coolant chemistry control, and all associated auxiliary systems. It has few moving parts while operating, and Westinghouse says it can operate for eight-plus years without refueling.

The microreactor can generate 5 MW of electricity or 13 MW of heat from a 15 MW thermal core. Exhaust heat from the power conversion system can be used for district heating applications or low-temperature steam. eVinci could also be used in hydrogen production, maritime, or industrial heat applications.

Westinghouse looks to off-grid applications like remote communities and mine sites as the entry market for eVinci. But the microreactor could also serve industrial sites or data centers. In remote locations, it could replace diesel as a power-generating fuel, which is expensive to transport often hundreds of miles.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — A supplier of fuel for nuclear power plants announced a $60 million expansion in Tennessee on Wednesday, promising to resume and grow its manufacturing of high-tech centrifuges there to enrich uranium at its facility in Ohio.

The expansion by Centrus Energy at its massive facility in Oak Ridge comes as the U.S. ramps up its reliance on nuclear power as a climate change solution. The Tennessee facility, which stretches 440,000 square feet, is where they make and test 40-foot-high centrifuges that will be transported to the company’s enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio. The company gave reporters a tour Wednesday, showing off the centrifuges but covering other classified equipment with tarps.

Centrus is one of several companies working on enriching uranium in the U.S., which is currently dependent on foreign providers. Russia has about 44% of the world’s uranium enrichment capacity, supplying some 35% of U.S. imports for nuclear fuel, according to the Department of Energy. Just last week, Russia announced it would temporarily limit its exports of enriched uranium to the U.S. in response to the U.S. deciding to ban Russian uranium starting in 2028.

Western nuclear operators have been looking for suppliers of nuclear fuel other than Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022, S&P Global Commodity Insights said Wednesday.

Centrus President and CEO Amir Vexler told reporters Wednesday that the expansion was not due to Russia’s decision-making, saying that the company’s board approved the plans a few weeks ago. But he said the move illustrates why the U.S. can’t depend on other countries for its nuclear fuel.

“Nuclear is one of the key essential stabilizers in our sources on the grid. And nuclear fuel is a key essential element of that,” Vexler said. “Why would you not worry about the security of supply of that key ingredient to our grid?”

The company partners with the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, known for its role as one of the labs that helped develop the atomic bomb. Centrus is expanding in hopes of tapping into a fund of $3.4 billion from the Department of Energy set aside for domestic uranium enrichment. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the company currently has about 300 employees, including about 120 in Oak Ridge. The expansion could add 300 more in Oak Ridge.

In the same city, another company, Orano USA, plans to build a uranium enrichment facility.

The Biden administration set a target this month of at least tripling nuclear power in the United States by 2050 to help avoid the worst consequences of climate change. The United States will aim to add 200 gigawatts of new nuclear energy capacity, according to the administration’s new strategy. One gigawatt can power roughly 750,000 to 1 million homes for a year, though the exact amount varies by region and depends on energy use.

The United States currently has 94 operating reactors that produce power without emitting planet-warming greenhouse gases. Nuclear power has provided about one-fifth of the nation’s electricity since the 1990s.

Among the steps to expand nuclear power, the strategy recommends building large gigawatt-scale reactors, constructing small modular reactors and microreactors, extending the lifespan of some existing reactors and working to restart ones that retired for economic reasons. It also recommends improving licensing and developing the nuclear workforce.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he is also interested in developing the next generation of nuclear reactors that are smaller than traditional reactors.

For a company like Centrus, the business strategy includes producing uranium enriched to levels that are standard in the nuclear power plants operating today, plus at a higher level for the type of commercial small reactors that are being developed in the U.S., though none are under construction yet. Centrus’ subsidiary, American Centrifuge Operating, was one of four companies awarded a Department of Energy contract aimed at growing the higher-level uranium enrichment.

Some advocates have raised concerns about the more highly enriched uranium.

Edwin Lyman, the director of nuclear power at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said his group thinks the uranium is enriched enough in the process to make nuclear weapons, and worries about the security of keeping the material from getting into the wrong hands either at enrichment facilities, en route elsewhere or at some of the small reactors still in the works.

“The concern is that we believe that this material is more dangerous than is currently widely accepted,” Lyman said.

Asked about those kind of concerns, Vexler praised the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as “the best regulator in the business,” saying regulators ensure the material is safeguarded properly.