Thorium fuel: Like HALEU for fast reactors, thorium fuel is also more efficient, as the thorium can be fully consumed and then recycled, without needing continuous replenishment of fuel. Thorium today is only beginning to be incorporated into nuclear reactors in countries like India, where thorium supply is abundant.

The U.S. government is pushing hard to fund the development of fourth-generation SMRs and microreactors. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) has allocated billions of dollars to startups, including $1.2 billion to X-Energy and $2 billion to TerraPower. Similarly, the Pentagon recently selected BWXT to deve... See more