DOE Awards $36 Million to Reduce Waste from Advanced Nuclear Reactors

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) recently announced $36 million for 11 projects seeking to increase the deployment and use of nuclear power as a reliable source of clean energy and limit the amount of waste produced from Advanced Nuclear Reactors (AR). According to the DOE, nuclear power is one of the most reliable sources of energy in America, and the largest domestic source of clean energy—providing approximately 50% of the nation’s carbon-free electricity and about a fifth of U.S. electricity overall. Nuclear power production, however, produces waste that must be disposed of and safely stored. Mitigating these waste and storage concerns will support the goals outlined in Congress’s recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the equitable expansion of the nation’s clean energy sources, including nuclear energy.

Projects funded through ARPA-E's “Optimizing Nuclear Waste and Advanced Reactor Disposal Systems” (ONWARDS) program will develop technologies that can resolve the waste and storage challenges associated with AR fuel cycles. ONWARDS was unveiled last year as ARPA-E’s first program created to identify and facilitate technologies for AR used nuclear fuel (UNF) recycling, waste forms, UNF disposal pathways, and associated advanced safeguards technologies.

For additional information on ONWARDS program awards, visit: https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-awards-36-million-reduce-waste-advanced-nuclear-reactors