U-Battery Exhibits Full-Scale Modular Nuclear Reac

U-Battery Exhibits Full-Scale Modular Nuclear Reactor Model

Last month, Cavendish Nuclear and U-Battery unveiled a full-scale model of U-Battery’s advanced modular reactor. The event was held at the Whetstone facility, which is located in Leicestershire and owned by Cavendish Nuclear. This full-scale model shows how the reactor can be constructed using modular techniques. The project was financed under the Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Program by the United Kingdom’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Energy.

U-Battery general manager Steve Threlfall stated that building a full-scale model allowed the company to ascertain the requirements for the reactor’s concept design and confirm the operational safety case of the nuclear power plant. He also revealed that the company’s objective was to take advantage of the economies of scale utilized in advanced modularization and manufacturing settings and production line assembly techniques to design this new generation of advanced modular reactor technology. This, he stated, would make a useful contribution to the United Kingdom’s decarbonization efforts and in turn, help deliver net zero.

The project to build the advanced modular reactor model started in February of last year. The model includes the u-shaped connecting duct, the intermediate heat exchanger vessel and the reactor vessel.

Projections show that every U-Battery unit will cost roughly 50 million pounds ($68.6 million). The advanced small modular reactor uses TRISO fuel, which is highly accident tolerant. It is based on proven high-temperature gas cooled reactor technology. In addition to this, it has a footprint of 350m2 and delivers a scalable output of 4MW electrical (10MW thermal). The high temperature output of the reactor makes it well suited to offer a sustainable source of process heat for various industrial processes.

The reactor’s cogeneration capabilities also mean that it can offer a locally reliable source of power and heat, as in off-grid remote communities and mining sites. The company revealed that different prospective markets have been identified in Canada as well as in the United Kingdom.

James Ewence, business director of Cavendish Nuclear New Build & Advanced Nuclear Technologies, stated that building the reactor allowed the company’s experienced professionals and nuclear engineers to use various modularization techniques as well as their experience to build the advanced modular reactor model.

Other organizations that support U-Battery implementation include Urenco, the University of Manchester, Rolls-Royce, Nuclear AMRC, the National Nuclear Laboratory in the UK, Jacobs, Kinectrics, Costain and BWXT Technologies Inc. U-Battery plans to take part in the second phase of the Advanced Modular Reactor Competition.

As nuclear reactor technology takes leaps forward, there is likely to be an increased demand for the uranium extracted by companies such as Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) as the new technologies prove themselves in the field and get widely adopted.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU

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