The US makes a move to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium

The US makes moves for nuclear’s next-gen tech: The US Energy Department awarded six companies with contracts to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is essential for next-gen reactors, Reuters reports. Each company will be awarded a minimum of USD 2 mn, with up to USD 800 mn funding available in the future.

Who won the contracts? The energy companies included are Centrus, the American division of France's state-owned nuclear fuel company Orano, GE Vernova, BWXT, the French Framatome, and Westinghouse. The companies will be converting uranium from gas forms to metal or oxide forms.

What is HALEU? Unlike the 5%-enriched Uranium used in traditional nuclear reactors, HALEU is enriched to higher levels ranging between 5% and 20%. The new-generation fuel allows “smaller designs that get more power per unit of volume,” according to the Office of Nuclear Energy in the Energy Department. However, safety concerns remain about its enrichment levels.

Russia dominates HALEU: Russia is currently the sole commercial producer of HALEU, but the US banned Russian uranium imports last summer, making the need to locally produce the advanced nuclear fuel more urgent for the US.

BYD still eyes EV manufacturing in India despite harsh China investment rules: Chinese automaker BYD is keen to manufacture EVs in India but has yet to receive any clear indication from New Delhi about easing stringent investment rules for Chinese businesses, Reuters reports. The news comes after BYD, in partnership with India’s Megha Engineering and Infrastructures, submitted a USD 1 bn proposal to build the vehicles in India in July. The plan has faced delays due to increased scrutiny of Chinese investments following a 2020 border clash between the two nations, after which India required

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