CommercialFusion

Pacific Fusion Plots a Path to Net Gain

Last October, Pacific Fusion emerged from stealth with a splashy $900M Series A and a commitment to build an inertial fusion machine based on the technologies that made the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and the Z Machine successful.  Now, the company has come out with a roadmap to build a net gain facility by 2030—and […]

CommercialReactors

NANO To Build a Research Reactor At UIUC

NANO Nuclear Energy ($NNE) is making plans for its first reactor build. Last week, the publicly traded SMR company announced an agreement with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to build a research reactor on campus. The reactor, a version of the company’s flagship Kronos micro modular reactor, uses tech acquired from the now-bankrupt Ultra Safe […]

Commercial

Dow Goes the Nuclear Route with X-energy

If you still have the idea that nuclear power isn’t an attractive energy source to the major industrial players, think again.  Dow, one of the largest chemicals and plastics producers in the world, announced this week that it is working with X-energy to transition its industrial plant in Seadrift, Texas, to nuclear power in the […]

Commercial

Terrestrial Energy Plans Its SPAC Merger

Another nuclear company is on its way to the public markets. Last week, Terrestrial Energy announced its plans to merge with HCM II Acquisition Corp., a SPAC, and list on the NASDAQ under the ticker $IMSR. The company joins fellow nuclear SPAC Oklo ($OKLO) on the public markets, as well as NANO Nuclear Energy ($NNE), […]

Commercial

Last Energy Plans a Site in Texas

The Lone Star State is positioning itself as the most pro-nuclear state in the union, and industry is taking notice. The latest to take up the reins in Texas: microreactor developer Last Energy. On Friday, Last Energy announced that it secured a site in Haskell County in north Texas, near Abilene, to build 30 microreactors […]

CivilCommercial

Constellation Pulls $1B for Powering Government Ops

While we were away, the US government was busy arranging a massive carbon-free boost to its operations infrastructure. On Jan. 2, the General Services Administration (GSA), the independent government agency that manages government buildings and real estate, announced two monster contracts with nuclear operator Constellation ($CEG). The $840M contract is the largest energy services contract […]

CivilCommercialFusion

Fusion’s 2024 Wrapped

We’re still at least a handful of years from a working commercial fusion plant, but across the country and world, we’re getting closer every day. Fusion firms found success in fundraising, partnerships, and technological development this year in their quest to unlock the limitless power of the sun. Here’s our roundup of the highlights. Raising […]

CivilCommercialReactors

Your 2024 Fission Industry Wrapped

We started covering the fission industry with Ignition’s launch back in February. At that point, we had no idea (OK, maybe an inkling) that this year would hold so many pivotal moments in fission development for the US market.  Here’s our recap of the moments and trends that mattered most in the US fission sector. […]

Commercial

Meta Seeks Nuclear Power Partners

Over the last year, we’ve watched as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft clued into the value of nuclear. Now, Meta is getting in on the fun. The Facebook and Instagram parent company announced on Tuesday that it would issue a request for proposals (RFP) from nuclear firms as it prepares to add 1–4 GW of nuclear […]

Commercial

Amazon’s $334M for SMR Construction in Hanford

This year has been the year of data giants signing up for the nuclear energy renaissance, and there are no signs of slowing on that front. Last week, Amazon committed $334M to a feasibility study on deploying four SMRs at the Hanford site in Washington, Cascade PBS reported. The funding is part of a previously […]