평일 매일, 국내외 원자력 뉴스 3건 요약
ATM No 18 2025 APR 24
US uranium enrichment startup emerges from stealth
- General Matter was one of four companies selected in October 2024 by the US Department of Energy to provide enrichment services to help establish a US supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium(HALEU).
- General Matter says it will use a novel, scalable, cost-competitive technology to address a “commercial bottleneck” in the US nuclear fuel cycle and will be shipping enriched uranium by the end of the decade.
- It has not provided details of its process for enriching uranium, but on 2 December Nolan submitted a Letter of Intent to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in anticipation of a “forthcoming application for the necessary licences to support the production and handling of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium(HALEU)”.
China, Russia may build nuclear plant on moon to power lunar station, official says
- China is considering building a nuclear plant on the moon to power the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) it is planning with Russia, a presentation by a senior official showed on Wednesday.
- The inclusion of the nuclear power unit in a Chinese space official’s presentation at a conference for officials from the 17 countries and international organisations that make up the ILRS suggests Beijing supports the idea, although it has never formally announced it.
알트먼, 소형원자로 도입을 위해 오클로 회장 사임
- 샘 알트먼 오픈AI CEO가 자신이 투자한 원자력 스타트업 오클로의 이사회 의장직에서 물러난다. 오클로가 오픈AI와의 에너지 공급 계약 체결을 앞둔 가운데, 이해충돌 가능성을 피하려는조치다. 오클로 공동 창업자이자 CEO인 제이크 드위트가 새 이사회 의장직을 맡게 됐다고 보도했다.
- 이번 사임 결정은 오픈AI가 오클로의 SMR 도입을 위해 전력 공급 계약을 추진하는 것과 맞물려있다. 알트먼 CEO는 “청정에너지를 대규모로 보급하고, 특히 AI 배치를 가능케 하기 위한 전략적 파트너십을 오클로가 모색하고 있는 지금이야말로 내가 물러나야 할 적기”라고 밝혔다.