U.S. Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity Increased Slightly in 2025: EIA Delineates Demonstrated Peak Capacity and Working Gas Design Capacity

       Back in late May, the EIA published its 2025 annual report of changes in underground natural gas storage capacity in the U.S. and in the different regions of the U.S. The EIA uses two different metrics to measure underground natural gas storage capacity: demonstrated peak capacity and working gas design capacity. The EIA reported:

“The first metric—demonstrated peak capacity—rose 0.1%, or 6 billion cubic feet (Bcf), in 2025, reflecting increased use of natural gas storage due to market conditions. The second metric—working gas design capacity—rose 0.6%, or 26 Bcf, in 2025. Underground natural gas storage capacity continues to play an important role in balancing energy needs in the United States, regardless of how it is measured.”

     Below is the EIA explaining its methodology for the two metrics:

     Below are graphs from the EIA’s report showing where capacity was added in 2025 and by how much, followed by graphs of design capacity, design capacity change, demonstrated capacity, and demonstrated capacity change.

     The graph below shows all natural gas storage facilities in the U.S. as of April 2026. It is from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a part of the Department of Transportation.

References:

 

Underground Natural Gas Working Storage Capacity. EIA. May 21, 2026. Underground Natural Gas Working Storage Capacity - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

U.S. Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity Additions: Up to 45 BCF/Day of New Capacity Planned Through 2027, Biggest Buildout since 2008

     The increase in natural gas demand from increasing LNG exports, data centers, and electrification is also increasing demand for pipelines, as buildout is expected to grow through 2027. 

     Below is an EIA graph of annual pipeline capacity additions from 2020-2024 with both interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines delineated. That is followed by a graph I made for total non-delineated natural gas, with 2025 and estimates for 2026 and 2027 added in. In 2025, the vast majority of pipeline capacity additions were in the South-Central states, including Texas. In 2026 and 2027, new pipeline builds in Texas are expected to dominate at over 66%.

     About 70% of that new capacity, or 31.6 BCF, is already under construction, according to a June 13 article in Energies Media. The majority of the Texas projects will move natural gas out of the Permian Basin. Much will flow to LNG terminals, some to industrial customers, including data centers, and some to natural gas power plants and their residential and commercial power customers, as well as natural gas heat. Louisiana will also get new pipelines (19%, 8.4 BCF/day), followed next by Virginia, which will get 1.6 BCF/day of new capacity through Williams’s Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. The Louisiana projects likely better connect Haynesville gas to LNG terminals along the Gulf Coast. Gas deliveries to Virginia will come from the Appalachian region.

     According to a January 2026 article in Natural Gas Intelligence, the 2026 buildout is expected to be 18-22 BCF/day, which would be the highest buildout since 2008, when 31 BCF/day of natural gas pipeline capacity was added.

References:

 

U.S. plans 44.9 Bcf/d of new natural gas pipeline capacity in 2026–2027, with Texas accounting for over two-thirds of additions. Carlos Albero Rojas. Energies Media. June 13, 2026. U.S. plans 44.9 Bcf/d of new natural gas pipeline capacity in 2026–2027, with Texas accounting for over two-thirds of additions

U.S. Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity Set for Biggest Buildout Since 2008. Chris Newman. Natural Gas Intelligence. January 20, 2026. U.S. Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity Set for Biggest Buildout Since 2008

Natural gas pipeline project completions increase takeaway capacity in producing regions. EIA. March 17, 2025. Natural gas pipeline project completions increase takeaway capacity in producing regions - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Most natural gas pipelines built in 2025 connect the South Central United States to supply. EIA. February 25, 2026. Most natural gas pipelines built in 2025 connect the South Central United States to supply - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Rubisco, the World’s Most Abundant Protein, Stored in Leaves: The Benefits and Efforts to Produce and Commercialize Leaf Protein Concentrates and Integrated Biorefineries That Can Produce Rubisco and Plant Sugar

 

    Rubisco stands for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. It is found in every green leaf. It is responsible for photosynthesis.

“From a food-ingredient point of view, it’s one of the best natural proteins out there,” says Slavko Komarnytsky, a biologist at the Plants for Human Health Institute at NC State University. Milne, of Leaft, calls it the “utopia” protein because it has so many good attributes. 

“Every single food company that checks out this protein says, ‘We are in love with it, we want to use it, and we want a lot of it,’" Komarnytsky says, "and this is where the problems come in.”

     Rubisco can be made into a neutral-tasting white powder. It can be gelled and emulsified. There appear to be no allergies to it as there are to soy and dairy. It is easily digestible.

“From a food-ingredient point of view, it’s one of the best natural proteins out there,” says Slavko Komarnytsky, a biologist at the Plants for Human Health Institute at NC State University.

     Rubisco is likely to soar in popularity over the next ten years, according to some in the food industry. Its biggest problem right now is simply a lack of availability. That is due to the difficulty in extracting it and the associated costs. Producers are trying to overcome these problems. The issue is that the protein in leaves makes up only about 3% of their content, compared to soybeans, where protein makes up 80% of the content. Thus, quite a lot of leaves are needed to process into small amounts of Rubisco. There are more issues as well. Leaves often turn brown after harvesting, so they must be processed into Rubisco quickly. Solid and liquid waste is another issue that requires management and costs.

     Alana Samuels in Time writes:

“Companies have tried to juice the leaves as soon as they’re harvested, but it can be difficult chemically to isolate the rubisco and get rid of the green color to make it into the white powder, says Pearce. “The technology is similar to what it was back in the 60s and 70s,” he says.

“Tony Martens, CEO of Plantible, which makes rubisco to sell to food companies, says he partially agrees with this assessment. Though the underlying process of pulling rubisco from leaves hasn’t changed much in half a century, he says, it has become more possible to make white rubisco protein at a commercial scale in part because of updated processing processing technologies.”

     The challenges to commercializing rubisco remain difficult, and whether it will be successful remains uncertain. It does have some emissions benefits, waste benefits, and animal welfare advantages over other forms of protein. To get animal protein, we must grow specific crops to feed the animals. That part is very emissions intensive. Animals also cause a lot of waste runoff.

     Harvesting and protein yield per acre is more efficient for rubisco than for animal protein.

“What we’re doing is skipping the middleman and going directly to the source,” says Milne. He says that by harvesting alfalfa, one of the most common sources of rubisco, and turning it into protein, Leaft is harvesting about five times more protein per hectare of land than they would if they were raising cows for dairy.”

“That efficiency could come in handy in the case of a global catastrophe or during projected global food shortages. Research published in May by ALLFED, the Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters, found that leaf protein concentrate, which includes rubisco, could meet global protein requirements, even in an extreme nuclear winter scenario, because green leaves are relatively easy to grow quickly all over the world.”

     The company Leaft, based in New Zealand and recently expanding to the U.S., makes ready-to-drink performance fuel shots made of rubisco. Each pouch of greenish sludge contains 18 grams of protein, nearly a third of human daily needs. Another company, Fudi Protein, based in Wisconsin, hopes to market its rubisco product as an alternative to egg whites, but is still fundraising. Plantible Foods, which has operations in Texas and California, makes rubisco out of duckweed, or lemna.  

     A paper published in May 2026 in Sustainable Production and Consumption explores the global potential for integrated biorefineries for producing leaf protein and sugar. 

     Potential refined products include leaf protein concentrate (LPC), lignocellulosic sugar, and/or single-cell protein (SCP). A schematic of an integrated biorefinery is shown below.

     According to the paper:

“…we focus on perennial legumes that are much easier to obtain at scale with a stable high yield per hectare, have better protein quality, and provide multiple harvests per year while requiring no nitrogen fertilizer thanks to their natural nitrogen fixation. The leafy biomass, such as red clover or alfalfa, investigated in this study, is harvested and promptly transported to a nearby biorefinery to ensure immediate biomass processing, thereby minimizing nutrient degradation and preventing undesirable biological or chemical interactions.”

     The paper is quite detailed and explores the ramp-up speed of the technology, financing and production economics, land use, energy use, its capacity for catastrophe response, and its ability to cut waste compared to other protein sources. The paper notes that about 30% of global grasslands could provide the growing realm for crops like alfalfa and clover, both legumes.

     According to Fudi’s website, the biomass from the alfalfa is all usable and is returned to farmers.

“After protein extraction, 100% of the remaining alfalfa biomass — fiber, chlorophyll, and micronutrients — is retained and utilized rather than discarded.”

     Leaft makes a rubisco protein isolate and a rubisco protein concentrate. Plantible grows its lemna on aqua farms and processes it quickly after harvest.

 

References:

 

What to know about Rubisco, the most abundant protein on Earth. Alana Semuels. Time. June 1, 2026. What to know about Rubisco, the most abundant protein on Earth

Global potential of integrated biorefineries for leaf protein and sugar: Producing sustainable food and preventing starvation in catastrophes. Juan B. García Martínez, Jeffray Behr, Thalles A. Andrade, Simon Blouin, João Costa, and David Denkenberger. Sustainable Production and Consumption. Volume 64, May 2026, Pages 247-265. Global potential of integrated biorefineries for leaf protein and sugar: Producing sustainable food and preventing starvation in catastrophes - ScienceDirect

Global amount of RuBisCO - most abundant protein on Earth. Bionumbers. Harvard University. Global amount of RuBisCO - most abundant prot - Biosphere - BNID 103827

Nature's most abundant protein. Now your all-in-1 protein solution. Fudi Protein. FUDI Protein Pure RuBisCO Protein from Regenerative Alfalfa

Plantible Foods. Website. Plantible Foods - Better farms, better foods

Leaft Foods. Website. Leaft Foods

RuBisCO, Wikipedia. RuBisCO - Wikipedia

NANO Nuclear and Howden Announce Progress on Designing Helium Circulator for Cooling NANO’s High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor

     According to Interesting Engineering, a new nuclear microreactor designed by NANO Nuclear is advancing, as progress has been reported on designing a helium-based cooling system. The component known as a helium circulator is being developed for the KRONOS MMR Energy System, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor under development by NANO Nuclear Energy. They are working toward a prototype of the cooling system. Howden, a Baker Hughes business with experience in helium turbomachinery and high-temperature gas-cooled reactor systems, is collaborating with NANO Nuclear on the project. Howden has done engineering evaluations, design models, supporting analyses, and formal design reviews with NANO.

     The companies plan to continue working on “materials and performance testing, component qualification, design optimization and manufacturing planning.”

     They are working towards integrating the circulator into the microreactor with the goal of meeting requirements for thermal performance, manufacturability, and long-term operation.

“Progressing the primary helium circulator into detailed design represents another important milestone in the continued development of the KRONOS MMR Energy System. Advancement of the circulator design strengthens the technical foundation of the overall reactor program and demonstrates the disciplined engineering execution essential for successful commercialization. We continue to make steady progress across both engineering and regulatory activities as we advance the KRONOS program toward prototype construction, regulatory licensing and future deployment,” said James Walker, chief executive officer of NANO Nuclear Energy.

     While permitting and eventually building this reactor design is still likely a long way off, the advancement of the subsystems into the design, building, and testing phase is ongoing. In addition to advancements in the helium cooling system design, the company noted that it continues to work with Fortil on the fuel and fuel storage systems. Once prototypes for these subsystems are fully designed, built, and tested, and the reactor is permitted by the NRC, they can proceed to the manufacturing phase.

“NANO Nuclear’s strategy is built upon developing advanced reactor technology through disciplined engineering execution and strategic collaborations with world-class supply chain partners. Our continued work with Howden reflects that commitment, bringing together complementary expertise to advance a critical reactor subsystem. Each engineering milestone strengthens the industrial ecosystem supporting KRONOS while further positioning the program for future first-of-a-kind deployment and long-term commercial success,” said Jay Yu, founder and chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy.

     The company is collaborating with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for component demonstrations.

     The KRONOS MMR design is modular, with each unit capable of producing 10-45 MWth of thermal power, and units can be banked together to get up to GW scale. The high-temperature reactor design produces heat that can be used for industrial heating/process heat and district heating. It also utilizes molten salt for energy storage.

     More information about KRONOS MMR from NANO’s website is given below.

 

References:

 

Nuclear microreactor advances key helium cooling system into detailed design. Neetika Walter. Interesting Engineering. September 3, 2026. Nuclear microreactor advances key helium cooling system into detailed design

KRONOS MMR. NANO Nuclear Energy. KRONOS MMR | NANO Nuclear Energy

Funding the UN: U.S., China, and EU Countries Fund About Two-Thirds, but U.S. is Withholding and China Owes Too: Russia and China Lead Disruptions of Human Rights Funding

  As the title of this post points out, the U.S., China, and the EU countries make up about two-thirds of UN funding in a normal year. The Trump administration has held back payments, seeking to apply leverage for UN reforms. I agree that many of those reforms are needed. The administration has pulled the U.S. out of several UN agencies. The UN’s extraordinary and irrational bias against Israel, which I wrote about here, remains a problem and is one of the main reasons for the U.S. withholding funds.

     Lottie Tellyn of GZero explains the recent Trump administration moves for UN funding

“On August 4, the Trump administration notified Congress of its intent to pay the United Nations $725 million – less than a fifth of the roughly $4 billion the UN says the United States owes in unpaid membership dues. It will also pay $125 million towards UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo, although it was asked to contribute $1.5 billion to peacekeeping in 2025.”

    Secretary General António Guterres called the UN’s financial predicament an “imminent financial collapse” due to unpaid fees. It has cut its budget by 9% this year and continues to downsize its workforce. Tellyn writes:

“…the shortfall has left the UN struggling to fund human rights projects in 87 countries including Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – last year, they observed over 1,300 trials, supported 67,000 torture victims, and helped release 4,000 people from arbitrary detention.”

     The U.S. accounts for 22% of the UN budget, and China accounts for 20%. The U.S. owes around $3-4 billion in unpaid dues, and China currently owes $455 million. Raphaël Viana David, a program manager at the International Service for Human Rights who researches UN funding, says that the U.S. and China are withholding funding to protest the UN not working in their favor. His research also found that China and Russia are blocking or cutting funding to UN investigations into human rights abuses, which they see as infringing on state sovereignty. The UN decides what each country must pay based on their economies. Factors including GDP per capita and debt burden are also considered. The U.S. has also stated that it wants to cut China’s influence in the UN. UN Committee for Contributions member Brett Schaefer noted:

“Budgets and contributions are often voted on by countries with little “financial skin in the game,” Schaefer said, explaining that “the obligations or the implications financially for those decisions are not necessarily distributed.”

     Tellyn explains the UN’s Article 19 provision that can strip the votes of those who don’t pay for two years:

“What can the UN do? The UN’s only real lever is Article 19 of its charter, which strips a member state of its vote if it owes more than two years’ unpaid fees to the regular UN budget, which excludes voluntary contributions to other UN agencies, such as UNICEF or the WHO.”

     The EU countries collectively fund 22.3% of the budget so as a bloc they are the biggest funders.

“What is the future of an organization where 42% of the budget is in the hands of only two countries, and those two countries are clearly seeking to wield influence?” Viana David asked. “Are we still, at [the] UN, one country, one vote, or is influence commensurate to your ability to pay?”

     As a result of the U.S. withholding general funding, and especially Russia and China specifically withholding funding from human rights investigations, the human rights arm of the UN remains underfunded. According to the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR):

“…the UN’s human rights pillar – the least funded of its three core pillars – faces severe cuts, with real-term reductions of up to 27% in 2025, and a tangible impact on human rights investigations and protection for individuals and communities on the ground.”

     ISHR notes in their report that China and Russia often work together at the UN to defund human rights:

“China and Russia’s proposals to cut resources for OHCHR or for HRC resolutions during 5C negotiations on the PPB or the HRC revised estimates demonstrate a targeted and nefarious effort to thwart human rights investigations and mechanisms that can play a powerful role in seeking to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.”

     The table below from the report summarizes attempted blockage of human rights funding. Note that one attempt involves joint actions from the following countries: Belarus, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. With the possible addition of Myanmar, that is a list of the worst human rights abusers in the world, although Syria is no longer in the same category since Assad left. The graphics below that show more opposition to human rights issues led by Russia and China. While the U.S. and Israel have had specific rejections to human rights issues raised at the UN, it is Russia and China who have done the most work to oppose those human rights implementations.

    

 

References:

 

The UN’s “major donor syndrome”. Lottie Tellyn. GZero. August 27, 2026. The UN’s “major donor syndrome” - GZERO Media

Report: How States try to defund human rights at the UN. International Service for Human Rights. Report: How States try to defund human rights at the UN | ISHR

BUDGET BATTLES AT THE UN: HOW STATES TRY TO DEFUND HUMAN RIGHTS. International Service for Human Rights. October 2025. 20251020-O-ISHR-BudgetBattlesAtTheUN-Report-A4-EN-web.pdf

A Chemical Adsorption Heat Pump Integrated with a Novel Electrochemical Compressor Enables Waste Heat Recovery of Lower-Temperature Heat for Cooling

     Researchers from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) seem to have broken a barrier for the temperature at which heat can be used for cooling in heat pump systems. This is important because it ultimately means that more cooling can be generated with the same amount of heat compared to before. Excess low-temperature waste heat from data centers, for instance, is often discarded since it cannot be used for cooling, that is, until now. Low-temperature waste heat below around 40°C (104°F) is not hot enough to use for cooling (that seems a bit counterintuitive, but it is due to heat exchange).

     According to Tech Times:

“The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) unveiled a chemical adsorption heat pump integrated with a novel electrochemical compressor — a combination the institute says has no commercial equivalent. A 10 kW prototype, manufactured by Samjung Tech Co., is undergoing demonstration testing as of this announcement.”

     They explain the 40°C (104°F) thermodynamic barrier for conventional adsorption cooling systems below:

“The challenge is thermodynamic. Adsorption cooling systems — a well-established technology for using waste heat to drive refrigeration instead of electricity — have a practical floor. Conventional adsorption cooling systems require a heat source above 70°C (158°F) to function. Below that temperature, the solid adsorbent material in the system cannot be regenerated effectively: it cannot release the refrigerant it has captured, so the cooling cycle stalls.”

     The system is a combination of two technologies working together. KIMM developed the adsorption heat pump part, the module that extracts energy from low-temperature exhaust and converts it into cooling. Chung-Ang University developed the electrochemical compressor that drives the system's pressure cycle.

     During operation, a solid chemical adsorbent is cycled through two phases: adsorption and desorption. This part is similar to any other adsorption cooling system, except that heat at a lower temperature can be utilized.

“…during adsorption, the material captures refrigerant vapor from the evaporator, creating a low-pressure zone that pulls the refrigerant to evaporate and generate cold; during desorption, the same material is heated by the waste heat source to release the captured refrigerant at elevated pressure, which then condenses and returns to the evaporator. In conventional systems, that desorption phase demands high-temperature driving heat — the adsorbent simply will not release its captured refrigerant at 40°C (104°F) with standard sorbent-refrigerant pairs. KIMM redesigned the adsorption bed to achieve stable desorption at that lower temperature, though the specific sorbent material used in the prototype has not been publicly disclosed.”

“The result: the new system successfully demonstrated cooling operation using waste heat at 40°C (104°F), approximately 30°C (54°F) below the threshold at which conventional adsorption cooling systems can function.”

     Conventional adsorption cooling systems require a heat source above 70°C (158°F)

     The other part of the system is the compressor, and this deviates even further from conventional technology. The novel design utilizes an electrical potential across an ion-exchange membrane to move refrigerant molecules without any mechanical action. It is based on an electrochemical approach pioneered in the 1980s by GE. In conventional refrigeration systems, the compressor's actions are mechanical, involving a piston, scroll, or rotary element that compresses refrigerant gas, generating noise, vibration, heat, and wear that requires lubricating oil and scheduled maintenance.

     In the system designed by KIMM, an ammonia-hydrogen working fluid is chemically reacted to produce ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) by DC current at the anode. The ions are then conducted through a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane. This is the same basic membrane architecture used in hydrogen fuel cells. The ions move from the low-pressure side to the high-pressure side. At the cathode, the ions are reduced back to ammonia gas at elevated pressure. The effect is basic mechanical compression where refrigerant gas moves from low to high pressure, except that it is accomplished entirely electrochemically, with no moving parts, lubrication, or frequent maintenance required.

     Electrochemical heat pumps have some clear advantages over conventional heat pumps, if the technical challenges can be overcome. According to a paper by DOE scientists:

“Electrochemical heat pumps (EHPs) offer a promising alternative to vapor compression systems by enabling direct electrochemical-to-thermal energy conversion, often with environmentally benign working fluids that exhibit low or zero global warming potential (GWP).”

     There are different kinds of electrochemical heat pump prototypes, including direct and indirect ones with different working fluid system types and closed-loop and open-loop versions. New innovations with different materials and components are being explored. Tech Times noted that the paper concludes that electrochemical heat pumps:

“…can achieve 10% to 30% higher energy efficiency than conventional vapor compression systems, with cooling coefficients of performance ranging from 3.5 to 14.3 under standard conditions. The same review identified the field's main barriers: membrane degradation over time, electrode fouling, and capital costs that remain higher than mechanical alternatives. It also noted a documented lack of prolonged closed-loop system testing — a gap that applies to the KIMM prototype as well.”

     One challenge for scale-up of the KIMM model is that the membrane area of the compressor requires larger membranes, which they are working on for a scaled-up version.

     KIMM emphasizes its world-leading adsorption-bed performance. According to KIMM’s announcement:

“The research team also redesigned the adsorption bed, the core component of the heat pump, achieving a specific cooling power (SCP) of 346.5 W/kg. This is more than twice the performance of comparable international technologies…”

     The electrochemical compressor is also noiseless and does not produce vibrations, unlike mechanical compressors, which makes it potentially usable in places like hospitals, schools, and residential areas.

     The 10kW prototype still needs third-party validation, especially to confirm KIMM’s SCP estimate.

     Tech Times:

“Commercial silica gel-water adsorption chillers typically achieve SCP figures in the range of 100 to 170 W/kg; advanced composite adsorbent systems in academic research have reported up to approximately 200 W/kg. KIMM's claimed 346.5 W/kg, if confirmed by independent testing, would represent roughly two to three times the performance of current commercial systems. That independent confirmation has not yet occurred — the figure is taken from KIMM's own press release, and third-party laboratory validation will be needed before the claim can be treated as an established benchmark. The team has produced 74 SCI papers and holds 29 registered patents through the project, indicating substantial prior research output from which the prototype emerges.”

     Greater energy efficiency means that more of the system can be powered by low-temperature waste heat and less by grid electricity, reducing energy costs going forward.

     Germany's Energy Efficiency Act requires new data centers to recover 10% of waste heat in 2026, to rise to 15% in 2027 and 20% in 2028.

     KIMM is currently still testing the prototype, and plans are in the works for a field demonstration as the next step toward commercialization.

     Tech Times emphasized three main challenges to commercialization: 1) scale-up validation – they point out that the heat exchanger design must be “re-engineered for higher mass flow rates; and the adsorption bed's thermal cycling behavior under continuous commercial operation has not been demonstrated.” 2) independent performance verification – this refers mainly to validating the SCP claim. 3) ammonia safety engineering – while ammonia has no global warming potential, it does have safety risks. It is toxic at high concentrations and flammable in air, and it could be dangerous in enclosed data center environments. Leak detection systems, ventilation design, and safety protocols will be required, which may add a bit to system costs.  

  

References:

 

Korean researchers crack waste heat cooling barrier with noiseless compressor. Roger Satterfield. Tech Times. August 5, 2026.  Korean researchers crack waste heat cooling barrier with noiseless compressor

Waste Heat Becomes Cooling Energy… KIMM Develops Next-Generation Heat Pump System: Demonstrates a heating and cooling system powered by low-temperature waste heat as low as 40°C. National Research Council of Science and Technology. Newswise. August 5, 2026. Waste Heat Becomes Cooling Energy… KIMM Develops Next-Generation Heat Pump System | Newswise  

A Critical Review of Electrochemical Heat Pump Technologies: Status, Challenges, and Perspectives. Mingjie Zhua, Elias N. Pergantisa,b, Junyoung Kimc, Chaoran Daia, Nelson Jamesd, Jinwoo Ohe, Aravind Babyf, Joaquín Rodríguez-Lópezf, Eckhard A. Grolla, James E. Brauna, and Davide Ziviania. U.S. Department of Energy. November 2025. A Critical Review of Electrochemical Heat Pump Technologies: Status, Challenges, and Perspectives

 

NuScale Fabricates Boron Pellets, a Component of Its Emergency Core Cooling System for its Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

     Nuclear energy firm NuScale just succeeded in fabricating boron pellets for its emergency core cooling system (ECCS) to be used with its small modular reactors (SMRs). This is an important milestone along the company’s road to commercialization of its SMR technology. NuScale worked with advanced nuclear materials manufacturer MillenniTEK to develop the ECCS. The component provides an added layer of safety in case of reactor overheating. The ECCS system is designed to respond automatically. If activated:

“…the boron-oxide material dissolves into the reactor coolant, helping control the reactor’s core reactivity and keep it within safe limits.”

     According to Interesting Engineering:

“NuScale says the manufacturing milestone also helps establish the supply chain and production capabilities needed to build components for its planned reactor deployments. The company is developing its technology for applications ranging from electricity generation to data centers and industrial heat.”

     Boron is able to absorb neutrons and can reduce the number of neutrons available to sustain the reaction, resulting in cooling the overheating reactor.

“This first-of-a-kind fabrication milestone demonstrates MillenniTEK’s ability to support the advanced manufacturing needs of next-generation nuclear technologies,” said Steve Getley, MillenniTEK President.

“For NuScale, the work is also about demonstrating that specialized reactor components can be manufactured at the quality and consistency required for commercial nuclear projects.”

“NuScale’s technology is built on a commitment to safety, simplicity, and deployability, and this milestone reflects the continued progress we are making to prepare our technology and supply chain for commercial deployment in the near-term,” said John Hopkins, NuScale President and Chief Executive Officer.

     NuScale’s pressurized water reactor design is the only SMR design that has received design certification from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Along with electricity generation for the power grid, the reactors could power data centers, district heating, desalination, and hydrogen production.

     The successful fabrication overcomes one of the new technology’s challenges: manufacturing needed components.

“The company {MillenniTEK} manufactures technical ceramic components by converting powdered materials into solid parts and also develops prototype components for SMR, microreactor, and space reactor applications.”

“The first boron-oxide pellets therefore represent more than a single component entering production. They are part of NuScale’s effort to establish repeatable manufacturing processes and a supply chain capable of supporting its reactors as it moves toward commercial customers.”

References:

 

First-of-a-kind boron-based component adds a safety layer to 77 MW small reactor. Neetika Walter. Interesting Engineering. September 1, 2026. First-of-a-kind boron-based component adds a safety layer to 77 MW small reactor

 

U.S. Uranium Production Triples but is Still Less Than Half of 2014 Levels: Demand Expected to Rise

     The EIA reported last week that U.S. uranium production has rebounded, tripling in 2025 to about 2.1 million pounds vs. about 0.7 million pounds in 2024. This is still far below the 2014 peak of nearly 5 million pounds.

     Uranium is produced as triuranium octoxide (U3O8) concentrate, also known as “yellowcake” due to its color. 

     It is the main component of nuclear fuel. Uranium ore is mined, then goes through a milling process to produce yellowcake. The yellowcake is then converted into uranium hexafluoride, UF6. After this it is made into pellets that are assembled into fuel rods for reactors.

     As the graphs below, made from EIA data, show, drilling footage and number of holes drill for both exploratory and development drilling is up. Exploratory drilling seeks new sources of uranium, while development drilling seeks better assessment of known sources.

     As the graph below shows, the U.S. purchases most of its uranium needed for nuclear reactors from Canada, Kazakhstan, and Australia, with domestic production coming in a distant fourth.

     Oil Price US summarized the EIA data and data on global stocks and forecasts and noted that:

“Uranium of U.S. origin accounted for 7% of deliveries, while Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia supplied a combined 75%.”

“Six facilities produced uranium during the second quarter of 2026: four in Wyoming, one in Texas and one in Utah. Five additional in-situ recovery plants were on standby at the end of last year, while seven proposed plants had combined planned capacity of 10.5 million pounds.”

“Overall, U.S. utilities expect to require as much as 360 million pounds of uranium through 2035. Existing contracts provided for maximum deliveries of 174 million pounds, leaving 186 million pounds of anticipated requirements without contracts. Utilities already owned 118 million pounds in commercial inventories at the end of 2025, which is enough volume for three years of reactor loading at the 2025 rate. The inventories allow utilities to defer part of their contracting.”

“Global reactor requirements also exceeded primary mine production last year, with inventories and other secondary supplies covering the difference. Mines produced about 60,000 tonnes, compared with reactor requirements of approximately 70,000 tonnes. The World Nuclear Association estimates that annual requirements would approach 200,000 tonnes by 2040 under its upper nuclear-growth scenario. But that’s only if reactors are completed on schedule.”

     The article also explains why uranium stock prices are what they are. Its more expensive on the spot market but the vast majority is purchased at lower rates through long-term contracts.

“Most uranium does not sell at the current spot price. Long-term contracts accounted for 87% of the uranium delivered to U.S. operators in 2025, at an average price of $55.91 per pound, while spot purchases averaged $76.01.”

“Producers receive prices set by agreements that may have been signed years earlier and can include fixed prices, market adjustments, floors and ceilings. Because of that, higher spot prices only reach earnings gradually.”

     To summarize the issue: Despite tripling its production this year, the U.S. still only produces 7% of its uranium domestically. Fortunately, it gets much of the rest from friendly countries. Reactor demand is set to rise considerably in the coming decade, so uranium production will likely rise as well.

 

 

 

References:

 

U.S. uranium production more than tripled in 2025 and was the highest since 2017. EIA. August 28, 2026. U.S. uranium production more than tripled in 2025 and was the highest since 2017 - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Why uranium stocks are falling as US production triples. Charles Kennedy. September 2, 2026. Why uranium stocks are falling as US production triples

Domestic Uranium Production Report – Annual. EIA. Domestic Uranium Production Report - Annual - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Yellowcake. Energy Education. Yellowcake - Energy Education