National Reactor Innovation Center Enabling the testing and demonstration of advanced reactor concepts

he National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) • Validate advanced nuclear reactor concepts. at Idaho National Laboratory provides resources for testing, demonstration, and • Resolve technical challenges of advanced T nuclear reactor concepts. performance assessment to accelerate deployment of new advanced nuclear technology concepts. • Provide general research and development to improve innovative technologies. What is NRIC? Authorized by the Nuclear Energy Innovation How will NRIC interface with the Gateway for Capabilities Act (NEICA), NRIC provides private Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN)? sector technology developers access to the Both GAIN and NRIC are necessary components strategic infrastructures and assets of the national laboratories. Companies can use in a modern business model and approach, given these resources for commercial nuclear energy today’s technological and regulatory environment. research, development, demonstration and The GAIN initiative was developed as a mechanism deployment activities. These capabilities will to provide the nuclear energy industry with access ultimately support a timely and cost-effective to the technical, regulatory and financial support path to the licensing and commercialization of necessary to move new or advanced nuclear new nuclear energy systems. technologies toward commercialization, as well as ensuring the continued reliable; clean and Why is NRIC needed? economic operation of the existing nuclear reactor NRIC is intended to: fleet. It offers a single point of access to the broad • Enable testing and demonstration of reactor range of capabilities in DOE’s national laboratory concepts by the private sector. complex and has developed and maintained

NRIC Provides Capabilities to Accelerate Technology Readiness from Proof of Concept through Proof of Operations. interfaces with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, resiliency of industrial controls systems by which will prove valuable in the advanced nuclear adopting an interdisciplinary approach energy systems licensing and commercialization. to understanding the technical aspects of operational technology in an evolving threat NRIC is a natural extension of GAIN as developers environment. move to the later stages of commercialization— • Collaborative Computing Center, a pioneering providing the on-the-ground capabilities to computing environment that will become home accelerate technology readiness from proof to INL’s newest supercomputer, Sawtooth, as well of concept through proof of operations. as space for collaboration with Idaho’s universities Demonstrating these advanced nuclear energy and researchers from around the world. technologies will ultimately reduce costs and improve the performance of these prototypes as • Materials and Fuels Complex, a prime testing they move to full commercialization. center for advanced technologies associated with nuclear power systems. This complex is Why INL? the nexus of research on new nuclear fuels and For more than 70 years, Idaho National Laboratory materials, and includes the following facilities: has played an important leadership role in the – Analytical Laboratory development and deployment of current and next generation nuclear reactors. On this 890 – Fuels and Applied Science Building square-mile site in the Idaho desert, the U.S. – Space & Security Power Systems Facility government—including the Navy—and the private sector built, tested and demonstrated – Hot Fuel Examination Facility first-of-a-kind reactors that were later deployed – Fuel Conditioning Facility around the world. Those activities at the National – Experiment Fuels Facility Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) helped establish U.S. nuclear technology leadership globally. • Irradiated Materials Characterization Data generated at the NRTS and codes validated Laboratory, located at the Materials and Fuels with these data have played an essential role Complex, focuses on microstructural, thermal, in informing NRC approaches to regulatory and mechanical characterization of irradiated policy and structure. Knowledge built at INL nuclear fuels and materials. established international standards of regulation, safety and security that enabled global trade. • Transient Reactor Test Facility, built to conduct The government’s role in facilitating testing and transient reactor tests where the test material is demonstration at the NRTS to provide licensing subjected to neutron pulses that can simulate and regulatory bases, and to mature technology accident conditions. and operations approaches, was key in developing • Moose Simulation Environment, the Multi- the current commercial nuclear energy market. physics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) has revolutionized predictive modeling Much of INL’s integrated capability was work in an array of scientific fields and can help established through decades of investment inform real-word experiments. in the NRTS on the Idaho site. • High Temperature Test Laboratory, which INL Nuclear Energy Capabilities creates specialized sensors that can monitor • Advanced Test Reactor, the world’s premier various properties within a test reactor core nuclear test reactor, providing unmatched during irradiation experiments. national priority nuclear fuels and materials • Human System Simulation Laboratory, is a testing. complete virtual nuclear control room created • Cybercore Integration Center, where multiple to test new technologies safely before they are initiatives seek to enhance the security and implemented in.

For more information, contact Kortny Rolston-Duce • (208) 526-1151 • [email protected]