The Benefits of GAIN

MEMO Published May 13, 2019 • 10 minute read The Benefits of GAIN Lindsay Steves Clean Energy Fellow, 2018-2019 @ThirdWayEnergy When it comes to innovation in nuclear energy, the US is a hotbed of activity. That said, new nuclear technologies aren’t moving fast enough toward commercialization—not when you consider the urgent need for more carbon-free energy to ght climate change, or the erce competition for lucrative nuclear markets from China and Russia. The Department of Energy (DOE) has expertise, facilities, and data that could help private companies and universities move their projects into the market faster, and make them more competitive. But taking advantage of these world-class resources isn’t as easy as you might think. That’s why, in 2015, DOE launched a new initiative called the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN). GAIN was designed to provide the nuclear energy community with greater access to technical, nancial, and regulatory resources that can speed up commercialization of new reactor designs and other technologies that can improve the performance of today’s nuclear plants. Having engaged with 112 organizations since 2016, GAIN is providing a signicant boost to America’s nuclear innovators. This paper oers a brief explanation of what GAIN is doing, how it’s helping, and what more could be done to build on the success of this high-performing initiative. What is GAIN, exactly? GAIN is a public-private partnership framework dedicated to the quick and cost-eective deployment of innovative nuclear energy technologies. Basically, GAIN integrates and facilitates eorts by private industry and government research institutions to test, develop, and demonstrate nuclear technologies in order to accelerate licensing and commercialization. It’s not a formal program, like Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) or the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP). Think of it more like a tool that the Oce of Nuclear Energy uses to organize resources across several programs in order to establish partnerships between private sector developers and the National Labs. Essentially, GAIN helps to ll in some of the gaps in the innovation cycle and connect developers to available resources. It also helps reduce uncertainty about the commercial potential of technologies by providing the resources to evaluate the technical qualities and economic potential of innovative nuclear technologies. 1 GAIN is managed by a small team at Idaho National Lab, Argonne National Lab, and Oak Ridge National Lab. GAIN’s director, a position currently held by Rita Baranwal, is supported by a deputy director, coordinator, technical interface, and senior advisor. GAIN’s lean leadership structure, in contrast to the vast network of private companies and stakeholders it engages with, highlights the eectiveness of this initiative. How GAIN helps The DOE complex is ush with technologies, tools, and sta expertise that could help get new nuclear technologies out into the market sooner. DOE facilities maintain experimental capabilities, computational capabilities, and state-of-the-art modeling and simulation tools. There are also resources related to program management, economic analysis, technology road mapping, seismic analysis, and regulatory planning. Additionally, there is data on land use and site information that could make it easier to build a demonstration facility. DOE also has hundreds of scientists and engineers who have operated in the complex for years, and have a deep understanding of the resources, data, technologies, and capabilities available. However, for a number of reasons, private sector technology developers have had trouble accessing these resources. GAIN is stepping in with a variety of solutions to x this problem. Offering Guidance With so many unique resources spread across the DOE complex, developers could easily become overwhelmed. It’s not like there’s one comprehensive catalogue that keeps track of the countless opportunities available across all national labs and other DOE facilities. For instance, there are specialized X-ray technologies and systems located at Brookhaven National Lab in New York. 2 Pacic Northwest National Lab (PNNL) manages the design information, operating experience, and safety data from the decommissioned Fast Flux Test Facility – a sodium-cooled fast reactor that operated adjacent to PNNL for ten years – to support industry and DOE Oce of Nuclear Energy in resolving core and plant performance questions for new reactor concepts. The lab also focuses heavily on advanced nuclear materials and fuels R&D. 3 Many of the foundational data and technical systems to support new and established nuclear reactor concepts, as well as capabilities like TRANSFORM, a unique system analysis code implemented with a simulation framework, can be found at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. 4 And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Overwhelmed yet? This is where GAIN really comes into play. One of the major achievements of the GAIN initiative is that it oers developers single point access to the DOE complex, which ensures that developers have clear guidance on how to move methodically through the complex and nd the expertise and resources that best t their specic needs. Providing Funding Unfortunately, even if private sector developers gure out which National Lab resources would be the most useful in propelling them toward commercialization, many can’t aord to use them. That’s because the facilities needed to conduct the necessary R&D activities are expensive to operate and maintain, and there are the technical experts, scientists, and engineers who have to be compensated for their time and dedication. Users of National Lab resources and facilities pay fees to cover some of these expenses. Many developers, especially smaller rms and startups, simply don’t have the budget for this. GAIN is such a success partly because the DOE Oce of Nuclear Energy is able to routinely announce funding opportunities that developers can use to help pay for access to the National Labs. Specically, the Oce of Nuclear Energy voucher system is a competitive funding award system meant to help cover the National Labs’ cost of engagement with developers, with particular consideration to small businesses. The vouchers essentially serve as coupons that these companies can present to specic National Labs to reduce the cost of access. The voucher system is meant to help balance the nancial cost of private sector RD&D between the National Labs and the developers. It also benets companies in less obvious ways, such as establishing a technical relationship between developers and laboratory sta. Between 2016 and 2018, 34 vouchers worth about $11 million were awarded to 26 dierent companies. Voucher recipients have used the vouchers to test advanced materials, analyze innovative fuels, assess fuel cycles, and prepare for NRC licensing requirements. Impactful Collaboration But those aren’t the only developers that benet from GAIN. The GAIN framework is also meant to ensure regular and impactful engagement and collaboration opportunities among GAIN participants and industry stakeholders. In July 2016, GAIN held three workshops to determine the needs of advanced nuclear reactor developers. With support from GAIN, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the developers formed three Technology Working Groups (TWGs) focused on Fast Reactors, Molten Salt Reactors, and High Temperature Gas Reactors. Each year, GAIN holds various workshops to determine the needs of the advanced reactor developers and update them on the capabilities of the National Labs. In addition, each TWG has a National Technical Director, who provides expert guidance to members, directs research priorities in that specic eld, and serves as a bridge between the National Labs and industry stakeholders. By getting a better handle on the challenges and needs of industry, GAIN is helping DOE better plan out its research objectives and award funding. The GAIN initiative has an open communication channel with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), so participants have easier access to regulatory assistance. There is a designated DOE GAIN ocial who is responsible for talking with developers about the regulatory process, and a NRC point of contact is available if the DOE GAIN point person is unable to answer specic questions or concerns. 5 What More Could Be Done? Funding for More Opportunities Although GAIN has been a highly successful initiative, there are still opportunities to improve. One issue that has come up is the need for more funding for awards, since the voucher system has consistently received signicantly more proposals than could be awarded funds. Greater funding for the Oce of Nuclear Energy will help ensure that innovative nuclear technologies continue to have access to the DOE complex through GAIN. There are other award opportunities that may help developers, such as the Technology Commercialization Fund, which is available to a wide array of DOE oces, ARPA-E funding, and the Small Business Innovation Research funds managed by the Small Business Administration. Going Beyond Technical Expertise Additionally, industry stakeholders have requested that GAIN focus on providing developers with access to social science skills and expertise (particularly related to business and economic models, best practices, and design studies), as well as tools to facilitate engagement with academia and local communities. Essentially, many stakeholders

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