DOE's GAIN awards three FY2026 vouchers for nuclear technology development
Awardees must cover at least 20 percent of costs, in cash or in kind, and work with Oak Ridge, Argonne or PNNL.
Key facts
- BNNT Materials of Newport News, Va., to test boron nitride nanotube gaskets with ORNL
- Tam Fortis Solutions to validate microreactor models with Argonne before zero-power criticality test
- Ur-Energy USA of Casper, Wyo., to test apatite formulas with PNNL for ISR water restoration
- Ur-Energy began ISR operations at its Shirley Basin site in central Wyoming in April
GAIN, the Department of Energy's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, announced three fourth-round fiscal year 2026 vouchers to support nuclear technology development. Each awardee gets access to capabilities and expertise at a national laboratory — Oak Ridge, Argonne, and Pacific Northwest are named in this round — and must cover a minimum 20 percent cost share, which can be an in-kind contribution.
BNNT Materials, of Newport News, Va., will work with ORNL to demonstrate that its boron nitride nanotube–based gaskets can withstand molten fluoride and chloride salts while maintaining sealing performance, chemical stability, and durability under reactor-relevant conditions, according to its proposal. The company plans to test high-temperature exposure, leakage, permeability, thermal cycling, and material compatibility.
Tam Fortis Solutions, of Marina Del Ray, Calif., will collaborate with Argonne to validate computational models of its microreactor design before finalizing the design for a zero-power criticality test. Argonne will also help evaluate operating and transient conditions, assess heat-pipe and moderator behavior, and identify uncertainties, the proposal said.
Ur-Energy USA, of Casper, Wyo., will work with PNNL to test apatite-based formulas for sequestering heavy metals in water restoration following in situ recovery uranium mining. In April, the company said it had begun ISR operations at its Shirley Basin site in central Wyoming.
