coolant. “There’s ongoing negotiations... looking to use lead for their coolant,”Van Lochem adds. In South Korea, Stern Labs is working with a vendor on a new fuel design through “full-scale critical heat flux testing with a variety of different axial flux shapes,” demonstrating the lab’s expertise in complex nuclear technologies. THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT’S RIPPLE EFFECT ON NUCLEAR RESEARCH The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the United States has significantly influenced the nuclear research landscape, providing a muchneeded boost to universities and research institutions engaged in advancing nuclear technology. Van Lochem outlines the act’s immediate benefits for the universities and research facilities with which Stern Labs collaborates. “It certainly assists with a lot of the university and research facilities that we work with,” he states. The IRA enables these institutions to embark on new test programs, explore novel techniques, and experiment with advanced materials by providing additional funding.This support fosters an environment where innovation can thrive. Van Lochem lists some of the institutions involved, such as the University of Wisconsin, Oregon State, and Idaho National Labs, highlighting the breadth of the lab’s engagement in academic research. Hadaller echoes this sentiment, noting a clear shift in university purchasing power post-IRA.“We’ve had universities... say, I don’t have much of a budget, but can you give me a price for 1 or 2 fuel simulators,” he recalls. However, after the IRA,“they come back... and say, I now have a budget, I want to order eight of these.”This increased funding has boosted R&D and signaled reactor vendors’ renewed focus to nuclear energy. The IRA also supports the life extension of nuclear reactors. Hadaller highlights, “There’s funding... to do life extensions on plants,” potentially preventing U.S. reactor shutdowns and promoting new reactor deployment. 6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 10
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