Opportunities for Industries

Industries across the economy are recognizing nuclear’s ability to reduce—or erase—their carbon footprints. Existing nuclear, small modular reactors, and other advanced nuclear technologies also offer significant opportunities for industry innovation and growth beyond electricity.

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  • Aerospace
    ...exploration for decades. Now, the industry is developing new nuclear energy technologies to power the next phase of space travel: early unmanned missions, earth satellites, permanent lunar bases and missions to Mars. Companies such as Zeno Power, X-energy and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation are creating next-generation radioisotope power systems to send spacecraft and probes even farther into space. NASA is exploring nuclear thermal propulsion to reduce flight time, enabling human missions to Mars and beyond. As part of the historic Artemis space program, NASA also awarded contracts for a small nuclear power system that could run a permanent base for surface power on the Moon for upwards of 10 years.
  • Agriculture
    ...footprint of this industry’s energy intensive processes. Nuclear can make hydrogen for zero-carbon ammonia production and can also directly provide the process heat required to produce synthetic fertilizers. Nuclear technology can be used to improve crop yield and develop plant varieties that need less water and are more resistant to the impacts of climate change. Nuclear’s desalination capabilities can enable irrigation in arid regions and combat water disputes between agricultural, commercial, and residential interests. Nuclear can also help fight against pests, avoiding the need to use harmful pesticides. Irradiating food also kills E. coli, listeria and salmonella, so fresh foods can last longer. 
  • Data Centers and Information Technology
    ...like Microsoft are turning to nuclear energy for a dependable, carbon-free source of power to power their data centers continuously. In the future, data centers may have dedicated, standalone, small modular reactors (SMRs) or microreactors to power their operations “behind the meter.” SMRs can provide backup power for data centers on the grid and also operate independently of a grid. Some designs for new nuclear facilities also allow for data centers to be co-located on the same site, creating even more efficiencies.
  • Finance, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrency
    ...linked to cryptocurrency mining and transactions, businesses are looking towards eco-friendly energy alternatives. Nuclear energy can deliver consistent carbon-free power for continuous mining and transaction processing. Oklo entered a 20-year agreement with Compass Mining to offer 100 percent carbon-free electricity for crypto mining. Energy Harbor signed an agreement with Standard Power to deliver nuclear-generated, carbon-free, electricity to its bitcoin blockchain mining center in Ohio. Additionally, Talen Energy intends to establish a nuclear-powered cryptocurrency mining and data facility adjacent to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant. 
  • Manufacturing
    ...industrial processes such as chemical production and metal refining, enabling these industries to reduce their carbon footprint. Dow Chemical partnered with X-energy to develop SMR technology, while Nucor has invested in NuScale Power Corporation to support the development of small modular reactor nuclear plants which can meet their needs for reliable carbon-free electricity to power steel production. Nucor was also the first major industrial company to join the United Nations 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Global Compact, which is aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of the world's electricity systems to mitigate climate change and ensure access to clean and affordable energy.
  • Medicine and Health
    ...by producing a life-saving resource, Cobalt-60. This isotope sterilized billions of pieces of medical equipment in hospitals during the height of the COVID -19 pandemic. 

    Radioisotopes, which are naturally formed during the process of producing reliable, carbon-free electricity, have significant lifesaving applications such as diagnosis and treatments for cancers. Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) are among the companies that collect these medical isotopes and process them for worldwide distribution. Demand for radioisotopes is continuously increasing. 

    Nuclear radiation is also used to treat food, kill bacteria, and eradicate insects and parasites that cause illness.

    Lastly, microreactors offer the potential to provide hospitals with clean energy 24/7/365, either independently or as part of a microgrid, without relying on a larger power grid. These compact reactors can be transported by land, air, or sea to remote areas, allowing hospitals in communities with inadequate access to health care or that have been affected by disasters to be powered with reliable energy. 
     
  • Textiles
    ...pollutants, such as dyes, starches, acids, salts and detergents, from its water by using nuclear electron beam technology. Electron beams can break apart the chemical bonds of clothing dyes and remove pollutants, allowing textile manufacturers to recycle wastewater for reuse. One textile factory in Southern China uses the technique to save up to 4.5 million cubic meters of fresh water annually, which is equivalent to the water consumed by about 100,000 people.

    The fashion industry, which accounts for nearly 10 percent of global emissions, is also turning to nuclear energy to decarbonize.
  • Transportation
    ...the capability for carbon-free production of large quantities of hydrogen, which can be used as fuel to power various forms of transportation, including aviation, shipping, heavy transport, fuel-cell trains, and vehicles. Advanced nuclear reactors can produce hydrogen. Nuclear energy is also a highly feasible option for providing steady and reliable carbon-free electricity to EV charging stations 24/7/365.
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Discover how nuclear provides solutions in an increasingly competitive energy landscape, addressing pressing issues related to land and energy that data centers must overcome for sustainable progress.

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