NuScale Power Corporation has announced a collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to explore artificial intelligence-driven nuclear fuel management for multi-reactor sites. The partnership, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative, will leverage an AI-enabled nuclear design framework to optimize fuel usage across a 12-NuScale Power Module™ (NPM) configuration at a single site. The GAIN initiative, part of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, provides technical, regulatory, and financial support to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear technologies. This marks the first round of GAIN Vouchers awarded in fiscal year 2026. While fuel management strategies for individual reactors are well-established, this research aims to use AI to identify new ways to reduce fuel costs and improve efficiency across multiple reactors. NuScale’s small modular reactor design allows up to 12 modules to share a single fuel pool, offering unique opportunities to optimize fuel use across the entire plant. By applying machine learning and advanced computational modeling, the team hopes to achieve efficiencies beyond what is possible in traditional single-reactor plants. ORNL will contribute its expertise in AI, machine learning, nuclear fuel management, and high-performance computing to support the project. The collaboration builds on NuScale’s existing use of proven, off-the-shelf fuel assemblies and its scalable, modular architecture. John Hopkins, NuScale’s President and CEO, said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to advancing clean, reliable energy. “With growing global energy demand, we’re focused on delivering safe, scalable, and carbon-free power. This strategic collaboration with ORNL will use cutting-edge science to create smarter, more efficient fuel management solutions for our multi-module plants.” Founded in 2007, NuScale Power is a leader in advanced small modular reactor (SMR) technology. Its NuScale Power Module™ is a 77-megawatt electric (MWe) pressurized water reactor that can be combined in arrays of up to 12 modules for a total output of 924 MWe. As the first and only SMR design certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NuScale is positioned to serve diverse markets, including electricity generation, data centers, district heating, desalination, and large-scale hydrogen production. The company continues to advance its mission of supporting the global energy transition with safe, flexible, and sustainable nuclear energy solutions.