Category: Innovation

Despite increasing recognition that nuclear energy could be the most effective solution for reliable low-carbon electricity in the United States, the nuclear power industry faces significant obstacles—chief among them, the management of radioactive spent fuel. However, new initiatives to recycle nuclear waste, long delayed by legal and regulatory challenges, could address this issue and more if given the chance to thrive.

For the past 50 years, nuclear energy development in the U.S. has been hampered by bureaucratic obstacles and public fears that have stalled the construction of new, safe, nuclear plants.

Recently, however, there has been a rare bipartisan shift in favor of nuclear power. Such as at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 29), signaling that environmentalists now regard nuclear power as a clean energy source.

Nevertheless, revitalizing the U.S. nuclear power industry remains a complex challenge. Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio, a company aiming to recycle nuclear fuel in the U.S., noted that Democrats and Republicans are both looking to nuclear, though for different reasons. This bipartisan support has led to commitments to triple nuclear capacity in the U.S. However, McGinnis pointed out that utilities are still hesitant to place orders for advanced reactors due to the complex challenges they face.

Even if utilities manage to navigate the regulatory approval process, they still need a reliable fuel supply and a safe method for disposing of spent fuel. Since 1992, the U.S. has relied heavily on imported uranium to meet the needs of its nuclear power industry.

In the United States, spent nuclear fuel—typically used in reactors for about five years—is removed once it has exhausted roughly 4% of its fissionable material. This waste, totaling over 85,000 metric tons, is initially cooled in water on-site before being placed in dry cask storage. Currently, there are more than 60 such storage sites across 34 states. The Department of Energy (DOE), tasked with overseeing the safe disposal of nuclear waste, has yet to establish a permanent repository. Because of the burden of keeping nuclear waste on their property, most companies are not likely to hop on until the waste problem is solved.

Waste recycling has been profitably employed in other countries for decades. For example, Orano, a leading global recycling company, has reprocessed over 40,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel since 1976. In February 2024, Orano and SHINE Technologies, a U.S. company specialized in sustainable energy solutions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to developing a pilot plant in the USA for recycling used nuclear fuel from light water reactors.

Spent nuclear fuel still contains 96% of its original energy value, which could be repurposed for new fuel. Additionally, the fission process generates valuable isotopes for medical, industrial, and national security applications. Recycling could supply the U.S. with enough energy to meet its needs for the next 150 years.

“Used nuclear fuel is only waste if you waste it,” said Orano’s communications director, Curtis Roberts. Through recycling, 96% of spent nuclear fuel can be repurposed, with the remaining 4% safely stored until its radioactivity decays. This process takes about 300 years, as apposed to current methods which advise a storage range between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of years.

The 4% also contains useful materials like krypton-85, strontium-90, and rare-earth elements that could potentially be extracted.

Companies often find themselves balancing the desire to cut emissions with the need to grow profits. For airlines, however, these goals can align perfectly. Reducing carbon emissions translates to burning less fuel, which also means spending less on fuel. This is why Lufthansa has adopted a strategy inspired by nature: applying a special film that mimics sharkskin to parts of its aircraft.

One of the biggest challenges is that jet fuel’s volumetric energy density—nearly 50 times higher than alternatives like hydrogen, ethanol, or lithium-ion batteries—makes it difficult to find a substitute that can power long-haul flights. While other forms of transportation can more easily switch to alternative fuels, aviation remains dependent on jet fuel, making decarbonization especially tough.

The aviation industry is exploring synthetic carbon fuels, but these come with their own set of issues. Biofuels can divert resources from food production, and direct air capture of carbon dioxide to convert into fuel is energy-intensive and expensive—potentially costing five times more than extracting oil from the ground. Moreover, direct air capture technology has yet to be scaled up to an industrial level.

Lufthansa is fitting four Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, operated by Austrian Airlines, with sharkskin-inspired technology, joining 17 other planes in their fleet (including a Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, 12 Swiss Boeing 777-200ERs, and four Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777Fs) that already feature the AeroSHARK film.

The film will cover nearly 9,000 square feet (830 m²) of the planes’ surfaces, including the fuselage and engine nacelles. The AeroSHARK film is designed with 50-micron-thick riblets that mimic the scales of real sharkskin, reducing friction by minimizing turbulence in the boundary layer.

In sharks, this natural design reduces drag by about 10 percent compared to smooth skin, a principle that has also benefited Olympic swimmers. While the effect on aircraft is less dramatic, it is still expected to reduce fuel consumption by around 1 percent per flight. While 1 percent might not sound like a huge amount alone. However, in the long run, 1% really starts to add up.

Lufthansa aims to complete these upgrades by March next year.

Researchers have created an affordable bandage that uses an electric field to accelerate the healing of chronic wounds. In animal tests, researchers found that mice treated with these electric bandages healed 30% faster than those treated with traditional bandages. The study was published in Science Advances.

“Our aim was to create an affordable technology that speeds up healing for patients with chronic wounds,” said Amay Bandodkar, study co-author and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, in a press release. “We also wanted the technology to be simple enough for people to use at home, rather than something that requires clinical administration.” Chronic wounds are tissue injuries that fail to heal properly within three months, often leading to impaired function and anatomy.

These disposable bandages are activated by water and feature electrodes that contact the wound, with a battery placed on the outside. The battery generates an electric field lasting several hours, which accelerates the healing process.

“The electrical stimulation from the device sped up wound closure, promoted the formation of new blood vessels, and reduced inflammation—all of which contribute to improved wound healing,” said Maggie Jakus, a co-first author and graduate student at Columbia University. The study notes that chronic wounds affect about 2% of the U.S. population, increasing the risks of amputation and mortality. Unfortunately, current treatments are often expensive, complex, and only moderately effective.

The research was conducted by a team of 17 scientists from Columbia University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina, Harvard Medical School, Georgia Institute of Technology, and other institutions.

According to the study, if the bandages can be successfully manufactured, they would only cost around $1.

An Indian entrepreneur is using sugar, cellulose, and corn fibers to create a plastic-like bag for small Indian businesses. His company, Bio Reform, has already replaced 6 million plastic bags at checkout counters across India.

Based in Hyderabad, Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin conceived the idea during the pandemic. He focused on society’s heavy reliance on plastic, particularly plastic shopping bags, and sought an alternative.

While large brands were switching to paper or jute alternatives, small and medium businesses in India found biodegradable bags too expensive. Mohiuddin researched a biodegradable polymer called PBAT (Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate), developed in the 1980s using corn and potatoes.

After navigating scams and government quarantines to find suitable machinery in Gujarat, his presentation on PBAT secured nearly $100,000 (RS1 crore) in seed funding, allowing him to launch the project. “I tried to balance both my studies and the operations of the company—from collecting raw material, assisting workers to manufacture bags, delivering the products in the market,” Mohiuddin told The Better India. “I used to sleep in a corner in the factory.”

Despite facing bankruptcy, university challenges, and a backlog of orders, Bio Reform eventually turned a profit and now produces nearly 500,000 bags annually, with a gross revenue of $180,000.

“Issues related to plastic pollution are not limited to affecting aquatic life and animals anymore. Today, microplastic has reached our bloodstream. Bottled water contains microplastics. Addressing this is an important and urgent problem,” he told TBI.