Li 6 AND Li 7 | ADVANCED REACTORS


Above: The AVLIS laser enrichment process holds promise for lithium 6 and 7 supply Source: LLNL


market signals for the technology. Meanwhile, MSRs have also continued to gain traction, with China, the US and Canada all developing molten salt designs. “China is actively advancing its expertise in MSR


technology, with a particular focus on reactors that utilise thorium as a fuel source,” says GlobalData energy analyst Rehaan Aleem Shiledar. The nation has already achieved successful operation with its 2 MWth experimental reactor in the Gobi Desert and has set forth plans to construct an expanded 10 MW demonstration reactor by 2030. In the US, various organisations are working toward development of MSRs, including the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) test loop for the world’s first fast-spectrum, salt-fuelled reactor experiment and Terrestrial Energy’s small modular nuclear plant that utilises proprietary Generation IV Integral Molten Salt Reactor technology. Meanwhile, the Canadian Government has invested


approximately C$50.5m ($40.5m) in Moltex Energy, “a strategic investment that positions the country to potentially operate the world’s inaugural MSR by the early 2030s”, says Shiledar. GlobalData projects that MSRs could represent 14% of Canada’s nuclear reactor fleet by 2035. However, as these technologies move from theoretical to tangible, their appetite for enriched lithium is growing. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), global demand for Li-7 currently stands at around one tonne per year (tpy) for PWRs, but this is estimated to increase to 250 tpy once MSRs commercialise, with tens of tonnes required for each reactor.


Lithium-6 demand is also expected to spike alongside developments in fusion, with Richard J. Pearson, co-founder and chief innovator at Kyoto Fusioneering, projecting fusion pilot plants will require Li-6 enrichment quantities in the order of tens of tonnes, then hundreds of tonnes for commercial fusion. Yet, supply security and innovation in lithium enrichment has lagged behind this projected demand. Historically, lithium isotope separation was the domain


of weapons programmes, with countries including the US, Russia and China enriching Li-6 for thermonuclear weapons. Most nations have since dropped enrichment efforts, mainly


due to concerns over mercury contamination from the COLEX process. Today, only Russia and China actively produce both Li-6 and Li-7 (although China is allegedly just buying from Russia), according to the WNA. This supply, however, is not known to be available for nuclear development elsewhere. The only commercially available source of tritium for fusion programmes across the world is produced as a by-product of CANada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor operations, quantities of which are relatively small and thus insufficient to fuel commercial fusion at scale. Meanwhile, fusion research in the US has reportedly relied on a limited supply from its Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Concerns around tritium supply are also exacerbated by its relatively short half-life of 12.33 years. The lopsided enriched lithium production landscape poses risks, especially for countries like the US that are aiming to ramp up advanced nuclear energy programmes but lack enrichment capabilities. This challenge is compounded by growing tensions between the US and the countries capable of supplying these critical isotopes. Adding to concerns is that the COLEX process – currently


the only method able to enrich lithium at industrial scale – comes with major environmental baggage, highlighting the need for progress in not only supply but also innovation. Promising alternatives like electrochemical migration,


laser isotope separation and crown ether-based methods have been in development. Most recently, UK fusion company Astral made a breakthrough, becoming the first to produce tritium through its own multi-state fusion reactor. However, such efforts remain largely experimental and underfunded.


The US wants back in The global momentum behind nuclear energy is clear, and the US is no exception. The ADVANCE Act, signed into law in 2024, laid the groundwork for regulatory reform and funding support for advanced nuclear technologies. More recently, President Trump issued an executive order calling for a “nuclear energy renaissance”.


www.neimagazine.com | October 2025 | 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53