Three nuclear-technology companies signed a memorandum of understanding on 6 August 2026 to jointly evaluate an integrated fuel-cycle solution built around NuScale Power’s small modular reactor, Curio’s NuCycle® recycling process, and Framatome’s fuel design and manufacturing. The trilateral pact aims to knit spent-fuel recycling, next-generation fuel development and advanced reactor deployment into a single domestic supply chain.
What the MOU covers
Under the agreement, the three companies will jointly evaluate source-to-product and source-to-fuel pathways for materials recovered through NuCycle, and identify future engineering coordination, fuel qualification, fabrication and commercialisation opportunities. The workstream includes technical assessments, feasibility studies, supply-chain analyses and interface evaluations meant to seed follow-on development or commercial agreements.
Curio CEO Ed McGinnis said building the fuel-cycle infrastructure will decide whether the U.S. leads “the next era of nuclear energy”. Framatome Inc. president and CEO Tony Robinson framed the deal as a forward-looking step to keep the country at the forefront of “safe, reliable, carbon-free nuclear power”. NuScale president and CEO John Hopkins highlighted that only NuScale’s Power Module has cleared the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission design-approval bar for an SMR.
Why NuCycle matters for SMRs
Curio’s proprietary NuCycle process is designed to recover uranium, transuranics, noble gases and platinum-group metals from used light-water-reactor fuel while cutting residual high-level waste volumes by up to 97%. Framatome contributes six decades of fuel design and manufacturing capability, including fabrication for pressurised-water, VVER and advanced fast reactors. NuScale supplies the 77-MWe pressurised-water SMR that anchors the reactor side of the value chain.
Where the deal fits
The MOU comes as U.S. utilities, data-centre operators and international buyers scramble to secure long-lead SMR fuel. It follows other NuScale supply-chain moves and adds a recycling leg that the domestic industry has largely lacked. It also aligns with the broader trans-Atlantic push to reduce dependence on Russian conversion and enrichment capacity.
Reporting based on coverage from POWER Magazine, Yahoo Finance, Nuclear Engineering International and company statements from Curio, NuScale Power and Framatome.