NuScale has announced a partnership to explore AI-guided nuclear fuel management, driving investor interest in its small modular reactor portfolio.

Shares of NuScale Power Corp. (SMR) gained more than 6% in Thursday’s opening trade following the company’s announcement of a new partnership to explore artificial intelligence in nuclear fuel management.

NuScale will collaborate with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to deploy an AI-enabled nuclear design framework for a 12-NuScale Power Module (NPM) configuration. The joint study will evaluate strategies to reduce fuel costs across both single and multiple reactors, specifically examining how fuel can be managed more efficiently and effectively across multiple reactors at a single site. ORNL secured funding under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative to support this research program. NuScale noted that this award is part of the first round of GAIN funding vouchers distributed in fiscal year 2026.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with ORNL, with the support of the DOE, to assess exciting new opportunities for potentially managing fuel even more efficiently across multiple nuclear reactors and further reducing costs going forward,” said NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins.

Unlike traditional large reactors, NuScale utilizes a multi-module architecture designed to enhance fuel efficiency. The system accommodates up to 12 reactors sharing a single fuel pool alongside a broad spectrum of fuel options. By distributing fuel across these modules, the company aims to achieve overall plant fuel efficiency levels that exceed those typically possible in single-reactor facilities, thereby driving down costs. ORNL will contribute specialized expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, fuel management, and high-performance computational resources to advance the initiative.

Retail sentiment surrounding NuScale Power on Stocktwits trended in the ‘neutral’ territory, though SMR ranked among the platform’s top three most-trending tickers at the time of publication. One bullish user called NuScale a “real player in nuclear energy,” stating this is just the start. Another bullish user noted it would be worth watching when NuScale begins announcing contracts with big technology companies.

SMR shares have risen 16% year-to-date but remain down 38% over the past 12 months.