Signal
Scientists and companies are accelerating efforts to transform high‑level nuclear waste from liability to asset, exploring uses that range from hydrogen production for clean energy to reactor fuel that could power fusion or next‑generation nuclear systems. Research published in late 2025 from the University of Sharjah reviews technologies that harness the radioactivity of nuclear waste to generate hydrogen at scale, potentially boosting yield up to tenfold compared with conventional electrolysis methods. This reframes waste not just as something to bury but as an energy source. Meanwhile, a U.S. nuclear technology startup, Curio, has gained validation from four U.S. Department of Energy national labs for its process to convert radioactive waste into usable reactor fuel, shifting the narrative from disposal to valorisation. These developments arrive as deep space agencies and national programmes increasingly invest in nuclear propulsion and power systems for long‑duration and interplanetary missions, including small reactors like NASA’s Kilopower concept and theoretical nuclear thermal propulsion systems.
Why it matters
Nuclear waste, typically seen as a geopolitical and environmental burden is now being investigated as a feedstock for both terrestrial and space applications. This intersects three major currents: climate change mitigation, national sovereignty over critical energy resources, and the technological race for space access. If nuclear waste can be processed into hydrogen or reactor fuel, it could bolster low‑carbon energy portfolios and ease reliance on imported fossil fuels, strengthening energy autonomy. At the same time, institutional validation of waste‑to‑fuel technologies signals rising confidence in advanced nuclear sectors that have historically been constrained by cost, regulation and public concern. And in the context of space, nuclear power and propulsion capabilities are increasingly viewed as strategic assets in competition for lunar, Martian or deeper missions. Together this reshapes nuclear waste from a long‑term liability into a potentially strategic resource with cross‑domain impact.
Strategic takeaway
The technical and political framing of nuclear waste is shifting. Rather than solely finding ways to store and contain spent fuel for millennia, research and commercial actors are exploring value extraction pathways that tie nuclear waste to clean energy and advanced propulsion systems. This matters for climate policy because decarbonisation will require all scalable, low‑carbon options including nuclear in forms that manage rather than merely accumulate waste. It matters for national sovereignty because control over nuclear fuel cycles, and the ability to repurpose legacy waste, could become a differentiator in energy and space technology leadership. And it matters for the future of interstellar travel, where nuclear‑derived energy and propulsion concepts underpin many viable architectures.
Investor implications
Emerging waste‑to‑fuel technologies could herald new markets in nuclear materials, reprocessing infrastructure, and advanced reactors. Backers of hydrogen and fusion sectors should watch nuclear waste valorisation as a potential supply expansion vector for hard‑to‑source fuels like tritium. Energy companies with existing waste inventories could monetise legacy assets if regulatory and safety challenges are addressed. Meanwhile sovereign and commercial space players increasingly prize nuclear propulsion and power systems for deep space missions; early movers here could capture strategic contracts and long‑duration revenue streams. Public perception and regulatory regimes will be pivotal; successful deployment depends on managing risk, proliferation concerns and environmental safeguards.
Watchpoints
2026–2027: Validation and scale‑up results from nuclear waste conversion pilots (e.g., Curio demonstrations).
Late 2020s: In‑space tests of nuclear power/propulsion systems (e.g., orbital reactor or NTP/NEP testbeds).
Tactical Lexicon: Nuclear Waste Valorisation
Converting spent nuclear fuel or other radioactive by‑products into usable energy carriers or reactor inputs.
Signals a shift from disposal cost to resource value.
Requires innovation in reprocessing, safety systems, and regulatory frameworks.
Sources: acs.org
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