NANO Nuclear subsidiary STS earns DOE recognition for two international nuclear material transport missions and completes UF₆ delivery for LIS Technologies
On October 20, 2026, NANO Nuclear Energy announced that its subsidiary Secured Transportation Services LLC (STS) had been recognized for its role in two nuclear material transportation missions honored with 2026 DOE Secretary of Energy Achievement Awards. The awards, presented September 28, 2026, went to the teams behind two distinct international operations: the removal of high-assay low-enriched uranium from Japan and the removal of highly enriched uranium from Venezuela.
STS recognized for two DOE award-winning nuclear transport missions
The recognition didn’t come quietly. STS President Roy Boyd was among the recipients acknowledged alongside Secretary of Energy Chris Wright at the September 28 ceremony — a notable moment for a company that NANO Nuclear only acquired earlier in 2026. Two separate teams earned the awards: the Japan HALEU Removal team and the Venezuela HEU Removal team. Both missions required the kind of specialized logistics coordination that few private-sector organizations can actually pull off.
Details of the Japan HALEU and Venezuela HEU removal operations
For the Japan mission, STS served as DOE’s prime logistics contractor. The job involved coordinating the international shipment of approximately 1.7 metric tons of HALEU to the United States — the largest single international uranium shipment in the history of the National Nuclear Security Administration. That’s not a minor logistical footnote. STS also handled associated spent nuclear fuel as part of the same operation.
Taken together, the DOE award recognition and the LIS Technologies delivery paint a clear picture of where STS sits in the nuclear transportation landscape.
Their role covered international transportation logistics, licensing, security coordination, and final delivery to designated U.S. facilities. Managing those moving parts across international borders — with all the regulatory and security requirements nuclear materials demand — is a significant operational undertaking by any measure.
The Venezuela mission was a different kind of challenge entirely. STS coordinated U.S. receipt and inland transportation of approximately 30 pounds of HEU removed from a dormant research reactor, delivering the material securely to the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Smaller in volume than the Japan operation, yes — but removing HEU from a dormant reactor in Venezuela carries its own weight in nonproliferation terms.
Implications for nonproliferation and domestic nuclear fuel supply
Both missions serve U.S. national security interests and broader international nonproliferation goals. Removing weapons-usable nuclear material from locations where it could pose a risk — and bringing it under secure U.S. custody — is a core objective of programs like those run by the NNSA.
The HALEU transferred from Japan is expected to support advanced reactor fuel development through DOE’s HALEU Availability Program, which is designed to build a reliable domestic supply of HALEU. Next-generation reactors need this material, yet commercial availability in the United States remains limited. The HEU removed from Venezuela, meanwhile, is expected to be processed for future use in the U.S. advanced nuclear fuel supply chain. In both cases, materials that once represented potential security concerns are being redirected toward productive civilian nuclear energy purposes.
STS completes specialized UF₆ shipment for LIS technologies
Separate from the DOE award missions, STS recently completed a specialized uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) delivery to LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The shipment marked the first physical UF₆ material delivered for LIST’s testing program — a meaningful milestone for a company developing laser-based uranium enrichment technology.
STS handled lead logistics and transportation coordination, overseeing shipment planning, packaging arrangements, and delivery. The packaging requirements were notably specialized: STS worked with a subcontractor to arrange modification and use of a UX-30 transportation overpack to handle the 5B UF₆ cylinders involved, with over-the-road transport handled by Tri-State Secure Trucking. Worth noting — NANO Nuclear and LIST are affiliated companies, so the delivery also reflects internal coordination within NANO Nuclear’s growing nuclear fuel cycle ecosystem.
Background: STS’s role within NANO Nuclear’s broader strategy
NANO Nuclear acquired STS earlier in 2026 as part of a deliberate push to expand beyond microreactor development into nuclear fuel cycle and transportation capabilities. The acquisition gave NANO Nuclear an established platform with existing government relationships and genuine expertise in secure nuclear material handling.
CEO James Walker put it plainly: STS provides the infrastructure to support the safe and secure movement of nuclear materials for both government and commercial customers. That dual-track capability — serving federal agencies on complex nonproliferation missions while also supporting commercial clients like LIST — is exactly what NANO Nuclear was after when it brought STS into the fold. Roy Boyd, STS President, noted that each project demonstrates the critical role that experienced logistics coordination and regulatory expertise play in advancing the U.S. nuclear industry.
What these milestones mean for NANO Nuclear’s nuclear services business
Taken together, the DOE award recognition and the LIS Technologies delivery paint a clear picture of where STS sits in the nuclear transportation landscape. The company has now contributed to what NNSA describes as the largest single international uranium shipment in its history, supported a sensitive nonproliferation operation in Venezuela, and delivered the first UF₆ material for a commercial laser enrichment testing program — all within the same year.
For NANO Nuclear Energy, these aren’t just operational wins. They’re evidence that STS brings real, specialized capability to a nuclear industry that depends heavily on getting logistics right.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
