The US Department of Energy has announced $36 million (£27.5m) for 11 projects designed to increase the use of nuclear power and limit the amount of nuclear waste.

Currently, nuclear power provides approximately a fifth of the nation’s electricity.

Nuclear power production, however, produces waste that must be disposed of and safely stored.

US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said: “Developing novel approaches to safely manage nuclear waste will enable us to power even more homes and businesses in America with carbon-free nuclear energy.”