On Sunday it announced that unit 1 was being restarted and would be operating at nominal power from Sunday evening, before adding that unit 3 would operate at nominal power on Tuesday.

The prime minister, in a briefing at the site on Saturday, said that seven of the eight cold water pumps from the river were operating again and the four-unit nuclear power plant was expected to reach its nominal capacity of 2 GW by Wednesday.

Magyar said that work on the construction of the bottom weir between the Paks plant and the village of Dunaszentbenedek was ahead of schedule, with just 150 metres left to be built. In total 33,500 tonnes of stone had left the country's mines for the work, which will include narrowing the Danube riverbed.

Magyar added: "Everyone saw what was happening this summer: a record drought and record low water levels reached our country, bringing scorched landscapes, forests, and fields. After this, we can never bury our heads in the sand again, as we are probably past the twenty-fourth hour to save Hungary from the consequences of the climate crisis.

"We will submit a climate law; we will submit a water and energy management law; and we will examine what needs to be done to be able to retain as much water as possible in Hungary, what reservoirs need to be built so that as much water as possible can be available to people, agriculture, and companies throughout the year."

The Paks plant, 100 kilometres south of Budapest, currently comprises four Russian-supplied VVER-440 pressurised water reactors, which started up between 1982 and 1987 and generate about half the country's electricity. Construction work has also begun on the first of two new VVER-1200 reactors planned at the neighbouring Paks II site.

MVM has explained that there are no safety issues relating to the low water level - the issue has been that the river's water level had fallen so far below its ever-expected lows, that it was below the suction level of the pumps, so they "could not perform their task".

Romania

The low water levels on the River Danube forced the precautionary shutting down of Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant - the first unit at the end of last month and the second unit on 13 August.

The second unit's shutdown came despite the energy ministry using explosives to remove a rock obstruction, dredging the river bed and sinking four rock-filled barges, which reportedly raised water levels around unit 2 of the plant by 4 centimetres. But on the morning of 12 August, the water level in the Danube had reached 182 centimetres - below the 185-centimetre mark required for the normal operation of the Cernavoda plant.

Cernavoda is the only nuclear power plant in Romania and consists of two 650 MWe Candu reactors, generating about one-fifth of its electricity. Unit 1 went into commercial operation in 1996 and unit 2 in 2007.

On Saturday the National Committee for Emergency Situations approved a series of new measures including emergency dredging works and "also in the Cernavoda area, on the course of the Old Danube, Apele Române will build an aqueduct that will divert part of the body of water towards the Danube - Black Sea canal and, thus, towards the area that ensures the water intake for the cooling systems of the Cernavoda NPP".

It added: "In the area, the Department for Emergency Situations will mobilise high-capacity pumps provided by several institutions, in order to maintain - if necessary - the water level necessary for the operation of the Cernavoda NPP."

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Minister Iva Petrova has said a 250 to 300-metre-long levee is to be built on the Danube near the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant over the next 10 days or so.

Unit 5 of the plant - one of the two operable units - reduced its output by about 10% on Friday because of the conditions and said on Monday that the "slight rise in the level of the Danube River is the good news of the day. This makes it possible at this point to keep the power plant operating as we announced on Friday. The hydrological situation continues to be complicated ... it is important to maintain the level of the river. The forecasts I watched this morning are encouraging - for retention and a slight rise in the river level within this week". 

She said seven options had been identified to tackle the situation and said "work is under way on a project to build a dam in the area of ​​the power plant. Other options are also being investigated, including transferring water quantities from internal reservoirs to the power plant". Kozloduy units 1-4 were VVER-440 models, which the European Commission classified as non-upgradeable, and Bulgaria agreed to close during negotiations to join the European Union in 2007. Units 5 and 6 feature VVER-1000 reactors that were connected to the grid in 1987 and 1991, respectively. Both units have been through refurbishment and life-extension programmes to enable extension of operation from 30 to 60 years. The country's two operable reactors generate about one-third of its electricity.

The water is used to cool the steam in the condensers in the conventional part of the power plant, not to cool the nuclear reactors.

In May, as well as signing a framework agreement with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries - the shipbuilding subsidiary of HD Hyundai - making it TerraPower's strategic manufacturing partner, a separate memorandum of understanding was agreed between TerraPower, HD Hyundai and HDEC "to collaborate on the design, manufacturing, supply chain, construction, commercial structure and delivery of multiple units of TerraPower's Natrium technology".

TerraPower has now announced the signing of a framework agreement with HDEC to support the commercial deployment of Natrium reactors. Under the agreement, TerraPower selected HDEC as its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor to build up to eight of its future Natrium reactors with completion, price and performance guarantees, intended to facilitate conventional commercial financing of the Natrium reactor fleet. It said the collaboration will accelerate the commercial deployment of Natrium reactors by streamlining costs, improving design and construction efficiencies and strengthening global supply chains to deploy a fleet of Natrium plants across the USA and in select international markets.

TerraPower and SK Innovation also announced a term sheet agreement to advance their intent to develop Korea's first commercial Natrium plant along with plans to expand internationally. The two companies plan to explore opportunities to collaborate on engineering and digital innovation solutions, including digital twin technology and artificial intelligence, building on TerraPower's existing leadership in these tools to optimise operations and maintenance. The agreement expands SK Innovation's participation in TerraPower's SMR demonstration reactor and subsequent commercial projects under construction in the USA, expanding the use of the domestic SMR supply chain, developing domestic 'sodium SMR' businesses, and jointly identifying global SMR projects. SK Innovation said the two companies plan to "comprehensively review regulatory, industrial, and power grid conditions regarding global business, and based on this, gradually specify the direction for promoting 'K-Sodium', a Korean-style sodium SMR business model".

SK Innovation said it plans to "secure experience in the design, construction, and operation of next-generation nuclear power plants through participation in a US demonstration project, and to utilise this for reviewing the feasibility of future domestic applications and developing global projects. In addition, the company plans to explore expanding its SMR project development and operation business in Asian markets, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as in Korea and the United States."

"This agreement is significant in that SK Innovation and TerraPower are reviewing the domestic applicability of sodium SMR to meet the power demand of AI data centres and cooperating to expand their global business," said Choo Hyung-wook, CEO of SK Innovation. "We will communicate closely with TerraPower to concretise the direction of the K-sodium business model, and expand our entry into the global market by securing business development and operational capabilities through participation in future US projects."

Announcing the two agreements, TerraPower's Levesque said: "Today marks a pivotal moment for TerraPower as we embark on a new chapter of international collaboration with Korea's leading organisations. Combining TerraPower’s innovative advanced nuclear technology with Korea's nuclear construction and operational expertise will strengthen our global cooperation and accelerate the deployment of a Natrium fleet that will transform the world's energy landscape."

TerraPower said it will now begin work under these agreements to accelerate the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies in the USA, Korea and around the world, "reinforcing a pathway for reliable, scalable and economically competitive advanced nuclear power".

Financial backing

During the day of discussions, the Export-Import Bank of Korea said it plans to support the financial completeness of global nuclear power projects being pursued by TerraPower and Korean companies by proactively designing customised financial packages, such as loans and guarantees. In particular, during the mass deployment phase of SMRs, it plans to strengthen strategic cooperation with global financial institutions such as the US Export-Import Bank to seek an effective joint financial support structure.

"Next-generation SMRs are a key pillar of solving power challenges in the AI ​​era and the strategic nuclear power partnership between Korea and the US," said Hwang Ki-yeon, President of the Export-Import Bank of Korea. "We will actively support Korean companies in securing a leading position in the global SMR market by combining the world-class K-nuclear supply chain with the Export-Import Bank of Korea's financial support capabilities."

TerraPower Chairman Bill Gates said: "The outstanding nuclear power plant manufacturing and construction capabilities of Korean companies and the customised financial support from the Export-Import Bank of Korea are key driving forces that will accelerate the commercialisation of TerraPower's SMRs. I look forward to the cooperation between the two sides serving as a catalyst for the global clean energy transition and entry into third-country markets."

TerraPower's Natrium technology features a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can temporarily boost the system's output to 500 MWe when needed, enabling the plant to follow daily electric load changes and integrate seamlessly with fluctuating renewable resources. TerraPower began non-nuclear construction for its first Natrium plant, in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in June 2024, and expects construction of the plant - which it says will be the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear project in the USA - to be complete in 2030. The first Natrium project is being developed through the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The Natrium reactor is a TerraPower and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß technology.

In addition to the first Natrium plant under construction, TerraPower has an agreement with Facebook and Instagram owner Meta for up to eight Natrium plants by 2035.

State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) said the hot tests at Haiyang 3 - conducted by China National Nuclear Corporation subsidiary CNNC Fifth Construction Company - involved 11 temperature rise and fall test platforms, completing a total of 53 commissioning test procedures, 308 test chapters, and 30 periodic tests. The unit successfully completed several transient tests, including the non-nuclear steam turbine start-up and main pump coasting, all on the first attempt, comprehensively verifying the thermal performance, interface fit accuracy, and regulation responsiveness of each system in the unit. The tests were completed on 13 August.

_{(Image: SPIC)}

SPIC said the completion of the hot tests "lay a solid foundation for the unit's subsequent fuel loading and first grid connection". The company said it aims to load fuel and connect the unit to the grid "within the year".

The construction of two CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - as Haiyang units 3 and 4 was approved by China's State Council in April 2021. The Haiyang plant is already home to two AP1000 units.

The first safety-related concrete was poured for the nuclear island of Haiyang unit 3 in July 2022. Construction of Haiyang 4 began in April last year. The two units are both scheduled to be fully operational in 2027.

_{(Image: SPIC)}

Cold functional tests were completed at unit 3 in March this year. Such tests are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition. The main purpose of cold functional tests is to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit and components - such as pressure vessels, pipelines and valves of both the nuclear and conventional islands - and to clean the main circulation pipes. The tests mark the first time the reactor systems are operated together with the auxiliary systems.

Once fully operational, the four units of the Haiyang plant will generate 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the electricity needs of half of Shandong Province's residents, SPIC said. It noted that the site is planned to have six 1,000-megawatt reactors, with space reserved for two future expansions, "making it a 10-megawatt-class nuclear power base".

Radiant's reactor was selected last year to undergo testing at the DOME (for Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments) test bed, where the repurposed containment structure of a former experimental breeder reactor provides a safe environment to test experimental reactor concepts and gather performance data.

Radiant is to carry out a five-phase reactor development testing programme at the facility, progressing from zero-power criticality, through to generating full heat and power and running 150 continuous hours without operator assistance, a crucial milestone for proving its commercial readiness.

_{Radiant shared video of Kaleidos as it began its journey in El Segundo, California on 12 August (Image: Radiant/X)}

"The unit now on its way to Idaho isn't a simplified stand-in," Radiant said. "Kaleidos is the same design, at the same scale, with the same commercial fuel load, that will roll off the production line at Radiant's R-50 factory in Oak Ridge and ship to customers. Every phase of testing it undergoes, from criticality to 1 MWe thermal operation, to full power, and a capstone 150-hour continuous run without operator intervention, generates data that feeds directly into Radiant's NRC licence application and de-risks manufacturing and deployment at commercial scale."

Once installed inside the DOME, the reactor will be loaded under US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß and INL oversight with tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel, fabricated by Standard Nuclear to Radiant's specifications earlier this year. The testing campaign is targeted for completion in the third quarter of this year. At the same time, Radiant's Part 70 licence application for its R-50 microreactor production facility in Oak Ridge, Tennesee, is undergoing review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with approval targeted by the final quarter of the year.

Radiant signed an agreement with the US Air Force to deliver its first commercial microreactor to a military installation, Buckley Space Force Base, by 2028. "Radiant's testing campaign will ensure we deliver Kaleidos to Buckley Space Force Base by 2028," the company said.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

Zhangzhou 4 is the fourth Hualong One unit to be built at the site. Construction of Zhangzhou 1 began in October 2019, with that of unit 2 starting in September 2020. Unit 1 entered commercial operation on 1 January last year, followed by unit 2 on 1 January this year. In September 2022, China's State Council approved the construction of two Hualong One units as Phase II - units 3 and 4 - of the Zhangzhou plant. Construction of unit 3 began in February last year, with that of unit 4 starting in September.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

There are plans for two more Hualong One units at the plant. Once fully completed, a six-unit Zhangzhou plant would provide more than 60 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, estimated to meet 75% of the total electricity consumption of Xiamen and Zhangzhou cities in southern Fujian.

The Zhangzhou project - with a total investment of over CNY100 billion (USD14 billion) - is owned by CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Company, a joint venture between CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%).

Last month, the Port of Long Beach in California - one of the busiest container ports in the USA - signed a memorandum of cooperation with MARAD, making it the first US seaport to formalise a partnership with the Maritime Administration to establish nuclear-powered vessels for commercial service.

The Port of Corpus Christi - the USA's largest port for petroleum exports - has now also signed a memorandum of cooperation with MARAD to explore the use of nuclear maritime technologies.

Through the memorandum, MARAD and the Port of Corpus Christi have agreed to work together to explore opportunities to advance maritime energy systems, including through the potential integration of SMR technologies, resilient port microgrids, shoreside power architecture, infrastructure capable of supporting emerging vessel propulsion concepts, and related workforce development opportunities.

"Small modular reactors have the potential to reshape America's maritime sector, lower shipping costs, and bolster our supply chains," said US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "I'm thrilled that the Port of Corpus Christi is embracing this exciting partnership with the Trump Administration to ensure the United States leads the way in innovation. Maritime dominance starts with rebuilding America's fleet with this state-of-the-art technology."

Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel added: "This agreement with the Port of Corpus Christi demonstrates that the leading energy port in the nation understands the significance of this technology. SMR integration has the potential to drive down costs and guarantee that our critical Gulf Coast maritime supply chains remain resilient against any contingency, from extreme weather to power grid disruptions, while training the next generation of high-skilled American mariners."

"With this agreement, the Port of Corpus Christi affirms its commitment to work with the Administration to promote innovation in the US maritime sector in support of our nation's storied maritime industrial base and the communities around the world that depend upon it," said Jeff Pollack, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi.

Core Power study

Meanwhile, the Port of Corpus Christi has signed a memorandum of collaboration with UK-based maritime nuclear energy specialist Core Power to study opportunities for firm, reliable power from floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) and readiness for future calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships.

_{Rendering of a Core Power 300 MWe FNPP preparing for operations (Image: Core Power)}

The partners intend to assess the site-specific technical, environmental, regulatory, operational and commercial requirements for the potential deployment of an FNPP. The work is expected to consider marine and site conditions, water use and discharge, grid connection, potential customer and offtake requirements, candidate locations and mooring, safety and security, permitting, operations, maintenance and long-term service support. They also intend to examine what would be required for the port to receive nuclear-powered commercial ships safely and routinely in the future. The work is expected to consider a reference vessel and power-system envelope, transit and berthing, port-stay safety and security, cargo interfaces, emergency preparedness, liability, classification and the roles of US and international maritime and nuclear authorities.

"The Port of Corpus Christi provides an opportunity to assess both pathways separately while understanding the shared infrastructure, safety, regulatory and commercial questions around them, Core Power said. It added: "The proposed study is a preliminary, fact-finding exercise. It does not select a site, reactor technology or vendor; initiate licensing or permitting; commit investment; approve construction; or authorise the deployment of an FNPP or calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships."

"Port Corpus Christi, as the preeminent energy gateway in North America, is committed to remaining a leader in the global energy marketplace, even as that marketplace expands and evolves," Pollack said. "This collaboration will help us understand what would be required technically, environmentally, operationally and commercially for floating nuclear power plants and future calls by nuclear-powered commercial ships to be considered in the real-world context of the Port. It is about gathering evidence and keeping our region competitive for future investment, industry, and high-value jobs."

Core Power noted the agreement signed between the Port of Corpus Christi and MARAD, saying: "Taken together, these separate but complementary agreements represent an important step toward translating maritime nuclear technology into practical readiness requirements for US ports."

"Ports are where energy systems and global trade meet," said Core Power CEO Mikal Bøe. "For floating nuclear power plants, we need to understand sites, grids, customers, operating models and long-term service arrangements. For nuclear-powered commercial ships, we need safe and predictable pathways for transit, berthing and routine port operations. Port Corpus Christi gives us a real operating environment in which to assess both pathways separately, but as parts of the complete industrial and regulatory system needed to make maritime nuclear commercially deployable. This is how we move from promising technology to products and infrastructure capable of supporting US energy and maritime competitiveness."

"Since signing a manufacturability review contract for key equipment of TerraPower's first-of-a-kind unit in December 2024, Doosan Enerbility has developed and implemented design improvements to support successful manufacturing, raising the design maturity to a level ready for manufacturing orders," the company said. "The multi-year collaboration has established a strong partnership combining TerraPower's reactor technology and safety with Doosan Enerbility's advanced manufacturing capabilities.

"The equipment supplied by Doosan Enerbility is expected to play a critical role in ensuring the timely construction and commercial operation of TerraPower's unit."

Jongdoo Kim, CEO of Doosan Enerbility's Nuclear Business Group, said: "This manufacturing contract was signed based on years of close collaboration and trust with TerraPower. We will successfully execute the project while continuing to strengthen our SMR manufacturing capabilities and expand our role as a global supplier."

Last week, TerraPower signed agreements with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction (HDEC) and SK Innovation to develop and commercialise its Natrium reactor technology across the USA, Korea and select international markets. The agreements were signed in Seoul during the first meeting among the top executives of the three companies since HD Hyundai, TerraPower and HDEC signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding in May to cooperate on next-generation sodium reactor projects.

TerraPower's Natrium technology features a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can temporarily boost the system's output to 500 MWe when needed, enabling the plant to follow daily electric load changes and integrate seamlessly with fluctuating renewable resources. TerraPower began non-nuclear construction for its first Natrium plant, in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in June 2024, and expects construction of the plant - which it says will be the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear project in the USA - to be complete in 2030. The first Natrium project is being developed through the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The Natrium reactor is a TerraPower and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß technology.

In addition to the first Natrium plant under construction, TerraPower has an agreement with Facebook and Instagram owner Meta for up to eight Natrium plants by 2035.

The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Upon landing on the near side of the Moon, Blue Ghost will first operate multiple NASA CLPS payloads using solar power for a full lunar day - equivalent to about 14 Earth days. Zeno's payload will then operate during the lunar night and transmit operational data back to Earth.

The thin lunar atmosphere is unable to trap the Sun's energy, making for extreme differences in temperature between day and night: according to NASA, temperatures near the Moon's equator can reach over 250°F (121°C) in daylight, falling to -208°F (-133°C) after nightfall. In deep craters near the Moon's poles, which are permanently shadowed, the Moon's surface is even colder. 

Surviving the lunar night is therefore one of the most complex challenges of lunar exploration. RHUs have long been used on satellites and in spacecraft to keep instruments warm enough to function efficiently. These have typically been powered using plutonium-238 to generate about 1 watt - China's Chang'e 4 mission, which landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019 has used a plutonium-powered unit to heat it through multiple lunar nights - but the isotope is now in short supply. 

Zeno's RHU is designed with a novel fuel and shielding system to deliver high specific power from americium-241. As well as the RHU, Zeno's payload comprises a dedicated platform that includes structural, communications, electrical power, command and data handling, and thermal management subsystems. The RHU generates passive thermal energy through the natural decay of the radioactive material, providing continuous heat without relying on solar power and keeping critical spacecraft components operational during the lunar night or in regions that never receive direct sunlight.

"Hardware capable of surviving the extreme cold of the lunar night will be essential to enabling sustained operations on the Moon," Zeno Power CEO and co-founder Tyler Bernstein said. "NASA's Moon Base Program has identified the need for technologies such as radioisotope power systems to support future lunar exploration, and Zeno is proud to answer that call to demonstrate this capability aboard Firefly's Blue Ghost mission." 

Firefly's first Blue Ghost mission - Blue Ghost Mission 1, named Ghost Riders in the Sky - took place in early 2025, with what the company described as the first fully successful commercial Moon landing. It completed more than 14 days of surface operations during daylight and just over 5 hours of operations into the lunar night.

"Our first Blue Ghost mission gave us firsthand insight into the Moon's extreme thermal environment, where we measured temperatures ranging from more than 230°F during the lunar day to below -275°F at night," said Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace Ray Allensworth. "Now we're looking forward to advancing technologies that can extend missions beyond sunset and support long-duration surface operations required for NASA's Moon Base initiative and the growing lunar economy."

Zeno Power and Firefly's announcement was made the day before US President Donald Trump to "reinvigorate" US space transport policy and enable over 1,000 launches and reentries on American soil annually by 2030.

They are pressurised water reactors with the steam generators built into the core reactor vessel, which USC Baltic Shipyard says means that "unlike traditional designs with external steam generators, reduces the risk of coolant leaks, reduces the size and weight of the reactor, and simplifies installation and dismantling".

The reactors have a service life of 40 years, with seven years between refuelling. They have a thermal capacity of 175 MW, which converts to 30 MW at the propellers, and are designed to withstand 45-degree rolls (sideways tilting while at sea).

The keel-laying ceremony for the Leningrad took place in January 2024 and work on the hull and installation of equipment is continuing,

Background

There are currently a series of Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers operating - the Arktika, Sibir, Ural, the Yakutia, plus the Chukotka, which has been undergoing mooring tests - and two under construction, the Leningrad and the Stalingrad at the Baltic Shipyard.

Within Rosatom's machine-building division, Afrikantov OKBM is the designer, complete supplier, and manufacturer of the reactor internals for the RITM-200 and RITM-400 reactor units. Reactor vessel fabrication and test assembly are performed at ZiO-Podolsk. Fifteen RITM-200 reactors have so far been completed, with 13 more under construction.

The Project 22220 vessels are 173 metres long, 34 metres wide and with a height from the waterline to the mainmast of 57 metres. They are designed to break through ice up to three metres thick and have a speed of 22 knots in clear water. The first four have been escorting cargo ships along the Northern Sea Route for several years now.

There is also a larger nuclear-powered icebreaker under construction, the Rossiya, which will be the first of the proposed Project 10510 nuclear-powered icebreakers. It will feature two RITM-400 reactors for a propeller power of 120 MW. It will be able to penetrate ice up to 4.3 metres thick and clear a channel up to 50 metres wide. It has a reported construction target service date of 2030.

Nuclear-powered icebreakers are a key part of Russia's plan to develop the Northern Sea Route, the shipping lane along its north coast which allows faster transport between Europe and Asia.

Gao Shunlong, chairman of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiary CNNC Wuhan Nuclear Power Operation Technology Co, which developed the simulator, said the commissioning was a significant milestone in the project's construction and a new starting point for future work. He said CNNC Wuhan will ensure the operation, maintenance, and optimisation of the simulator.

The power plant will soon officially launch simulator training for the first batch of operators of units 1 and 2, "laying a solid foundation of talent and strengthening nuclear safety for subsequent unit commissioning and operation".

The Xudabao plant

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced in November 2023 that the National Nuclear Safety Administration had decided to issue a construction licence for Xudabao units 1 and 2, which will both feature 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000. A ceremony was held later that month at the Xudabao site near Xingcheng City, Huludao, to mark the start of construction of unit 1.

_{The Xudabao site (Image: CNNC)}

The Xudabao project (also known as Xudapu) was originally expected to comprise six CAP1000 reactors, with units 1 and 2 in the first phase. Site preparation began in November 2010. The National Development and Reform Commission gave its approval for the project in January 2011. CNNC noted that the total investment in units 1 and 2 exceeds CNY48 billion (USD6.6 billion).

However, with a change in plans, construction of two Russian-supplied VVER-1200 reactors as Xudabao units 3 and 4 began in July 2021 and May 2022, respectively. Commissioning of those units is scheduled for 2027 and 2028, respectively.

The Xudabao plant is owned by Liaoning Nuclear Power Company Ltd, in which CNNC holds a 70% stake with Datang International Power Generation Company holding 20% and State Development and Investment Corporation owning 10%. The general contractor is China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd, a subsidiary of CNNC.

Two further CAP1000 reactors are proposed for units 5 and 6 at the Xudabao plant.

Upon completion, the six-unit project - with a total installed capacity exceeding 7.6 MWe - will provide nearly 54 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, saving 19.2 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 56.7 million tonnes annually, CNNC said.

An intergovernmental agreement signed during a state visit to Russia in March 2025 covered cooperation on the development of a 110 MW project featuring two small modular reactors in Myanmar, with the possibility of expansion with more units, to 330 MW capacity.

The plan is to use RITM-200N pressurised water reactors - adapted from the RITM-200 type used on the nuclear icebreaker fleet - with a capacity of 55 MW each.

After talks during an official visit to Russia last week by Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said: "I am confident that the project will provide a powerful impetus to the development of cooperation in related fields, including fundamental and applied scientific research, and will become a new symbol of Russian-Myanmar friendship."

Russia already has a land-based SMR under construction and a sea-based one operating. It sees considerable export potential - earlier this year, a ceremony was held for the pouring of concrete at the site of the first of two of the Russian SMR units in Uzbekistan.

It was carried out in partnership with the Los Alamos and Idaho National Laboratories at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center, a National Nuclear Security Administration facility at the Nevada site.

Westinghouse Chief Technology Officer Lou Martinez Sancho thanked the company's partners for their support, including the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß, and said: "This zero-power criticality milestone reflects Westinghouse’s heritage of innovation and pushing to the next frontier of nuclear."

Criticality is the point at which a nuclear reactor sustains a controlled, self-supporting chain reaction. Zero-power criticality is intended to validate the models and core design assumptions of the technology rather than generating heat or power.

Westinghouse said the achievement was part of its "rapid product development philosophy, which combines testing, modelling, simulation and design improvements to accelerate technology maturation while reducing technical risk".

The eVinci is a heat pipe-cooled microreactor which can produce up to 5 MWe with a 15 MWt core design. The TRISO-fuelled reactor core is designed to run for eight or more full-power years before refuelling, and the factory-built and assembled reactor can be shipped in a container to provide versatile, scalable energy for a variety of applications, including defence and in space.

The framework links the US Maritime Action Plan - released in February following on from April 2025's , Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance - with allied shipbuilding and specialist US nuclear integration, Core Power said. The Action Plan has a three-pillar strategy aiming to rebuild an industrial base the Administration has identified as central to economic and national security, and "re-establish" the USA as a global maritime power.

Nuclear propulsion "changes the basic operating model" for commercial shipping, according to Core Power, which is developing an industrial platform for fleet-scale maritime nuclear infrastructure. A reactor provides sustained high power for years between refuelling and avoids dependence on conventional marine fuel supply, while eliminating emissions from propulsion. "The commercial task is to build a complete system that is safe, secure, licensable, insurable, financeable and operable at fleet scale, with clear responsibilities for nuclear integration, fuel, ports, workforce and through-life support," the company says.

Globally, commercial shipbuilding today is dominated by China - and China is already moving toward nuclear-powered commercial shipping, a fact which should "focus minds in Washington". Core Power founder and CEO Mikal Bøe said.

"The United States has seven decades of nuclear-at-sea experience, world-class allies and the nuclear expertise to lead the next generation. Japan and Korea can accelerate conventional ship construction while America builds the specialist nuclear-grade integration and lifecycle capability at home - capability that can also strengthen the wider maritime industrial base. 

“We are not asking for another study. Core Power is targeting first construction starts from 2028. Government can set the direction and coordinate; private industry must move the money and the steel. We are honoured to be working with MARAD on this landmark programme."

The agreement signed by Core Power and the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration aims to turn policy into an actionable commercial pathway, creating a forum for government, industry and other stakeholders to work through regulatory acceptance, port operations, workforce credentialling, fuel and lifecycle services, insurance and finance, industrial capacity and potential federal demand structures. Reducing uncertainty across these areas will enable private capital to commit to ships, yards and supporting infrastructure, Core Power said.

The company said it plans to develop a dedicated US nuclear-grade integration and lifecycle shipyard for nuclear installation,  initial fuelling, testing, commissioning, refuelling, defuelling and "through-life" support. Conventional hulls and marine systems will be built at commercial shipyards, leveraging allied shipbuilding capacity to accelerate conventional hull construction while building the specialist nuclear integration and lifecycle capability in the United States. 

"President Trump has made it clear that American energy dominance and maritime strength go hand in hand," Stephen Carmel, Administrator of the Maritime Administration, said. "This framework ensures that the United States leads the world with a secure US-flagged fleet. Nuclear propulsion is a serious commercial opportunity, but it must be approached as a complete system - safe, secure, licensable, and investable."

The announcement came ahead of the launch of the International Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Agency's Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative, which aims to "support the maritime industry's exploration of small modular reactors to power civilian ships and to provide offshore energy, as operators consider alternative fuels and seek to strengthen long-term energy security". The IAEA ministerial launch event, hosted by the US, is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday in Washington DC.

Jacob Stedman, CEO of Blykalla, pictured above with Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari, said: "We continue to identify locations across Sweden where advanced nuclear power will deliver the greatest value. Our reactors make it possible to build nuclear power where and when it’s needed - closer to industry, in new municipalities and inland locations where traditional nuclear power has historically not been possible."

Blykalla - formerly called LeadCold - is a spin-off from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where lead-cooled reactor systems have been under development since 1996. The company - founded in 2013 as a joint stock company - is developing the SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor). The company's goal is for its first 140 MWt/55 MWe SEALER-55 commercial reactor to be ready for operation in the early 2030s.

Background

In May last year, Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, approved the government's proposals for providing state aid to companies that want to invest in new nuclear reactors in the country. The loans - aimed at lowering the cost of financing new nuclear - will be limited to the equivalent of four large-scale reactors (about 5000 MWe of capacity). The government noted that support may only be granted if the new reactors are sited at the same location and have a total installed output of at least 300 MWe. Two-way Contracts for Difference may be entered into once a new reactor has become operational and has been licensed to produce electricity at full capacity. The new act on state aid entered into force on 1 August, since when interested companies have been able to apply for the aid.

The Swedish government received the first such application in December, from Videberg Kraft, for its scheme which is proposing to use Rolls-Royce SMR technology. As well as Blykalla's first application in May, in June Studsvik submitted an application to the Swedish government for state support for up to 1,400 MW of new nuclear power, featuring small modular reactors, and a fourth application followed from Nordic Baseload Power for the construction of two large-scale reactors at the Barsebäck site, where two reactors are being decommissioned.

In February 2022, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the time was right for a nuclear renaissance in France, extending the operation of existing nuclear reactors and unveiling a proposed programme for six new EPR2 reactors, with an option for a further eight EPR2 reactors to follow. 

The EPR2 is an updated version of the EPR pressurised water reactor design, being developed by EDF and Framatome. Its aim is to incorporate design, construction and commissioning experience feedback from the EPR reactor, as well as operating experience from the nuclear reactors currently in service.

The first six EPR2 reactors are to be built at Penly, Gravelines and Bugey, all of which are already home to operating nuclear power plants, with construction pencilled in to start in 2027. Each of the three sites will house a pair of EPR2 reactors, starting with Penly, where preparatory works began in 2024. Penly will serve as a pilot and provide a reference for subsequent projects. The cost was originally estimated at EUR51.7 billion (USD56.4 billion), but this was revised to EUR67.4 billion in 2023.

The authorisation for work at Gravelines, which is in the Nord department in northern France, includes the servicing of platforms and creation of site facilities; relocation of the existing power plant's railway terminal; development of site accesses and creation of a car park (and related facilities) in the municipalities of Craywick and Bourbourg; the creation of a new Public Information Centre; earthworks and creation of a watertight enclosure beneath the footprint of a future factory block; soil reinforcement and initial civil engineering works; and creation of the intake channel. Relocation of fauna and flora to be protected - to be carried out at "favourable times" - is also authorised.

According to Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority: "The meeting addressed the latest developments in the implementation of the ... nuclear power plant project, reviewed the executive status of the work being carried out in the various components of the project, and the rates of completion, in addition to following up on the work programmes and targeted timetables for the implementation phases, and stressing the importance of continuing coordination between the Egyptian and Russian work teams, in order to ensure that the project is implemented according to the specified timetables, and in accordance with the highest standards of quality, safety and nuclear."

It added that the minister "held a meeting with the head of one of the companies affiliated with the Rosatom Corporation, which specialises in technologies and manufacturing of small nuclear reactor units. The meeting addressed the latest technological developments in this field, and discussed the possibilities of cooperation and benefiting from Russian expertise and technologies".

The minister also "emphasised Egypt's interest in following global developments in the field of small nuclear reactor technologies, and studying the possibilities of benefiting from them in the future, in light of the state's strategy to diversify energy sources and maximise the benefit from nuclear technology in peaceful uses, while conducting the necessary technical and economic studies, and taking into account all nuclear safety and security requirements".

According to Russia's state-owned Tass news agency, Likhachev said the talks had seen the start of "discussions around the second phase of the potential expansion of the [El Dabaa] plant by two more units" and also the "financial and economic model for the fifth and sixth units. If we reach a consensus and shared understanding, we will report to the leadership of our countries".

He also said that delivery of nuclear fuel for the first power unit is scheduled for 2027 ahead of it being connected to the grid in 2028.

As well as potential new units at El Dabaa and small modular reactor options, the two sides also discussed cooperation in the construction of a water desalination plant and the establishment of nuclear medicine and additive manufacturing centres.

Background

El Dabaa will be Egypt's first nuclear power plant, and the first in Africa since South Africa's Koeberg was built nearly 40 years ago. The Rosatom-led project, about 320 kilometres north-west of Cairo, will comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets plant in Belarus.

Under the 2017 contracts, Rosatom will not only build the plant, but will also supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle, including building a storage facility and supplying containers for storing used nuclear fuel. It will also assist Egyptian partners in training personnel and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation. Rosatom has said it is aiming for a future service life of up to 100 years for nuclear power plants.

The four units are being built almost concurrently, with first concrete at unit 1 in July 2022, followed in turn by the others, concluding with first concrete at unit 4 in January 2024. Egypt's aim is for 9% of electricity to be generated by nuclear by 2030, which would be achieved by the commercial operation of the first two units by that time, directly displacing oil and gas.

During the design studies, EDF and Westinghouse will assess how their reactor designs can be aligned with Dutch legislation and regulatory requirements. This includes compliance with construction regulations, licensing requirements, technical standards and the overall project schedule. Potential risks and key areas requiring attention will also be identified at an early stage.

The studies will begin later this year and are expected to take 12-18 months. However, their exact duration will depend on when the Dutch government adopts a draft Preferred Site Decision.

"The outcomes of the studies will provide an important foundation for the further preparation of the nuclear power stations," NEO NL said. "They will also help clearly define which activities will fall under the responsibility of the future owner of the power stations and which responsibilities will remain with the technology supplier."

It added: "At this stage of the process, no decision will be made regarding a technology supplier. This will happen once the official tendering procedure has been completed. This procedure will be initiated at a later stage. The studies will enable EDF and Westinghouse to prepare well-substantiated proposals for the construction of the nuclear power plants. This is expected to contribute to more predictable costs, reduced implementation risks and a robust and carefully managed procurement process."

Earlier feasibility studies

The FEED 1 studies build on the feasibility studies previously carried out for the Dutch government.

EDF of France, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) of South Korea and Westinghouse of the USA were contracted by the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth to conduct feasibility studies into the construction of their respective reactors - the EPR, APR-1400 and AP1000 - in the Netherlands. The studies were to consider whether their designs comply with Dutch legislation and regulations, whether they can be fitted into the preferred location at Borssele, and to develop a more detailed estimate of the costs and time required to build the two new units. The possible impact on the environment was also highlighted in the studies. In November 2024, Amentum was selected to review and advise on the studies submitted by the three potential reactor vendors.

In March last year, the Dutch nuclear regulator - the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection - announced that a review of the feasibility studies submitted by the three vendors suggested that all three designs would meet necessary safety requirements, although KHNP withdrew from the process.

The new design studies represent the next step by assessing the designs in much greater detail against the full range of Dutch legislation and regulatory requirements.

The background

The Netherlands currently has the one, relatively small, nuclear power reactor, at Borssele in the south west of the country. It is a 482 MWe pressurised water reactor which was connected to the grid in 1973 and generates about 3% of the country's electricity.

In December 2021, the Netherlands' new coalition government placed nuclear power at the heart of its climate and energy policy. In addition to keeping the Borssele plant in operation for longer, the government also called for the construction of new reactors. Based on preliminary plans, two new reactors will be completed around 2035 and each will have a capacity of 1000-1650 MWe. The two reactors would provide 9-13% of the country's electricity production in 2035. The cabinet announced in December 2022 that it currently sees Borssele as the most suitable location for the construction of the new reactors. Three other locations are also being considered for the reactors: the Tweede Maasvlakte near Rotterdam, Terneuzen in Zeeland and Eemshaven in Groningen. A location selection is expected next month.

NEO NL was established in February this year with a central role in the preparation, construction, and operation of two new nuclear power plants in the Netherlands.

The company announced in March 2025 that it would continue to deepen the collaboration with two conventional reactor technology providers - EDF (EPR) and Westinghouse-Hyundai (AP1000) - and one SMR developer - GE-Hitachi (BWRX-300). Fortum and the selected companies formalised their cooperation by signing Early Works Agreements in June 2025. The agreements cover early phase project planning, adaptation of the plant site and plan, and targeted activities related to licensing and permitting, including continued pre-licensing dialogue with the Nordic nuclear safety authorities.

"Since the study, Fortum has continued project development and improved its capabilities so that new nuclear power could be part of the solution to customers' growing electricity demand in the Nordic countries," the company said.

As part of the project development, Fortum - which owns and operates two reactors at the Loviisa plant in Finland and is a co-owner of a total of seven reactors in Finland and Sweden - established the separate company, NuCore Energi, to develop, own, build and operate a new nuclear power plant and related infrastructure in Sweden.

NuCore Energi has now submitted a state aid application to begin discussions with the Swedish government on the framework and conditions for promoting a new nuclear power project to be located in the municipality of Oskarshamn. The application states that the project includes various options with both SMRs and large-scale reactors. The electrical output in the different options varies between 1,200 and 3,400 MW. "Fortum and NuCore Energi have not made any investment decisions regarding the new nuclear power project," Fortum stressed.

"The final scale of the project will depend on several factors, including the choice of technology, the benefits of building more reactor units, the expected growth in electricity demand in Sweden, and the risk sharing between the project and the state," Fortum said. "In order for the project to proceed, it must be feasible and financially viable for its owners. Over time, more investors are expected to join the project, including private investors and possibly the Swedish state. Fortum aims to gradually reduce its ownership and remain a minority shareholder in NuCore Energi.

"The continuation of the project beyond this stage depends on key conditions and principles described in the state support application. These include, for example, a commitment from industrial customers to purchase electricity from new nuclear power, as well as long-term political support for nuclear power in Sweden. Another important condition is that NuCore Energi will gain access to and control over the Ävrö land area in the municipality of Oskarshamn. The area is currently owned by Oskarshamn Kraftgrupp AB, in which Fortum has a significant stake."

"The Swedish government's nuclear power policy and the introduction of a comprehensive risk-sharing model provide a solid foundation for enabling new nuclear power in Sweden," said Laurent Leveugle, CEO of NuCore Energi. "New nuclear power would strengthen energy security and improve the long-term stability of the electricity system in the Nordic countries. It would also support industrial growth and bring wider benefits to the Swedish economy."

Minister of Financial Markets Niklas Wykman said: "Fortum is an established nuclear power player in both Finland and Sweden. The fact that they are setting up a project company in Sweden for the construction of new nuclear power shows that the Swedish support model is well balanced and serves its purpose."

The Ministry of Finance said that receiving an application means work can begin on making a decision on providing state support. This includes negotiations between the government and the company on the terms and scope of the support as well as ongoing dialogue with the European Commission to ensure that any support is compatible with the European Union's state aid rules.

Background

In October 2022, Sweden's incoming centre-right coalition government adopted a positive stance towards nuclear energy. In November 2023, it unveiled a roadmap which envisages the construction of new nuclear generating capacity equivalent to at least two large-scale reactors by 2035, with the equivalent capacity of up to 10 new large-scale reactors (which may include SMRs) coming online by 2045. A new act on state aid entered into force on 1 August 2025, since when interested companies have been able to apply for the aid.

The Swedish state aid framework is designed to support new nuclear power through a state loan, a two-way contract for difference and a risk-sharing mechanism. The detailed terms of the state aid are agreed between the project company and the Swedish state, and any support would require approval by the European Commission in accordance with EU State aid rules.

The Swedish government received the first such application in December 2025 to support proposals to provide about 1,500 MWe capacity at Ringhals on the Värö Peninsula. The application came from Videberg Kraft AB, a project company owned by Vattenfall AB and backed by a series of industrial firms via the Industrikraft i Sverige AB consortium.

In early June this year, Blykalla submitted an application for government financing for its planned power plant in Norrsundet, Gävle, in east central Sweden, comprising six SEALER reactors, which will have a total generating capacity of up to 330 MWe. Earlier this week it submitted a second application, for a nuclear power plant at Untra in the Tierp municipality, which would feature up to eight of its lead-cooled SEALER reactors with a total capacity of up to 440 MWe.

Also in June, Studsvik submitted an application for state support for up to 1,400 MWe of new nuclear power, featuring SMRs, in the southern part of the country, with options at Valdemarsvik and Nyköping forming the basis of the application.

Another application was received in mid-June from Nordic Baseload Power for the construction of two large-scale reactors at the Barsebäck site, where two reactors are being decommissioned. The application states that the project involves two large-scale reactors with a combined capacity of about 2,500 MWe.

The decision was taken with input on the technical risks, financial situation, and management capabilities of the solutions from a panel of nuclear "and technical experts from the Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß, national laboratories and representatives across the services".

The Janus Program - launched last October - is a next-generation nuclear power programme aimed at delivering "resilient, secure, and assured energy to support national defence installations and critical missions". Executive Order 14299 - Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security - was signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025 and aims for operation of an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation no later than 30 September 2028.

Dan Driscoll, Secretary of the Army, said: "Awarding these contracts accelerates our ability to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations. We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids."

Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß and Environment, said: "We are seeking not just reactors capable of turning on for a brief demonstration, but rather systems able to deliver power with high-capacity factors for years of operation. The Janus Program will be a complete success when, and only when, we have assisted multiple nuclear companies in developing truly reliable and affordable nuclear microreactors which they can sell to other buyers beyond just the military."

The Department of the Army says vendors will receive government funding contingent on successfully hitting specific technical goals, potentially up to USD2.2 billion across 2027-2031.

Owen West, director of the US Department of War Innovation Unit (DIU), said: "We need more power. We need it delivered faster and cheaper, and we need it to be more reliable. With Janus, DIU is assisting the Army's microreactor build - speeding military energy production to protect the nation."

The selected vendors

Antares' Mark-0 demonstration reactor was the first reactor to reach criticality under the Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's Reactor Pilot Program, in June. It is a sodium heat-pipe cooled microreactor technology, which uses tri-isostructural isotropic - or TRISO - fuel containing high assay low-enriched uranium (known as HALEU).

Jordan Bramble, CEO and founder of Antares, said: "We're grateful and proud to partner with the US Army and the Defense Innovation Unit on the Janus Program. ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß scarcity is constraining America's most critical defence systems. Through Janus, Antares will deliver clean, firm, resilient power for the warfighter."

BWX Technologies says it is targeting groundbreaking for site construction in late 2028 with reactor operations commencing in the early 2030s. The BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) is a high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactor that utilises TRISO fuel. It is designed for critical infrastructure, and the Janus Program involves a 20 MWe version.

Rex D Geveden, BWXT president and CEO, said: "As we commence work on the Janus Program, we are delivering the nation's most credible and reliable path to deployable nuclear power. BANR is purpose-built for mission success, and we are driving forward with the discipline, experience and proven capability that national security demands."

General Atomics is developer of the General Atomics Tactical ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß System, a liquid-metal-cooled microreactor with a baseline net output of approximately 5 MWe, potentially scalable to approximately 20 MWe. It is designed for remote, off-grid and extreme environments, with a design life of 40 years.

Scott Forney, President of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, said: "General Atomics draws on more than 70 years of nuclear innovation and reactor expertise to deliver microreactor technologies that provide safe, dependable and independent power for military installations. Our experience designing and deploying 68 reactors worldwide and supporting reactor technologies throughout their lifecycles positions us to deliver assured energy solutions that enhance operational resilience and strengthen mission readiness."

Radiant, which is developing the Kaleidos 1 MW transportable microreactor, said its agreement with the US Army and Defense Innovation Unit was worth up to USD750 million to develop and deploy up to 15 of its microreactors.

Tori Shivanandan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Radiant, said: "The numbers tell the story. This award shows confidence in Radiant's product and ability to manufacture, deploy, and safely operate nuclear microreactors for the American military."

Westinghouse Government Services has developed the eVinci microreactor, a heat-pipe reactor designed to provide resilient electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for eight years without refuelling.

Rich Rademacher, President of Westinghouse Government Services, said: "The selection of the eVinci microreactor for the Janus Project highlights the important role advanced nuclear technology can play in providing resilient, long-duration power to the warfighter. Westinghouse is proud to support the Army’s efforts to strengthen energy security and deliver innovative capabilities."

On 30 October last year, the board of operator Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo (CNAT) officially requested an extension to the operating licence for both Almaraz units. The decision, taken at an extraordinary meeting of the board of directors and the general assembly of shareholders, sought to extend the life of the two units to June 2030. CSN received a request on 17 November from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) for a mandatory report on the application to modify the operating licence of the Almaraz plant.

Last month, CSN issued a favourable report on the renewal of the operating licence, saying the plant meets the conditions to operate safely until June 2030.

An has now been published in the Official State Gazette, granting the renewal of the operating licence for Almaraz.

"The limited extension is adopted considering the energy situation marked by uncertainty in international energy markets that have caused the armed conflict in the Middle East and the continuation of the war in Ukraine," the ministry said. "This limited and temporary extension may help to moderate the exposure of Spanish consumers to previously unforeseen price spikes resulting from the crisis, while measures already underway to promote renewables and storage continue to be deployed as structural solutions to the exposure and vulnerability caused by dependence on imported fossil fuels."

It noted that the licence extension for Almaraz "does not alter the closing date of the entire nuclear park in 2035".

Industry response

The government's decision to extend the operating licence was welcomed by Spain's nuclear industry forum, Foro Nuclear, whose president, Marta Ugalde, said: "It is great news that a strategic infrastructure like Almaraz can continue operating, since nuclear energy is essential in the electricity generation mix. It provides firm, synchronous, and inertial power, and strengthens energy independence from fossil fuels, as recognised by the European Commission. The continued operation of Almaraz provides certainty for the region and highlights the value of safe, emission-free, competitive nuclear energy that complements renewable energies."

Foro Nuclear noted that the resolution concludes that the licence renewal does not compromise national renewable energy targets or European decarbonisation goals, while contributing to moderating the exposure of the electricity system to the volatility of fossil fuels. The continued operation of Almaraz "is also framed within an international context of growing recognition of nuclear energy as a tool to strengthen energy security, reduce emissions and accompany the advance of electrification," it said.

"Foro Nuclear believes it is necessary to use this new perspective to address, calmly and rigorously, the role that nuclear energy should play in Spain's future energy model," the organisation said. "Likewise, it is essential to review the regulatory, economic, and tax conditions that will allow it to maintain its contribution, in line with European priorities of strategic autonomy, industrial competitiveness, and decarbonisation."

Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association, commented: "I am very encouraged by the decision to extend the operation of Almaraz until 2030. This is great news for Spain's economy, energy security and grid stability, helping preserve a reliable source of electricity that supports the prosperity of Spanish families and businesses. I hope this is the first step towards the recognition of the strategic value of nuclear energy in Spain, including the extension of Almaraz and the rest of the Spanish nuclear fleet to 60 years of operation, securing these benefits for decades to come."

Phase-out plan

Spain's seven operating nuclear power reactors - Almaraz I and II, Ascó I and II, Cofrentes, Trillo and Vandellós II - generate about 20% of its electricity. Under the country's nuclear phase-out plans, agreed in 2019, four reactors are scheduled to close by the end of 2030 - including the two Almaraz ones - while the remaining three reactors will shut by 2035.

The Almaraz plant currently supplies more than 7% of the electricity consumed in Spain, equivalent to 4 million homes, and employs about 4,000 people. Almaraz units I and II are pressurised water reactors with a net capacity of 1,011 MWe and 1,006 MWe, respectively. Unit I entered commercial operation in 1983 with unit II following the next year. The plant is owned by Iberdrola (53%), Endesa (36%), and Naturgy (11%).

An INSARR follow-up mission was held at the Philippines' Research Reactor-1 (PRR-1) Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education and Research (SATER) facility located in Quezon City, 10km northeast of Manila, from 10 to 12 August. It was conducted at the request of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to review progress in implementing the recommendations from the INSARR mission carried out in 2023.

The mission team consisted of two experts from Romania and the USA, as well as one IAEA official. The team visited the facility, examined documentation, and held discussions with facility management, operating personnel and technical staff. The team reviewed areas including management, training, operations, safety analysis, decommissioning and other related areas.

_{The INSARR mission team inspecting PRR-1 SATER (Image: PNRI)}

The mission team noted improvements in organisational effectiveness such as the clarification of roles, functions and responsibilities of the key PRR-1 SATER operating personnel. The team also noted progress in the development of safety documentation, including completion of the commissioning report with complementary investigations on alternative fuel loading schemes.

"The mission found an encouraging level of implementation of the recommendations to strengthen safety in accordance with IAEA safety standards," said Kaichao Sun, Head of the IAEA Research Reactor Safety Section and mission team leader. "Progress has been made across organisational arrangements and safety documentation, while further efforts are needed related to the PRR-1 SATER operating programmes."

Areas for further improvement included the functions and effectiveness of the safety committee as well as the maintenance procedures of safety related systems and components.

"The 2026 follow-up INSARR mission gave us an opportunity to objectively assess our progress, learn from international experience, and further strengthen PRR-1 SATER as a safe and sustainable platform for advancing nuclear science and technology in the Philippines," said Ryan Olivares, Chief of the Nuclear Services Division at PNRI.

The mission team made one new recommendation to ensure that the operating personnel are given adequate retraining necessary for the safe operation of PRR-1 SATER.

The PRR-1 SATER facility

The 1 MW open pool general-purpose PRR-1 research reactor reached criticality in August 1963. In 1984, PNRI decided to convert and upgrade the reactor into a 3 MW TRIGA Mark III reactor. It was shut down in 1988, leaving the country with no operating nuclear facility for 34 years.

In 2014, a proposal was accepted to utilise fuel rods from PRR-1 for training and education. The fuel is a uranium-zirconium hydride alloy manufactured by General Atomics of the USA, which built the PRR-1. The IAEA has been supporting the project through a series of technical cooperation projects.

In the first project, which launched in 2016, the IAEA assisted PNRI to build capacity in reactor design, neutron dosimetry and regulatory matters related to research reactors. A second cooperation project followed in 2020 and to further build capacity, particularly in reactor engineering and operation, reactor utilisation and development of a reactor training programme to sustain local capacity-building activities.

In June 2022, PNRI - part of the Department of Science and Technology - began loading 44 TRIGA nuclear fuel rods into the core of the PRR-1 SATER, signalling the start of the nuclear commissioning of the reactor. PNRI declared the PRR-1 SATER fully operational in March the following year.

PRR-1 SATER is primarily used for training and education to support the national nuclear engineering programme, and for conducting research into nuclear applications that can support the development of healthcare, agriculture and industry.

In March 2022, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order that outlined the government's position for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the Philippines' energy mix, taking into account economic, political, social and environmental objectives. The country aims to have its first nuclear power plants operational by 2032, with an initial capacity of 1,200 MW, expanding to 2,400 MW by 2035 and reaching 4,800 MW by 2050.

Ahead of the publication of the rules and regulations, Minister of State Jitendra Singh told India's lower house, the Lok Sabha, on 12 August that the SHANTI Act will "enable a wider participation of both public and private sectors" in India's nuclear energy industry.

As well as repealing the two earlier laws covering India's nuclear energy programme - the Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 - the new legislation consolidates and modernises India's nuclear legal framework, enabling limited private participation in the nuclear sector under regulatory oversight. It also, amongst other things, grants statutory recognition to India's nuclear regulator, the Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Regulatory Board.

The new rules envisage the grant of a "single composite licence authorising the building, owning, operating, decommissioning" of nuclear power reactors (with the term "nuclear reactor" including "deuterium-tritium reaction based fusion reactors" as well as nuclear fission-based reactors). It also sets out the framework for licensing of, amongst other things, fuel cycle facilities; uranium and thorium exploration, mining and processing; the manufacture of radiation sources and non-power applications; and foreign and domestic trade and transportation of nuclear fuel, equipment, technology, and radioactive substances. 

For foreign-designed reactors, a licence will only be granted for designs that have already been certified or approved by the regulatory body in its country of origin - with "country of origin" defined as "those countries which are self-reliant in nuclear reactor design and supply chain ecosystem whose regulatory approvals are trusted globally." Such designs must be "operational either in country of origin or any other foreign country". It also stipulates that "technology intended to be imported or acquired domestically does not adversely affect the interest of India, does not constitute an unreasonable risk to public health and safety and is in conformity with the national policies framed under the Act". 

For projects where a site or technology has not yet been selected, the licensing authority may grant in-principle approval, allowing an applicant to proceed with negotiations with reactor technology vendors and for acquiring the land and other necessary infrastructure.

Interested persons and organisations have until 4 September to submit suggestions and feedback on  on 14 August.

"This fuel facility will support the EAGL-1 lead-bismuth eutectic-cooled fast reactor and other advanced reactor customers," the letter stated. "It is FANCO’s intent to engage with the NRC in order to obtain a licence under 10 CFR Part 70 and all other regulations applicable for the construction, ownership and operation of this facility.

"The proposed facility will be designed, constructed, and operated to fabricate uranium oxide fuel using licensed material within the limits and conditions requested in the application and approved by the NRC. In addition, the facility will include the capability to process uranium oxide into other fuel forms."

According to the Regulatory Engagement Plan, the fuel facility will process HALEU uranium oxide pellets using uranium enriched to less than 20% uranium-235. The technology specifications have been redacted from , in which the company says it acquired the technology portfolio originally developed by Columbia Basin Consulting Group, a nuclear engineering firm established in 1998. This foundation is supported by a leadership and senior engineering team with "direct operational and engineering experience from major US fast reactor programmes, including the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), Versatile Test Reactor, Advanced Burner Reactor, and the Global Nuclear ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Partnership (GNEP)."

The technology portfolio is based on technology developed within the US advanced liquid-metal fast reactor programmes and data available through the International Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Agency and various US sources, and the design was advanced with support from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory through Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) awards and with a grant award under the Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. 

FANCO said it is "currently finalising contracts with primary Engineering/Design contractors". Earlier this year, the company announced a strategic partnership with AtkinsRéalis to serve as the exclusive engineering, procurement, and construction management provider for EAGL-1 projects in North America, including the integrated EAGL-1 reactor, fuel fabrication, and recycling facilities.

"America’s ability to deploy advanced nuclear energy at scale depends on more than innovative reactor technology - it requires a secure, capable and American fuel supply," FANCO CEO Mike Reinboth said. “The submission of our Regulatory Engagement Plan is an important step in building that capability. It reflects the deliberate way we are advancing FANCO’s integrated commercial strategy: pairing disciplined regulatory execution with a fuel-cycle platform designed to support our EAGL-1 programme and, over time, other advanced-reactor developers."

FANCO Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Licensing, and Quality Michelle Catts said the Regulatory Engagement Plan provides a structured framework for engaging the NRC well in advance of the anticipated licence application. "Our objective is to ensure that the regulatory path is informed by early, substantive technical dialogue and is supported by a comprehensive understanding of the facility’s design and operating plan. This submission reflects the readiness and discipline of our licensing organisation, as well as the quality of the technical work underway across FANCO’s fuel programme," she added.

EAGL-1 is a 240 MWe, lead-bismuth-cooled fast-spectrum small modular reactor designed for factory fabrication and scalable, multi-unit deployment.

Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) is a medium-energy beta emitter which can be used in targeted therapy while helping minimise damage to surrounding, healthy tissue. It has a half-life of 6.7 days and is compatible with various targeting agents, ranging from short peptides to large biomolecules. As well as emitting beta particles, Lu-177 also emits low-energy gamma radiation. This makes it useful for theranostics: a precision medicine approach that integrates diagnostic and therapeutic methods, often using radiopharmaceuticals, to identify and treat diseases such as cancer.

Lu-177 can be made either directly, by irradiation of lutetium-176, or indirectly, by irradiation of ytterbium-176 (Yb-176) to produce the short-lived intermediate radioisotope ytterbium-177, which decays to Lu-177. 

Most medical radioisotopes are made in a relatively small number of research reactors around the world, but the characteristics of Canada's Candu pressurised heavy water reactors means they are particularly suited for producing medical radioisotopes as well as power generation. Bruce Power has been producing cobalt-60 - used to sterilise single-use medical devices - since 1986, and began producing medical-grade cobalt-60 for cancer treatments in 2021. In 2022, it became the first commercial nuclear operator to produce Lu-177 using an innovative Isotope Production System (IPS) installed in Bruce unit 7 to irradiate Yb-176 targets which are then sent for processing and distribution to health care facilities.

The new on-site hot cell facility is part of a broader isotope production expansion effort at Bruce Power, which also includes the installation of an additional IPS in Bruce unit 6. It was constructed through a Canadian collaboration involving Bruce Power, Kinectrics and Bird Construction and enables operators to safely handle irradiated materials remotely while minimising radiation exposure. 

The CNSC's approval means Bruce Power will now be able to use the facility to perform Target Carrier Removal, an important step in the Lu-177 production process. Bringing this capability on-site will further streamline isotope production, reduce transportation requirements, enhance worker safety, lower emissions and strengthen Ontario's position as a global leader in medical isotope innovation, Bruce Power says.

"This approval represents another transformational step in Bruce Power's journey to improve lives through the production of cancer-fighting medical isotopes," Bruce Power Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President James Scongack said. "With the hot cell now licensed and approved for operations, we are strengthening Ontario's integrated isotope supply chain, increasing efficiency, and expanding our ability to deliver cancer-fighting medical isotopes to patients around the world. This achievement reflects years of innovation, collaboration and dedication from our employees, partners and regulators, and reinforces Canada's position as a global leader in isotope production." 

"The MoU will facilitate capability building partnerships between Singapore and China," MTI said. "The MoU is part of Singapore's recent engagements with a range of international partners, including the US, France, and the ROK, and will support Singapore's efforts in developing independent capabilities to make an objective and technical assessment on the potential deployment of nuclear energy."

The key areas for capability building partnerships covered under the MoU include: safety and technical assessments of nuclear reactor technologies; manpower training and scientific visits; public education, communications, and engagement; nuclear safety, safeguards, and security; and nuclear technology applications.

The background

In March 2022, the ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Market Authority (EMA) - a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry - released a report that concluded nuclear energy could supply about 10% of the island city-state's energy needs, helping its power sector achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

In September last year, the EMA appointed UK-headquartered engineering firm Mott MacDonald to conduct a study on the safety and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy technologies. The study aims to evaluate the safety performance and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear energy technologies, such as small modular reactors, based on their safety features, technology maturity, and commercial readiness.

Delivering his Budget 2025 speech in February 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong - who is also Finance Minister - said the government would study the potential deployment of nuclear power in Singapore and take further steps to systematically build up capabilities in this area. "We will need new capabilities to evaluate options, and to consider if there is a solution that Singapore can deploy in a safe and cost-effective way," he said.

He said, domestically, "Russia plans to commission approximately 30 gigawatts of additional nuclear power capacity, including small nuclear power plants. This will not only replace power units that are gradually reaching the end of their service life but also significantly increase the overall capacity of domestic nuclear generation".

He said that the plans to "expand the geographic distribution of power units" will help "strengthen the infrastructure base for the long-term development of regions and territories, for the emergence of new energy-intensive industries, including those focused on the advanced processing of natural resources in the Arctic, Siberia, and the Far East".

In his remarks, the president referred to the need "to ensure technological readiness for the design and construction of nuclear power plants - both large and small - and to have a line of standard power units that can be assembled in series, on a conveyor belt".

He said there must be enough fuel for the expanded capacity so "we must work to strengthen our own resource base, conduct geological exploration, and develop deposits", as well as ensuring the widespread adoption of a closed nuclear fuel cycle.

And his final point was on finance - "successful implementation of nuclear energy plans requires a sustainable financial model for the industry's development. It must take into account the specifics of investment project financing, the scale of investment, payback periods, and so on".

Export goals

According to the Kremlin report of the meeting, Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, outlined the current plans for new capacity.

He said that there were currently 34 operating units at 11 nuclear plants, with his figures including the six units at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian military control since March 2022. He noted that over the next 10 years, some 13 units, accounting for 10 GW of capacity, are due to be decommissioned.

Under Russia's 2024 General Plan for the Location of Nuclear Power Facilities, by 2042 there will be 38 new nuclear power units built - including GW-scale, VVER-600 medium-sized units and small modular reactors (SMRs), and the share of nuclear generation will rise from 20% to 25% by 2045. He reported that "as of today, we have already reached nine sites. In total, including small and floating nuclear power plants, 18 power units are under construction in Russia".

On the international front, 28 units are currently being built in nine countries - India, China, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Bangladesh, Hungary, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, where "we have nearly completed surveys at the site where the two VVER-1200 units will be located".

"We are working to further expand our international presence and already have signed agreements for the construction of 17 more power units in six countries. The latest example is the signing of a corresponding intergovernmental agreement with Vietnam. We are also negotiating with 15 more countries. We are aiming for approximately 50 potential individual reactors under these agreements," Likhachev added.

Regulations

The Rosatom director general also said that regulation was a "significant factor in ensuring and developing our leadership", and thanked the country's regulator Rostekhnadzor for its "collaboration and for its significant support in promoting our international projects". He added, however, that technology was "advancing somewhat faster than the updating of standards and the technical regulation system itself".

He said: "In our view, the time has come to update federal regulations and rules for promising developments to ensure the regulation of new technologies, naturally, without any safety risks. A number of countries are already implementing early project assessment, whereby the regulator works with the developer well before the licensing application is submitted, resolving any disputes at this stage, rather than during construction or project implementation.

"I think we should take advantage of the best practices, including global ones, without, of course, weakening the independence of oversight or creating any risks to security."

Likhachev also referred to the country's nuclear fusion plans, saying that "together with the Kurchatov Institute, we are preparing to begin developing a unique tokamak using reactor technology".

The joint statement says: "Nuclear energy, in particular from advanced small modular reactors, has the potential to be a safe and viable option for maritime applications. For commercial shipping, this could pave the way for higher-speed maritime transport without the need for frequent refueling. At the same time, innovations such as floating nuclear power plants provide versatile energy sources that could deliver reliable electricity to coastal or remote communities and industry.

"As we look to the future, it is essential that the international nuclear and maritime communities collaborate to ensure the safe and secure deployment of these technologies, and to enhance the effective and efficient implementation of safeguards for civil nuclear applications at sea. Through ATLAS, the IAEA is bringing together a wide range of stakeholders - from Member States to industry - required to address these and other complex issues related to nuclear applications at sea."

The initial signatories to the statement are Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Turkey, the UAE, UK and USA.

The statement says that ATLAS will be technology-neutral, with "designs, business models, and operational concepts for these systems … largely still at an early stage" and "we look forward to the next stage of ATLAS, in which we will begin coordination and dialogue on key topics".

The IAEA describes ATLAS as the "first globally-coordinated effort to connect the nuclear and maritime sectors" and says that "advances in reactor design, fuel technology and maritime engineering mean some nuclear maritime designs could be ready for deployment as early as the 2030s. These technologies could power a wide range of uses: from large vessels such as container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, cruise ships, icebreakers and offshore support vessels, to providing reliable electricity, heat, desalination and emergency power for remote communities, ports, disaster response and offshore industries".

In his opening remarks, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: "By bringing together the nuclear and maritime sectors, we have the opportunity to shape the future of two crucial industries - energy and shipping - and to build global confidence in the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology at sea."

He said that it was an "historic moment of opportunity" and the IAEA would "work to develop the institutional and regulatory parameters needed to ensure these technologies are safe, secure and safeguarded. No single country, entity or industry can do this alone. The IAEA is uniquely positioned to bring together regulators, governments, industry, technology developers and more".

The event, held in Washington DC, was co-hosted by the USA, with its ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Secretary Chris Wright telling attendees that by "bringing governments, regulators, and industry together to tackle the practical barriers to deployment" the goal was to bring "us closer to turning the promise of offshore nuclear energy and nuclear-powered shipping into commercial reality".

Following the launch event, six project groups are being formed to "begin practical work this year to address the safety, security, safeguards and regulatory aspects, whilst taking account of deployment scenarios and other attributes of nuclear-powered shipping and floating nuclear power plants".

Moltex's technologies include the WATSS (for Waste to Stable Salt) recycling process; the Stable Salt Reactor - Wasteburner (SSR-W), a molten salt fast reactor technology using recycled nuclear waste as fuel; and FLEX, a thermal spectrum version of the SSR technology. The target portfolio - developed over more than a decade, with over CAD96 million (USD69 million) of private, Canadian and US public-sector funding - is expected to include technology and development materials associated principally with WATSS and SSR-W, with 80 granted patents across nine patent families in advanced nuclear technology (including nuclear fuel, reactor, chemistry and materials) plus nine pending patents on the fuel recycling process.

In June, Moltex ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Canada announced that key stages of the WATSS process had been successfully validated using irradiated fuel from a commercial CANDU reactor at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' Chalk River facilities.

Moltex ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Limited - the UK-based parent company of MoltexFlex Limited and Moltex ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Canada Inc - entered administration in March 2025. The transaction is structured principally as an acquisition of assets, according to Nuclea. Nuclea's Nuclea ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Canada subsidiary will satisfy the purchase price - which has not yet been disclosed - entirely in cash.

The proposed Moltex asset acquisition would extend Nuclea's technology portfolio into advanced modular and potentially grid-scale nuclear generation, as well as used fuel recycling, the company said.

"We believe the nuclear sector is entering a sustained period of strategic investment driven by the increasing competition in nuclear developments between east and west, energy security, grid reliability, industrial electrification and growing demand for large volumes of dependable, low-carbon power driven by the new digital age," said Josef Freundorfer, Nuclea's CEO. "This agreement is designed to broaden Nuclea's position within the nuclear sector by adding a pair of advanced reactor designs and nuclear fuel-cycle technology that are complementary to our Morpheus microreactor. Importantly, this is an asset-led transaction at what we believe is a disciplined entry point, with future capital deployment governed by clearly defined technical, regulatory and commercial milestones."

Moltex CEO Rory O'Sullivan said the company had been "delighted" by the level of interest generated through the competitive process. "This is a very exciting outcome for Moltex and an important recognition of the value created by our team, shareholders, partners and supporters over more than a decade," he said, adding: "Nuclea provides a strong platform from which to build on what we have achieved and take these technologies into their next phase."

Completion remains subject to certain closing conditions, including the required approval under the UK's National Security and Investment Act 2021. Following completion, Nuclea intends to retain Moltex ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Canada as a focused research, engineering and regulatory-development business supporting the continued advancement of the acquired technologies.

Business combination

Nuclea recently entered into a definitive business combination agreement - subject to customary closing conditions, including stockholder and regulatory approvals - with Mangoceuticals, Inc, a transaction it says will provide Nuclea with a path to public listing. This, it says, will broaden its access to the capital markets to fund the continued development, licensing, and commercialisation of its Morpheus technology.

The company has also recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the State of Utah Office of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Development to explore the siting of a nuclear test reactor at the Utah San Rafael ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Lab to advance the deployment of the Morpheus reactor. And earlier this month, it signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Miami-headquartered provider of high-density digital infrastructure and computing hosting services New Mining Co, to evaluate the technical and structural feasibility of deploying Nuclea's modular reactor technology to serve New Mining's behind-the-meter power needs.

The newly announced agreement advances engineering design, licensing, and safety analysis of the project to deploy both GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines and BWRX-300 SMRs at Victoria, Texas, subject to a final investment decision in 2027.

Blue ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß calls its integrated approach to prefabrication, transportation, and assembly the “Blue Way”. Building on the standardised, modular design of the BWRX-300, it supports execution certainty by enhancing schedule, costs and project delivery predictability through innovative logistics, off-site fabrication and super modules assembly, it says.

“This agreement with GE Vernova Hitachi keeps Blue ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß confidently moving forward to build our nuclear energy production line that will unlock the promise of abundant nuclear energy,” Blue ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß CEO and co-founder Jake Jurewicz said. “We are shifting from the old way of building large reactor nuclear power to instead do it the 'Blue Way' that slashes costs and time to power and finally makes nuclear a financeable, repeatable product.”

“Meeting the surging demand for electricity requires proven, scalable technologies and the ability to bring them together as integrated solutions,” said Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power segment. “Our work with Blue ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß combines GE Vernova’s flagship HA gas turbine technology with GE Vernova Hitachi’s advanced nuclear SMR technology, while supporting Blue ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's innovative project model. Together, we are establishing a blueprint for deploying reliable baseload power at the scale and speed customers need.”

The first BWRX-300 is currently under construction at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by the end of the decade. 

Doosan Enerbility said it leverages its world-class 17,000-tonne press and ultra-large forging technologies at its Changwon headquarters forging plant to manufacture and supply major nuclear power components to the global market.

_{(Image: Doosan Enerbility)}

The construction of two Guohe One (CAP1400) reactors - an enlarged version of the CAP1000 PWR developed from the Westinghouse AP1000 - as the initial phase of State Power Investment Corporation's Laiyang plant was among eight units approved during a State Council executive meeting chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang on 31 July this year. The Laiyang plant will eventually house six such units. SPIC is fully responsible for the investment, construction and operation of the Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power Project.

Last year, Doosan Enerbility announced it had been contracted to supply the same forged components for Laiyang units 3 and 4. The company had previously supplied steam generator forgings for the Haiyang plant, also in Shandong province, which features AP1000 reactors.

"This consecutive order for Laiyang units 5 and 6 is particularly meaningful, as it reaffirms the recognition of our technological and quality competitiveness in China's nuclear power market," said Jongdoo Kim, CEO of Doosan Enerbility. "Building on our manufacturing expertise and ultra-large forging technologies, we will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in the global nuclear power supply chain."

A Troubleshooting assistant is in development, with a pilot targeted for later this year.

NIVA runs on Atomic Canyon's Neutron AI "workbench". FERMI - the company's family of nuclear domain-specific AI models, is the retrieval engine.

FERMI is trained on more than 53 million pages of US Nuclear Regulatory Commission data with Oak Ridge National Laboratory on the Frontier exascale supercomputer (and open source on Hugging Face), and "understands nuclear terminology, acronyms, and context in ways general-purpose AI cannot. That is what lets NIVA surface the right record instead of a keyword match," Atomic Canyon says.

"Neutron is the platform those capabilities live in. NIVA puts them to work across the collective knowledge of the industry; Neutron brings the same purpose-built AI tools inside the plant, connected to a station's own licensing basis, procedures, maintenance history, and engineering records."

In November 2024, Atomic Canyon announced the commercial installation of its Neutron Enterprise solution at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California, in what was said to be the first on-site deployment of a generative AI solution at a US nuclear power plant. The launch of NIVA "moves AI in nuclear from pilot testing into everyday operational use," the company added. 

NIVA's assistants were piloted across the industry for six months, with early adopters including Constellation ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß, operator of 21 reactors across 12 plants. "The nuclear industry has built decades of knowledge and operating experience. As Constellation helps power the growth of AI, we're also exploring how AI tools can help our employees more easily access and apply that expertise to strengthen operations, support knowledge transfer and improve workforce effectiveness," Constellation's Senior Vice President, Governance & Oversight, Frank Sturniolo said.

"This is a defining moment for the nuclear industry," Trey Lauderdale, Atomic Canyon founder and CEO, said. "The US nuclear sector sits on decades of invaluable technical and operational knowledge, but too much of that knowledge remains difficult to access at the speed modern deployments require. The fleetwide availability of NIVA shows that AI in nuclear power is real, operational, and ready to be deployed responsibly at a fleetwide scale."

Alongside the fleetwide launch, Atomic Canyon said it has raised new funding from technology company NVIDIA, innovation-focused venture capital firm Plug and Play Ventures, and Tim Buckley, former CEO of The Vanguard Group. This capital will help it to scale deployment and continue expanding NIVA's capabilities, the company said.

"We built Atomic Canyon around nuclear. We trained our own models with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, deployed the first on-site generative AI system at a US nuclear plant at PG&E's Diablo Canyon, and spent years learning how plant professionals actually work before we wrote a line of code for NIVA. Bringing it to every plant across the fleet is what comes next, and the goal is still the same: less time searching, more time doing the work that keeps plants running safely," the company said.

The facility at Idaho National Laboratory, supported by the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, "will serve to probe the SMR-300 design margin under both steady state and transient conditions to provide a physical corroboration of the plant's generation capacity, resilience, and operability".

It says that "with a conservative design approach for the initial licensing at Holtec's Pioneer 1&2 project in Michigan, Holtec expects test data to be used to support future power uprates of the SMR-300 plant by taking advantage of large design margins that can be credited to increase power output through a future licence amendment".

According to INL's Piyush Sabharwall, , "the facility features two cutting-edge test loops engineered to replicate real-world accident scenarios and investigate novel steam generator behavior, generating high-fidelity thermal hydraulic data at prototypic temperature and pressure ... the project is on track for system dedication in 2027 and testing thereafter".

Holtec has been developing its SMR unit since 2011. The SMR-300 is a pressurised water reactor producing about 300 MW of electrical power or 1050 MW of thermal power for process applications. It plans to deploy two of the SMRs - named Pioneer 1 and 2 - at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan in the USA in a joint venture with Hyundai Engineering & Construction. The Pioneer reactors are planned to be brought online in the early 2030s.

Holtec's US construction permit application is under review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with pre-construction work taking place at the site.

"Today, we transition from demonstrating what this project will be to delivering it - for the benefit of local communities, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the world," NexGen Founder and CEO Leigh Curyer said. Nuclear energy has become key to meeting the "unprecedented" electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, electrification, and energy security, "and with it, uranium has become one of the world’s most strategic resources," he added. 

Rook I is located in the southern Athabasca Basin, about 155 km north of the town of La Loche. The project is situated on Treaty 8 territory, the Homeland of the Métis, and is within territories of the Denesųłiné, Cree, and Métis. The project has Benefit Agreements in place with all four Indigenous communities identified within its Local Priority Area, and is expected to support significant employment, procurement, and economic opportunities across northern Saskatchewan and beyond.

It is centred on the Arrow deposit, a high-grade uranium deposit discovered by the company in 2014. The deposit has a total Measured & Indicated resource estimate of 256.7 million pounds U3O8 (98,739 tU) including a probable reserve of 239.6 million pounds U3O8 with an average grade of 2.37% U3O8 (a uranium "reserve" is that part of a uranium resource that that is economically mineable at a given uranium price). A further 80.7 million pounds of estimated resources are in the Inferred category.

According to the company's 2021 feasibility study, the deposit - which lies between about 300 metres and 700 metres underground - will be accessed via two shafts (an 8 metre diameter Production Shaft and air intake, and a 5.5 metre diameter Exhaust Shaft which will provide a second egress). Production will be via conventional "longhole" mining. The estimated mill capacity is targeted at 1,300 tonnes of ore per day.

Some 300 people are currently working at the site. To date, more than 575,000 tonnes of aggregate have been crushed and stockpiled by a Clearwater River Dene Nation-partnered business, supporting up to 50 local jobs, NexGen said. Major earthworks and surface infrastructure are advancing, the initial 3,000-foot (914 metres) airstrip has been commissioned, and expanded site accommodations are complete and occupied. The full 5,840-foot airstrip is expected to be completed by December, with shaft development planned for 2027.

Stephen Harper, who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015, said Rook I, when completed, will deliver 20% of the world’s uranium supply with lasting economic benefit for the community and beyond. "This is an exciting, globally significant project for Saskatchewan and for Canada," he said on X.

"We’re making this substantial commitment to expand our US facility to serve our US customers’ needs. But this expansion also supports the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s goals to accelerate the deployment of new domestic capacity, strengthen the US nuclear fuel supply chain, and reinvigorate the nuclear industrial base," Urenco CEO Boris Schucht said, before thanking Wright, his team, "and the whole Administration for creating this momentum for the nuclear industry. This is really an exciting time in the US nuclear industry, and we are proud to be a part of it."

Schucht also thanked Urenco's customers for their confidence in the company: "We built this plant at our customers’ request, and they backed it with long-term contracts. It is a commercial, world-class facility developed without any public funding. Our investment will now increase to substantially more than USD8 billion at the site. We are delighted to retain our customers’ trust, which has made this expansion possible.”

_{(Image: Urenco USA)}

Unenriched, or natural, uranium contains about 0.7% of the fissile uranium-235 (U-235) isotope which is capable of undergoing the fission process by which energy is produced in a nuclear reactor - the rest is the non-fissile uranium-238 isotope. Most nuclear reactors in operation today need fuel containing between 3.5% and 5% U-235: this is also known as low-enriched uranium, or LEU.

The National Enrichment Facility began operations in 2010 and has the capacity to meet around one-third of the enrichment needs of US commercial nuclear power plants for LEU (the USA relies on enrichment capacity overseas for the rest). The facility has an existing annual capacity of 4.3 million SWU, to which 700,000 SWU of capacity is currently being added in an ongoing project due for completion in 2027. But demand for nuclear power is expected to grow in the coming years, while the USA has placed a total ban on imports of Russian-enriched uranium from January 2028.

Urenco USA currently employs more than 500 staff and long-term contractors at the facility. A report published late last year by Oxford Economics found that the operations of Urenco USA contributed more than USD360 million to the US economy in 2024-2025.

It says there are 228 operational research reactors across the world, with 65 engaged in fuel and materials testing and at least 14 more under construction, or planned.

"Irradiation testing in these reactors is central for qualifying new fuels and materials and ensuring safety and performance. Current methods may be limited in turnaround time, standardisation, and instrumentation, potentially impeding progress for stakeholders. The project seeks to improve throughput and fidelity and adapt to evolving requirements for newer fuels and materials, through information sharing, new testing devices developments, and establishment of a methodology for the design of experiments - thereby enhancing the efficiency and value of each experiment," the project paper says.

The project will examine irradiation devices such as capsules, rigs and loops as well as technologies for monitoring and controlling testing conditions during irradiation.

Petr Chakrov, Head of the IAEA's Research Reactor Section, said: "Research reactors have a distinctive role in supporting the safe deployment of new fuels and materials for nuclear energy production. They also support the supply of medical radioisotopes. By improving the way experiments are designed, we can help countries make the best use of existing testing capabilities, plan new ones and foster innovation across the nuclear sector."

The from those wanting to get involved.

"This first shipment is not only the start of full operations at Shirley Basin, it also marks Ur-¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's transition to a multi-asset, domestic US uranium producer," Ur-¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß President and CEO Matt Gili said, noting that the project moved from construction decision to production in just two and a half years. "This is a clear demonstration of our team's ability to progress through permitting, construction, and startup in a highly effective manner. Crucially, this milestone also validates our capital-efficient, hub-and-spoke development model and further strengthens Ur-¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's position as a leading US uranium producer," he added.

In-situ recovery - or ISR - is a method of mining uranium by dissolving and recovering it via wells. It is also known as in-situ leaching. At Shirley Basin, uranium is captured on ion exchange resin which is then shipped to Lost Creek for final processing, drying, and packaging. This hub-and-spoke model avoids duplicative infrastructure, improves capital efficiency, and can be scaled at an accelerated pace, the company says.

Shirely Basin has a licensed wellfield and toll processing capacity of up to 2.0 million pounds U3O8 (769 tU) equivalent, while the Lost Creek and Shirley Basin operations together have a combined annual licensed production and toll-processing capacity of 4.2 million pounds U3O8.
 

"This acceleration in demand is meeting a highly disciplined commercial environment," he said. Long-term uranium price indicators - which have been "incredibly stable" as well as reaching an 18-year maximum - make a "very strong foundation for any future term contracting", he added, with the market showing "clear signals of a fundamental shift" with pricing power returning to producers with proven and large uranium reserves, while utilities' procurement strategies are moving away from reliance on the short-term spot market towards long-term inventory security.

Kazatomprom's consolidated revenue for the first half of the year showed a 9% year-on-year growth to almost KZT718 billion (USD1.57 billion), reflecting financial discipline and favourable uranium market conditions, Yussupov said.

"However, challenging factors have impacted uranium production costs industry-wide, with us experiencing similar pressures. New realities are signalling that the era of 'cheap' uranium is fading away. But the fundamental urgency for secure, baseload, emission-free power is stronger than ever. Global utilities completely recognise this shift, and we are certain that long-term uranium demand is going to be consistent and powerful. Every single pound we produce will have a clear, committed, and waiting buyer," he added.

Alongside the results announcement, Kazatomprom said it has reached an agreement with China's State Nuclear Uranium Resource Development Company Limited (SNURDC) on a spot-term contract for the sale and purchase of natural uranium concentrates. SNURDC is a subsidiary of State Power Investment Corporation Limited.

Kazatomprom has also reached an agreement with Uranium One Group JSC on the sale of natural uranium concentrates, via physical delivery to the Siberian Chemical Plant JSC in Russia. Uranium One is an international group of companies which acts as the key operator for managing Rosatom's foreign uranium mining assets and is responsible for the strategic development of its mineral resource base abroad and is a shareholder in several of Kazatomprom's joint ventures (JV South Mining Chemical Company LLP, JV Akbastau JSC, and Karatau LLP).

The details of both transactions in terms of pricing, volumes and delivery schedules cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality terms, Kazatomprom said, adding that the "transaction parameters comply with current market conditions and prevailing market trends". The agreements are to be put to Kazatomprom's shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled for 11 September.

Recent months have seen several changes to the Subsoil Use Code, the law covering mining in Kazakhstan, with amendments due to come into effect in early September. These include amendments affecting the transfer of uranium mining licences granted to the national operator - currently Kazatomprom - for uranium operations, with stipulations on the minimum equity that Kazatomprom must hold in any entity to which licences are transferred.

Another amendment will see the legal framework for uranium exploration change from a licensing to contracting (subsoil use agreement) regime. Newly issued subsoil use agreements for exploration will be eligible for a one-time extension of up to five years. This amendment allows for a total maximum duration of 11 years for subsoil use agreements on uranium exploration.

Fossil find delays acid plant

In its update, Kazatomprom noted that a new 500-tonnes-per-year processing plant was commissioned by its Ortalyk LLP subsidiary at the Zhalpak deposit in July. Expansion of the facility to a total annual capacity of 900 tonnes is planned for 2027.

However, another major project - the TQZ sulphuric acid plant - is facing delays after the project contractor notified Kazatomprom that it has "encountered potential paleontological specimens" during earthworks at the site. "In accordance with the law on national historical and cultural heritage, construction works in the affected area have been suspended pending official permit from relevant state authorities to resume work," Kazatomprom said. "Specialised excavations will be carried out in the area to safely and fully recover the specimens for comprehensive laboratory analysis."

Sulphuric acid is used in Kazatomprom's in-situ leach uranium operations, but uncertainties over the supply of the vital reagent significantly impacted production plans in recent years. The plant is being constructed by TQZ - a partnership of Italian company Ballestra's Kazakh partner, the licensor and supplier of technology and equipment, with a 60% ownership interest, and Kazatomprom-SaUran LLP with a 40% ownership interest - founded by Kazatomprom in 2023 to implement the construction of the new plant. The total investment cost for the project has been estimated at about KZT113 billion (USD2.6 million).

The final assessment of the impact on the TQZ construction schedule will depend on the outcome of the mandatory regulatory procedures and the receipt of official findings from local authorities, with the timeline for construction subject to the completion of laboratory sample analyses and surrounding area surveys. "Should further samples be discovered or the excavation zone be expanded, a revision of the plant's project design documentation may become necessary to relocate infrastructure facilities outside the affected area," the company added.

"Due to the regulatory suspension of work at the affected zone, the scheduled commissioning date for TQZ, originally targeted for the first quarter of 2027, is now projected to occur between the third quarter of 2027 and the first quarter of 2028, representing an anticipated project schedule shift of 6 to 12 months.

"At this stage, the Company expects that this shift will not have a material impact on its uranium mining operations. Kazatomprom will evaluate the potential impact of this situation with the consideration of existing sources of sulphuric acid. This assessment will be factored into the Company's production guidance for 2027."
 

"Madaouela is a large, high-grade uranium asset supported by an extensive body of historical work, and we see clear opportunities to further define and optimise the project's development potential."

Thanking Niger's Minister of Mines Abarchi Ousmane and his team "for sharing our commitment to finding a mutually beneficial solution to the historical dispute", Hoskins said the agreement had been achieved through "constructive engagement with the Government of Niger and delivers a strong, commercially balanced outcome following a period of dispute".

The Government of Niger withdrew Canada-based GoviEx's mining rights for Madaoulea in 2024, after a 2023 coup d'état and change of government in the African country. GoviEx subsequently launched international arbitration proceedings, but both parties agreed to suspend these in January 2025 as negotiations continued

GoviEx merged with Tombador Iron in November 2025 to create Atomic Eagle. With new management in place at Atomic Eagle, the company said it has now reached a commercial resolution with the Republic of Niger. 

Under the structure of the newly agreed mining convention between Atomic Eagle and the government, the Madaouela exploitation permit is granted to MAMICO, a newly incorporated Nigerien subsidiary of the company, with Atomic Eagle holding a 60% interest and the State holding 40%. "The agreed framework provides long-term tenure security, a clear ownership structure, internationally recognised dispute resolution mechanisms, and a commercially pragmatic pathway to re-establish Atomic Eagle's interest in a large uranium development project," Atomic Eagle said.

Atomic Eagle will retain operational control of MAMICO and the conduct of mining operations, subject to the agreed governance framework. 

The company has agreed payments of USD5 million, payable within 30 days of the issuance of an exploitation permit, and a further USD5 million payable at the commencement of construction. The Government has the right to purchase and market a portion of production up to its shareholding in MAMICO, and under certain circumstances may exercise pre-emption rights or requisition up to 50% of the mine's output - but Government rights cannot interfere with binding offtake contracts already entered by MAMICO.

The arbitration will be withdrawn within seven days of signing the mining convention. 

Madouela has an estimated Measured & Indicated mineral resource of 96.9 million pounds U3O8 (37,272 tU) at a concentration of 1,275 parts per million (ppm) and an Inferred resource of 19.6 million pounds U3O8 at 1,330 ppm. This is a so-called a 'foreign estimate' prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101, the Australia-based company notes. The company has already begun resource verification and technical optimisation work, and intends to upgrade the estimate to Australasian standards - known as the JORC Code - later this year.

SOMAÏR - for Société des Mines de l'Aïr - was established in 1968 and was 63.4% owned by Orano and 36.6% owned by Niger state mining assets company Sopamin, and was the operator of the Arlit mine. Niger revoked Orano's mining permits following a military coup in July 2023. Orano announced in December 2024 that it had lost operational control of its Niger mines and in June 2025 SOMAÏR was nationalised. 

TSUMCO was set up by a Council of Ministers decree in May, at the same time that it announced the cancellation of the Arlit concession, granted to the French Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Commission (CEA) in 1968. The name "Teloua" refers to the underground aquifer on which the facilities of the COMINAK mine were operated by Orano and its predecessor company Areva from 1978 to 2021.

The decree creating TSUMCO provided for the continuation of work on "the perimeter previously exploited by SOMAÏR", pending the award of a permit for Large Mining Exploitation, the Council said on 21 August. "This draft decree is issued to enshrine the award of the permit for Large Mining Exploitation called 'In Azaoua', thus allowing the continuity of uranium mining in Niger."

The same meeting also saw the Council of Ministers adopt a draft decree on reallocating the mining permit for the Madouela project to the newly incorporated Madaouela Mining Company (MAMICO), the Niger subsidiary of Australia-based Atomic Eagle in which the state of Niger holds 40%. The rights to the Madouela project had been expropriated from previous holder GoviEx Uranium Inc in 2024.

The facility - located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone - is operated by the SSE Central Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management (CERWM), Ukraine's sole operator of ryadioactive waste disposal facilities. During the period of operation of the facility, 31 surface disposal facilities (trench-type) - measuring 150 × 50 metres - for the disposal of radioactive waste have been filled. The main engineered barrier providing the radionuclide containment is a specially constructed 1-metre-thick clay shield. The last repository, No.21A, was commissioned in 2018 and was fully filled by the end of 2023. In total, since the start of operation, about 635,918 cubic metres of Chernobyl-origin radioactive waste has been emplaced in the Buriakivka trenches. Radioactively contaminated vehicles, which were used during mitigation of the Chernobyl disaster, are also stored at Buriakivka. In 2012, CERWM started dismantling and size-reduction of these vehicles.

To expand the capacity of the facility through the construction of a new (trench-type) repository, No.11A, CERWM agreed the working design for the construction of the repository, taking into account the results of the comprehensive state expert review of this project, and earlier this year submitted an application for a licence to carry out activities during the construction phase of the new repository.

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), with the involvement of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS), conducted a state review of the nuclear and radiation safety of the Safety Analysis Report for the construction phase of the new repository to assess its compliance with the requirements of legislation, standards and regulations on nuclear and radiation safety.

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Board of SNRIU considered the results of the state expert review and approved its conclusion confirming the reasonableness of the design decisions taken and the safety of the designed repository, as well as the capability of CERWM to carry out activities during the construction phase of the repository in accordance with the established nuclear and radiation safety standards and regulations.

SNRIU recommended that CERWM ensures the updating of safety justifications during the construction phase of the repository, taking into account the actual implementation of design solutions, refined characteristics and radioactive waste streams, and to submit them as part of the Safety Analysis Report for the operational phase of the repository and other operational documentation required to subsequently obtain a licence for the operational phase of the repository.

The construction of the new near-surface repository, and subsequently its commissioning, will enable the continued disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated during the decommissioning of the Chernobyl plant, as well as from other entities operating in the field of nuclear energy, the regulator noted.

Designed to accommodate up to ten users, the 360-degree visual environment allows engineers, operators and project teams to step inside digital versions of facilities and operational scenarios before work begins on site. A team planning work in a restricted area can walk the route virtually, with live imagery from robotic platforms on site displayed as conditions change. The facility also provides a dedicated space for collaborative operations planning, enabling multidisciplinary teams to test approaches and respond quickly to emerging issues.

The project builds on expertise gained through AtkinsRéalis' Lava Lab network and the delivery of Sellafield Ltd's immersive facility at Hinton House in Risley, Cheshire, applying proven immersive technologies to support safer and more efficient decommissioning projects.

_{(Image: Sellafield Ltd)}

AtkinsRéalis said it played a key role in integrating Igloo Vision's immersive platform with Sellafield Ltd's digital information and operational requirements, creating a practical tool for planning, training and decision-making. Early engagement between the project partners ensured the design met operational needs while allowing flexibility for future expansion and innovation, it added.

"Decommissioning some of the UK's most complex nuclear facilities requires teams to make critical decisions efficiently and safely," said Richard Brook, Digital Solutions Lead for Nuclear at AtkinsRéalis. "This new capability gives nuclear and engineering experts a completely different way to engage with information. Teams can better visualise challenges and work through solutions together before activities begin on site. What's particularly innovative is the way we're bringing immersive technology and robotics together in one place. That's creating new opportunities to reduce risk, improve efficiency and help accelerate the delivery of decommissioning programmes."

Rav Chunilal, Head of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Sellafield Ltd, added: "What excites me most is not the technology itself, but the opportunity to fundamentally change how we tackle some of the most complex challenges in nuclear decommissioning. We've spent the last few years building capability across robotics, AI, digital twins and remote operations, and this is another important step on that journey. By allowing our people to explore, test and understand complex environments before work begins, we're creating a safer, smarter and more connected way of working."

Igloo Vision CEO Kerry Head said: "The RAICo1 facility demonstrates the real-world value of immersive technology in some of the most complex and safety-critical environments. By bringing data, robotics and 360-degree visualisation together in one shared space, teams can explore operational scenarios, understand challenges more clearly and make better-informed decisions before work begins on site. For Igloo Vision, this is exactly where immersive environments can make a meaningful difference, helping expert teams collaborate more effectively, reduce time spent in hazardous settings and support safer, more efficient delivery across nuclear decommissioning programmes."

The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo1) facility in Whitehaven, Cumbria, was launched in 2022 as the first network of robotics and artificial intelligence collaboration hubs across the UK. RAICo1 will ultimately be used by Sellafield Ltd, supply chain partners and academia to develop the technology needed to decommission nearby Sellafield and other sites like it. The facility is a joint initiative developed by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in collaboration with the UK Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Authority, Manchester University and the National Nuclear Laboratory. Offering the ability to test technology in environments that mirror those on the Sellafield site, such as gloveboxes and water tanks, the facility removes some of the challenges associated with working on the nuclear site.

"The final adjustments to the equipment were made during the morning and early afternoon, and before long the drill was already getting to work on the rock," said Kimmo Lehtola, Posiva's Construction Manager for Operations. "We have already practiced with a couple of holes and preparations for the drilling of the actual deposition holes have been ongoing for quite some time; this day has been much anticipated by our team. It is great to have the opportunity to drill for the first time a hole which will actually become part of the final disposal process."

The Deposition Hole Boring Machine rig was delivered to the Onkalo site in June 2022 from its German manufacturer, Herrenknecht AG. It is more than 9 metres long, 3 metres wide and almost 4 metres tall, and weighs 78 tonnes. The drilling rig complex also includes a 7-metre and 22-tonne energy unit and a 4.1-metre-high and 18.5-tonne drill processing plant. Four holes were drilled in late 2022 as test drilling operations of the boring machine by a crew from Herrenknecht. Posiva's own crew then drilled a total of four test holes assisted by the supplier.

The deposition hole now construction is being drilled vertically into the floor of a previously excavated final disposal tunnel. The finished hole will have a depth of 8.4 meters and a diameter of 1.75 meters. The centre point of the deposition hole must not deviate from the vertical centre line by more than 25 millimetres along the full length of the hole. The first deposition holes that are drilled will undergo even more stringent checks than normal. The first three holes, at least, will each be measured again as soon as they are completed before continuing with the next holes. If the permitted deviation is exceeded despite the monitoring, the hole will be rejected from final disposal use.

According to Lehtola, the drilling of an eight-metre hole in Onkalo takes about ten hours of effective drilling time. "The harder the rock, the slower the drilling process, but ten hours is a pretty good rule of thumb in our conditions," he said. Once the drilling operation becomes part of the normal production process, the goal is to produce about two finished deposition holes in one working week.

A deep geological repository comprises a network of highly-engineered underground vaults and tunnels built to permanently dispose of higher activity radioactive waste so that no harmful levels of radiation ever reach the surface environment. Countries such as Sweden, France, the UK and the USA are also pursuing this option.

_{A rendering of the underground used fuel repository at Olkiluoto (Image: Posiva)}

At Onkalo, used nuclear fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of about 450 metres. The disposal system consists of a tightly sealed iron-copper canister, a bentonite buffer enclosing the canister, a tunnel backfilling material made of swellable clay, the seal structures of the tunnels and premises, and the enclosing rock. The first final disposal tunnel that is now being worked on is about 330 metres long and will house a total of about 30 drilled deposition holes.

The Onkalo repository

The site for Posiva's repository at Eurajoki, near the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant, was selected in 2000. The Finnish parliament approved the decision-in-principle on the repository project the following year. Posiva - jointly owned by Finnish nuclear utilities Fortum and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) - submitted its construction licence application to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy in December 2013. Posiva studied the rock at Olkiluoto and prepared its licence application using results from the Onkalo underground laboratory, which would be expanded to form the basis of the repository. The government granted a construction licence for the project in November 2015 and construction work on the repository started a year later.

In July 2022, Posiva announced that the excavation of the first five actual disposal tunnels had been completed. The total length of the tunnels, whose excavation began in May 2021, is about 1700 metres. It is estimated that 100 deposition tunnels will be excavated during the 100-year operational period of the final disposal facility, and will have a total length of about 35 kilometres. The maximum length of each tunnel will be 350 metres. The tunnels will be about 4.5 metres high and about 3.5 metres wide.

Posiva submitted its application, together with related information, to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 30 December 2021 for an operating licence for the used fuel encapsulation plant and final disposal facility at Olkiluoto. Posiva is applying for an operating licence for a period from March 2024 to the end of 2070. The encapsulation plant and final disposal facility are intended for the used nuclear fuel generated by TVO's Olkiluoto and Fortum's Loviisa nuclear power plant units.

The government will make the final decision on Posiva's application, but a positive opinion by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is required beforehand. The regulator began its review in May 2022 and earlier this month announced the safety requirements for granting the operating licence for the world's first used nuclear fuel repository have been met. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment said it "considers that a proposal for the decision on the operating licence could be prepared and submitted to the government in the autumn".

Posiva President and CEO Ilkka Poikolainen said: "Our ambitious goal is to achieve operational readiness for the start of final disposal by the end of 2026."

By recovering tritium, UKAEA's waste teams can greatly reduce disposal costs for materials such as tungsten, beryllium, Inconel, steel, copper and carbon-fibre composite. When they are initially removed from JET, these materials are classified as intermediate-level waste. By removing tritium, they can be reclassified as low-level waste, which is up to ten times less expensive to dispose of, or even to be recycled into future fusion or fission machines.

Experimental trials on tiles and components removed from JET in late 2024 showed that they can be treated without prior disassembly. The trials also demonstrated that mixed material streams can also be processed simultaneously, replicating what would happen in an industrial-scale treatment facility. To remove the retained tritium, the materials are heated to elevated temperatures in the Materials Detritiation Facility (MDF) furnace under carefully controlled conditions designed to minimise oxidation. Limiting oxidation improves the efficiency of the process, reducing maintenance requirements, and helps to ensure the process remains safe and effective.

Tritium released during heating is carried from the furnace by the process gas stream and passed through a catalyst that converts gaseous tritium species into tritiated water, enabling its efficient capture. Once the furnace has cooled, the thermally treated contents are taken out and subjected to destructive sampling for further analysis. In addition to this thermal treatment, gram-scale samples from JET are being analysed to determine concentrations of other radionuclides and to quantify the amount of tritium remaining in the materials after treatment.

_{Materials after being processed in the Materials Detritiation Facility (Image: UKAEA)}

"Successful processing of these samples gives us access to evidence that has simply not been available before, allowing us to better understand the nature of JET materials and the challenges associated with their long-term management," said Xavier Lefebvre, head of waste at JET Decommissioning and Repurposing. "The insights gained from this work have the potential to fundamentally influence the future waste strategy for JDR, reducing uncertainty and enabling more informed decisions on waste treatment, packaging, disposal routes and decommissioning planning. By improving the evidence base that underpins these decisions, the work may also demonstrate more proportionate waste management solutions and a better understanding of long-term liabilities.

"It is an excellent example of how innovation, scientific ambition and operation can come together to deliver benefits not just for today's programme, but for the future of fusion decommissioning."

The MDF will remove retained tritium from materials and reduce the volume of higher-activity waste requiring specialist management on site, UKAEA said. As well as processing its own legacy waste, UKAEA said the MDF is available for use by companies and organisations undertaking similar cutting-edge research in waste and materials management.

About JET

JET was a tokamak fusion system with a doughnut-shaped vacuum chamber where, under the influence of extreme heat and pressure, gaseous hydrogen fuel becomes a plasma. The charged particles of the plasma can be shaped and controlled by massive magnetic coils placed around the vessel to confine the hot plasma away from the vessel walls. It was the only tokamak fusion machine in operation capable of handling tritium fuel, and was a key device in preparations for the multinational ITER fusion research project which is currently under construction in southern France.

JET was a European project built and used collaboratively by European researchers. It is now owned, and in its last years operated by, the UKAEA, and used by scientists from 28 European countries to conduct research into the potential for carbon-free fusion energy in the future through work coordinated by the EUROfusion consortium. The tokamak's first deuterium-tritium experiments took place in 1997.

JET's final experiments using deuterium and tritium fuel were conducted over seven weeks from August to October 2023, ahead of its retirement following its final pulse in December. During those experiments, JET produced the largest amount of energy achieved in a fusion experiment, breaking its own record set in 2021. Following its retirement JET has moved on to repurposing and decommissioning, a process expected to last until about 2040, and which is seen as providing further opportunities to discover and develop new technologies and skills for future fusion.

JET is now in the early stages of being decommissioned and repurposed by the UKAEA, under the JDR programme.

The Demonstration System will also produce bursts of high-energy fusion output exceeding 100 megajoules, making it the only "high-yield" fusion facility under construction in the USA. High-yield fusion refers to the capability to create certain conditions relevant to national security research, providing a long-sought platform for the science required to maintain the US nuclear stockpile without explosive nuclear testing.

At a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the start of construction of the campus, Pacific Fusion and the US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to identify collaboration opportunities related to high-yield fusion, high-energy-density science, pulsed-power technologies, advanced materials, modelling and simulation, and other areas of shared national interest.

_{(Image: Pacific Fusion)}

Pacific Fusion said its investment is also designed to establish the foundation for a broader fusion manufacturing industry in New Mexico. The Research and Manufacturing Campus project will bring more than 200 long-term jobs to the state, along with hundreds more construction jobs, workforce development programmes, and regional economic activity. Pacific Fusion is also expanding manufacturing operations in Los Lunas, where it will build modular pulsed-power components for its fusion systems.

Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 and is developing a pulser-driven inertial fusion system using modular, mass-manufacturable components made of readily available materials. Its technology advances decades of US government investment at national laboratories, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The company said it is now moving into the next phase of its growth, scaling production of its modular pulsed-power technology and expanding its manufacturing footprint in New Mexico. Its next major technical milestone is the demonstration of a full-scale pulser module, which will serve as the core building block for its fusion system.

"America pioneered the breakthroughs that brought fusion within reach. Pacific Fusion is focused on converting that scientific leadership into industrial capability and infrastructure that strengthens US energy leadership and national security," said Keith LeChien, the company's co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. "Today's groundbreaking shows that America can still build the hard things, and build them faster than any other country, including China."

"The country that figures out how to manufacture and deploy these systems at scale will create an entirely new energy industry around them," said Carrie von Muench, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Pacific Fusion. "We want that industry, its supply chains, and its jobs to be built here in America."