<![CDATA[World Nuclear News]]> <![CDATA[First Taipingling unit enters commercial operation]]>  ]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:31:01 GMT On 19 April, the 1116 MWe (net) domestically-designed pressurised water reactor completed a series of commissioning tests, including a test run lasting 168 hours, China General Nuclear (CGN) said.

The Taipingling plant will eventually have six Hualong One reactors, with a total investment exceeding CNY120 billion (USD17 billion). The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Hot testing of unit 1 was completed in September 2024, with that of unit 2 completed in July 2025.


(Image: CGN)

Taipingling 1 received an operating licence from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on 24 December last year. The loading of the first fuel assemblies began at the unit later that day following approval from the National Nuclear Safety Administration. A total of 177 fuel assemblies were loaded into the reactor's core. It attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time (referred to as first criticality) on 3 February and was connected to the grid on 13 February.

"After its official commissioning, the unit will generate over 9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the electricity needs of one million residents in the Greater Bay Area," CGN said. "This clean energy output is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 8.4 million tonnes annually and afforesting 20,000 hectares."

Construction of the second phase of the Taipingling plant - units 3 and 4 - was approved by China's State Council in December 2023, with construction of unit 3 getting under way in June last year.

"After Taipingling unit 1 is put into commercial operation, the number of nuclear power generating units in operation managed by the company (including associates) will increase to 29 units and the installed capacity of nuclear power generating units in operation will also increase from 31,838 MW to 33,040 MW," CGN noted.

]]> Taipingling 1 connected to the grid
First unit at China's Taipingling plant starts up
Fuel loading under way at new Chinese units
Hot testing of second Taipingling unit completed
Construction under way of third Taipingling unit

]]> true <![CDATA[OSGE and development agency sign agreement for Polish SMR project]]>  ]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:15:39 GMT The project will be implemented through the investment arm of the special-purpose vehicle BWRX-300 Stalowa Wola sp zoo, whose representatives were also signatories to the letter of intent.

Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) said the letter of intent is "the starting point for developing an investment agreement" between the Industrial Development Agency (ARP) - the entity managing the entire Tarnobrzeg Special Economic Zone Euro-Park Wisłosan - and OSGE, which plans to build a power plant featuring GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs). "The parties recognise the potential for cooperation involving ARP as an investor in the special purpose vehicle implementing the project in Stalowa Wola, with the investment decision remaining contingent upon agreement on the terms of the transaction."

Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) - a joint venture between chemical producers SGE and PKN Orlen - intends to build the SMRs at the Euro-Park Stalowa Wola Strategic Investment Park - an almost 1,000-hectare site that is part of the Tarnobrzeg Special Economic Zone Euro-Park Wisłosan. The zone is managed by the ARP and encompasses 35 counties and 261 municipalities in the Podkarpackie, Lublin, and Masovian Voivodeships. Euro-Park Stalowa Wola is intended for industrial investments supporting the development and implementation of modern technologies in the fields of energy, electromobility, transport, hydrogen, aviation, and automotive. The demand of Euro-Park Stalowa Wola investors for energy supplies is estimated at up to 1,500 MW in 2030.

In consultation with the city authorities of Stalowa Wola and based on analyses, OSGE has identified two properties within the Euro-Park Stalowa Wola Strategic Investment Park. An application to the General Director for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) for an environmental permit and to determine the scope of the environmental impact report is being finalised. According to the decision in principle, a maximum of four units with BWRX-300 reactors can be built there.

"It will provide a technological leap forward, thanks to the latest nuclear technologies and accompanying investments such as a data centre," said Rafał Kasprów, president of the Management Board of OSGE.

"The green transformation of Polish industry is not only a duty, but above all, a civilisational opportunity for our country to take a favourable place on the economic train of the future," said Bartłomiej Babuśka, President of the Management Board of the Industrial Development Agency. "This train is heading towards zero-emission and stable energy, and small modular reactor technology is its key driver and is destined for success. That's why, as the Industrial Development Agency, we are actively engaged in projects that will ensure the country's energy security and create a foundation for technological innovation at Euro-Park Stalowa Wola."

Krzysztof Telega, Vice-President of the Management Board of the Industrial Development Agency, added: "As an active investor, we are keenly interested in any serious project that brings us truly closer to our vision of a sovereign, independent, and green energy sector. Collaborating with OSGE on the construction of modular SMR reactors in Stalowa Wola is a milestone in the development of our special economic zone and a foundation of security for investors who are already planning their future here."

OSGE plans to build a fleet of GE Hitachi BWRX-300 reactors in Poland. In May 2023, the company received a positive general opinion from the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency regarding selected technical assumptions for the BWRX-300 reactor technology. This is an element of the pre-licensing process. In December 2023, the Ministry of Climate and Environment issued decisions in principle for the implementation of the investment in six locations: Stawy Monowskie, Włocławek, Ostrołęka, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Kraków-Nowa Huta and Stalowa Wola-Tarnobrzeg.

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH's US Nuclear Regulatory Commission-certified ESBWR boiling water reactor design and its existing, licensed GNF2 fuel design, a unique combination that GEH says positions it to deliver an "innovative, carbon-free baseload power generation source" this decade.

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

]]> Contract signed for generic Polish BWRX-300 design
Site of Poland's first SMR selected
OPG, OSGE enhance cooperation on SMR deployment in Poland
Progress in environmental permitting of Polish SMR projects
Companies sign agreements to support Polish SMR deployment

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Kairos breaks ground for Hermes 2 reactor]]> The Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will be the company's first commercial-scale reactor and is the first power-producing Gen IV reactor to receive a construction permit from the US regulator.

]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:22:45 GMT Hermes 2 is Kairos Power's first deployment under its 2024 agreement with Google to develop an advanced reactor fleet. It will supply up to 50 MW of electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority grid, helping to decarbonise Google data centres in Tennessee and Alabama.

The company is already building the Hermes Low-Power Demonstration Reactor - Hermes 1 - in Oak Ridge, a scaled demonstration of Kairos's KP-FHR fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor technology. The first non-light-water reactor to be approved for construction by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Hermes 1 will not produce electricity, but Kairos's iterative approach to development will see lessons learned from the project feeding into Hermes 2.

The Hermes series will be the first KP-FHRs ever built, the company said, incorporating proven nuclear technologies that originated in Oak Ridge including TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) coated particle fuel and Flibe molten fluoride salt coolant. Hermes 2 - which is being built on the footprint of the former Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant - is the immediate precursor to full-scale commercial plants, and will further advance technology, licensing, supply chain, and construction certainty for the company's future deployments, it said.


The Hermes demonstration campus in Tennessee (Image: Kairos Power)

Kairos Power will fabricate equipment modules for the Hermes 2 reactor at its Manufacturing Development Campus in Albuquerque, New Meixico, and ship them to Oak Ridge for assembly. The Barnard Construction Company, Inc is the general contractor for both Hermes reactor projects.

The Hermes 2 civil structure will leverage modular construction methods, incorporating precast concrete and a seismically isolated foundation, and the construction methods piloted with the Hermes series are expected to shrink project timelines, lower nuclear construction costs, and enable a standardised, repeatable design, the company said.

"For nuclear projects to be successful, we need more than just the right technology. We need to understand every aspect of project delivery. Hermes 2 is where that all comes together," said Kairos Power CEO and co-founder Mike Laufer.

Amanda Peterson Corio, Global Head of Data Center Energy, Google, said the Hermes 2 grounbreaking was a "major leap forward" in the company's efforts to accelerate the commercialisation of affordable, carbon-free energy,. "By pioneering a standardised, repeatable design, Kairos Power is addressing the historical challenges of nuclear construction costs. This shift toward a more efficient, factory-based manufacturing approach is a proven path toward lower-cost, cleaner power for our operations and the communities we serve."

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[First new Kursk unit 'ready for commercial operation']]>  ]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:47:13 GMT The 1,250 MWe unit was connected to the grid in December. During pilot operation there were a series of checks and tests at each capacity level before it was allowed to increase in steps to 100% capacity, which it reached last month. During pilot operation, Rosatom says, the new unit has already generated more than a billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

A decision is now awaited by Russia's nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor, confirming its compliance with all safety and design documentation before Rosatom can issue a permit for commercial operation of the new unit.

Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Director Alexander Uvakin said: "Pilot operation is a crucial stage, confirming the design conformity of the power unit's systems and equipment under various operating conditions. Following the completion of the pilot operation phase, the first nuclear giant is already one step away from full commissioning. This is a significant achievement for the entire Kursk NPP-2 team and Rosenergoatom, who are working hard every day to bring the unit's commissioning closer."

Oleg Shperle, Vice President and Director of the Kursk NPP Construction Project at JSC Atomstroyexport, said: "The completion of the pilot testing phase of Unit 1 of Kursk NPP-2 is a confident step forward for our team of like-minded professionals on the road to its commissioning. This was preceded by years of painstaking work by tens of thousands of highly qualified specialists from across the country. We brought this ambitious and technically complex project to completion, maintaining quality, meeting deadlines, and meeting budget."

Yuri Markov, General Director of Atomtechenergo, said: "The launch of Unit 1 of Kursk NPP-2 addresses an important strategic objective of ensuring Russia's energy security, replacing the decommissioned capacity of existing nuclear power plants and increasing the reliability of power supply in the central part of the country. The experience accumulated by Rosenergoatom and Atomtechenergo in commissioning NPPs with various types of VVER-1200 reactors allowed us to optimise the timing and scope of commissioning work at each stage of the unit's commissioning. Thanks to the coordinated and organised work of all participants, tasks were accomplished efficiently and effectively, enabling us to successfully complete all dynamic tests and commissioning work on the first attempt."

Background

Kursk II is a new nuclear power plant in western Russia, about 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) from the Ukraine border, that will feature four of the new VVER-TOI reactors, the latest version of Russia's large light-water designs. They have upgraded pressure vessels and a power rating of 1,250 MW.

Construction of the first unit began in 2018, its polar crane was installed in October 2021 and the reactor vessel was put in place in June 2022. Concreting of the outer dome of the first unit was completed in August 2023. The second unit is also under construction and the target is for all four units to be in operation by 2034.

Rosatom says the service life of the main equipment has doubled, and that the VVER-TOI units feature a mix of passive and active safety systems and include a core meltdown localiser. The new units at Kursk II will replace the four units at the existing, nearby Kursk nuclear power plant, which are scheduled to shut by 2031.

The first unit was shut down after 45 years of operation in December 2021 and the second unit followed in January 2024. The original design life for the four RBMK-1000 reactors at the plant was for 30 years but had been extended by 15 years following life extension programmes.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Grants allocated for Swedish feasibility studies]]>  ]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:50:03 GMT In February, the government proposed that SEK20 million would be allocated annually until 2030 by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to municipalities that want to conduct feasibility studies for new nuclear power. It had previously decided on a total of SEK15 million to municipalities during the years 2024 and 2025. The purpose of the grant, it said, is to prepare for, and shorten, the review periods for the permit processes for the establishment of new nuclear power. Municipalities had until 20 March to apply for the grants to be allocated this year.

"Grants may be given to such feasibility studies that contribute to developing working methods for a coordinated process that enables effective planning and permitting processes for the establishment of nuclear facilities," the agency said.

Thirteen municipalities conducted studies for the implementation of pilot projects for planning new nuclear power during 2024-2025, including preliminary studies on possible location, the municipality's role in the planning process, skills requirements and establishing of new nuclear power. 

The agency has now allocated grants - ranging between SEK550,000 and SEK4.35 million - to nine municipalities to conduct feasibility studies. These include: Gävle, Kävlinge, Nyköping, Oskarshamn, Svalöv, Söderhamn, Valdemarsvik, Varberg and Östhammar.

Of these, seven municipalities have received grants in previous application rounds in 2024–2025. Two municipalities - Nyköping and Söderhamn - applied for the first time.

The municipalities must report results and experiences from the work to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency by 15 December. The work on the feasibility studies must be completed by 31 March 2027.

"A lot of interesting results and experiences emerged through the feasibility studies that the municipalities carried out in previous grant rounds," said Lina Vogel, acting head of unit in the department for planning, assessment and supervision. "Results that can now, through this year's grant distribution, be taken further and deepened or supplemented. We will now follow the municipalities' continued work and our task is to ensure that there are good opportunities for exchange between the municipalities and also with us, the authorities in the area."

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 small modular reactors) 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 government received the first such application in December to support proposals for either five GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactors or three Rolls-Royce SMRs to provide about 1,500 MW 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. Last week, the government said it plans to take a majority stake in Videberg Kraft AB.

]]> Swedish state to take stake in nuclear development firm
Application submitted for Swedish SMR plant
Planning for Swedish SMR plant proceeds
Sweden proposes steps to facilitate new nuclear projects
Swedish government budgets for nuclear new-build

]]> true <![CDATA[Reactor vessel installed at third Zhangzhou unit]]>  ]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:21:55 GMT The vessel - weighing about 316 tonnes - is the high strength steel cylinder that will house the reactor core and all associated components, including the reactor vessel internals which support and stabilise the core within the reactor vessel, as well as providing the path for coolant flow and guiding movement of the control rods.

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said the installation of Zhangzhou 3's reactor pressure vessel "lays a solid foundation for subsequent key construction processes such as main pipeline welding".


(Image: CNNC)

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued construction licences for Zhangzhou units 1 and 2 (both with Hualong One reactors) on 9 October 2019 to CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, the owner of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project, which was created by CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%) in 2011. 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 2025 while unit 2 entered commercial operation on 1 January 2026.

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 2024, with that of unit 4 starting in September.

The third and final steam generator was moved into position at Zhangzhou 3 in January this year, with the inner safety dome being installed on the containment building the following month.

There are proposals 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.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Korean financing to be considered for Vietnam projects]]>  ]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:48:54 GMT "This memorandum of understanding was prepared to translate the commitment to nuclear power cooperation agreed upon at the Korea-Vietnam summit held last August into tangible results," the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) said.

The main contents of the MoU include reviewing financial support measures for new nuclear power plant projects in Vietnam, supporting the establishment of financial models to ensure financial feasibility, and forming a working group for nuclear power plant financial support. Both sides agreed to establish a regular information exchange system to proactively prepare customised support measures that meet Vietnam's financial needs.

"This MoU marks an important starting point for the expansion of the Export-Import Bank of Korea's financial expertise into the Vietnamese nuclear power sector," said Korea Eximbank President Hwang Ki-yon. "We will continue to strengthen our role as a 'reliable financial partner' so that our companies can establish themselves as key players in the Vietnamese nuclear power market."

Jang Young-jin, President of the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) added "as nuclear power projects are large-scale strategic projects where national capabilities are concentrated, the role of policy financing is of the utmost importance" and they would provide all necessary support "to expand the overseas territory of the 'K-nuclear' ecosystem, taking this cooperation as an opportunity".

"The proven technological capabilities of Korean companies and the Export-Import Bank of Korea's willingness to provide financial support will be a major driving force in leading Vietnam's energy transition and economic growth," said Le Ngoc Son, Chairman of state-owned national oil, gas and energy industry corporation Petrovietnam (PVN).

The MoU was one of 12 cooperation agreements signed between South Korea and Vietnam on 22 April following a meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Vietnamese President To Lam in Hanoi. Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) also signed an MoU with PVN on research and cooperation in nuclear power plant development.

Plans for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant in Vietnam were postponed in 2016 because of "economic conditions". However, the government has since revived its nuclear energy ambitions - citing energy security, development and net zero targets - and has been exploring the possibilities of small modular reactors. The National Assembly approved the government's proposal to restart the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project at its 8th working session in November 2024.

Vietnam's proposed Ninh Thuan nuclear power project consists of two plants, with each plant comprising two reactors. The Ninh Thuan 1 plant is located in Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district. The Ninh Thuan 2 plant is located in Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district.

In February last year, Vietnam's prime minister set a target to complete the construction of two nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan province by the end of 2030.

In March this year, an intergovernmental agreement was signed between Vietnam and Russia on cooperation in the construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 plant, to feature two VVER‑1200 reactors.

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]]> true <![CDATA[TerraPower starts construction of 'first US utility-scale advanced nuclear plant']]>  ]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:27:56 GMT The technology

Terrapower's Natrium 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor has a molten-salt-based energy storage system which allows it to temporarily boost output to 500 MWe when needed, enabling the plant to follow daily electric load changes and integrate seamlessly with fluctuating renewable resources. The Natrium reactor is a TerraPower and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy technology.

The licensing process

TerraPower submitted its construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in March 2024 and it was docketed by the NRC and the formal review began in May 2024. The NRC established an initial 27-month review schedule, however the review was completed in 18 months after a streamlined mandatory hearing process.

TerraPower began non-nuclear construction for the Kemmerer, Wyoming, plant in June 2024, and expects the project - which is near a retiring coal plant - to be complete in 2030. It is being developed through the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

The NRC issued the construction permit last month, saying it was the first commercial reactor approved for construction for nearly a decade and the first non-light water reactor in more than 40 years.

What they said

Chris Levesque, president and CEO of TerraPower, said: "This is the moment our industry has been working toward for a generation. We're not just breaking new ground on a first-of-a-kind nuclear plant in Wyoming; we're building the next generation of America's energy infrastructure. The Natrium plant will deliver reliable and dispatchable power to the grid and Kemmerer Unit 1 will serve as a commercial blueprint to mobilise a fleet of Natrium plants across the country and around the world."

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said: "The start of construction on TerraPower's Natrium plant in Kemmerer marks a major milestone not just for Wyoming, but for the future of American energy. Wyoming has long powered this country, and today we are leading again, this time in next-generation nuclear technology. This project reflects our commitment to reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a future built on innovation and Wyoming values."

US Senator John Barrasso said: "As the country's number one producer of uranium, Wyoming is the perfect place to build TerraPower's advanced nuclear reactor."

Dena Volovar, president of Bechtel's Nuclear, Security & Environmental business, said: "Bechtel is proud to partner with TerraPower as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor on the Natrium advanced reactor. By combining TerraPower's reactor innovation with Bechtel's processes, experience and execution model we will deliver these nuclear projects consistently, safely and at scale. By applying the latest digital tools and project delivery systems, Bechtel is uniquely positioned to deliver the nation's first Natrium plant with efficiency and execution certainty."

Background

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has been chairman of TerraPower since 2006. The firm's molten salt-based energy storage system means the Natrium plant can temporarily boost output to 500 MWe when needed, enabling the plant to follow daily electric load changes and integrate seamlessly with fluctuating renewable resources.


How a Natrium plant might look, with the nuclear island on the right and the energy island on the left (Image: Natrium)

In January social media giant Meta announced that its future nuclear energy plans included funding to support the development in the USA of up to eight Natrium sodium fast reactors - two new units capable of generating up to 690 MW of firm power with delivery as early as 2032, plus the rights for energy from up to six other Natrium units capable of producing 2.1 GW and targeted for delivery by 2035.

In February the Narrium reactor was accepted into the UK's Generic Design Assessment process.

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]]> true <![CDATA[US Air Force announces selections for microreactor deployments]]>  ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:40:12 GMT The three companies have been selected by the Department of the Air Force (DAF), in conjunction with the Defense Innovation Unit, under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) programme, which aims to deploy advanced, contractor-owned and operated nuclear microreactors on DAF installations in partnership with commercial reactor companies. The initiative aims to have seeks to have at least one advanced nuclear reactor operating on at least one DAF installation by 2030 or sooner.

Earlier this month the DAF announced Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana as the first two sites chosen for the ANPI initiative. It has now added Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, as the third potential location to site a nuclear microreactor under the ANPI initiative.

The three selected companies were among a list of eight technology developers selected last year by the US Department of Defense as eligible to seek funding as part of the programme to provide fixed on-site microreactors at military installations (the other companies were BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, Kairos Power, LLC, Oklo Inc, and X-Energy, LLC). Each has now been paired with one of the sites: Radiant with Buckley; Westinghouse Government Services with Malmstrom; and Antares with San Antonio.

"The future of air and space dominance is powered by resilient energy," said Michael Borders, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment. "By integrating advanced nuclear technology, we are not just keeping the lights on; we are guaranteeing that our most critical national security missions will never be held at risk by a power outage. This is a pivotal moment for the Department of the Air Force."

Radiant is developing the Kaleidos high-temperature gas-cooled portable microreactor. A year-long testing programme to advance the development of the commercial 1.2 MWe reactor design is expected to begin this year at the Idaho National Laboratory's DOME test facility. The company says the first Kaleidos reactors will be delivered by 2028.

"Together with our incredible government partners, Radiant is making the nuclear renaissance a reality," Radiant Chief Revenue Officer Mike Starrett said. "The American energy industry needs to make progress now, not in 5 or 10 years. With a full-power reactor already under assembly, Radiant will deliver."

Antares, founded in 2023, is developing the R1 sodium heat pipe-cooled microreactor, and says it is on track to conduct a reactor demonstration in 2026 and test its first electricity-producing reactor in 2027, with initial production deployments beginning in 2028. The company is in the final phase of the Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program to build a reactor that achieves criticality before 4 July this year. BWX Technologies began fabrication of the TRISO fuel for the company's initial reactors last October.

Antares CEO and founder Jordan Bramble said the company is "grateful and proud" to partner with Joint Base San Antonio, the DAF and the Defense Innovation Unit: "We built this company to deliver resilient power for missions like this," he said.

Westinghouse's eVinci is also a heat pipe-cooled microreactor, which can produce up to 5 MWe with a 15 MWt core design, running for eight or more full-power years before refuelling. The technology is designed to be factory-built and assembled before it is shipped. 

"Westinghouse's eVinci microreactor is perfectly suited to ensure our Armed Forces have the reliable and resilient energy they need for mission-critical operations globally,” said Rich Rademacher, President, Westinghouse Government Services. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the Department of the Air Force and the Defense Innovation Unit."

The ANPI programme is separate from the Department of the Air Force's microreactor pathfinder project at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, which the department describes as a standalone effort demonstrating the feasibility and operational benefits of a microreactor at a single installation.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Operating licence issued for Bangladesh's first nuclear power unit]]>  ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:37:58 GMT The checks included verifying "system design characteristics after the reactor unit had been run at nominal parameters. Dummy fuel assemblies were unloaded from the reactor core, and commissioning work on the handling and transport equipment was completed. The refuelling machine was tested in dry and underwater modes, confirming it is ready to handle nuclear fuel. Boric acid flushing of the primary circuit was successfully completed, ensuring no chemically demineralised water remained in the system", Rosenergoatom, which is part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said.

The licence was issued by the Bangladesh Nuclear Regulatory Authority on 16 April. The Nuclear Power Corporation of Bangladesh said the launch of the first unit will mark "a significant milestone in the development of nculear power generation in the country".

Alexey Deriy, Vice President for Bangladesh Projects at Rosatom's Atomstroyexport, said: "The next stage for unit 1 will be first criticality, when 163 fuel assemblies containing nuclear fuel are loaded into the reactor core. During 2026, the unit will be brought to minimum controlled power, followed by power start-up and grid connection."

According to reports in Bangladesh-based media, fuel loading is scheduled to begin within the next few days.

There are a number of stages of checks and tests in the commissioning process for a nuclear power reactor - all taking place under strict regulatory oversight. And these continue after first criticality, with new units having their power increased in stages, with safety tests and checks at each level before the power output is increased.

Background

In February 2011 Russia's Rosatom signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur, about 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The initial contract for the project, worth USD12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.

Construction of the first unit began in November 2017. Construction of the second unit began in July 2018. They have an initial life-cycle of 60 years, with a further 20-year extension possible.

The first batch of nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in October 2023 - the moment that the site got its status as a nuclear facility. In March last year, Rooppur unit 1's turbine installation was completed, as were hydraulic tests to check the primary circuit systems and equipment, followed by hot functional tests. Rosatom has included grid connection for Rooppur unit 1 as one of its key targets for the current year.

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 ]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Inner dome installed at Shidaowan unit 1]]>  ]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:47:06 GMT The Hualong One reactor design features a double-layered containment building, the main function of which is to ensure the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and it plays a key role in the containment of radioactive substances.

The inner dome of Shidaowan 1 - a hyperboloid structure composed of 70 wall panels, weighing 227.9 tonnes - was hoisted into position on top of the containment walls on 25 April.

China Huaneng said that the installation of the inner dome at Shidaowan 1 "marks the project's full transition from the civil construction phase to the equipment installation phase".


(Image: China Huaneng)

The company plans to construct four Hualong One reactors, in two phases, at Shidaowan with a total installed capacity of 4.8 GWe.

China's State Council approved the construction of units 1 and 2 of the Shidaowan plant in July 2023. First concrete for unit 1 was poured in July 2024 and that for unit 2 in May 2025.

"Once all four units are completed and put into operation, the base will generate 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the annual electricity needs of 17 million three-person households," China Huaneng said. "This is equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by 11.5 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by 27.6 million tonnes annually."

The first of two demonstration Guohe One (CAP1400) reactors at the Shidaowan site was connected to the grid in November 2024. The CAP1400 is an enlarged version of the CAP1000 pressurised water reactor developed from the Westinghouse AP1000, with consulting input from the USA-based company. The design is intended to be deployed in large numbers across the country, as well as for export.

The Shidaowan site is already home to the demonstration High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor-Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM), which entered commercial operation in early December 2023. The HTR-PM features two small reactors that drive a single 210 MWe turbine. It is owned by a consortium led by China Huaneng (47.5%), with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiary China Nuclear Engineering Corporation (32.5%) and Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (20%), which is the research and development leader.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Stellaria, CEA to consider experimental MSR at Cadarache]]>  ]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:16:09 GMT The letter of intent concerns the establishment of an 'Alpha' Basic Nuclear Installation (INB) - an installation involved in the handling, processing, or storage of alpha-emitting radioactive materials - at the Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission's (CEA's) Cadarache site. This installation will house a model, a fast-spectrum liquid-fueled (molten salt) demonstration reactor, and a salt production facility to supply the model and demonstration reactor. To this end, an area has been identified to study the feasibility of establishing the Alpha INB at the CEA Cadarache centre.

The Alpha nuclear facility will include not only the Alvin experimental reactor but also MegAlvin, Stellaria's 10 MWe prototype reactor.

The 100 kW Alvin experimental reactor, scheduled to start up in 2030, will carry out a test programme that will definitively validate the company's modelling and calculations of neutron-thermo-hydraulic coupling.

By 2032, after the end of Alvin's experimental programme, Stellaria plans to modify the facility to operate MegAlvin. The prototype reactor will be installed in the building that was used for the critical Alvin experiment, the main modification of which will consist of replacing some systems and the tank with another of a larger size (about 40-100cm).

MegAlvin's objectives are: to conduct endurance and qualification tests on the fuel; testing structural materials and systems specific to molten salt reactors; and to obtain sufficient and available feedback several years before the commissioning of Stellaria's first commercial reactor, the Stellarium, for 2035.

Stellaria - a start-up spun out of the CEA and Schneider Electric - submitted its application for the creation authorisation decree (DAC) for its Alpha INB to the French minister in charge of nuclear safety in December last year.

The CEA - a public research institution - says it plays a key role in nuclear innovation, notably by supporting the French industrial sector, major research programmes, and more recently, by assisting the winning projects of France 2030 in their development and industrialisation. The CEA Cadarache centre, located in Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, is dedicated to research platforms and technological development in low-carbon energy (nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, solar, bioenergy, biotechnology and hydrogen). Contruction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is under way at Cadarache.

The Stellarium reactor proposed by Stellaria will be very compact (measuring 4 cubic metres) and will be able to use a diversified range of nuclear fuels (uranium, plutonium, mixed-oxide, minor actinides, even thorium). Stellaria says the reactor is "the world's first reactor to operate with a liquid fuel capable of destroying more waste than it produces".

In November 2025, Stellaria signed a pre-order agreement with California-headquartered data centre developer and operator Equinix. Under the agreement, Equinix has secured the first power capacity reservation on the Stellarium, the reactor that Stellaria plans to deploy starting in 2035.

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) use molten fluoride salts as primary coolant, at low pressure. They may operate with epithermal or fast neutron spectrums, and with a variety of fuels. Much of the interest today in reviving the MSR concept relates to using thorium (to breed fissile uranium-233), where an initial source of fissile material such as plutonium-239 needs to be provided. There are a number of different MSR design concepts, and a number of interesting challenges in the commercialisation of many, especially with thorium.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Czech SMR project - early works contract signed]]>  ]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:53:09 GMT The early works contract allows preparation to start of site-specific documentation and materials for the licensing and permitting process, including for the environmental impact assessment and nuclear and construction permitting procedures, and related design work.

The engineering contract - which has been signed following a successful series of geological studies - does not include equipment supplies, "it is therefore not an investment decision or the start of construction", the signatories said.

Under the memorandum of understanding with the ministry, a working group will be established which will, in addition to looking into financing options, facilitate the continuation of intergovernmental cooperation between the Czech Republic and the UK and work on regulatory and legislative support and preparation of conditions for the construction project. 

Daniel Beneš, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Č, which has a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR, said: "Č's cooperation with Rolls-Royce SMR offers a unique opportunity for growth and prosperity in the field of nuclear energy, also thanks to our participation in the development of the technology. Thanks to the small modular reactor project, the Czech Republic and Czech industry can use and further deepen their traditional nuclear know-how. We are counting on small modular reactors alongside large nuclear power plants and renewable sources … equally important is the memorandum concluded with the state. State support is essential for such a large project, similar to the construction of new nuclear sources in Dukovany."

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček said: "The Czech Republic must build its energy future on stable, safe and emission-free sources that will ensure affordable energy prices and the long-term competitiveness of the industry. Small modular reactors represent a technological opportunity with a European impact and at the same time a chance for Czech companies and research to join the top of the global nuclear industry."

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR CEO, said: "This important contract unlocks a significant programme of work at the Temelín site, which will be delivered alongside our strategic partner and shareholder, Č … with contractual commitments now in place in both the UK and Czechia, Rolls-Royce SMR becomes the only company with multiple contractual commitments to deliver SMR units in Europe."

Background

The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Ninety percent of the SMR - measuring about 16 metres by 4 metres - will be built in factory conditions, limiting activity on-site primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested, modules which significantly reduces project risk and has the potential to drastically shorten build schedules.

In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected by Č to deploy up to 3 GW of electricity in the Czech Republic, and Č took a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR. The plan is for the first SMR to be deployed in the area of the Temelín site (which already has two gigawatt-scale VVER-100 units), with futher projects being developed for coal-fired power plant sites, including Tušimice.

The Czech Republic currently gets about one-third of its electricity from the four VVER-440 units at Dukovany, which began operating between 1985 and 1987, and the two units in operation at Temelín, which came into operation in 2000 and 2002.

The Czech government selected KHNP as its preferred bidder in July 2024 for two new units near the current Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, about 200 kilometres southeast of Prague. The engineering, procurement and construction contract for the Dukovany units was signed in June 2025, for two APR-1000 units at a projected  cost of CZK407 billion (USD18.6 billion). The aim is to start construction in 2029. In addition to the SMR project, two more large units at the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant are also being considered.

In June 2025 Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government's preferred technology for the country's first SMR project. A final investment decision is expected to be taken in 2029. In November the UK government announced that Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, would be the site to host the three Rolls-Royce SMR units. It said the site - where a Magnox plant is being decommissioned - could potentially host up to eight SMRs.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Hot tests completed at second San'ao unit]]>  ]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:31:04 GMT Hot functional tests involve increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should. Carried out before the loading of nuclear fuel, such testing simulates the thermal working conditions of the power plant and verifies that nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet design requirements.

China General Nuclear (CGN) announced that hot tests at San'ao unit 2 were successfully completed at 08:28 (local time) on Tuesday.

"The team fully drew on the experience feedback and best practices of unit 1 and previous projects, and worked together efficiently and with high quality to complete transient tests such as safety injection test, power switching test, and non-nuclear start-up test, as well as all tests required by the commissioning outline for this stage, achieving the goal of completing the hot commissioning in 51.9 months [since the pouring of first concrete for the nuclear island]," CGN noted.

Cold functional tests - which are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition - were completed at San'ao 2 in  October. The main purpose of those tests - which marked the first time the reactor systems were operated together with the auxiliary systems - was to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit.


The San'ao site (Image: CGN)

First concrete for unit 1 was poured in December 2020, with that for unit 2 following a year later. Unit 1 achieved first criticality in February this year and was connected to the grid in March. San'ao 2 is scheduled to begin supplying electricity in 2027.

The San'ao plant is the first nuclear power project in China's Yangtze River Delta region to adopt the Hualong One reactor design. A total of six Hualong One units are planned for the site.

The construction of two Hualong Ones as units 3 and 4 of the San'ao plant was among plans for 11 reactors approved by China's State Council in August 2024. The first concrete was poured for the nuclear island of unit 3 on 19 December last year. A further two Hualong One units are planned as units 5 and 6.

Upon completion, the project will provide more than 54 TWh of electricity annually to Zhejiang Province and the Yangtze River Delta region, reducing standard coal consumption by more than 16 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 51 million tonnes annually, CGN noted.

The San'ao project marks the first Chinese nuclear power project involving private capital, with Geely Technology Group taking a 2% stake in the plant. CGN holds 46% of the shares of the project company Cangnan Nuclear Power, with other state-owned enterprises holding the remainder.

]]> First San'ao unit connected to the grid
First unit at San'ao plant starts up
Third San'ao unit under construction
Cold testing of second San'ao unit completed

]]> true <![CDATA[Fuel loading begins for Bangladeshpro first nuclear power plant]]>  ]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:15:50 GMT Loading of nuclear fuel in a new reactor is a key moment in the construction of any new nuclear power reactor. It is the first stage of the unit's key startup phase and, according to reports in the Bangladesh press, will take about 45 days to complete.

The next step will see the reactor being brought to a minimum controllable power level, with checks and tests before the level is increased in stages.

Fakir Mahbub Anam, Minister of Science and Technology, said: "The peaceful use of nuclear energy will play a key role in ensuring national energy security, accelerating industrialisation, and promoting the development of a technology-based economy. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project serves as a symbol of Bangladesh's scientific progress and demonstrates the country's willingness and ability to responsibly and effectively harness advanced technologies."


Initiating fuel loading at the event (Image: Rosatom)


The first fuel being loaded (Image: Screenshot from Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission live stream)

Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev, said: "Today, Bangladesh joined the club of countries using peaceful nuclear energy as a reliable source of sustainable development. The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will undoubtedly become a vital element of the country's energy system. For Rosatom, this project is another important step in the development of global nuclear energy and in strengthening friendly relations with our international partners."

Background

In February 2011 Russia's Rosatom signed an agreement for two reactors to be built at Rooppur, about 160 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The initial contract for the project, worth USD12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin.

Construction of the first unit began in November 2017. Construction of the second unit began in July 2018. They have an initial life-cycle of 60 years, with a further 20-year extension possible.

The first batch of nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in October 2023 - the moment that the site got its status as a nuclear facility. In March last year, Rooppur unit 1's turbine installation was completed, as were hydraulic tests to check the primary circuit systems and equipment, followed by hot functional tests. An operating licence was issued by the Bangladesh Nuclear Regulatory Authority on 16 April.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Flushing of safety systems begins for Kudankulam unit 3]]>  ]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:17:55 GMT Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) called it "a significant stride in India's journey towards energy security and sustainability".

The flushing process, using demineralised water, is designed to check everything has been installed correctly and remove impurities from pipelines, check pump sets, process safety systems and normal operation systems. Samples of flush water have been collected and sent to a chemical laboratory for analysis.

"During the second stage, the active part, the safety system pumps are filled with water from the used fuel pool and then activated, pumping water into the open reactor. During the flushing operations, foreign objects that could enter the reactor vessel and damage its internal components during startup are removed from the pipelines connected to the primary circuit," Rosatom said.

Andrey Petrov, President of JSC Atomstroyexport, said: "The safety system testing phase is the final stage before reactor assembly. After this, testing of the primary circuit systems and equipment, as well as cold and hot runs, will begin. Our joint project with our Indian partners is proceeding according to plan and confirms the reliability and leadership of Russian nuclear technology. The commissioning of the second and third phases of the Kudankulam NPP will be a significant contribution to India's energy supply and will further strengthen the long-standing ties between our countries."

Background


The Kudankulam site, about 100 kilometres from the port city of Tuticorin (Image: Rosatom)

The Kudankulam site, near the southern tip of India, is already home to two operating Russian VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors which have been in commercial operation since 2014 (Kudankulam unit 1) and 2017 (unit 2). Four more are currently under construction, in two phases: construction of units 3 and 4 began in 2017, with work on units 5 and 6 beginning in 2021. Two further units - Kudankulam 7 and 8, larger AES-2006 units with VVER-1200 reactors - have been proposed as a fourth phase of the plant.

The first nuclear fuel was delivered for unit 3 in December under a contract signed in 2024 which covers the fuel supply for units 3 and 4 for the entire operating life of the units.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Rostekhnadzor approves Kursk II's first unit's readiness]]>  ]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:15:23 GMT The certificate, presented by Andrey Tyurin, Acting Head of the Don Interregional Territorial Administration for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, to Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Director Alexander Uvakin, (see picture above), signifies that Kursk Nuclear Power Plant II's first new unit meets the requirements of technical regulations and design documentation.

Rosenergoatom, part of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom and operator of the country's nuclear power plants, said the document confirms the unit's full readiness for commissioning and market entry, adding: "Our power unit is ready for safe and stable operation throughout its entire planned service life."

The 1,250 MWe unit was connected to the grid in December. During pilot operation there were a series of checks and tests at each capacity level before it was allowed to increase in steps to 100% capacity, which it reached last month. During pilot operation the new unit has already generated more than a billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Background

Kursk II is a new nuclear power plant in western Russia, about 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) from the Ukraine border, that will feature four of the new VVER-TOI reactors, the latest version of Russia's large light-water designs. They have upgraded pressure vessels and a power rating of 1,250 MW.

Construction of the first unit began in 2018, its polar crane was installed in October 2021 and the reactor vessel was put in place in June 2022. Concreting of the outer dome of the first unit was completed in August 2023. The second unit is also under construction and the target is for all four units to be in operation by 2034.

Rosatom says the service life of the main equipment has doubled, and that the VVER-TOI units feature a mix of passive and active safety systems and include a core meltdown localiser. The new units at Kursk II will replace the four units at the existing, nearby Kursk nuclear power plant, which are scheduled to shut by 2031.

The first unit was shut down after 45 years of operation in December 2021 and the second unit followed in January 2024. The original design life for the four RBMK-1000 reactors at the plant was for 30 years but had been extended by 15 years following life extension programmes.

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]]> true <![CDATA[First unit at San'ao enters commercial operation]]>  ]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:42:56 GMT The 1116 MWe (net) domestically-designed pressurised water reactor "completed all commissioning works on 29 April 2026, and is qualified for commercial operation", China General Nuclear (CGN) said in a notice to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These included a series of commissioning tests, including a test run lasting 168 hours.

In September 2020, the executive meeting of China's State Council approved the construction of units 1 and 2 as the first phase of the San'ao plant. The National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a construction permit for the two units on 30 December that year and first concrete for unit 1 was poured the following day.  First concrete for San'ao 2 was poured on 30 December 2021.

Unit 1 achieved first criticality on 14 February and was connected to the electricity grid on 12 March. It has entered commercial operation five years and four months after first concrete was poured.

The San'ao plant is the first nuclear power project in China's Yangtze River Delta region to adopt the Hualong One reactor design. A total of six Hualong One units are planned for the San'ao site.

The construction of two Hualong Ones as units 3 and 4 of the plant was among plans for 11 reactors approved by China's State Council in August 2024. The first concrete was poured for the nuclear island of unit 3 on 19 December last year.


(Image: CGN)

Upon completion, the project will provide more than 54 TWh of electricity annually to Zhejiang Province and the Yangtze River Delta region, reducing standard coal consumption by over 16 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by over 51 million tonnes annually, CGN noted.

The San'ao project marks the first Chinese nuclear power project involving private capital, with Geely Technology Group taking a 2% stake in the plant. CGN holds 46% of the shares of the project company Cangnan Nuclear Power, with other state-owned enterprises holding the remainder.

"After San'ao unit 1 is put into commercial operation, the number of nuclear power generating units in operation managed by the company (including associates) will increase to 30 units and the installed capacity of nuclear power generating units in operation will also increase from 33,040 MW to 34,248 MW," CGN noted.

]]> Hot tests completed at second San'ao unit
First San'ao unit connected to the grid
First unit at San'ao plant starts up
Third San'ao unit under construction

]]> true <![CDATA[Cold tests completed for Lufeng 5]]>  ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:45:41 GMT Cold testing is a key moment for a nuclear power unit as it moves from the installation phase to the commissioning phase.

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.

The cold test of unit 5 began on 17 April and lasted for 10 days. Lufeng Nuclear Power and China General Nuclear's Lufeng project department established a joint command with unified plans and unified goals and carried out the work in a "rigorous, cautious, meticulous and practical" way, CGN said.

Background

The Lufeng Nuclear Power Project is the first nuclear power project in eastern Guangdong Province. The proposed construction of four 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors (units 1-4) at the Lufeng site was approved by China's National Development and Reform Commission in September 2014. However, the Lufeng units have not been built in the numerical order their names would appear to suggest. The construction of units 1 and 2 did not receive State Council approval until August 2024. The first safety-related concrete was poured for the nuclear island of unit 1 at the Lufeng plant on 24 February last year. Approval for units 3 and 4 is still pending.

In April 2022 the State Council approved construction of two Hualong One units at Lufeng as units 5 and 6. First concrete was poured for unit 5 on 8 September 2022 and that for unit 6 on 26 August 2023. Units 5 and 6 are expected to be connected to the grid in 2028 and 2029, respectively. The inner containment dome was installed at unit 5 in April 2024 and the outer containment dome in October 2025.

After the completion of the six pressurised water reactor units the plant will generate approximately 52 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which will mean a CO2 reduction equivalent to planting approximately 120,000 hectares of trees, according to CGN.
 

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]]> true <![CDATA[Fuel loading begins at Changjiang 3]]>  ]]> Fri, 01 May 2026 11:59:50 GMT The first of 177 nuclear fuel assemblies was loaded into the reactor on 30 April, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.

"This marks the official entry of unit 3 of the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant into the nuclear commissioning phase, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent grid connection and power generation target, and taking a crucial step forward," the company said. "After fuel loading is completed, the project construction team will continue to uphold the core concept of 'pursuing excellence' and strictly follow technical specifications and quality standards to advance the subsequent commissioning work, ensuring that the unit is put into operation with high quality as planned."


(Image: CNNC)

First concrete was poured for the base slab of unit 3's nuclear island in March 2021, with that of unit 4 being poured in the December of that year. 

Cold hydrostatic testing - carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition - were completed in April last year. These were followed by hot functional tests, which involved increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should.

Changjiang Phase II - units 3 and 4 - represents a total estimated investment of CNY40 billion (USD6.4 billion), according to China Huaneng, which holds a 51% share in the project, with CNNC holding the remaining 49%. The construction period is expected to be 60 months. Both Hualong One units are scheduled to be fully operational in early 2027.

The Changjiang nuclear site is already home to two operating CNP-600 pressurised water reactors (PWRs) - Changjiang 1 and 2 - which entered commercial operation in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In 2021, CNNC also began construction of a demonstration ACP100 small modular reactor at the site. The multi-purpose 125 MWe PWR - also referred to as the Linglong One - is designed for electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater desalination.

]]> Outer dome installed at Changjiang unit 4
Changjiang 3 containment building completed
Cold testing completed at Changjiang unit 3
Outer dome in place at third Changjiang unit
Construction starts on second phase of Changjiang plant

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Darlington SMR project's foundation module milestone]]>  ]]> Fri, 01 May 2026 16:17:13 GMT Weighing in at close to 953 tonnes (2.1 million pounds) - more than the weight of three Airbus A380 aircraft - and with a diameter of 37 metres, the Basemat is the foundation for the integrated reactor building and containment structure. It was fabricated, welded, and put together in one piece before being lifted into place by one of the world's largest crawler cranes. This is the first time in Canada that a foundation for a reactor building has been assembled modularly, "putting the 'M' in SMR", according to Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

For conventional large-scale nuclear power plants, the pouring of the first concrete for the reactor's basemat is usually taken as marking the point at which a project becomes a nuclear power unit under construction.

The Basemat module features components made of Diaphragm Plate Steel Composite, an innovative and ground-breaking modular steel-concrete material, which were produced by OPG and its partners, with the help of skilled trades from across Ontario.

The Province of Ontario approved OPG to begin construction of the first of four GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) planned at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site in May 2025, weeks after the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued a construction licence. Early site preparation works began in the autumn of 2022 and were completed in early 2024, clearing the way for main preparation works to begin. The company recently submitted its application to the CNSC for a licence to operate the plant: it plans to connect the first unit to the grid by the end of 2030.


The basemat was lifted into place in a precision operation (Image: OPG)

Building the chain

Alongside the basemat lift, the Ontario government announced that more than 100 Canadian companies have now signed on to the supply chain to support SMR builds, with the recent addition of 16 new Ontario-based companies and six companies from Quebec and Alberta. Recently awarded contracts include Walters Group, which has been awarded a CAD44.5 million (USD32.8 million) contract for structural steel; Marmon Industrial Water, with a CAD17.8 million contract for a condensate purification package; Tractel, with a CAD9.9 million contract for the reactor building weather enclosure; and Hooper Welding, awarded a CAD8.8 million contract for sampling and collection tanks.

"Ontario just executed with great precision the first foundation of a new nuclear reactor in Ontario in over 30 years," Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce said. "This is a major achievement as the world turns to Ontario to refurbish and build large scale nuclear on-time and on-budget."

The SMR supply chain is "infusing" more than CAD500 million into Ontario's economy, Lecce added: "Our government is deeply committed to building more in Canada, which is why we are proud to invest at least 80 per cent of every dollar in the Canadian supply chain."

"With the foundation of the first small modular reactor at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in place, we are now able to begin building up, with the project team now advancing construction on the reactor building's structure, internal systems and components," said Nicolle Butcher, OPG President and CEO. "This was a milestone months in the making, requiring significant attention to detail and safety, as well as the hard work of dedicated trades and project partners from across Ontario."

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]]> true <![CDATA[Regulator extends Hermes 1 reactor construction deadline]]>  ]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:11:40 GMT Kairos Power was granted a construction permit by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in December 2023 for the Hermes 1 molten salt-cooled demonstration reactor at the Heritage Center Industrial Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was the first non-water cooled reactor to be approved for construction in the USA in more than 50 years. The permit prescribed the latest date for construction of the reactor to be completed as 31 December 2026.

Kairos Power broke ground for the scaled demonstration of its KP-FHR fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor technology in July 2024, with excavation works completed in October of that year. Safety-related construction activities, which are subject to oversight from the NRC, formally began on 1 May last year, with the start of work on the piers that will form part of the building's foundation.

On 24 March this year, Kairos Power to the NRC for the Hermes 1 construction permit to be amended, with the completion date extended to 30 April 2029. It said the extension request "is the result of development delays associated with the first-of-a-kind nature of the Hermes Test Reactor facility design and construction". The company asked the NRC to approve the amendment request by 30 October this year "to allow for the continued construction of the Hermes Test Reactor facility". 

Kairos Power said it has developed a revised estimate of the time and resources necessary to complete construction of the facility, which it now expects to complete in 2028.

In a 21 April , the NRC issued  an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact regarding Kairos Power's request to amend the licence.

Hermes 1 will be a 35 MW (thermal) non-power version of the company's fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor, the KP-HFR. Kairos Power submitted a construction permit application in July 2023 for Hermes 2, a proposed two-unit demonstration plant that would build on the learnings from Hermes 1 and would demonstrate the complete architecture of future commercial plants. The NRC approved the permit in November 2024. Kairos Power broke ground last week in Oak Ridge for Hermes 2, which will produce electricity. Hermes 2 is Kairos Power's first deployment under its 2024 agreement with Google to develop an advanced reactor fleet. It will supply up to 50 MW of electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority grid, helping to decarbonise Google data centres in Tennessee and Alabama.

The Hermes demonstration reactors ared intended to help mitigate technology, licensing, supply chain, and construction risk to achieve cost certainty for KP-HFR technology, Kairos said. The company is targeting commercial deployments in the early 2030s.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[US plant cleared for extended operation in record time]]> Duke Energy's Robinson nuclear power plant in South Carolina has been cleared for an 80-year operating lifetime after the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed the fastest licence renewal review in the agency's history.

]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:43:34 GMT The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licence for HB Robinson Steam Electric Plant Unit 2 - a single-unit pressurised water reactor plant - for 20 years. This is the unit's second, or subsequent, licence renewal: it received a 20-year renewal of its original 40-year licence in 2004.

This is the first licence renewal to be completed by the NRC under new federal timelines aimed at accelerating nuclear energy decisions. The NRC formally accepted the licence renewal application for docketing on 28 April 2025: the review process has been completed within the 12-month timeframe established under the executive order on the reform of the Commission issued by President Donald Trump last May, cutting six months from the regulator's previous 18-month review schedule.

"This milestone proves we can deliver results quickly without compromising safety," NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said. "By focusing on essential factors for sustained nuclear power plant safety and applying lessons learned from past renewals, our team was able to work efficiently while maintaining their commitment to enabling timely safety decisions."

Robinson is operated by Duke Energy Progress LLC. The 759 MW of electricity it delivers powers nearly 570,000 homes, and the plant supports nearly 500 high-paying jobs while making USD28 million in annual local tax contributions, according to Duke Energy. The company's fleet of 11 nuclear units at six sites in North Carolina and South Carolina meet about 51% of customers' energy needs in the Carolinas. Licence renewal extends the use of cost-effective generation, resulting in significant savings for customers over time, while extended operation sustains significant local economic benefits, the company said.

"Extending the operating life of this proven asset helps us deliver low-cost, always-on electricity for customers while supporting jobs and energy security for the region," said Steven Capps, chief nuclear officer for Duke Energy. "Robinson's subsequent licence renewal reflects the strength of our safety culture and the rigorous work our teams do every day to support our communities."

The plant, which was first connected to the grid in September 1970, is now authorised for operation until July 2050.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Funding pledge and tributes paid at Chernobyl anniversary]]>  ]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:55:28 GMT The memorial events and the International Conference on Nuclear Safety and Recovery were attended by people including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) President Odile Renaud-Basso.

As many as 600,000 people, known as liquidators, were involved in tackling the aftermath of the accident.

In his address to the conference, President Zelenskyy said: "Forty years ago, a terrible catastrophe occurred in Chornobyl (Chornobyl is the preferred Ukrainian spelling) - a catastrophe that had global significance and global consequences. Today, everything is already known about the causes of that catastrophe - the entire chain of decisions and mistakes that led to the accident and the explosion at the fourth power unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. People remember the heroism of our firefighters, who saved the plant and saved people. Today, I had the honour of awarding some of these truly heroic individuals who worked - or are working - here today. I want to thank you on behalf of all Ukrainians and all our guests. We thank you for your extremely difficult and high-level work, for your service to our state."

During the event, an agreement was signed with the EBRD for EUR30 million (USD35 million) of funding for the initial phase of restoration work on the giant arch-shaped New Safe Confinement shelter, which covers the initial shelter, which was hastily built in 1986 and encases the wreckage of unit 4.

Chernobyl at 40 - in-depth coverage


The New Safe Confinement, the world's largest man-made movable structure, was completed and moved into position in 2019, with a design life of 100 years. It is intended to allow the making safe of the earlier shelter (also known as the sarcophagus) and the material from the wrecked reactor within it.

However, it was damaged by a drone strike in February last year during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and assessments have put the cost of restoring it to its full design function at about EUR500 million.

In a joint statement, the conference attendees said: "We honour the courage, sacrifice and selfless dedication of the liquidators of the Chornobyl disaster, whose actions were instrumental in mitigating its consequences and protecting millions of lives."

In the statement they also "reaffirm our shared commitment to nuclear safety, environmental protection and international cooperation".

Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said: "We thank everyone who took part in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chornobyl explosion 40 years ago, as well as their families, for their heroic deeds. I am extremely grateful to the EBRD for its leadership in mobilising financial resources."

In her address to the conference, the EBRD's Renaud-Basso said: "It is deeply moving to participate in the ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl catastrophe, and to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who led the immediate response to the disaster. The immense personal sacrifice and heroism of those individuals cannot be overstated. Many put their own lives at grave risk, and countless others paid a lasting price to protect communities far beyond the reactor site. Their courage, resilience and sense of duty in the face of unimaginable danger continue to command our respect and gratitude, reminding us of both the human cost of disaster and the extraordinary capacity for selflessness in times of crisis."

She said that she welcomed the allocation of EUR30 million for the initial phase of repairs on the New Safe Confinement but said "we must be frank: the resources currently available are not sufficient … we welcome substantial additional pledges in 2026 to move beyond emergency measures and preparatory work to full implementation".

The IAEA’s Grossi, posting on X about the conference, said "safety can never be taken for granted" and recalled "how the accident led to global cooperation and a safety culture that defines the nuclear field today. Chornobyl is not history, It is a living responsibility". Forty years after the accident, "it is a moment to remember, to reflect and to strengthen our commitment to nuclear safety".

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]]> true <![CDATA[US NRC clears St Lucie 1 and 2 for 80-years operation]]>  ]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:21:18 GMT Initial licences issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for US commercial power reactors cover operation for up to 40 years; these can be renewed for an additional 20 years for an operating lifetime of 60 years. Subsequent licence renewals cover a further 20 years of operation beyond 60 years and focus on the management of plant ageing during the 60-80 year operating period.

Florida Power & Light’s St Lucie plant, based on Florida’s Atlantic coast about 195 kilometres north of Miami, comprises two pressurised water reactors, which began operating in 1976 and 1983, respectively. In 2003, the NRC extended the operating licences by 20 years to 2036 and 2043.

An extended power uprate was completed at St Lucie 1 and 2 in 2012 which raised the power output from each of the reactors from some 853 MWe to 1002 MWe, and the application for the subsequent 20-year licence renewal was filed in 2021.

Scott Bores, Florida Power & Light Company's president, said: "This approval ensures that St Lucie will continue to provide safe, reliable, low-cost energy for generations to come. We are pleased that nuclear power will remain an integral part of Florida's energy future and a vital contributor to the local and state economies."

Carlos Santos, St Lucie site vice president, said: "This approval represents the culmination of rigorous efforts by our dedicated nuclear team to meet and exceed regulatory expectations."

The plant generates enough electricity to power a million homes and businesses and provides around 400 jobs.

According to pro information, other US reactors already approved to 80 years as of January 2026 were: Turkey Point 3&4, Peach Bottom 2&3, Surry 1&2, North Anna 1&2, Monticello, Oconee 1-3, Virgil C Summer 1, Point Beach 1&2, Browns Ferry 1-3, and Dresden 2&3. Those with applications under review are HB Robinson 2 and Edwin I Hatch 1&2.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Kazakhstan strategy considers four nuclear power plants]]>  ]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:11:36 GMT The Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency developed the strategy, which has now been adopted. It said that "given the projected growth in electricity consumption, a project to build a fourth plant is envisaged, which will fully meet the growing needs of the economy and the population for reliable and environmentally-friendly energy".

The agency added that "options for constructing SMR-based nuclear power plants in suitable regions of the country will also be considered, taking into account technological and economic feasibility, as well as for replacing decommissioned coal-fired plants with equivalent nuclear capacity".

The strategy seeks to define "the goals, approaches and priority areas of state policy in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy".

According to the agency: "The document aims to ensure the country's energy security and sustainable economic growth, fulfil international climate commitments, develop high-tech industries and strengthen Kazakhstan's position in the global nuclear industry."

The key areas for advancement during the period include: the new nuclear plants - one possibly using small modular reactors "is being explored as a promising approach"; the development of nuclear science and applied nuclear technologies to create a modern scientific and technological base; the creation of an effective system for the safe management of radioactive waste and used fuel; strengthening the nuclear, radiation and physical safetry system; training nuclear specialists; and ensuring the “rational use of uranium resources”.

The agency says: "The implementation of the strategy will enable the formation of a modern and sustainable nuclear cluster in Kazakhstan, integrated into the global nuclear ecosystem."

Background

Kazakhstan is the world's leading producer of uranium. Although it does not currently use nuclear energy, it is not without nuclear experience: it has three operating research reactors, and a Russian-designed BN-350 sodium-cooled fast reactor operated near Aktau for 26 years, until 1999.

Kazakhstan has been preparing for a possible nuclear power programme to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, diversify its energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions for some time. Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund JSC, was set up in 2014. In a referendum in 2024 more than 70% of the 7.8 million people who voted answered 'yes' to the question: "Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?"

In June last year, Russia's Rosatom was selected as the leader of an international consortium to build Kazakhstan's first planned nuclear power plant - to be called the Balkhash plant - in the village of Ulken, also in Zhambyl district, on the shore of Lake Balkhash. China National Nuclear Corporation is lined up to build a second one, at a site also in the Zhambyl district, adjacent to the site selected for the first plant, as well as a third plant, Kazinform News Agency reported last July.

The government has had a target for nuclear to produce a 5% share of the national generation mix by 2035.

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Belgian government in talks to take over nuclear power plants]]>  ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:10:02 GMT Engie, the French parent of Belgian power company Electrabel, and the Belgian government said their Letter of Intent covers a proposed transaction which "encompasses the full scope of the nuclear activities currently owned and operated by Engie and Electrabel and their affiliates, including the complete nuclear fleet of seven reactors, the associated personnel, all nuclear subsidiaries, as well as all associated assets and liabilities, including decommissioning and dismantling obligations".

The joint statement said: "This initiative reflects the Belgian Government's strategic decision to assume direct ownership of the country's nuclear assets, in line with its ambition to extend the operation of existing nuclear reactors and to develop new nuclear capacity in Belgium. By doing so, the Belgian Government is taking responsibility for Belgium's long-term energy future, with the objective of building a financially and economically viable activity that supports security of supply, climate objectives, industrial resilience and socio-economic prosperity."

The two sides "will negotiate in good faith with the objective of concluding heads of terms by 1 October 2026". The Letter of Intent does not constitute a binding commitment - the completion "remains subject to, among other things, the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and the required third-party and regulatory approvals".

Background

Belgium's federal law of 31 January 2003 required the phase-out of all seven nuclear power reactors in the country. Under that policy, Doel 1 and 2 were originally set to be taken out of service on their 40th anniversaries, in 2015. However, the law was amended in 2013 and 2015 to provide for Doel 1  and 2 to remain operational for an additional 10 years. Doel 1 was retired in February 2025. Doel 3 was closed in September 2022 and Tihange 2 at the end of January 2023. Tihange 1 was disconnected from the grid on 30 September 2025. The fifth closed unit, Doel 2 in the Flanders region, was taken offline for the final time after 50 years of operation and disconnected from the grid in December.

Belgium's last two operating reactors - Doel 4 and Tihange 3 - had also been scheduled to close at the end of 2025. However, following the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022 the government and Electrabel began negotiating the feasibility and terms for the operation of the reactors for a further ten years, to 2035. A final agreement was reached with a balanced risk allocation - equal ownership of Doel 3 and Tihange 4 between the Belgian state and Engie, and the transfer of nuclear waste liabilities from Engie to the Belgian state for EUR15 billion (USD16 billion) payable in two instalments.

For the continued operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, Electrabel had to submit an extensive LTO (Long Term Operation) file with safety studies and an action plan to further increase the safety of the youngest reactors. This file was submitted in December 2024 for both units. Tihange 3 was taken offline on 5 April 2025 for a so-called 'LTO overhaul' - an extensive inspection and maintenance period with a view to safe long-term operation of the reactor. After a thorough analysis, regulator FANC and its technical subsidiary Bel V determined that the reactor meets the conditions for a safe restart and the 1020 MWe PWR resumed operation on 10 July. Doel 4 was taken offline on 30 June for its LTO overhaul and was restarted on 8 October.

In February 2025, Belgium's new coalition government announced plans to operate the two units for a further 10 years beyond 2035. In May 2025, Belgium's federal parliament voted by a large majority to repeal the 2003 law which set out a phase-out of nuclear power and ban on the construction of new nuclear generating capacity. 

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Canada announces new nuclear strategy and microreactor initiative]]>  ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:46:31 GMT Hodgson made the announcement at the Canadian Nuclear Association Conference, which taking place in Ottawa from 28-30 April. 

Citing the endorsement by 38 countries of the goal of at least tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, Hodgson said this was a time of opportunity for Canada to grow its nuclear industry to achieve energy affordability and security at home while seizing the global opportunity of an industry that is expected to grow by up to CAD200 billion (USD146 billion) per year by 2030.

The strategy, which is being developed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), will build on four pillars: Enabling New Builds Across Canada; Being a Global Supplier and Exporter of Choice; Expanding Uranium Production and Nuclear Fuel Opportunities; and Developing New Canadian Nuclear Innovations (including fission and fusion).

The first pillar - enabling new nuclear builds - focuses on "building big at home in both small- and large-scale nuclear", Hodgson said. "To do this, we must derisk nuclear investments, facilitate private and public financing, advance Indigenous partnership and prioritise projects that make economic and strategic sense."

Under the second pillar - positioning Canada as a global supplier and exporter - the minister said Canada was "assertively pursuing a nuclear energy trade strategy that will target priority markets and support Canadian players at all levels of the supply chain as they look abroad", leveraging "all arms of government, including the Trade Commissioner Service and Export Development Canada, to tailor our export goals to key markets with the highest chance for success".

The third pillar will see Canada "make the most" of its uranium resources domestically, "in order to reliably meet the needs of allies’ nuclear fleet expansion with Canadian uranium".

The fourth pillar will focus on next-generation innovation, "whether for power - such as SMRs, microreactors - or other areas, like fusion", Hodgson said.

"We are focused on nuclear energy security and innovation from coast to coast to coast. But perhaps there is nowhere it is needed more than in our North, where bills are highest, energy security is most fragile and sovereignty is increasingly important," Hodgson said. In recognition of this, Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy prioritises the North, including for new, dual-use infrastructure, he said.

"Of course, that infrastructure needs power. Ideally, power that is clean, reliable and Canadian. That is why, today, I am announcing a new joint feasibility programme with the Department of National Defence and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited that will assess the potential of Canadian-controlled microreactor technology in the North.

"The Department of National Defence is investing over CAD40 million this fiscal year to examine whether next-generation microreactors can safely and reliably provide heat and electricity for remote and northern DND and Canadian Armed Forces facilities. Importantly, while this work supports defence and sovereignty in remote regions, it also has broader civilian potential and could support remote communities and other industrial sites looking for clean, dependable power."

Recognising the underpinning role of science, research, technology and innovation for these plans, the minister noted the federal government's commitment of CAD2.2 billion over 10 years in capital investments at the Chalk River Laboratories, Canada's national nuclear labs, including the new Advanced Materials Research Centre and other critical infrastructure across the campus. 

"Nuclear energy is central to our future, whether you are talking about our economy, our security, our climate or our role in the world," he said. "The scale of the global opportunity is massive, but it is not one by which we should be intimidated."

Today, 17 CANDU reactors in Ontario and New Brunswick generate about 13% of Canada's electricity and the nuclear energy sector adds CAD22 billion annually to the Canadian economy, according to NRCan. The nation produced about 24% of total global uranium output in 2024. About 90% of its uranium production is exported to fuel nuclear power plants.
 

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]]> true <![CDATA[EC to examine Romanian plans for funding reactor refurbishment]]>  ]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:53:04 GMT In January, Romania notified the EC of its plan to support the refurbishment of Cernavoda 1 reactor, which began commercial operation in 1996 and currently supplies about 10% of the country's electricity. The beneficiary of the support is Nuclearelectrica, the owner and operator of the Cernavoda plant, which is majority-owned by the Romanian State and the only nuclear power operator in the country. The estimated nominal value of the project is EUR3.2 billion (USD3.8 billion).

Romania plans to support the refurbishment of the nuclear unit through four measures: a grant of EUR600 million; state guarantees for loans taken to finance the investment; a two-way contract for difference (CfD) running for 30 years to provide stable revenues to the plant; and a protection mechanism for regulatory changes during construction and operation.

"At this stage, based on its preliminary assessment, the Commission has found the project necessary and considers that the aid facilitates the development of an economic activity," the EC said. "Nevertheless, the Commission has doubts on whether the measure is fully in line with EU State aid rules."

It has therefore decided to open an in-depth investigation in relation to: the appropriateness and proportionality of the aid package; the impact of the measure on competition in the market and whether this is kept to the minimum; and the compliance with other provisions of EU law, "in particular with the design principles set out in Article 19d(2) of the Electricity Regulation as regards the CfD".

Cernavoda consists of two 650 MWe Candu-6 reactors. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in 1996 and unit 2 in 2007. Nuclearelectrica plans to extend the operating life of unit 1 to 60 years. The unit 1 refurbishment project began in 2017 and is currently in the second of three phases. The third phase, scheduled for 2027 to 2029, starts with the shutdown of unit 1 and includes all the work required on it, and its recommissioning.

In December 2024, the company signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the refurbishment with a consortium of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, AtkinsRéalis's Candu Energy, Canadian Commercial Corporation and Ansaldo Nucleare. In September last year, Nuclearelectrica signed a EUR540 million financing contract with a banking syndicate led by JP Morgan for the refurbishment. Under a contract signed in October last year, France's Arabelle Solutions will provide equipment and services for the refurbishment of Cernavoda 1’s turbine-generator, as part of the 30-year life extension project.

Candu units are pressurised heavy water reactors designed to operate for 30 years, with a further 30 years available subject to refurbishment. This includes the replacement of key reactor components such as steam generators, pressure tubes, calandria tubes and feeder tubes. It involves removing all the reactor's fuel and heavy water and isolating it from the rest of the power station before it is dismantled. Thousands of components, including those that are not accessible when the reactor is assembled, are inspected, and all 480 fuel channels and 960 feeder tubes are replaced during the high-precision rebuild.

]]> Hungary and Romania talk nuclear life extensions
Arabelle and Framatome sign Cernavoda agreements
Nuclearelectrica signs financing contracts for Cernavoda projects
Infrastructure work begins for Cernavoda 1 refurb project
KHNP, Candu Energy and Ansaldo Nucleare sign Cernavoda 1 refurb deal

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Bruce Power to share nuclear knowledge with Energy Alberta]]>  ]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:21:04 GMT The Bruce Power site in Ontario was home to Canada's first commercial reactor, Douglas Point, which operated from 1967 to 1984, and its current fleet of eight Candu pressurised heavy water reactors are being refurbished to operate for several decades to come. Bruce Power is also exploring the option for a Bruce C project and up to 4,800 MW of new nuclear on its site. The proposed Bruce C Project is the first new nuclear development in Canada to enter the federal Impact Assessment process. Fifteen years ago, Bruce Power undertook extensive feasibility studies to evaluate options for new nuclear development in Alberta, work that helped shape its current approach to long‑range planning, regulatory readiness, and community and Indigenous engagement.

Alberta does not currently have any nuclear power capacity, but construction of a plant featuring two to four Candu Monark reactors on a site in the Peace River area of Northern Alberta has been proposed by Energy Alberta. Last year, the province launched a public engagement initiative and public survey about nuclear energy's potential to meet future energy needs. More recently, Westinghouse and Energy Alberta signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on exploring the deployment of an AP1000.

Energy Alberta said it is interested in Bruce Power's perspective on governance models, regulatory considerations and how nuclear generation would complement Alberta's existing and future energy mix. The collaboration does not include a commitment to development, timelines or specific technologies.

"The agreement enables structured information‑sharing on topics such as early‑stage project frameworks, regulatory pathways, Indigenous and stakeholder engagement approaches, and lessons learned from operating and planning nuclear facilities in Canada," Bruce Power said. "Given Energy Alberta's private‑sector structure and early mandate, engagement under the agreement will remain appropriately scoped and exploratory. Bruce Power is uniquely positioned to share its expertise in operating a nuclear facility through a private-public partnership."

"Bruce Power understands what it means to explore nuclear energy carefully, deliberately, and over the long term," said Bruce Power Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President James Scongack. "This collaboration allows us to share practical insights from our own feasibility work and planning experience with Energy Alberta."

Energy Alberta CEO and President Scott Henuset added: "At a time when energy security and economic resilience are more closely linked than ever, co-operation within Canada's nuclear energy sector is critical. Bruce Power's past experience in the same area as our proposed project, as well as their current work, provides a credible reference point and valuable insights as we advance planning for the future of nuclear energy in Western Canada."

The partners also noted that the collaboration agreement also builds on the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding around energy and a commitment within it to collaborate to develop a nuclear generation strategy to build and operate a competitive nuclear power site that can serve the Alberta and inter-connected markets by 2050.

Last week, Bruce Power signed a memorandum of understanding with SaskPower to share its expertise in nuclear generation, project development, and long-term operations as Saskatchewan evaluates large nuclear technologies for potential use in the province. The provincial government of Saskatchewan and utility SaskPower announced plans in January to formally evaluate large nuclear reactor technologies for use in the province. Saskatchewan already has plans for the deployment of small modular reactors.

]]> Bruce Power to share large reactor experience with SaskPower
Nuclear strategy included in Alberta MoU
AP1000 under consideration for deployment in Alberta
Study confirms feasibility of Xe-100 SMR for Alberta
Alberta launches public consultation on nuclear energy

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Adani launches nuclear subsidiary]]> Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:21:59 GMT Adani Power has notified the National Stock Exchange of India Limited that its wholly owned Adani Atomic Energy Limited subsidiary incorporated Coastal-Maha Atomic Energy Limited on 13 April. The Certificate of Incorporation was received on 18 April.

Adani Power, part of the diversified Adani Group, is the largest private thermal power producer in India with an installed thermal power capacity of 12,410 MW spread across six power plants in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, plus a 40 MW solar power plant in Gujarat.

According to the stock exchange filing, Coastal-Maha Atomic Energy Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Atomic Energy Limited.

Adani Power was announced by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) last year as having expressed interest in using Bharat Small Reactors - compact 220 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors which are being designed and developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and NPCIL.

Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the July 2024 budget that the government would partner with the private sector to set up Bharat Small Reactors as part of its efforts to achieve net-zero goals. The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act 2025, which completed the legislative process in late 2025, opens up India's nuclear sector to participation from private companies.

The Business Standard reported that Adani Power's stock rose 3.15% following the announcement.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Indiana pharma company explores nuclear energy options]]>  ]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:54:33 GMT Under the agreement, the parties will:

1. Explore and evaluate the technical, economic, regulatory, and environmental feasibility of nuclear energy solutions in Indiana.

2. Consider potential structures for future procurement and deployment, including potential public private approaches, ownership and operating concepts, and power purchase arrangements.

3. Support long-term energy reliability, resilience, economic development, industrial growth, workforce development, and emissions reduction goals in Indiana.

Areas for collaboration set out in the cover feasibility and planning, including amongst other things preliminary site screening and assessment for candidate locations, grid interconnection considerations and infrastructure needs assessment, and preliminary cost, schedule, and risk assessments; technology evaluation, including a review of advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors and other next generation reactor designs; regulatory and policy coordination; and workforce and economic development.

Indiana currently has no nuclear generating capacity, but nuclear features in Braun's vision for the state as a premier location to invest and build new nuclear energy, saying it will help lower energy prices for citizens. The state is part of a multistate initiative launched in January 2025 to explore ways to accelerate advanced nuclear projects by bringing down project costs, and has also partnered with Indiana-headquartered fast-spectrum small modular reactor designer First American Nuclear Co (FANCO) in plans for an energy park based on the company's EAGL-1 lead-bismuth cooled 240MWe small modular reactor. FANCO recently submitted its regulatory engagement plan for the EAGL-1 to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"Today, I'm proud to enter into this partnership with Lilly to explore how we can collaborate on making Indiana the nation’s nuclear energy leader," Braun said.

Eli Lilly is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

"For 150 years, Lilly has grown alongside Indiana. Advanced nuclear technology represents the kind of bold, clean energy solution our state needs to power the next generation of innovation, and it directly supports Lilly's own commitment to reduce our environmental footprint. We're proud to partner with the state to help make it a reality," the company's chair and CEO Dave Ricks said.

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]]> true <![CDATA[French nuclear supply chain boosting capacity]]>  ]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:21:40 GMT Orano Projects, a subsidiary of Orano, inaugurated its new building on Friday. The ceremony took place in the presence of state representatives, local elected officials, institutional and economic stakeholders from the region, industrial partners, and employees.

"This event marks a key milestone in a major modernisation programme for the Pierrelatte site, launched in September 2024," Orano said. "This programme includes the construction of a new building, the complete renovation of a second building, and, by 2027, the renovation of a third building, ultimately providing a fully modernised engineering platform. Its capacity has been doubled, increasing from 300 to 600 employees."

Established in Pierrelatte since 1986, Orano's engineering department now benefits from a modernised site. Covering an area of ​​more than 5,600 square metres, it offers a functional working environment, organised into open-plan areas promoting collaboration between teams, quality of working life and fully meeting accessibility requirements.

Orano said the 'Le Gardon' building - named after its location - exemplifies the group's strong local ties. The EUR7 million (USD8.2 million) project, carried out between 2024 and early 2026, was awarded to local companies, contributing to the region's economic vitality.

"Safety was a top priority throughout the entire construction process, which was completed without incident," said Denis Lyonnet, Director of Orano's Southeast Engineering division. "We opted for a sustainable building, incorporating concrete solutions to reduce our environmental footprint: photovoltaic electricity generation panels, eco-mobility solutions, optimised energy consumption management, a permeable parking lot, and a rainwater harvesting system. It was designed by an architect from Pierrelatte and built with local companies. This project, developed collaboratively with our employees, is deeply rooted in its local community and supports a rapidly growing engineering division."

Guillaume Dureau, Director of Engineering, Innovation, R&D and New Business Activities at the Orano Group, added: "I am proud to inaugurate this new building in Pierrelatte today. It brings together teams that are currently working at the heart of the Group's major projects. To meet our challenges and support the growth of our activities, we are aiming for 600 new engineering hires in France by 2026."

The Pierrelatte site is part of a broader real estate investment programme undertaken by Orano to support the significant expansion of its engineering activities, linked to the revitalisation of the nuclear sector. This momentum supports the implementation of strategic projects such as the expansion of the Georges Besse II enrichment plant, the extension of the lifespan of the back-end fuel cycle plants, and their modernisation as part of the 'Future Back-Cycle' programme. This programme entails an unprecedented increase in skills: 500 engineers and technicians will be recruited each year, enabling the group to double its engineering workforce by 2030.

New heat exchanger factory

EDF has announced an investment of nearly EUR100 million by its subsidiary Arabelle Solutions to build a new 20,000-square-metre factory in Chalon-sur-Saône. The factory will manufacture heat exchangers for the future construction programme of six EPR2 reactors - and eight additional potential EPR2 reactors - in France, as well as for new build programmes abroad. This investment will result in the creation of about 160 local jobs by 2030.

The factory will manufacture key equipment designed to optimise heat exchange in the turbine hall of a nuclear power plant, where electricity is generated. This includes moisture separator reheaters, as well as high- and low-pressure heaters. The first equipment manufacturing is scheduled to begin in 2030. Arabelle Solutions in Chalon-sur-Saône will have the production capacity to supply, each year, all this equipment for a nuclear power plant.
 
This project forms part of the investment plan of Arabelle Solutions and builds on the investments announced in January for the site at Belfort, in eastern France. These investments will help ensure the equipment of future EPR2 nuclear power plants through a French production chain. Arabelle Solutions will be able to supply and integrate the full set of equipment for the turbine hall of a nuclear power plant.

"This investment marks a major milestone for the EDF Group and for the revival of nuclear power," said EDF CEO Bernard Fontana. "It strengthens the Group's industrial capabilities for the deployment of six EPR2 reactors and eight additional potential EPR2 reactors in France, as well as new reactors internationally. In Chalon-sur-Saône, Arabelle Solutions is developing key skills and production capacities for essential equipment in the turbine hall. This new factory helps structure an integrated value chain, serving competitive, sovereign and low‑carbon electricity - vital to the energy security of France and Europe."

In February 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the time was right for a nuclear renaissance in France, saying the operation of all existing reactors should be extended without compromising safety and unveiling a proposed programme for six new EPR2 reactors, with an option for a further eight EPR2 reactors to follow. The first three pairs of EPR2 reactors are proposed to be built, in order, at the Penly, Gravelines and Bugey sites. Construction is expected to start in 2027.

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]]> true <![CDATA[US research reactor first to produce electricity]]>  ]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:41:39 GMT The project is a collaboration between advanced nuclear energy company Elemental Nuclear Energy Corporation - which is developing next-generation microreactors and high-performance Brayton Cycle power generators - and the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering's Nuclear Engineering Programme. The demonstration will involve collaboration among students and faculty from twelve universities across the USA and internationally.

The university's TRIGA reactor, which was installed in October 1975, is used for research purposes, The heat it produces is usually bled off by cooling systems rather than being captured to generate electricity. Elemental's innovation is a compact, cold-helium-based power generator that pairs with low-temperature microreactors, replacing steam turbines and their large footprints.

During the experiment, the thermal energy generated by the reactor will be partially captured and converted into electricity using a compact Brayton Cycle power system. The system utilises a 'cold' or 'reverse' Brayton cycle, in which a helium working fluid is compressed, heated using reactor pool water, expanded through a turbine generator, and subsequently cooled via a cryogenic heat exchanger.

Once connected, the resulting electricity will be used to power a high-performance GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) node executing a live AI workload.

The experiment is designed as a proof-of-concept system with the following targets: thermal input from TRIGA reactor water of about 50 kW; turbine output of about 13 kW; and net electrical generation of about 2-3 kW. The system is intended to demonstrate that even small nuclear platforms can produce usable electricity sufficient to power modern computing systems.

"While the 2-3 kW output is modest compared to the hundreds-of-megawatts full-scale data centres will require, it's a symbolic first step towards powering the future," Elemental said.

The AI component of the experiment is supported through collaboration with the University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, which brings expertise in the design, development, and operation of AI infrastructure.

"This project is intended to demonstrate a powerful principle," said Mike Luther, Founder of Elemental Nuclear. "The energy produced through nuclear fission can ultimately power the computational systems driving artificial intelligence.

"Our objective is to deliver a commercially viable nuclear microreactor by 2030–2031. Experiments like this enable us to move quickly, validate real-world systems, and build toward scalable solutions."

TRIGA - standing for Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics - reactors are primarily used for student training, research projects and isotope production. These reactors operate at thermal power levels from less than 0.1 to 16 megawatts, and are pulsed to 22,000 megawatts. Three generations of the pool-type reactor have been built around the world since 1960, 36 of which remain in operation today. Twelve of the 18 TRIGA reactors in the USA are located at universities.

Ted Goodell, the University of Utah's reactor manager, said: "This will be, to our knowledge, the first time any university reactor has produced electricity, not just our own. It's a milestone for our students, but it also shows that small, safe reactors could live at data centres, rather than in labs."

]]> TRIGA fuel supply resumes after 10-year hiatus

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[JSC Dalur construction at new uranium deposit gets regulatory approval]]> Nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor has issued a certificate for the successful construction and installation of the first mobile sorption unit at the Verkhne-Uksyanskaya deposit of the Dalmatovskoye uranium deposit.
 

]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:46:50 GMT JSC Dalur, part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom's mining division, has built Operation Unit U-14V at the deposit, which includes a mobile sorption unit which is described as "a high-tech complex of modular containers: sorption columns, solution and sorbent tanks, an electrical substation, and a control room. The facility includes nearly 2,000 metres of process pipeline overpasses and utility networks, as well as fire-fighting tanks with a total capacity of 120 cubic metres".

The mobile sorption unit can be relocated between sites rapidly and is focused on remote areas, with Rosatom saying its main advantages are "mobility, rapid commissioning, and a significant reduction in capital expenditures compared with traditional stationary facilities".

The compliance certificate was issued by the Ural Interregional Territorial Administration for Supervision of Nuclear and Radiation Safety, which is part of Rostekhnadzor. Rosatom said the final inspection "confirmed that all construction and installation stages were completed in strict compliance with approved technical regulations and industrial safety standards".

Dinis Ezhurov, CEO of Dalur JSC, said: "The next stage of deposit development will be the commissioning of the new production unit. Equipped with cutting-edge equipment, this unit will enable us to maintain the required uranium production volumes for the needs of Russia's nuclear energy sector, effectively developing hard-to-reach areas of the deposit. At the same time, we strictly adhere to the highest environmental and industrial safety standards, implementing the principles of responsible subsoil use."

Dalur was the first company in Russia to mine uranium using the in-situ recovery (ISR) method - also known as in-situ leaching (ISL). It involves minerals being recovered from ore in the ground by dissolving them in situ, using a mining solution injected into the orebody.

The solution is then pumped to the surface, where the minerals are recovered from the uranium-bearing solution. More than half of the world's uranium production is now produced by such methods.

Rosatom described it as the most environmentally-friendly mining method and said it had been developed by Dalur in collaboration with other mining division companies - it was tested at the deposits of JSC Khiagda, in the Republic of Buryatia.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Uzbek uranium mine enters commercial production]]>  ]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:39 GMT "Pilot industrial operations at the deposit began in December 2024, and over two years of active work, the Company has reached the stage of commercial production," said Djamal Sabakhonovich Fayzullayev, General Director of Navoiyuran. "The start of ore mining at the deposit marks another step in the implementation of the company's strategy, focused on increasing uranium production and strengthening its mineral resource base, in line with Uzbekistan's state programme to expand uranium mining and processing volumes through 2030.

"In 2025, Navoiyuran's production reached 7,000 tonnes of natural uranium. The Qizilkok deposit, with a projected mine life of 15 years and an annual production capacity of 1,200 tonnes of uranium, will play a key role both in supporting future production growth and in contributing to regional economic development."

The Qizilkok prospective area - situated in the eastern part of the Central Kyzylkum Desert - comprises four licence blocks: Amantau (in the northwestern part), Myutenbay (in the northeastern part), Qizilkok (in the southeastern part), and Yuzhny (in the southern part). Under the project, all of these licence blocks are integrated into a single prospective area, Qizilkok.

The Qizilkok deposit is being developed using a low-reagent in-situ recovery oxygen technology actively advanced by Navoiyuran, which it says increases uranium recovery while reducing production costs by 2-3 times.

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. Ground water fortified with a complexing agent, and often with an oxidant (such as gaseous oxygen), is introduced into the orebody to dissolve the uranium from the sandstone host. The uranium-bearing solution is pumped to the surface before the uranium is recovered and processed into yellowcake.

Navoiyuran describes Qizilkok - with mineral resources of 10,900 tU and ore reserves of 9,400 tU - as the third-largest deposit in its portfolio, following the Sugrali (20,800 tU of reserves) and Uchkuduk (14,800 tU of reserves) deposits. It has a project mine life of 15 years, with further potential for expansion to the north.

Uzbekistan's estimated uranium output in 2024 was 4,000 tU, according to information from pro, making it the fifth largest uranium producer in the world behind Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia and Australia. Navoiyuran says it  is currently the sixth-largest uranium producer globally, operating 43 uranium deposits with a mineral resource base of 151,100 tU, including 96,600 tonnes of JORC-compliant ore reserves.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Mining operations start at Wyoming project]]> The start of uranium mining operations at Ur-Energy's second in-situ recovery uranium project marks the transition from development to initial operations.

]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:02:05 GMT Ur-Energy made the decision to "build out" the fully permitted and licensed project in Carbon County, Wyoming, in March 2024: the company estimated it would take about 24 months to finalise designs, order materials and construct the satellite plant and initial wellfield. On 23 April, the company announced that uranium-bearing solution is now being captured from Mine Unit 1 at Shirley Basin after the successful completion of significant construction, wellfield installation, and permitting.

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 Ur-Energy will then ship to its Lost Creek facility - also in Wyoming - for final processing, drying, and packaging. It expects to begin transporting uranium-loaded resin from Shirley Basin to Lost Creek this summer, subject to an additional regulatory inspection and approval.

Ur-Energy CEO and President Matt Gili said the launch of initial operations at Shirley Basin marks a pivotal achievement in the company's growth strategy and plan to expand US uranium production capacity. "Two years ago, we committed to building out this project. Today, we have successfully brought a historically significant uranium district back to life, demonstrating disciplined execution of our strategy. This accomplishment reflects the dedication and expertise of our teams, who have advanced Shirley Basin from development to operations. It is particularly meaningful as it supports the growing need for secure, domestic uranium supply and underscores our ability to move permitted projects toward production while strengthening our role in the US nuclear fuel cycle," he said.

Shirley Basin has a resource base of about 9.1 million pounds U3O8 (3500 tU) in the measured and indicated categories) at an average grade of 0.22%. With a licensed annual wellfield and toll processing capacity of up to 2.0 million pounds equivalent of U3O8, it has an anticipated mine life of about nine years across three shallow mining units. The combined total annual licensed production and toll processing capacity of Lost Creek and Shirley Basin is 4.2 million pounds U3O8.

Uranium was mined at Shirley Basin using conventional methods from the 1960s until low uranium prices prompted its closure in 1992. Ur Energy acquired the project as part of its acquisition of the Pathfinder Mines Corporation from an Areva affiliate in 2013.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Pilot operation completed of fuel with minor actinides]]>  ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:28:25 GMT Minor actinides - notably neptunium, americium and curium - are a group of transuranic elements that do not occur naturally but are formed in nuclear fuel during reactor operation. They are only a small share of the used fuel mass, but contribute heavily to its radioactive toxicity and residual heat release.

Isotopes of minor actinides are extremely long-lived - with half-lives of hundreds of thousands of years - and it is their presence that determines the duration and conditions for radioactive waste isolation from the environment, Rosatom said, adding that fast neutron reactors are suitable for "burning" of minor actinides "as they provide transmutation of minor actinides into more stable or short-lived isotopes".

The long-term aim is to reduce the volume and range of radioactive waste needing deep geological disposal, with Rosatom saying that eliminating minor actinides "could achieve radiation equivalence between the original uranium feedstock and the nuclear waste destined for isolation hundreds of times faster".

Alexander Ugryumov, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at TVEL, which is Rosatom's fuel division, said: "Burning minor actinides in a commercial reactor is not a one-off experiment, but a long-term strategy. Before scaling this solution to an industrial level, we are demonstrating the very technological feasibility, that this idea actually works. At the next stage, we intend to increase the content of minor actinides in trial oxide MOX fuel assemblies. In addition, we plan to add minor actinides to nitride uranium-plutonium fuel for fast reactors, and also to test heterogeneous burning of 'minors'. In this case, minor actinides are not 'blended' into uranium-plutonium fuel matrix, but are placed in separate fuel rods or assemblies, which will be installed in specific zones of the reactor."

Yuri Nosov, Director of Beloyarsk NPP, said: "We expect that the quantity of minor actinides included in the fuel matrix will be substantially reduced, but this will be confirmed by further post-irradiation studies. These results would confirm the concept of minor actinides burning technology and define its role and significance within the balanced fuel cycle. It is anticipated to reduce the amount of radioactive waste for final isolation multiple times. The fourth-generation power units will contribute to enhancing the environmental safety and energy potential of nuclear power by allowing the use of used fuel instead of its storage. Over approximately 60 years of operation, such installations will be capable of utilising about four tonnes of minor actinides, which is more than several thermal reactors can produce."

TVEL has described the pilot operation of the fuel assemblies in the BN-800 reactor as "the key stage of the comprehensive research programme" for minor actinides afterburning which began in 2021 and is due to run until 2035.

Beloyarsk 4 is a BN-800 reactor - a sodium-cooled fast reactor which produces about 820 MWe - which was brought to minimum controlled power for the first time in June 2014, and connected to the grid on 10 December 2015. The reactor entered commercial operation on 31 October 2016. It was fully loaded with MOX fuel in September 2022 and became the first such facility to complete a year operating on MOX fuel. MOX fuel is manufactured from plutonium recovered from used reactor fuel, mixed with depleted uranium which is a by-product from uranium enrichment.

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]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Second Indian fuel cycle complex gets operating licence]]>  ]]> Fri, 01 May 2026 14:35:03 GMT The Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) is an industrial unit of India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) which manufactures fuel for India's pressurised heavy water reactors in its safeguarded facilities at Hyderabad. According to pro information, the Hyderabad facilities produce 1500 tonnes of pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) fuel per year, as well as about 25 tonnes of fuel per year for India's two small boiling water reactors at Tarapur.

NFC-Kota is a second PHWR fuel plant which is being set up to meet the needs of India's planned fleet of indigenously designed 700 MWe PHWRs, three of which - Rajasthan Atomic Power Project unit 7 and Kakrapar units 3 and 4 - are already in operation.

The Kota facility handles only natural uranium and is categorised as a low-hazard facility, according to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).

NFC-Kota submitted its application for an operating licence for the facility to the AERB on 17 March after the completion of hot commissioning activities, proposing the production of 500 tonnes per year of finished UO2 (uranium dioxide) fuel bundles for use in 700 MWe PHWRs.

"AERB conducted safety review and assessment of NFC-Kota's application for Licence for operation following its established consenting process to check completeness of the data/information required and compliance to the corresponding operating license requirements specified in applicable regulatory safety documents … the proposed activity of Operation can be carried out in compliance [with] this licence without undue risk to workers, the public and the environment," .

The Department of Atomic Energy said operational clearance for NFC-Kota was a milestone which "marks a decisive step in strengthening the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle", meaning NFC is now "fully geared" to supply nuclear fuel for Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd's 700 MWe indigenous PHWRs. "NFC has been consistently delivering nuclear fuel and core structural components for all operating PHWRs since inception. Aligned with India’s Nuclear Energy Mission, NFC-Kota stands as a testament to indigenous capability, resilience, and the nation’s commitment to reliable, clean, and self-reliant energy for a ViksitBharat," it said.

Viksit Bharat is the strategy launched by the government in 2023 to make India a developed nation by 2047.

The operating licence is valid until 30 April 2031.

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]]> true <![CDATA[Chernobyl at 40: The accident, its impact and how it changed the world's nuclear energy industry]]> What we know now about the causes of the 1986 Chernobyl accident and the effect it had on people's health, plus the story of how the alarm was raised internationally at a nuclear power plant in Sweden. And how the lessons learned led to a global safety culture which has underpinned the widespread plans for new nuclear capacity.

]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:43:28 GMT

(Cover Picture: Ukrainian Society for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries)

]]> true <![CDATA[Chernobyl at 40: Wildlife and science in the exclusion zone]]>  ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:03:46 GMT true <![CDATA[Chernobyl at 40: The decommissioning challenge]]>  ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:16:53 GMT true <![CDATA[Tangerine peel's radiation health benefits researched]]>  ]]> Fri, 01 May 2026 10:26:55 GMT Sang-Hyun Park's team at the institute's Advanced Radiation Research Institute identified the efficacy of the antioxidant - hesperidin - in restoring liver, heart and kidney tissues damaged by radiation.

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) said that the research team had found that "when hesperidin was administered for seven days to mice with reduced liver enzyme function due to radiation exposure, enzyme function recovered by more than 90%. In addition, they demonstrated both preventive and therapeutic effects by proving that normal function was restored even when hesperidin was prescribed in advance of radiation irradiation".


(Image: KAERI)

The technology transfer also includes the means of "extracting high-purity hesperidin from tangerine peels using radiation fusion technology ... previously, high-purity extraction was difficult due to pesticide residues remaining on the tangerine peels, but the research team developed a new extraction technique that uses radiation to destroy pesticide residues while maximising hesperidin content".


(Image: KAERI)

Jeong Byeong-yeop, Director of the Advanced Radiation Research Institute, stated: "The institute's world-class technological capabilities will serve as a win-win model leading to the product competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises."

The technology transfer was carried out with the support of the Ministry of Science. Arinus Co is a specialised manufacturer of health-focused products and plans to use the technology in health supplements and products for patients undergoing radiation therapy.

]]> true <![CDATA[USA completes final deliveries for ITER's central solenoid]]>  ]]> Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:09:54 GMT The most recent deliveries included busbars and leads for electrical connections between the modules; earlier, all magnet modules, support structures, and tooling components had been delivered.

The central solenoid magnet consists of six individual sections, or modules, each wound from about 6 kilometres of niobium-tin superconducting cable and weighing more than 122.5 tonnes. Each module required more than two years to fabricate, followed by testing, and then shipment to France. As part of ITER's strategy to build redundancy into mission-critical systems, a full spare module was manufactured to reduce technical and schedule risk. It will be deployed only if a problem emerges with one of the six modules already on site. The 15-year project to produce the modules was completed inside General Atomics' Magnet Technologies Center in Poway, California.

The 18-metre-tall, 4.25-metre-wide magnet is now under assembly at the ITER site. Five of six modules are stacked, with the final module - delivered in September - to be added later this year. Assembly is the responsibility of the ITER Organization, with additional technical support provided through an agreement with the US ITER project team based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Once all six modules are in place, a compression structure, tasked with applying downward precompression on the module stack, will be put in place. The completed central solenoid will then remain on its platform in the Assembly Hall until all nine vacuum vessel sector modules are installed, and then will be moved into the centre of the tokamak pit.

US ITER has also delivered the 'exoskeleton' support structure that will enable the central solenoid to withstand the extreme forces it will generate. The exoskeleton is comprised of more than 9000 individual parts, manufactured by eight US suppliers.

ITER's central solenoid will generate most of the magnetic flux charge of the plasma, initiating the initial plasma current and contributing to its maintenance.

"The completion of the central solenoid magnet highlights the capability of the United States to design and deliver the world's most complex fusion systems," said Kevin Freudenberg, US ITER Interim Project Director. "Congratulations to the entire team who contributed, including those here at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who led the work, and our suppliers who fabricated critical components."

ITER's magnetic system consists of toroidal and poloidal magnetic field coils, correction coils, and the central solenoid. This is the largest superconducting system ever created. The fully assembled pulsed magnetic system will weigh almost 3000 tonnes.

ITER is a major international project to build a tokamak fusion device designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. The goal of ITER is to operate at 500 MW (for at least 400 seconds continuously) with 50 MW of plasma heating power input. It appears that an additional 300 MWe of electricity input may be required in operation. No electricity will be generated at ITER.

Thirty-five nations are collaborating to build ITER - the European Union is contributing almost half of the cost of its construction, while the other six members (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA) are contributing equally to the rest. Construction began in 2010 and the original 2018 first plasma target date was put back to 2025 by the ITER council in 2016. However, in June 2024, a revamped project plan was announced which aims for "a scientifically and technically robust initial phase of operations, including deuterium-deuterium fusion operation in 2035 followed by full magnetic energy and plasma current operation".

]]> Largest load transported along ITER itinerary
ITER's Control Building completed
First ITER gyrotron installed as central solenoid modules completed
Manufacture of ITER superconducting magnet system completed
First ITER solenoid module completed

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]]> true <![CDATA[Grid connection requested for US fusion power plant]]>  ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:21:43 GMT An interconnection application is the formal process of requesting to "plug in" a new power plant to one of the USA's regional transmission organisations - it kicks off a series of deep engineering studies to ensure the grid can safely and reliably handle the influx of the new generating capacity and energy being provided and assess whether any network upgrades are required.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) - a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spinout company - said the application is the first-ever request from a grid-scale fusion power plant developer to a major regional transmission organisation. "By entering PJM's queue now, CFS will ensure that it will be able to connect to the grid upon completion of the power plant's construction," the company said. "Submitting this interconnection request helps to derisk delivering power from the ARC plant since it is one of the long-lead actions necessary to connect a grid-scale power plant in the early 2030s."

PJM coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Its system serves about 182,000 MW of capacity to more than 65 million customers.

"Submitting the interconnection request is one of the long-lead actions necessary for providing power in the early 2030s because the start of the study process to the generation of electricity can take four to six years," CFS said.

PJM will use sophisticated grid simulation models to diligently stress-test the generation systems of CFS's fusion power plant to ensure it can connect reliably to help meet the region's surging energy demands.

"Our commitment to delivering the benefits of fusion, and enabling a future with abundant, secure energy, means that we're not just proving fusion physics works - we're showing exactly how fusion power plant watts get from our machine to the customer, working with the grid and a utility," said Bob Mumgaard, Co-Founder and CEO of CFS. "By becoming the first fusion energy developer to enter a major grid operator's interconnection queue, we're demonstrating that when you're serious about building a power plant in the early 2030s, you act now. This is execution."

Dominion Energy advised CFS on best practices for navigating PJM's interconnection process as part of its Joint Development Agreement with CFS.

"This marks another significant milestone for Commonwealth Fusion Systems and the development of fusion power in Virginia," said Ed Baine, Dominion Energy's Executive Vice President of Utility Operations and President of Dominion Energy Virginia. "We are grateful for the opportunity to support CFS in their efforts to make this exciting project a reality for Virginia."

CFS is currently working to build the SPARC prototype fusion machine at its headquarters in Devens, Massachusetts. It is described as a compact, high-field, net fusion energy device that would be the size of existing mid-sized fusion devices, but with a much stronger magnetic field. The doughnut-shaped device will use powerful electromagnets to produce the right conditions for fusion energy, including an interior temperature surpassing 100 million degrees Celsius. It aims to produce 50-100 MW of fusion power, achieving fusion gain greater than 10.

The plan is for SPARC to pave the way for a first commercially viable fusion power plant called ARC, which is intended to generate about 400 MWe - enough to power large industrial sites, or about 150,000 homes. ARC is scheduled to deliver power to the grid in the early 2030s.

In July last year, Google signed an investment and offtake agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems for 200 MW of power from its first ARC commercial fusion plant. In September, Italy's Eni - as a CFS strategic investor - signed offtake agreement worth more than USD1 billion for power from the plant.

CFS announced in plans December 2024 to independently finance, construct, own and operate a commercial-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The company said it reached an agreement with Dominion Energy Virginia to provide non-financial collaboration, including development and technical expertise as well as leasing rights for the proposed site at the James River Industrial Park. Dominion Energy Virginia currently owns the proposed site.

CFS has now announced that the site has been named the Fall Line Fusion Power Station. The name references the geological boundary where Virginia's elevated Piedmont region drops down to the Tidewater coastal plain, creating the rapids on the James River.

]]> CFS accelerates commercial fusion with Siemens, NVIDIA
Google signs up for power from future fusion plant
Assembly starts of SPARC, as ITER cryopumps completed
Virginia site selected to host fusion power plant

]]> ]]> true <![CDATA[Fusion industry leaders call for EU long-term plan]]>  ]]> Fri, 01 May 2026 14:29:56 GMT "For too long, Europe has relied on external dependencies for energy, critical technologies, and strategic raw materials," they say in to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, and EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva.

"We have grown complacent with the status quo, adopting emergency measures when in need, and focusing on incremental improvements at best. This must change. Political leaders in the EU and its Member States must shift from short-term solutions to a long-term plan that delivers energy security, reduces structural dependencies, strengthens technological sovereignty and prevents future disruptions from dictating our economic fate."

Fusion power, they say, must be a part of that plan.

"Fusion is no longer a distant dream," the letter says. "Sites for fusion power plants have already been identified in Germany, the UK and Sweden. The US, China, Japan, and Canada are scaling up public support and private investment. Europe now faces a strategic choice: stay among the leaders of this transition or continue to depend on technologies and value chains developed elsewhere."

The CEOs say the European Commission should present an EU Fusion Strategy "that gets the level of ambition right from the start" in order for commercial fusion power plants to be constructed in the 2030s. "Europe has one chance to set the trajectory - and it must seize it. Europe's industrial base is ready to support commercial fusion, and there is broad alignment across the ecosystem on the need for a clear and ambitious strategy."

They say the strategy must recognise fusion as a strategic priority for Europe's competitiveness, energy security, and net-zero objectives. It must be "ambitious, technology‑neutral and outcome-oriented". The strategy must prioritise milestone‑based funding that incentivises private investment and rewards progress and performance. It must set out concrete steps to integrate fusion into existing EU regulatory frameworks, ensuring that it is treated differently from fission, "reflecting its fundamentally lower risk profile". It must strengthen, adapt and expand European supply chains and workforce capabilities, ensuring that value creation remains in Europe.

The industry leaders add that the strategy must be accompanied by an action plan that commits budget, mobilises capital and sets "a favourable and predictable regulatory pathway" to make commercial fusion happen.

"The benefits will be transformative: clean and abundant energy, industrial renewal, technological leadership, high-skill jobs for a generation of European talent working on one of humanity’s most ambitious endeavours," the letter concludes. "It is a future we can approach with confidence rather than apprehension."

The letter was signed by senior figures from: ‍Renaissance Fusion, Focused Energy, Marvel Fusion, Proxima Fusion, Novatron Fusion, Gauss Fusion GmbH, NINEFusion, DWE GmbH, RI Research Instruments GmbH, Fusion Europe, Fusion Industry Association, and ProFusion German Fusion Industry Association.

]]> EU provides funding for fusion materials testing facility
MEPs fully include nuclear in Net-Zero Industry Act

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