It has already been reducing the total plant's output and stressed that there was no safety issue, but said that "although the current extremely low water level and water flow rate would allow sufficient water to cool the units, the suction level of the pumps required for this is higher than the current low - and expected to continue to decrease - water level, so they cannot perform their task".

"Of course, the nuclear power plant is prepared for extraordinary situations, including those with a low probability of occurrence. We have developed procedures for dealing with the so-called low water situation of the Danube. Low water conditions are divided into 4 stages based on the levels measured at the water intake … we are currently in stage 3. 

"According to forecasts, there is a realistic chance of a level 4 event: at this point, all units of the nuclear power plant will have to be shut down, energy production will cease from then on, and the units will have to be cooled. This requires 5 cubic metres of water per minute, compared with 100 cubic metres per second for the operating units.

"We can currently give an estimate for the complete shutdown - due to water forecasts that change several times a day: according to our calculations, the time frame within which we must implement the shutdown is 24-72 hours."

MVM added that it has pumps on standby and in reserve if required and the plant "is prepared to handle the extraordinary situation of a complete shutdown: we keep the units in a safe condition even in the event of extremely low water levels lasting for weeks, and when the appropriate water level is reached, we immediately start the production of the units in stages, based on the strict rules. Depending on the water level, the units can be restarted in a few days".

It says the record-low water level in the Danube is a combination of climate change - "In previous years, there were so-called high waters several times a year - this year, the water level has been low all year round" - and deepening of the river bed.

It also outlined measures being taken to tackle such situations in the future - with preparatory work to lower the intake pipes already taking place "and within a few years the nuclear power plant will be able to continue production even with a lower water level than the current one".

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

Romania

In neighbouring Romania, Nuclearelectrica announced on Monday that Cernavoda unit 1 was being shut down and disconnected from the National Energy System "due to the unprecedentedly low level of the Danube, caused by severe drought".

It said the shutdown followed the latest forecasts issued by the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management and said "such measures have a preventive role and aim to protect nuclear safety and the reliability of the facilities" and "has no impact on nuclear safety, personnel or the environment".

On Wednesday it was announced that the second unit was also likely to be shut down but on Thursday there was a further update announcing that unit 2 would remain online because "analysis of the operating parameters and equipment of unit 2 carried out by the specialists of Cernavoda NPP on the night of 29 to 30 July 2026, found that the operating parameters allow the continued operation of unit 2 in safe conditions".

"Nuclearelectrica is making every possible effort to continue the operation in conditions of maximum safety and to contribute to the stability of the National Energy System."

However, it added: "Considering both the current situation and the hydrological forecasts regarding the level of the Danube, the shutdown of unit 2 may be necessary at any time."

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

Elsewhere

The impact of the heatwave is being felt across most European countries. These have had an impact on a range of industries and have also led to mass evacuations of residents and holidaymakers as a result of wildfires in countries including Spain and France.

In Bulgaria, a special task force has been established at Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant to manage the situation, and "includes all necessary measures to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the plant's power units during a prolonged drop in river levels" in the Danube. The plant operators say that "currently, the operating load of the two units of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is in accordance with the power generation schedule".

In France, nuclear operator EDF has temporarily taken Bugey unit 3, Chooz unit 2 and Golfech 2 - located on the banks of the Rhône, Meuse and Garonne rivers, respectively - offline to comply with regulations on cooling water discharges. Eight other reactors are operating at reduced power. These are: Saint Alban units 1 and 2; Bugey units 4 and 5; Blayais units 1 and 3; and Tricastin. The measure is an environmental protection requirement to avoid discharging too much hot water into rivers already warming from the heatwave. In Switzerland the two units at Beznau have also had to be temporarily shut down, or operated at lower power over recent weeks due to high temperatures in the River Aare.

"The two sides declared their common commitment to the project for new nuclear power capacities in Kozloduy, which remains a strategic priority in the bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States of America," the project company said.

"The main topic of the discussion was the progress on the construction of units 7 and 8, the next stages of implementation, and the possibilities for financing from US export banks.

"In conclusion, the delegations expressed mutual readiness to continue active dialogue and close cooperation throughout all subsequent stages of the project's implementation."

The meeting came the week after Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev - a former president who became prime minister with a new government in May - met with representatives of Westinghouse.

According to the government press service: "During the meeting, the implementation of the preliminary engineering activities for the project to build units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy NPP was discussed. Issues related to the completion of the feasibility study for the time frame for the construction of the new units and the expected final price were also considered."

Background

Kozloduy units 1-4 were VVER-440 models which the European Commission classified as non-upgradeable and Bulgaria agreed to close them during negotiations to join the European Union in 2007. Units 5 and 6 feature VVER-1000 reactors that were connected to the grid in 1987 and 1991, respectively. Both units have been through refurbishment and life-extension programmes to enable extension of operation from 30 to 60 years. The country's two operable reactors generate about one-third of its electricity.

Westinghouse's AP1000 has been selected as the technology for the two proposed new units and in November 2024 Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Westinghouse and Kozloduy NPP-New Build signed an engineering contract for the new capacity, with ministers saying that signing the contract meant that schedule and finance details would be firmed up for the new capacity. The Ministry of Energy and the USA's Citi bank agreed on a partnership in July last year to secure funding for the construction of the new units, and site location applications were submitted.

In December Kozloduy NPP-New Build EAD and a consortium comprising Laurentis Energy Partners, its subsidiary Canadian Nuclear Partners SA (CNPSA) and BWXT Canada, signed an owner’s engineer contract to advance the two new AP1000 units.

The aim is for the first new Westinghouse AP1000 unit - unit 7 at Kozloduy - to be operational in 2035 and the second one - unit 8 - to be operational in 2037. The 2,300 MWe capacity of the two new units would exceed the 1,760 MWe capacity of the closed first four units. The Bulgarian government has also said that further units will be needed to replace units 5 and 6 by 2050.  It has also been considering the deployment of small modular reactors in the country.

Slovenské elektrárne is aiming for unit 4 to deliver the first electricity to the grid after the turbogenerator is phased in at the end of summer 2026. It will then have its power gradually increased - with tests and checks at each level - before a final 144-hour test at full power.

Martin Mráz, director of the MO34 project, said: "By completing the assembly of the reactor, we have concluded one of the key stages of physical start-up. Ahead of us are strength and leak tests, pre-critical tests and then the first criticality, ie the first controlled fission chain reaction."

Branislav Strýček, Chairman and CEO of Slovenske elektrárne, said: "Mochovce has once again come close to its goal. In recent days, we have successfully completed two key operations - the loading of nuclear fuel and the assembly of the reactor."

He said they were now entering the start-up phase and "each of these milestones brings us closer to the moment when Slovakia will fully utilise the potential of the completed Mochovce and the new unit will begin generating electricity for households and businesses for decades to come".

Background

Construction of the first two VVER-440 units at the four-unit Mochovce plant started in 1982. Work began on units 3 and 4 in 1986, but stalled in 1992. The first two reactors were completed and came into operation in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with a project to complete units 3 and 4 beginning ten years later at an estimated cost of EUR6.7 billion (USD7.6 billion).

Mochovce 3 entered commercial operation in October 2023. Each of the units can provide 13% of Slovakia's electricity needs when operating at full capacity and when the 471 MW-capacity unit 4 is operating, nuclear will be providing the equivalent of 77.5% of Slovakia’s electricity consumption, the highest proportion for any country.

Slovenské elektrárne's majority shareholder is Slovak Power Holding BV (SPH), which is owned by the Czech energy group Energetický a průmyslový. The second shareholder is the Slovak Republic, which has a 34% stake.

Slovakia currently has five nuclear reactors generating about half its electricity. As well as the Mochovce units, there are two at Bohunice, which went into commercial operation in 1984 and 1985, respectively. The Slovak government has plans for a new large unit at Bohunice, and has also been exploring the potential for small modular reactors in the country.

The newly-signed agreement means work can take place for the next proposed SMR projects at the Tušimice site in the Ústí nad Labem region and Dětmarovice site in the Moravian-Silesian region.

Czech Minister for Industry and Trade, Karel Havlíček, said: "Nuclear energy is a key pillar of the Czech Republic's stable and secure energy future, and small modular reactors will be an important part of it. We plan to build the first such reactor at the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, while at the same time preparing additional sites. At the same time, this represents a technological opportunity of global significance for Czech industry. Without a sufficient supply of our own reliable energy sources, it is impossible to guarantee the country's long-term energy security and economic stability."

Tomáš Pleskač, member of the Č���� Board of Directors, said: "Small modular reactors are a global opportunity for Czech industry. Our traditional nuclear companies have a long history and unique know-how, which they can further deepen through their participation in the small modular reactor project. We have already recorded the first successes: the Plzeň-based nuclear company Škoda JS has become one of the two suppliers of key nuclear-island components for the Rolls-Royce SMR. And I believe this is just the beginning. The British company is only just starting to build out its supply chain, and even at this stage we are seeing considerable interest from Czech firms keen on securing their position in the global marketplace."

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR CEO, said: "We are excited to be working across three sites, which gives us a route to delivering at least six Rolls-Royce SMRs, as we lay the foundations for 3 GW of clean, secure electricity in Czechia. This agreement builds on the strong momentum of our partnership with ���� and takes us another step closer to fleet deployment in one of Europe's most important SMR markets."

The Czech ministry says it believes that in the long term the sites of current coal-fired power plants appear especially suitable for the location of SMRs, which can, in addition to generating electricity, also ensure reliable heat supplies for surrounding cities.

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-1000 units), with the further projects being developed at coal-fired power plant sites.

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 also has plans for new gigawatt-scale nuclear reactors and 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. Rolls-Royce SMR has also been selected for a proposed SMR project in Sweden.

With the signing of the MoU, by combining their complementary expertise in nuclear technology, energy infrastructure and digital systems, the partners plan to deliver the progressive deployment of several Stellarium units, next-generation modular reactors developed by Stellaria. This phased approach will allow each stage of the project to be validated while ensuring safety and industrial control. These units will supply low-carbon electricity, industrial heat, and grid flexibility and support services for the Fos-sur-Mer area.

The partners will also develop an AI-powered digital energy management platform that will optimise energy production and consumption, manage networks in real time, oversee storage capacity, and anticipate industrial demand.

The partners will agree on the structuring of the project's financing, preparations for creating a dedicated entity for its development and operation, and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the three companies.

"The signing of this memorandum marks an important milestone for the future of European industry," said Nicolas Breyton, President of Stellaria. "We are proud to take part in a project of this scale, with the ambition of building a new generation of energy infrastructure. Through the self-sufficient Stellarium reactors, we will help industrial players in the Fos-sur-Mer area move toward sovereign, low-carbon production."

Kevin Polizzi, president of Unitel Group, added: "European industry is entering a new phase, one in which mastering energy has become a decisive factor for competitiveness, sovereignty and resilience. With this multi-energy hub project, we aim to offer an integrated model combining low-carbon energy production, digital intelligence and industrial capability. Fos-sur-Mer is a strategic location to demonstrate that a new generation of energy infrastructure can sustainably support the decarbonisation of our major industrial basins."

The Stellarium reactor proposed by Stellaria - a start-up spun out of the French Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission and Schneider Electric - 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.

In December 2024, Unitel announced the design and deployment of a revolutionary AI/HPC (Artificial Intelligence for High-Performance Computing) cluster for Stellaria. This collaboration enabled Stellaria to compute all parameters of its reactor's digital twins in record time.

"Furthermore, we plan to improve the technical completeness of FSMR to meet changing international and US regulatory standards," Samsung Heavy Industries said. "This agreement targets the global market, including the United States, and is expected to be a key step in advancing the FSMR project, currently at the conceptual design stage, to the actual commercial deployment stage.

"With the recent surge in electricity demand across all industries alongside the expansion of artificial intelligence data centres, it is attracting attention as an effective energy infrastructure for coastal island regions where securing onshore production sites is difficult or power grid connectivity is limited."

"The collaboration between S&L and Samsung Heavy Industries on FSMR development will be a significant step forward for the future of clean energy in the United States," said Shiven Sulkar, Chief Nuclear Officer (Vice President) of S&L. "We expect that the combination of S&L's nuclear engineering leadership and Samsung Heavy Industries' proven offshore platform expertise will accelerate the development of FSMRs tailored to the US market and provide power utility companies, coastal states, and federal agencies with a flexible pathway for nuclear power adoption."

Kim Kyung-hee, Head of Samsung Heavy Industries' Future Business Division, added: "Cooperation with S&L, a global leader in nuclear power plant design and engineering, will be a milestone that takes Samsung Heavy Industries' FSMR technology to the next level. We will accelerate the advancement of FSMR technology, a next-generation growth engine, to lead the global offshore nuclear power market."

Samsung Heavy Industries received Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping in December 2025 for a floating marine nuclear power platform featuring two SMART100 small modular reactors developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). Under the certification process, Samsung Heavy Industries was responsible for the integration of the SMRs with the floating structure, the overall design of the nuclear power generation facilities, and the development of a multi-barrier reactor containment system. KAERI, meanwhile, adapted the land-based SMART100 SMR for offshore applications.

Although the Approval in Principle granted by the ABS is for a floating platform incorporating two SMART100 reactors, Samsung Heavy Industries said at the time that the concept can be adapted so that different SMR designs can be used.

As the vote was against the proposal, Nuclearelectrica says it "will continue, in accordance with the shareholders' approval from February 2026, their efforts to reach a commercial consensus with NuScale regarding the terms for the acquisition of the SMR modules and the Framework Agreement, in parallel with discussions with representatives of the Romanian government regarding the feasibility of fulfilling the other conditions, some of which were requested by the majority shareholder, the Ministry of Energy, itself".

A Final Investment Decision was taken by Nuclearelectrica shareholders in February for the small modular reactor (SMR) project, which is aiming for 462 MWe installed capacity, using NuScale technology with eventually six modules at the former coal plant site at Doicești - about 90 kilometres northwest of Bucharest - each with an installed capacity of 77 MWe.

The company said in its statement - issued on the day of the meeting on 15 July - that discussions were continuing with the Ministry of Energy regarding conditions relating to the Final Investment Decision and financial support. It also stressed that a first-of-a-kind project "by its very nature, entails a higher degree of technical, operational, and financial complexity than in the case of replicated projects".

In a press statement the following day, the Energy Secretary Cristian Bușoi said: "The proposal submitted for approval did not concern an actual strategy nor the concrete update of the Small Modular Reactors Project Implementation Strategy, but exclusively the initiation of steps to assess the opportunity for a possible update. Under these circumstances, in the absence of sufficient data, analysis and substantiation, we considered that the request addressed to the … [shareholders meeting] is not justified and not addressed appropriately. The documentation, substantiation and initiation of such an approach falls under the responsibility of the Company's executive management, which is obliged to take all necessary steps to assess the situation and protect the interests of the Company and its shareholders.

“As Secretary of State responsible for international relations and the implementation of nuclear projects, I am in permanent dialogue with the SNN (Nuclearelectrica) leadership, but also with American partners, through bimonthly videoconference working meetings with the responsible team from the US Department of Energy, to assess the most appropriate decision regarding the continuation of the SMR project, including by examining the opportunity to use other American SMR technologies."

In a statement to World Nuclear News, NuScale said: "NuScale continues to work with SNN and RoPower to satisfy the conditions that were attached to the shareholders' approval of the Financial Investment Decision."

The background

The partnership between the USA and Romania on SMRs began in March 2019 with a memorandum of understanding between state-owned nuclear power corporation Nuclearelectrica and NuScale to study potential developments. In 2021, NuScale and Nuclearelectrica signed a teaming agreement to deploy a NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant in Romania by the end of the decade. In June 2022, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to begin conducting engineering studies, technical reviews, and licensing and permitting activities for the project.

NuScale Power and RoPower Nuclear - owned jointly by Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power & Gas - completed Phase 1 of a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study in late 2023, which analysed the preferred site of the first VOYGR-6 SMR power plant. The FEED 2 study has also been completed - this saw Fluor Corporation provide RoPower Nuclear with the design and engineering services required for the implementation of the project, including an updated cost estimate and schedule as well as the safety and security analyses needed for the final investment decision.

The US Export-Import (Exim) Bank approved in 2024 a USD98 million loan for pre-project services, and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Exim also issued Letters of Interest for potential support of up to USD1 billion and USD3 billion, respectively, for project deployment.

The installation of the CA01 module on 21 July "signifies that the construction of the reactor building for Unit 2 of the Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant has entered a new phase, laying a solid foundation for subsequent nuclear island structure construction and equipment installation", CGN said.

_{(Image: CGN)}

The CAP1000 reactor design - the Chinese version of Westinghouse's AP1000 - uses modular construction techniques, enabling large structural modules to be built at factories and then installed at the site. The CA01 module is referred to as a super module because it is too large to be transported by road and rail, and was constructed on site.

The CA01 module of unit 1 at the Lufeng site was installed in September last year.

"Building on the successful experience of unit 1, the assembly phase of unit 2's CA01 module further expanded the scope of modular construction, enabling the pre-assembly and integration of more items on the ground, and improving the overall integrity of the assembly compared to unit 1," CGN said.

Background

The Lufeng nuclear power plant 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.

The Lufeng units have not been built in the numerical order their names would appear to suggest.

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. The reactor vessel of unit 6 was installed in February this year. Units 5 and 6 are expected to begin operating in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

The construction of units 1 and 2 did not receive State Council approval until August 2024. The first safety-related concrete for the nuclear island of unit 1 was poured in February last year, with that of unit 2 following in December. Both units are scheduled to begin operating in 2030. Approval for units 3 and 4 is still pending.

According to CGN, once all six units are in operation, the Lufeng plant will generate about 52 TWh, which will reduce standard coal consumption by almost 16 million tonnes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 42 million tonnes.

The signing of the memorandum of cooperation on 22 July makes Long Beach - one of the busiest container ports in the USA - the first US seaport to formalise a partnership with the Maritime Administration to establish nuclear-powered vessels for commercial service.

Under the agreement, the Port of Long Beach and the Maritime Administration will collaborate with the US Coast Guard, the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help define the operational protocols, safety standards and inspection processes needed to support the safe arrival and servicing of SMR-powered vessels at US ports, as well as to develop and share other best practices. The agreement is non-binding and does not commit either party to funding, procurement decisions or the adoption of any specific technology.

"This first-of-its-kind partnership with MARAD allows us to leverage strong federal leadership and private sector innovation to catalyse SMR technology as we safely and securely support the next generation of shipping," said Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba. "We're building the Port of the Future in Long Beach, where we've led in global trade by moving USD300 billion in cargo annually to support 2.7 million American jobs, and we will continue our tradition of leadership as we partner to advance nuclear energy in maritime and beyond."

"Under President Trump's and Secretary Duffy's leadership, MARAD is taking decisive action to revitalise US shipbuilding and secure our national energy dominance," said Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel. "This milestone agreement with the Port of Long Beach brings cutting-edge small modular reactor technology into active testing. It ensures our maritime supply chains stay operational under any contingency while training the next generation of high-skilled American mariners."

SMR company establishes headquarters inside port

The Port of Long Beach said the agreement with the Maritime Administration complements its new lease agreement with BlueCore Energy, a developer of small modular, water-cooled reactors designed to operate aboard floating barges and deliver power directly to ports, critical infrastructure, and cargo ship propulsion.

The lease with BlueCore Energy - which emerged from stealth on 21 July - allows the company to assemble, test and store maritime power modules. The company has already secured and delivered its first barge and electric test reactor to its headquarters at the Port of Long Beach and is developing and testing components of its system as it advances its engineering, regulatory, classification, and commercialisation pathways.

_{(Image: BlueCore Energy)}

BlueCore Energy's initial 10 MWe system is being developed to power the equivalent of about 15,000 homes or scale to meet the power needs of a major port. Designed to be fuelled once for years of operation, the reactor can be paired together for scale to provide a new power source for ports, utilities, data centres, offshore infrastructure, and communities facing energy constraints.

"The world is entering a new era of energy demand," said BlueCore Energy founder and CEO Kofi Asante. "Ports, industry, data centres, and critical infrastructure need more reliable power than ever before. We founded BlueCore Energy because we believe there is a better way to deliver it - one that builds on established nuclear engineering principles and brings energy directly to where it is needed."

Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba added: "Guided by our new 2050 vision, the Port of Long Beach is preparing for a future defined by electrification, growing energy demand and the transition to zero-emissions operations, which will require hundreds of megawatts of energy. Meeting that future will require new technologies and approaches to energy sources. We are excited to welcome BlueCore Energy to the Port of Long Beach and its commitment to developing zero-emissions energy SMR solutions alongside the maritime community."

What is the concept?

The company says it is "is solving nuclear's critical cost and scale challenges by replacing steam turbine systems with highly efficient high-temperature turbine technology normally found in jet engines and gas-fired power plants".

It says "steam turbines became the nuclear default because they work with the low-temperature heat produced by current water-cooled nuclear reactors, but they’re also large and relatively inefficient. They need large tanks and boilers, heat exchangers, and complex cooling systems all capable of handling high-pressure water safely, which makes them expensive to build and difficult to shrink to an economically viable size".

"In contrast," it says, "gas turbines, which power aeroplanes and are used in all gas-fired power stations, convert extremely hot air directly into power with very little energy loss. This makes them highly efficient, compact and economically viable at small scales. But they're not suitable for nuclear reactors because current designs can’t heat air to the high temperatures gas turbines need. Water-cooled reactors operate at low temperatures (below 300°C), while high-temperature reactors use graphite, which burns when exposed to air."

_{(Image: Nuclear Turbines)}

Nuclear Turbines says its reactor design - which directly heats compressed air before returning it to the turbine at high temperature to generate electricity - uses novel reactor materials and bypasses the need for graphite.

Co-founder Owston said: "The nuclear industry has always designed reactors first, then figured out what to do with the heat. We flipped this script: we started with the cheapest way to generate power and designed a reactor to fit."

David Ewing, Head of Technology Commercialisation, BAE Systems, said: "Built on exceptional engineering expertise and innovative technology, Nuclear Turbines reflects our commitment to accelerating breakthrough innovation beyond defence and supporting UK growth, industrial resilience and energy security."

Jordan Billiald, Principal at IQ Capital, said: "This is the first time I've seen an SMR design that genuinely solves the economic and sustainability equation, and it's at a time when market dynamics, government ambition and regulatory reform are creating unprecedented opportunity. Nuclear Turbines is perfectly positioned to capture that opportunity and to make sure the UK is not left out of the global nuclear race."

The funding, which came in a foundational round led by IQ Capital, joined by Rhapsody Venture Partners, Zero Carbon Capital and Empirical Ventures, will be used to "advance and validate the reactor design, build large-scale test rigs, and expand the team as the company prepares to manufacture its first fuel elements".

The examples given of applications include data centres and industrial uses, as well as being able to "scale in a truly modular way, with economics viable for behind-the-meter, microgrid, and hybrid grid deployments".

The project includes preliminary assessments, gap analyses against international standards, and upgrade pathways to access the nuclear market. RINA will support companies throughout the certification and qualification process, while Ansaldo Energia will provide its industrial expertise in the sector, sharing market requirements and promoting initiatives to support certification processes through financial backing from institutions and public instruments for internationalisation and industrial development.

Companies interested in joining the initiative can find further information on the websites of RINA and Ansaldo Energia.

"Strengthening the country's industrial capacity is an essential step to enable Italian companies to seize the opportunities of a rapidly growing nuclear market," said Ansaldo Energia CEO Fabrizio Fabbri. "We are pleased to launch this initiative together with a leading partner such as RINA, building on other initiatives already undertaken by Ansaldo Energia, such as the recent agreement with SIMEST, aimed at supporting the growth and internationalisation of the supply chain."

Carlo Luzzatto, CEO and General Manager of RINA, added: "The renewed global momentum behind nuclear energy is creating significant new opportunities for Italy's industrial sector. Through this initiative, we aim to support companies on a structured qualification pathway, enabling them to progressively develop the capabilities and meet the requirements needed to operate in an industry defined by the highest regulatory, technological, and safety standards. By combining RINA's expertise with Ansaldo Energia's extensive industrial experience, we will help strengthen the competitiveness of Italy's nuclear supply chain and enhance its ability to capitalise on the opportunities arising from both national and international nuclear programmes."

"The Italian Nuclear Association expresses its strong appreciation and full support for this initiative, which is of fundamental importance to strengthen and coordinate a national nuclear supply chain that can already rely on expertise and industrial capabilities developed also through significant projects abroad," said Stefano Monti, Chairman of the Italian Nuclear Association. "This represents a strategic asset that must now be further expanded and consolidated, to respond effectively both to the numerous opportunities offered by new international projects and to the demanding nuclear programme that will be launched in our country in the coming months."

Nuclear power in Italy

Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990.

In late March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Italian government approved a moratorium of at least one year on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, which had been looking to restart its long-abandoned nuclear programme. In a poll held in June of that year, 94% of voters rejected the construction of any new nuclear reactors in Italy.

Since then, public opinion has become more favourable towards nuclear energy in the country and in May 2023, the Italian Parliament approved a motion to urge the government to consider incorporating nuclear power into the country's energy mix. In September of that year, the first meeting was held of the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear Power, set up by the government to define a time frame for the possible resumption of nuclear energy in Italy and identify opportunities for the country's industrial chain already operating in the sector.

In October last year, Italy's Council of Ministers, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, approved for final consideration a bill delegating responsibility for the reintroduction of nuclear energy in the country to the government. The bill empowers the government to comprehensively regulate the introduction of 'sustainable' nuclear power, within the framework of European decarbonisation policies by 2050 and energy security objectives. The mandate includes, among other things, the development of a National Programme for Sustainable Nuclear Power, the establishment of an independent Nuclear Safety Authority, the strengthening of scientific and industrial research, the development of new skills, and the implementation of information and awareness campaigns.

Last month, Italy's lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, approved the bill presented by Meloni's government paving the way for the country's return to the use of nuclear energy.

The bill will now be voted on in the upper house, the Senate. The implementing legislative decrees must be adopted within 12 months of the law's entry into force.

Under the new non-exclusive agreement, Technip Energies will deploy experienced personnel into key operational roles within EDF, particularly in project and construction management process, as part of integrated teams working alongside EDF's personnel. With this model, EDF will draw on Technip Energies' expertise in the delivery of major complex industrial and energy projects to help strengthen execution discipline and improve schedule predictability across all EDF's nuclear new-build activities.

The agreement establishes a common foundation for long-term cooperation, enabling both companies to combine complementary capabilities and capitalise on lessons learned from large-scale industrial projects in support of EDF's future nuclear developments.

"This agreement marks a new chapter between EDF and Technip Energies," said Loïc Chapuis, President Project Delivery and Services at Technip Energies. "By combining EDF's long-standing nuclear expertise with Technip Energies' experience in delivering highly complex industrial and energy infrastructure, our integrated teams will support execution and schedule certainty across major nuclear projects. Beyond the operational benefits, this partnership reflects the kind of long-term industrial cooperation needed to deliver France's nuclear ambitions and support the future of the EPR2 programme."

Thierry Le Mouroux, Group Senior Executive Vice President with responsibility for the Nuclear Projects and Industrial Partnership Division at EDF, added: "This strategic partnership combines the complementary expertise of both companies. The EDF Group brings its mastery of reactor engineering and an efficient supply chain dedicated to building EPR2s, while Technip Energies contributes its world-renowned complex project management skills. Together, we strengthen the French nuclear team to ensure the EPR2 programme is delivered successfully - on time, within budget, and to the expected levels of safety."

The EPR2 reactor is a pressurised water reactor project developed by EDF and Framatome. It meets the general safety objectives of the third generation of reactors. Its aim is to incorporate design, construction and commissioning experience feedback from the EPR reactor, as well as operating experience from the nuclear reactors currently in service.

At the time of issuing the Request for Information, DOE said: "This action marks the first step towards potentially establishing voluntary Federal-State partnerships designed to advance regional economic growth, enhance national energy security, and build a coherent, end-to-end nuclear energy strategy for the country." DOE said it envisions these campuses would be deployed quickly, "with initial facilities online in the 2027 timeframe". The deadline for responses was 1 April.

DOE has now announced that it has signed memorandums of understanding with Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho to begin exploring how to officially become host sites for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.

"I'm pleased to announce that after reviewing 28 applications from 26 states, the Energy Department has selected five initial contenders to further explore building Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses," said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "These campuses will be massive generators of economic growth, create thousands of high-paying jobs, and be crucial to unleashing America's nuclear renaissance. The innovative concept is a direct result of President Trump's leadership and ambitious directives to restore the domestic nuclear fuel cycle and get America's nuclear industry growing again."

According to DOE, the proposed innovation campuses "have the potential to attract up to USD50 billion in capital investment, generate as much as US10 billion in state and local tax revenue, and create nearly 25,000 jobs with an establishment of a campus".

It added: "States that choose to pursue hosting an innovation campus will sign hosting agreements with the Department at a later date."

Responses from the governors

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said: "Utah welcomes the chance to help America reclaim its leadership in civil nuclear energy. We're building the advanced technologies that will drive affordable, abundant power across our country. Through Operation Gigawatt, Utah is developing the entire nuclear lifecycle, from fuel production to advanced reactor deployment - strengthening our national security while helping secure America's energy independence. This campus will accelerate that work."

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said: "As the global epicentre of nuclear energy, Tennessee is honoured to be selected as a potential host for a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. As our state answered the call during the Manhattan Project and helped shape the course of history, Tennessee stands ready once again to advance the safe, reliable energy solutions our nation depends on. I thank President Trump and Secretary Wright for their leadership as we strengthen America's energy dominance and create new opportunities for Tennesseans."

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said: "Oklahoma has always been the leader in energy production and innovation, from the oil boom of the early 1900s to the shale revolution in mid-2000s. Today marks a new frontier - the chance to add nuclear to our energy abundance agenda. This opportunity is an all hands on deck moment, and I look forward to working with communities across our state to make this campus a reality. I'm grateful to President Trump and Secretary Wright for their leadership and considering Oklahoma, and for the companies, research institutions, and leaders across our state who have already pulled a seat up to the table to be a part of this project."

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said: "Louisiana shares the President's vision for nuclear power and America's energy future. We appreciate Secretary Wright's leadership and the opportunity provided by the Department of Energy to further America's energy dominance. Our state has a long and proud history of energy innovation, and we are ready to lead the next era of nuclear energy."

Idaho Governor Brad Little said: "Idaho is honoured to have been selected as one of five initial contenders to further explore the development of Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses. For more than 70 years, Idaho has been at the forefront of nuclear innovation, and we are grateful to President Trump, Secretary Wright, and the US Department of Energy for recognising our unmatched expertise and legacy. We look forward to working with DOE to continue advancing every stage of the nuclear lifecycle, strengthening our nation's energy security, creating good-paying jobs, and ensuring Idaho remains the home of America's nuclear renaissance."

McDermott and ULC-Energy previously collaborated in 2023 on a study assessing the industrial-scale production of hydrogen using a Rolls-Royce SMR power plant coupled with a Solid Oxide Electrolyser. ULC-Energy was project coordinator and McDermott provided engineering design and cost input for the balance of plant and heat integration systems.

"This agreement builds on our existing relationship with ULC-Energy and reflects our shared commitment to advancing low-carbon energy solutions in the Netherlands," said Rob Shaul, McDermott's Senior Vice President of Low Carbon Solutions. "With a long-standing presence in the country and a major hub in The Hague supporting projects across Europe, we bring the engineering and execution expertise needed to support the development of Rolls-Royce SMR projects and their integration into industrial energy systems."

ULC-Energy CEO Dirk Rabelink added: "At ULC-Energy, we see nuclear as most effective when integrated into energy systems. SMRs offer the flexibility to deliver electricity, heat or hydrogen where it creates the greatest value. Our previous collaboration with McDermott demonstrated the strength of this approach, and we look forward to further expanding our cooperation in other applications."

McDermott joins ULC‑Energy's expanding network of strategic partners led by Rolls‑Royce SMR, alongside Siemens Energy, BAM, Mammoet, Bureau Veritas, Urenco, Orano and Fugro, supporting the delivery of SMR-powered energy solutions in the Netherlands and Belgium.

In December 2021, the Netherlands' new coalition government placed nuclear power at the heart of its climate and energy policy. In addition to keeping the Borssele plant in operation for longer, the government also called for the construction of new reactors. Based on preliminary plans, two new reactors will be completed around 2035, and each will have a capacity of 1000-1650 MWe. The government is also taking steps to prepare the Netherlands for the possible deployment of SMRs.

In August 2022, Rolls-Royce SMR signed an exclusive agreement with ULC-Energy to collaborate on the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMR power plants in the Netherlands. ULC-Energy - established in 2021 and based in Amsterdam - aims to accelerate decarbonisation in the Netherlands by developing nuclear energy projects that efficiently integrate with residential and industrial energy networks in the country.

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. Around 90% of the SMR will be built in factory conditions, limiting on-site activity primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested, modules which significantly reduces project risk and has the potential to drastically shorten build schedules.

"The most important part of this project relates to the development of a human resources development strategy, as one of the key prerequisites for launching a national nuclear programme. Human resources represent the most valuable element in the development of a nuclear programme in every country, and one of our most important tasks will be to create a base of engineers and other personnel who will be able to responsibly and professionally manage nuclear facilities in Serbia in the future."

Existing cooperation with France

Serbia had a longstanding law banning the construction of nuclear power plants, but in 2024 the National Assembly backed amendments to the energy law which ended that 35-year prohibition.

In October 2024 EDF and French engineering consultancy Egis were awarded the contract by Serbia's Ministry of Mining and Energy to conduct the preliminary technical study on the potential use of nuclear power in the country.

Serbia says it aims to follow the recommended International Atomic Energy Agency milestones approach to introducing nuclear energy capacity in the country. 

EDF delivered the Preliminary Technical Study on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy in March. It identified a necessary 19 key steps in three phases - phase 1 involves examining the feasibility and steps to take a decision to launch a nuclear power programme. Phase 2 includes activities related to the selection of a nuclear reactor type, contracting and construction of a nuclear facility. Phase 3 is when construction takes place.

Đedović Handanović said that EDF is due to produce three more studies within the first phase of the programme, with the remaining 14 studies to be "the subject of further consideration with various international companies that have the necessary experience".

The French Development Agency (AFD) has provided a grant of EUR500,000 (USD576,000) to provide support in building professional and organisational capacities in Serbia aimed at improving the knowledge and experience of personnel involved in the nuclear programme.

The Serbian minister said: "Our goal is to complete all studies by the middle of next year that will enable an informed decision to be made on the further development of the nuclear programme. In the years ahead, Serbia must be ready in an institutional, regulatory and professional sense for the choice of technology, and Serbia could get its first nuclear power plant after 2040."

The Brayton cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that models the workings of gas turbine engines and jet engines, consisting of four main processes: isentropic compression, constant-pressure heat addition, isentropic expansion, and constant-pressure heat rejection. It functions by drawing in and pressurising a gas, heating it, expanding it to do work, and cooling it back down. In a closed-loop Brayton cycle, a clean working fluid (such as helium) stays trapped inside a loop and is cooled and reheated using external heat exchangers.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

"This test marks the first time in China that a high-power turbine has been driven by pure helium as the working fluid to achieve power generation, signifying a decisive step forward for China in the field of core power equipment for gas-cooled microreactors, moving from theoretical verification to engineering demonstration," CNNC said.

It added: "The project team, demonstrating a spirit of overcoming difficulties, scientifically arranged construction procedures and completed the installation of the entire test bench system with high quality, laying a solid hardware foundation for the smooth conduct of cold, hot, and power generation tests by the research group."

In December 2023, the demonstration High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor - Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM) in Shidao Bay (also known as Shidaowan) in China entered commercial operation. The HTR-PM features two small reactors that drive a single 210 MWe steam turbine.

The agreement provides a framework for the University of Saskatchewan to offer further education and training for professionals across Canada, as well as for expanding research and expertise in the field for the future. The agreement may also include creating a framework to integrate IAEA training materials into Canadian academic programmes, developing methodologies, tools and case studies related to nuclear knowledge management and collaborating to facilitate the use of nuclear facilities and research infrastructure for education, training and capacity building.

It also includes joint publications on nuclear education, regional and interregional networks and knowledge management as well as collaboration on the IAEA's International Nuclear Management Academy, a programme which supports universities in establishing and delivering master's degree programmes in nuclear technology management.

"For many decades now, the University of Saskatchewan has been making significant contributions to the advancement of nuclear science, supporting progress in nuclear energy, including fusion, as well as a variety of non-power applications in medicine, agriculture and hydrology," Chudakov said. "As nuclear power's global momentum continues to gather pace, collaborative endeavours like the one we are about to embark on are more important than ever."

Singh added: "The University of Saskatchewan is always striving to demonstrate the world-class impact of our research, scholarly and artistic work. This agreement with the IAEA will help grow the University of Saskatchewan's already strong foundation of nuclear research and education and help connect local talent and expertise with a global network."

"This agreement positions the University of Saskatchewan as a Canadian hub for nuclear training and innovation," said Jafar Soltan, Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships at the university. "The IAEA has already been a tremendous partner for the University of Saskatchewan as we continue to grow our capacity for nuclear research and education, and I look forward to the opportunities this agreement will help create for Canada's nuclear industry."

In 2025, University of Saskatchewan's College of Engineering hosted the Canadian National Nuclear Energy Management School in co-operation with the IAEA, an intensive programme aimed at supplementing mid-level professionals with nuclear energy education. Earlier this year, the College of Engineering also hosted the Executive programme for senior leaders and decision-makers across industry, government, and academia - the first executive-level IAEA nuclear management programme offered in Canada.

Work to prepare a site of a future nuclear power plant does not count as the official start of construction for a nuclear unit, which will follow later. The preparatory work will involve survey work, design and preparation of a construction base and ensuring there are access roads and facilities for the future workforce.

The main construction phase will begin after the design is completed, expert reviews have been completed, and the construction licence received from Rostekhnadzor.

Chibis said: "This is a significant day and a monumental project - not just for a decade, but for the next century. The world's first nuclear power plant with innovative medium-capacity units will be built in Polyarnye Zori. The construction of Kola NPP-2 will open up opportunities for new industrial projects and will drive the socioeconomic development of Russia's entire Arctic zone. Implementing such a large-scale project will create over 5,000 new jobs during the construction phase and will require hundreds of highly qualified specialists during operation. For the Murmansk Region, the commissioning of Kola NPP-2 means a guaranteed and uninterrupted power supply to industrial enterprises and social infrastructure. In the future, the new power units will help maintain the region's energy balance after the decommissioning of existing facilities."

Vasily Omelchuk, Director of the Kola NPP, said the new plant was a "logical continuation of the development of nuclear energy on the Kola Peninsula. We're not starting from scratch: our team has many years of experience operating an existing plant, well-established processes, and a high level of professionalism. The personnel issue has also been thoroughly considered: we will train young specialists and, as the existing units are decommissioned, transfer our employees to new capacities".

Rosatom says that the plan is for the four new units at Kola II to be of the VVER-S design, a 600 MWe water-cooled reactor under development, with the first two to be built between 2027 and 2037. Rosatom says that, if the proposed VVER-S reactors can use a full load of MOX (mixed oxide) fuel, it will cut its use of natural uranium by 50%.

The new units are intended to replace the existing four Kola units as they come to the end of their operating lives. They are VVER-440 reactors; 1 and 2 are V-230 models and 3 and 4 are of the V-213 type. They have a capacity of 411 MWe and were all connected to the grid between 1973 and 1984.

The Kola nuclear power plant was the first to be built in the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic, providing energy to the northern part of the Republic of Karelia - where most of the region's major industrial enterprises are located - as well as to more than half of the consumers in the Kola Peninsula.

There have been various plans for new capacity at Kola, with ������Ƶ saying that in 2012 the replacement plant was due to feature two VVER-TOI units. However, in June 2021, the plant management announced that the plan was for construction to begin in 2028 for two VVER-S 600 MW reactors, with the first to be online in 2034. The ‘S’ signifies spectral shift control, with heavy water in the primary coolant.

In December 2024, Newcleo submitted its Safety Options File to the ASNR for its planned mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assembly testing facility. The ASNR's official opinion on the submitted safety options will contribute to securing the application for authorisation to construct such a facility.

Following its review, the ASNR said: "The ASNR considers that the safety demonstration provisions adopted by Newcleo at the safety options stage are satisfactory and generally meet the objectives set by the decree of 7 February 2012, particularly regarding the application of the defence-in-depth principle, the application of a prudent deterministic approach, the setting of sufficiently ambitious general safety objectives, and the consideration of lessons learned from similar facilities. In the context of a potential application for authorisation to create the basic nuclear installation, the ASNR requests that Newcleo provide further justification, notably to assess the consequences of an aircraft crash, analyse the development of a fire, and guarantee compliance with containment principles."

Newcleo said it intends to incorporate the ASNR's recommendations into the facility design in support of a future construction licence application. It said ASNR's review gives it "practical experience in developing the safety case for a first-of-a-kind MOX fuel manufacturing facility".

Newcleo's delivery roadmap sees the first non-nuclear precursor prototype of its lead-cooled fast neutron reactor being ready this year in Italy and the first reactor operational in France as early as 2032, while the final investment decision for the first commercial power plant is expected around 2029. At the same time, Newcleo will directly invest in a mixed uranium/plutonium oxide (MOX) plant to fuel its reactors. It has initiated site acquisition and public consultation processes in France for the MOX fuel pilot assembly line in Nogent-sure-Seine.

Newcleo submitted the Safety Options File for its lead-cooled fast neutron reactor to the ASNR in January this year and is currently awaiting the opinion of the regulator on its proposed safety features.

In parallel, Newcleo is carrying out a three-month public debate on its proposed French lead-cooled fast neutron reactor and MOX fuel facility projects, becoming the first private developer of an innovative reactor technology to complete this key stage of stakeholder engagement in France. The company said it will "carefully assess the conclusions of the National Commission for the Public Debate, incorporating the insights gained into the ongoing development and planning of its projects".

New collaboration phase with French state

Newcleo also announced it is entering a new phase of collaboration with French authorities following the evaluation of its application for Phase 2 of the France 2030 innovative nuclear reactor programme.

The company was a winner of the 'Innovative nuclear reactors' call for projects under the France 2030 investment plan implemented by Bpifrance and financed by the European Union - Next Generation EU as part of France's economic recovery plan (Plan France Relance).

Following the detailed evaluation of Newcleo's application for Phase 2 of the France 2030 programme, the General Secretariat for Investments concluded that the company has reached a stage of development that exceeds the scope of the programme. Since participating in the programme, Newcleo has raised a significant amount of capital. It has also achieved a significant international presence, and, in May announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with NewHold Investment Corp III in a transaction that, upon closing, would result in Newcleo becoming a US-listed public company.

"As a result, considering these developments, which were obtained thanks also to the France 2030's initial support to the company in 2023, a limited additional contribution of public funding to the project would be marginal and ineffective," Newcleo said. "In this context, the French state will continue working with Newcleo to identify other forms of cooperation in the next stage of the company's development, including through licensing support with the ASNR, state services in connection with the company's proposed projects in the French territory and through export-facing initiatives."

Stefano Buono, CEO and founder of Newcleo said: "We welcome the ASNR's positive opinion, which reflects years of work by the teams developing our MOX fuel facilities. We are proud to contribute to France's nuclear industry, and we thank France 2030 for its support, which has accelerated our technology development, strengthened our presence in France, fostered strategic partnerships, and attracted private investment."

The DOE's authorisation pathway mirrors many elements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) licensing framework, including the development of preliminary and final safety analyses for construction and operation (read more about the DOE pathway ). The Nuclear Safety Design Agreement - also referred to as the NSDA - is the first step under the Reactor Pilot Program authorisation pathway. It covers design requirements, safety analysis approach, regulatory engagement process, applicable regulatory requirements, and identifies the key safety decisions for the design.

Natura is developing a demonstration reactor authorised by DOE and separate commercial facilities that would be licensed by the NRC, with the licensing efforts proceeding in parallel. The NRC has been engaged in pre-application activities with Natura since January 2024.

"The NSDA is a critical step in moving from design to deployment," Natura Resources CEO Jordan Robison said. "It reflects years of disciplined engineering and regulatory preparation and positions Natura to advance through DOE's authorisation process while maintaining full alignment with established nuclear safety standards."

In June, Natura entered into a formal agreement with Quadrant Nuclear Industries, Inc to serve as a recipient of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for its commercial reactor systems - Quadrant is developing an integrated HALEU production capability in coordination with the DOE and other key stakeholders, with plans for a facility at Idaho National Laboratory designed to produce up to 18 tonnes of HALEU per year. In April, Natura announced 1,000 hours of operation of its Molten Salt Test System, a flowing salt loop that simulates integrated reactor conditions, validating the company's ability to continuously operate a molten salt fuel loop for its reactors.

Abilene Christian University submitted a Letter of Intent to apply for a construction permit for a non-power molten salt reactor to the NRC as long ago as 2020. The NRC granted it a construction permit for a low-power molten salt research reactor of up to 1 MWt, to support academic research, in 2024.

The Reactor Pilot Program, announced in June 2025, aims to expedite the testing of advanced reactor designs that will be authorised by the DOE at sites located outside of the national laboratories. Part of the Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May last year, its goal is "to construct, operate, and achieve criticality of at least three test reactors using the DOE authorisation process by July 4, 2026". 

Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor became the first reactor under the programme to reach initial criticality in early June, closely followed by Valar Atomics' Ward 250 reactor. Deployable Energy's Unity demonstration reactor achieved criticality on 1 July, while Aalo Atomics' Critical Test Reactor chieved initial criticality in the early hours of 4 July.

Groves is a low-power test reactor designed to demonstrate reactor design, build, and operations, and to establish operating experience needed to support future isotope production facilities. The project advances Oklo's plans to establish domestic production of critical isotopes for potential use in cancer care, manufacturing, scientific research, space exploration, and national security.

A privately financed facility, Groves was built on private land, including full-scale civil excavation and construction, and assembled with all full-scale systems, components, and fuel either sourced commercially or manufactured by Oklo.

"This facility marks the fastest time that we are aware of to go from greenfield to substantial completion for a full-scale, privately funded and sited reactor in history," said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. "By building on a greenfield site on private land, performing full-scale civil excavation and construction, and procuring fuel and all major components commercially, we demonstrated that the advanced nuclear industry can move at a pace that many did not believe possible. And this experience is fully translatable to future commercial deployments."

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Mike Goff added: "The US Department of Energy is excited to see another Reactor Pilot Program participant receive authorisation. With the right enabling environment, Oklo has been able to accelerate their progress and is now ready to take the next step with their technology."

According to Rosatom "the review identified fewer areas for improvement than the 2022 assessment".

Viktor Yelagin, director of the floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), said: "These findings rank the FNPP on a par with Russia's top nuclear power plants, including the Balakovo and Kalinin NPPs. They highlight the exceptional expertise of the plant's management and team, who maintain safety and operational standards in line with both Russian and global best practices. This success was driven by the daily, meticulous efforts of all FNPP managers and employees to improve production performance."

What is WANO?

WANO aims to connect every company and country in the world that has an operating nuclear power plant, or a new unit under construction, "to achieve the highest possible standards of nuclear safety".

It was created following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, an event which "made it clear that an event at one plant impacted every plant and that nuclear safety was everyone’s business". It operates with strict confidentiality, allowing experts from operating units to carry out peer reviews at other member units, where, using their experiences, they can provide support and advice.

The Akademik Lomonosov

The Akademik Lomonosov began commercial operation in May 2020 and is the world's only operating floating nuclear power plant. It is based, with its coastal infrastructure, by the city of Pevek - population 5,000 - to which it supplies heat and power in Russia's Arctic Chukotka region.

The Akademik Lomonosov has two KLT-40S reactors generating 35 MWe each, which are similar to those used in a previous generation of nuclear-powered icebreakers. It is also providing energy for the development of mining of the Baimskaya ore zone. It has the capacity to provide electricity to a city with a population of up to 100,000 people.

Rosatom is in the process of constructing four floating power units and is targeting the export market for floating nuclear power plants with capacity of at least 100 MWe and an assigned service life of up to 60 years featuring RITM-200M reactors, derived from those used on Russia's latest nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Formal cooperation agreements are required between countries that want to trade nuclear power goods and services. Those involving the USA are known as 123 Agreements after the paragraph of the country's 1954 Atomic Energy Act which requires them.

No details have been given about the contents of the agreements, although media reports ahead of the announcement by the two countries suggested that the agreement was expected to include provisions that would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium. However, this is seen as a potential nuclear proliferation risk: the same technology used to increase the content of the fissile uranium-235 isotope to levels needed in nuclear fuel (typically up to 5% for nuclear reactors in operation around the world today) could also be used to produce weapons-usable highly enriched uranium. Previous 123 Agreements concluded by the USA with other countries - including that concluded with the UAE in 2009 - have specifically prohibited those countries from developing domestic uranium enrichment capabilities.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) said the two agreements "lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear non-proliferation", providing "great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy programme" as well as advancing US and regional security by "upholding high standards of nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation and strengthening the United States' competitive edge in civil nuclear technology".

"These agreements reflect our two nations' shared commitment to strengthening US-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad," Wright said. "Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States."

Saudi Arabia's electricity generation is dominated by fossil fuels, but the potential use of nuclear power - including for desalination of water - has featured in the country's plans for many years. It has, over the past decade or so, signed nuclear cooperation agreements with countries including France, Argentina, South Korea, China, Hungary and Jordan, as well as Russian nuclear company Rosatom. According to the , the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-CARE) - set up by the Saudi government to advance its nuclear and renewable energy agenda - has also been in negotiations with the Czech Republic and the UK as well as the USA.

The 123 Agreement is to be reviewed by the US Congress.

The Department of Energy (DOE) released the first request for applications under the Genesis Mission in March, inviting teams to apply for smaller scale Phase I awards and larger scale Phase II awards. The request generated the largest response to a funding opportunity in DOE history, the department said as it announced its selections on 22 July.

Of the 278 Genesis Mission projects selected following a "rigorous merit review process", 87 are led by DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration National Laboratories, 168 led by universities, 19 led by companies, and 4 led by nonprofit organisations.

Prometheus is a 32‑partner collaborative effort between Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, North Carolina State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Tennessee - Knoxville, University of Texas - Austin, and an extensive list of industry partners including Aalo Atomics, Amazon Web Services, Antares Industries, Deployable Energy, GE Vernova, Kiewit Nuclear Solutions, Nvidia, Oklo Inc, Standard Nuclear, Valar Atomics, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and X-energy (a full list of partners can be found on the Prometheus ).

The public-private partnership aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to design, licence, manufacture, construct, and operate nuclear reactors "with human-in-the-loop workflows"; integrate AI into nuclear fuel fabrication; and use AI for nuclear legacy document management: according to INL, by improving every stage of the reactor lifecycle Prometheus is designed to cut reactor deployment timelines and operating costs in half. The team has already raised more than USD200 million in industry cost share and USD30 million in industry capital.

In February, multinational technology company Nvidia and INL announced they would collaborate under the Genesis Mission to create a "virtuous cycle" with AI enabling rapid nuclear deployment, and nuclear energy providing the baseload power required for next-generation AI infrastructure.

"America's nuclear future depends on our ability to move with greater urgency and drive down costs, while maintaining the uncompromising commitment to safety and technical rigor that defines our industry,” INL Director John Wagner said as the selectees were announced at the Genesis Mission Summit in Washington, DC. "Prometheus brings together nuclear science and artificial intelligence to help us do exactly that."

"The extraordinary response to this Genesis Mission application process demonstrates that America's scientific community is ready to reimagine how discovery happens," Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil said. "Through the Genesis Mission, we are bringing together the nation's leading researchers, institutions, and technology partners to build the next generation of scientific capability. We look forward to seeing these teams demonstrate new research workflows that accelerate discovery and reveal what is possible when AI and science advance together."

The DOE and the Genesis Mission selectees will now undergo a negotiation process before any funding is issued, the DOE said.

According to ������Ƶ's most recent World Nuclear Outlook Report "when all operable, under construction, planned, proposed, and potential reactors are combined with government targets, the total global capacity could reach 1,446 GWe by 2050", up from the current 403 GWe capacity of operable reactors.

It says that the required USD6 trillion up to 2050 - which includes the investment needs of the full sector from mining to reactor construction to decommissioning and storage costs - means there needs to be a "significant investment from private, as well as public sources of finance, with capital flowing not only to new generating capacity but also to the nuclear fuel cycle needed to deliver it at scale".

According to the association, there are six conditions needed "to make nuclear a mainstream asset class: institutional support; business standardisation; priceable risk and reward; market remuneration frameworks; supply chain capacity and maturity transformation mechanisms".

The newly published first part of the guide - the - says that "similar journeys to industrial scale have been made in offshore wind, liquified-natural-gas and other capital-intensive energy infrastructure sectors when industry, government and finance aligned around common frameworks and investable models".

Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of ������Ƶ, said: "The challenge is not a shortage of capital. The challenge is creating the confidence, capability and investment architecture that allow capital to flow to nuclear projects at scale. The World Nuclear Investment Guide gives financial institutions the tools, frameworks and expertise they need to assess nuclear projects with the same confidence they bring to other major infrastructure investments."

The roadmap says that for mainstream financiers, the main barrier is not one of capital or risk appetite, but of market readiness and long-term policy commitment - "financial frameworks, standardised instruments, comparable market data, and track records that allow mainstream investors to assess and price nuclear risk with confidence are still being developed".

As an example, it says that development-stage financing "for activities such as licensing, engineering, site preparation and early procurement, typically has no revenue stream to support it. It falls outside standard project finance structures, leaving developers reliant on corporate balance sheets, vendor risk-sharing or early-stage catalytic capital".

It also highlights the financing needs of the supply chain - "manufacturers and component suppliers need working capital, tooling investment and capacity expansion funding well ahead of confirmed orders, distinct from the financing of the plant itself. Export credit agencies, trade finance and supplier-focused guarantee instruments are central to closing this gap. Closing both gaps is a precondition for the transition described in this roadmap".

Listen to WNN podcast: The first World Nuclear Investment Guide

A range of leaders from the nuclear and finance sectors played key roles as members of the Nuclear Investment Guide Advisory Board and Task Force, in producing the guide which is "intended to close knowledge gaps, build a common language and bring governments, industry and investors together around the steps needed to scale nuclear finance".

Ananya Modi, Managing Director, Rothschild & Co, said: "The challenge for nuclear power is as much about capital as it is about technology. We often hear about the need for nuclear power to become more standardised if it is to become scalable and cost-effective, and financing is a core part of that transition."

Luba Kotzeva, CEO & founding partner, Etara, said that producing a practical roadmap for bringing new sources of capital into the market was a key development as "the transition from strategic sovereign capital to mainstream finance will be one of the defining challenges for the nuclear sector".

Issam Taleb, Partner, Global Nuclear Industry Leader, EY, said: "The financial challenge facing nuclear is ultimately one of market maturity. By outlining the steps needed to create standardised, investable frameworks, this Roadmap provides a useful reference point for policymakers, developers and investors alike."

Roger Martella, Chief Corporate Officer, GE Vernova, said: "Nuclear is already sprinting toward the critical role it will play in the future, but for the industry to reach its full potential, strong financing solutions must evolve just as fast alongside technology. The innovative Roadmap provides the critical framework to guide the industry towards success globally."

The full World Nuclear Investment Guide is due to be launched on 9 September at the Finance Summit being held as part of World Nuclear Symposium in London.

It says that the drivers behind the figures are, firstly, the increased demand for reliable, baseload - and low-carbon - power for data centres, especially with the rapid growth of AI.

Secondly, governments are seeing nuclear as a way to increase energy security and enhance economic competitiveness, with regulatory frameworks evolving to deploy new nuclear, especially advanced nuclear technologies.

Thirdly, it cites the emergence of new funding models, "including public-private partnerships, state support and innovative risk-sharing mechanisms".

Together, these changes are helping to open up new opportunities for M&A activity throughout the nuclear energy value chain, the global law firm says.

Simon Stuttaford, Partner in the Project Development and Finance Group and Global Energy Industry Group at White & Case, said government policy support was providing greater certainty for investors, adding: "We're seeing a convergence of factors that is driving a sustained increase in global nuclear dealmaking which only appears likely to accelerate."

Ximena Vasquez-Maignan, Nuclear Practice Lead at White & Case, said: "Financing models are becoming more sophisticated with growing collaboration between the public and private sectors helping to allocate risk more effectively and improve project bankability."

According to the data, which was produced in partnership with Mergermarket, the European, Middle East and Africa region saw an aggregate increase in deal values from USD1.2 billion in the first half of 2025 to USD3 billion in the first half of this year.

The Savannah River Site was one of 16 potential sites identified by the US Department of Energy in April 2025 as being uniquely positioned for rapid data centre construction. Four of those - Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site - were then selected to move forward with plans to invite private sector partners to develop AI data centre and energy generation projects. Separate requests for proposals for each site were issued by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in September.

"This proposed partnership represents an opportunity to strengthen America's leadership in artificial intelligence, expand reliable energy generation, and strengthen our national security," NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams said. "By working with the private sector, we can move faster, apply innovative technologies, and make productive use of federal land while maintaining our commitment to mission delivery."

Through the proposed project, the NNSA and Amentum intend to rapidly construct a data centre supported by sufficient on-site power generation while increasing the availability of power to the grid; accelerate the development of AI and energy infrastructure; and use public-private partnerships to advance innovative technologies and strategies. Pairing new AI infrastructure with dedicated on-site energy generation will help ensure the project's electricity needs are met without shifting costs to existing utility customers, according to the NNSA.

"Artificial intelligence, energy resilience, and national security are becoming increasingly interconnected, creating new opportunities to strengthen America's strategic advantage," Amentum CEO John Heller said. "Amentum is uniquely positioned at that intersection, combining deep engineering expertise, trusted mission execution, and decades of partnership with the US government. This agreement gives us the opportunity to partner with the NNSA to deliver infrastructure that will help power the technologies shaping our nation's future."

Digital infrastructure provider DC BLOX has been selected as a digital infrastructure partner in the development consortium. DC BLOX, alongside Milliken & Company, Google and Nucor, is a founding member of the Palmetto Nuclear Coalition, an alliance dedicated to accelerating nuclear energy deployment across South Carolina which was launched in July 2025. 

The Savannah River Site was built in the 1950s to produce materials such as tritium and plutonium-239 for use in nuclear weapons, with five nuclear reactors and support facilities including two chemical separations plants. It produced about 36 tonnes of plutonium from 1953 to 1988. Today, the Department of Energy complex is responsible for environmental stewardship, environmental cleanup, nuclear waste management and disposition of nuclear materials. The 310 square mile (803 square kilometres) site is also home to the NNSA Savannah River Field Office, the Savannah River National Laboratory, the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, and the USDA Forest Service Savannah River along with several major contractors.

"New nuclear generation will play an important role in strengthening energy security and supporting the transition to lower-carbon power systems," said Jacobs Executive Vice President Richard Sanderson. "Delivering this project requires careful planning, robust engagement with communities and a clear path through complex regulatory processes. Our integrated team will support GBE-N in advancing the planning framework for their sites, enabling development proposals to be informed by strong analysis, stakeholder input and long-term regional considerations."

GBE-N Chief Executive Simon Roddy added: "Continuing to deliver the first of the UK's fleet of SMRs with pace and focus will require a deep understanding of the planning and consenting processes for energy infrastructure in the UK, and I'm pleased to have appointed Jacobs and Quod to help us in this effort."

In March 2024, the government announced that an agreement had been reached to buy the Hitachi-owned sites for new nuclear at Wylfa and at Oldbury-on-Severn in southwest England. At the time, it said the two sites were expected to be prioritised for new nuclear as the UK seeks to expand nuclear energy capacity.

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. In April, Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract with GBE-N to begin site-specific design and delivery activities for the UK's first SMRs at Wylfa.

Jacobs, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, plays a leading role in the UK's civil nuclear industry, contributing to major programmes such as Sizewell C, Hinkley Point C and Sellafield. In the UK, its staff operate from 15 offices and 35 additional sites.

In May, the company was selected by GBE-N to provide environmental services for potential SMR nuclear development at its Oldbury site. Jacobs said that its work, with a multidisciplinary team including AtkinsRéalis and AECOM, would cover terrestrial and marine environments, environmental assessments, Habitats Regulations Assessment and "associated activities to inform future potential planning, design and permitting decisions".

As well as supporting more than 1,000 jobs across the two sites for longer, extending the generating lives of these plants could boost nuclear output by 28 TWh over the two-year period, enough to power 8.4 million homes, EDF noted.

"We have been clear it is our ambition to generate from these stations for as long as it is safe and commercially viable to do so it is great to be able to confirm a further two-year extension for Heysham 1 and Hartlepool," said EDF's Managing Director of Nuclear Operations, John Munro. "The AGR stations have been the backbone of secure, zero-carbon generation in the UK for five decades. The nuclear fleet also has a key role in maintaining grid stability, which is so important as the overall system becomes led by renewables. Today's decision retains stable baseload, domestic generation, reducing reliance on imports during tighter periods."

When EDF acquired the fleet in 2009, all seven advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) stations were scheduled to be offline by 2023, but a series of life extensions mean four of those stations are still generating with three now in various stages of defuelling or decommissioning.
 
"When nuclear goes offline it is often replaced with gas generation," Munro said. "If we are serious about reducing the UK's reliance on gas and retaining system stability, it makes sense to keep these stations online to support energy security and our carbon targets."
 
According to EDF, keeping these plants online will retain around 12% of the UK's nuclear generation in the mix in 2028 and the volume of gas they could avoid in each year of the extension is equal to 25 Liquid Natural Gas cargoes or 20% of the LNG imports in 2025.

EDF said it will continue to keep AGR lifetimes under review to establish whether further life extensions can be achieved.

EDF manages the UK's seven nuclear power plant sites, five that are operating (Sizewell B, Torness, Heysham 2, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool) and two that have entered decommissioning (Hinkley Point B and Dungeness B). It took over the sites when it acquired British Energy in 2009. The company is also constructing the new Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset, and there are advanced plans for a replica of Hinkley Point C at Sizewell C in Suffolk.

The lifetimes of the Torness and Heysham 2 AGR plants were not reviewed as part of this process. These plants are expected to close in March 2030, as announced in December 2024.

Earlier this month, it was announced that the Sizewell B plant is set to get a 20-year lifetime extension after terms were agreed by the UK government and operator EDF. The pressurised water reactor, which came online in 1995, had an initial 40-year operating life to 2035.

Chris O'Shea, CEO of Centrica, which has a 20% share in the operating plants, said: "I'm delighted that Heysham 1 and Hartlepool will continue to play a key role in the UK's energy system for longer. These stations provide reliable, low-carbon electricity that supports Britain's energy security, protects skilled jobs and underpins a more resilient economy. Following the recent positive news on the life extension of Sizewell B, this further demonstrates the important role nuclear can continue to play in delivering the secure and dependable power the UK needs as demand for electricity grows."

Both Romania's Cernavoda plant and the Embalse plant in Argentina feature Candu reactors. Nucleoeléctrica said "this shared technological base positions Nucleoeléctrica as a partner with direct and proven experience in the type of projects that Romania intends to undertake".

A life extension project has already been undertaken at Embalse, with Cernavoda currently undergoing its own project to extend its lifetime by 30 years.

Background

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.

The Cernavoda plant consists of two operating 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.

Embalse, which entered commercial operation in 1984, was shut down at the end of 2015 for life extension work, which included reactor retubing and replacing the steam generators. It also included a 6% increase of the plant's capacity to 683 MWe. It returned to commercial operation in 2019 with a further 30 years of operation.

Argentina's government said earlier this year that exports were one of In November last year Nucleoeléctrica and Canada's Candu Energy Inc, part of AtkinsRéalis, signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate globally on "providing engineering, technical assistance, and maintenance services for Candu-type nuclear power plants".

Westinghouse, which supplied the world's first commercial pressurised water reactor (PWR) in 1957 in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, is one of the world's largest nuclear services businesses. A strategic partnership of Cameco Corporation and Brookfield Renewable Partners acquired the company for a total enterprise value of approximately USD8 billion in a transaction completed in 2023: Westinghouse had previously been acquired out of bankruptcy by Brookfield Business Partners in 2018. Currently, Cameco owns a 49% interest and Brookfield owns the remaining 51%.

Speaking during Cameco's results call, CEO Tim Gitzel said the company was "extremely limited" in what it could say under US Securities and Exchange Commission rules about the initial public offering (IPO). Nevertheless, the Westinghouse business segment featured heavily in Cameco's quarterly results call, and its management's discussion and analysis (MDMA) document for the quarter which ended on 30 June.

Westinghouse's technology platform operates across the nuclear power value chain, Cameco said in its quarterly update, with 57% of the global operating fleet of 417 reactors using its technology, making it "one of the most strategically important franchises in the global nuclear power industry" with "growing global opportunities for its technologies". 

The MDMA documents a pipeline of deployment opportunities for totalling some 105GWe across its global markets. These include: up to 10 units supported through American Nuclear Supply Chain Loans announced by the US Department of Energy earlier this year, with a commercial operation timeframe by the mid-2030s; up to 10 further US units supported through the strategic partnership between Cameco, Brookfield and the US Department of Commerce announced in 2025, for commercial operation by the mid-to-late 2030s; the resumption of the two-unit VC Summer project, for commercial operation by the early-mid 2030s; three units at Lubiatowo-Kopalino in Poland, for operation in the mid-2030s; two units each in Bulgaria (Kozloduy units 7 and 8) and Ukraine (Khmelnitsky units 5 and 6), for commercial operation by the mid-to-late 2030s; 11 units described as "FEED-Stage Projects" (FEED is front-end engineering and design) in the Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland/Sweden, and the USA, with a late-2030s timeframe; and up to 51 units in Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, the USA, and "other European countries", with a deployment timeframe of late 2030s-early 2040s.

This list is ordered in terms of how close those opportunities are to final investment decisions, said Dominic Kieran, Global Managing Director of Cameco UK who is also the chair of Westinghouse's Board of Directors. For those countries and projects further down the list, "it's not that we see them as lower probability, it's just that we see them as slightly earlier in the process of getting to final investment decision", said Kiearn. For a "couple" of those, "we are seeing very, very strong recognition of need for nuclear in baseload energy generation", he added.

Economic benefits

The MDMA includes illustrative economics for reactors deployed in the near term versus so-called Nth-of-a-kind deployments - that is, after five deployments of two reactor units located on a single project site for a total of 10 units, and a sustained demand of at least two reactor units per year, is achieved. 

The nuclear construction period - from first nuclear concrete to commercial operation - is estimated as around 66 months per unit for near-term deployments, reducing by 20-30% for Nth-of-a-kind deployments. Meanwhile, the overnight capital costs decrease from USD20-26 billion for near-term deployments to USD14-17 for Nth-of-a-kind.

With a complete reactor design - AP1000s are in operation, Westinghouse is well positioned for the procurement aspects of new projects, and few bottlenecks are perceived around construction, Kieran said, adding that while, "certainly not without risks" the company has been "prudent" in its assessment. 

Cameco President and Chief Operating Officer Grant Isaac spoke to the significance of the US government funding, including the importance of securing long-lead items to support construction projects. A standardised design, sequential construction projects, and "simplifying" projects - not by changing designs but by incorporating lessons learned - is the key to get to Nth-of-a-kind as quickly as possible, he added. "Nobody needs to fear nuclear new build - in fact, we need to embrace it," he said.
 

A Preliminary Economic Assessment - or PEA - is, as its name suggests, an early-stage review of a mining project's potential economics, and can include Inferred Mineral Resources - resources that are more geologically speculative than Indicated or Measured resources. But a Preliminary Economic Assessment is seen as a significant step in the potential development of a project, setting the scene for a company to move on to prefeasibility and feasibility studies.

District said that the mine process plan includes about 77% Indicated mineral resources and 23% Inferred mineral resources. 

Speaking when the results of the PEA were released, District CEO Garrett Ainsworth, CEO described the study as a "transformational milestone", with "globally significant" results which "position the Viken Deposit amongst the most compelling development opportunities for important and critical raw materials in the mining sector today".

The report, Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Viken Energy Metals Project, Jämtland County, Sweden, was prepared by independent P&E Mining Consultant Inc with input from METS Engineering Group Pty Ltd in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, or NI 43-101 for short. It has now been .

Law enacted

Sweden is estimated to have more than one million tonnes of uranium resources in alum black shales (schists) in three deposits. Uranium exploration and mining was banned from 2018 under amendments to the country's environmental code, but in November 2025, Sweden's parliament voted to repeal the ban on uranium mining and exploration. The new legislation took effect on 1 January.

A second piece of legislation has now been enacted to confirm that uranium mining will no longer be regulated as a nuclear facility and that consequently uranium extraction will no longer require explicit municipal consent. This follows the passage of a bill in June, removing the requirement for a separate assessment under the Swedish Environmental Code as well as the requirement for municipal approval. These changes were enacted on 15 July. 

Australian-based company Aura Energy's Häggån deposit, also located in the province of Jämtland, contains vanadium, nickel, molybdenum, zinc and potash as well as uranium. The enactment of the new legislation "confirms that uranium mining will no longer be regulated as a nuclear facility and that consequently uranium extraction will no longer require explicit municipal consent", the company said.
 

Jamyle Praxedes Franco, geologist and coordinator of Geological and Mineral Resources Research at INB, said data collection aimed to "quantify and provide detailed information on deposits that may eventually evolve into mine conditions".

The aim of the studies, INB said in its report on the research, is to find out more information and support the country's plan to achieve self-sufficiency in uranium production at the Uranium Concentration Unit (Unidade de Concentração de Urânio in Portuguese)

INB said: "The plan initially considers the production of 200 tonnes of uranium concentrate. Future production scenarios of 450 tonnes and, subsequently, 800 tonnes are also being evaluated, which require further geological studies, as well as the implementation of structures such as a new tailings settling basin, a new waste rock pile, a storage yard, and expansion of the physical and chemical processing area."

Background

State-owned INB launched the Pró-Urânio programme in 2024 "with the aim of expanding and accelerating the exploration of new deposits, and which will involve BNDES (Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development) in developing the model for partnerships with mining companies".

A Request for Information was launched by Brazil's National Bank for Economic and Social Development in December for consulting firms interested in participating in the programme.

According to a report by Bloomberg last week, a proposal is currently being considered by the government to allow private investment in the uranium mining sector as long as INB retains at least a 20% stake in each venture.

As Brazil takes steps to expand its uranium production and resources, the country's National Council for Mineral Policy earlier this month established a working group to examine the contribution of the mineral sector, especially uranium, to the development of the Brazilian nuclear programme.

According to ������Ƶ, following active exploration in the 1970s and 1980s, Brazil has reasonably assured resources of 210,000 tonnes of uranium.

Uranium has been mined in Brazil since 1982, but the only operating mine is INB's existing nLagoa Real/Caetité mine, with a capacity of 340 tU per year. The mine has known resources of 10,000 tU at 0.3%U.

It has been developing the Santa Quitéria Project, which is currently in the preliminary environmental licensing process with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) - it was accepted for environmental review in March 2022.

The project is to be implemented at Fazenda Itataia, in the municipality of Santa Quitéria. The collophanite deposit at Itataia is composed of 99.8% phosphate and 0.2% uranium. The deposit - located in the interior of the state of Ceará - is the largest discovered uranium reserve in Brazil.

INB has said the projected annual production is approximately 1.05 million tonnes of phosphate fertiliser and 220,000 tonnes of dicalcium phosphate for animal feed as well as producing "approximately 2,300 tonnes of uranium concentrate per year, destined to supply the Angra 1, Angra 2, and, in the future, Angra 3 nuclear power plants. This initiative reinforces the country's strategy of self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel production, with potential for export".

According to figures reported at the time plans for the project were announced in 2020, the Itataia deposit has an estimated 142,200 tU, inter-mixed with phosphates. The deposit has exploitable reserves of 79.5 million tonnes of ore, at grades of 11% P2O5 and 0.0998% U3O8, equating to about 8.9 million tonnes of P2O5 and 79.3 thousand tonnes of U3O8.

Brazil has a long-established nuclear energy sector. Two pressurised water reactors - Angra 1 and 2 - supply about 3% of the country's electricity. There are also plans to complete a third unit at Angra and potential new capacity is being explored, including via a microreactor being developed in the country.

ISR - also known as solution mining, or in situ leach (ISL) - involves recovering minerals from a suitable orebody by dissolving them and pumping the pregnant solution to the surface where the minerals can be recovered. The choice of leaching solution - acidic or alkaline - depends on the geology of the ore: an acidic (low-pH) solution gives higher uranium recovery with lower operating costs than an alkaline leach, but cannot be used if significant quantities of acid-consuming minerals such as gypsum and limestone are present in the host aquifers. 

Until operations were suspended in 2019, Lance - like other ISR operations in the USA - had used the high-pH method, but this was delivering lower than expected recoveries of uranium. Following studies and field trials, the company decided in 2022 that it would return to operations using a low-pH recovery process. 

As Lance is the first commercial-scale application of low-pH ISR uranium recovery in the USA, there has been "minimal domestic operating experience, established workforce capability or industry knowledge on which to draw", the company said. Although "meaningful operational progress has been achieved", the company said it "continues to encounter a number of operational challenges, including resolution of gas generation within sections of the wellfield taking longer than expected, resulting in lower-than expected solution flow rates, and the ongoing optimisation of wellfield chemistry".

Peninsula Energy Managing Director and CEO George Bauk said the company is "naturally disappointed" by the slower-than-exepected ramp-up and the decision to withdraw its production guidance, but added that the year has delivered valuable operating experience and important insights as Lance transitions into a large-scale low-pH ISR operation. "While the transition has presented a steeper operational learning curve than we originally anticipated, the challenges we have encountered relate primarily to the wellfield hydraulics, solution flow and chemistry optimisation - not the quality of the uranium resource or the effectiveness of the low-pH recovery process itself," he said. "The encouraging aspect is that the underlying fundamentals continue to validate our long-term strategy."

Wellfield and uranium capture operations at the project resumed in December 2024, with the first dried yellowcake from the expanded Lance Central Processing Plant produced the following September.

Rosatom reported that "the parties discussed the progress of current projects, as well as the future agenda for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Following the meeting, a protocol was signed".

In comments reported by Russia's official Tass news agency Likhachev referenced the state nuclear corporation's work with China on supplying equipment and software codes for China's CFR-600 fast sodium-cooled reactor and preparations for its operation.

He also said that this year Rosatom would start supplying advanced nuclear fuel for China's VVER-1200 reactors and fast neutron reactors.

He said: "When developing nuclear power, every country, and above all Russia and China, the leaders in this race, thinks a century ahead. A century is not a figure of speech here - it means the need to ensure that a power plant has fuel for more than 100 years of operation, both natural uranium and the most advanced technological solutions for efficient and safe fuel. And it is in China where we are introducing our advanced technologies related to safe fuel, including fuel with an 18-month cycle.

"We will continue localising fuel fabrication technologies here in accordance with the growth in reactor demand."

According to Tass, he said one each of the new VVER-1200 units at Tianwan and Xudapu nuclear power plants would begin commissioning "in the coming weeks" with the second new units at each plant, set to follow next year.

And on nuclear fusion, he said: "China has its own developments and operational facilities that will undoubtedly enrich us as we move forward with joint projects."

The Northern Sea Route - where nuclear-powered icebreakers have been playing an increasingly important role in opening up the new Arctic trade route - is another area of bilateral focus, with cargo transportation from China set to double this year, he said.

Background

Rosatom's TVEL fuel company dispatched in 2022 all shipments to supply the first core loading of the CFR-600 sodium-cooled pool-type fast-neutron reactor under construction at Xiapu in China's Fujian province.

The production of CFR-600 uranium fuel was established at the Elemash Machine-Building Plant in Elektrostal in Russia in 2021. For this purpose, the site for the fabrication of fuel assemblies for fast reactors was modernised at the enterprise, unique equipment was developed and installed.

Construction of unit 1 of the Xiapu fast reactor demonstration project began in 2017. It is part of China's plan to work towards a closed nuclear fuel cycle.  In addition to the reactor in China, there are BN-600 and BN-800 sodium-cooled fast reactors at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in the Urals region of Russia.

The federal government had already clarified in a supervisory letter to the state that, given the current assessment by federal security authorities regarding the risk of sabotage or espionage, there was no legal basis for denying the permit.

The Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection has now announced that it has approved ANF's application, subject to a number of conditions, as "after intensive review and inquiries, [it] had no legal grounds under the Atomic Energy Act to reject or limit the application". The restrictions it has imposed include a general ban on entry to the facility for employees of TVEL or Rosatom, as well as persons authorised by them. Entry is only permitted in very limited cases and under the supervision of the regulatory authority.

In addition, the ministry said the hardware and software of the TVEL-licensed machines must undergo external security audits, and these machines must be data-integrated with the rest of the fuel element factory's operational technology and information technology infrastructure. Also, the finished gadolinium fuel rods arriving from Russia must be 100% inspected for potential tampering using active and passive scanners according to the 'four-eyes' principle. Furthermore, ANF employees must receive regular training and awareness programmes to protect against espionage and sabotage.

Lower Saxony's environment ministry said the approval could be revisited "if new risks are identified", particularly in "national security", Euractiv reported.

ANF was created in 1975 and currently employs around 400 people in Lingen. ANF fabricates fuel rods and assemblies for pressurised water reactors and boiling water reactors for customers worldwide.

In recent years, especially since the war with Ukraine began, nuclear power operators in European Union countries who had previously relied on Russian-supplied fuel have sought alternative suppliers. Nineteen VVER reactors - developed during the time of the Soviet Union and historically reliant on Russian fuel supplies - are currently in operation in the EU, including four VVER-1000 reactors in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, and 15 VVER-440 reactors in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Framatome has "a dual-track approach" to supplying fuel to VVER reactors in operation in the EU. In the short term, it will fabricate fuel identical to the proven design currently used by the reactors. In parallel, Framatome is developing and qualifying European sovereign fuels of its own design for VVER-440 and VVER-1000 reactors. The qualification of a new design requires several years within the framework of regulatory and usual certification practices, Framatome notes.

Framatome had planned to produce both VVER-1000 and VVER-440 fuel under licence from and as part of a joint venture with Rosatom at its subsidiary Advanced Nuclear Fuels in Lingen. However, it was recently reported that Framatome has now decided to produce the VVER-440 fuel at its Romans-sur-Isere fuel production site in south-east France. The company expects to submit a request to the French nuclear regulator, the Autorite de Surete Nucleaire et de Radioprotection, by the end of 2026 for approval of the changes needed at the French plant for the production of VVER-440 fuel.

"The NRC staff grants the licence amendment request to increase the enrichment limit in materials licence SNM-1227 from 6.5 wt percent U-235 to less than 10.0 wt percent U-235 and to authorise TRISO fuel fabrication," the Commission said in a 26 June letter to Framatome informing the company of its decision.

"The NRC's approval of the new LAR authorises the site to utilise its industry-leading dry conversion process to convert uranium hexafluoride (UF6) to uranium oxide (UO2 and U3O8) powder for reactor types requiring enrichment levels even higher than the existing light water reactors, including the fabrication of TRISO fuel," Framatome said.

It noted that the licence amendment request approval is "a major milestone for the Framatome and Standard Nuclear joint venture, supporting on-time fuel delivery commitments".

In September last year, Framatome and Standard Nuclear announced a joint venture - named Standard Nuclear-Framatome - to supply commercial quantities of TRISO particles and proprietary advanced reactor products. Framatome said the partnership is "on schedule to start equipment commissioning in the near term and begin producing metric ton levels of TRISO fuel annually, representing a significant scale-up from current capacity to supply the incoming fleet of advanced reactors in the US".

The Richland site plans to start manufacturing UO2 powder and TRISO particles in 2027 to meet current demand. Standard Nuclear-Framatome aims to start by producing 2 tonnes of TRISO fuel annually.

"This is the latest step in reshaping the nuclear fuel market for the next generation of reactors," said Lionel Gaiffe, Senior Executive Vice President of Framatome's Fuel Business Unit. "Built on more than five decades of nuclear fuel manufacturing expertise, this approval uniquely positions us to deliver advanced fuel products to support the future of our industry."

Framatome said approval for enrichment levels up to 10% also positions the company for future production of HALEU fuel types enriched up to 20%. "The necessary equipment and systems have already been designed and analysed, allowing an additional licence amendment to follow quickly," it said. "In this regard, Framatome has applied for a US Department of Energy (DOE) HALEU availability funding."

MoU on HALEU fuel supply

Advanced nuclear fuel developer Lightbridge Corporation and Quadrant Nuclear Industries Inc, a developer of integrated nuclear fuel cycle capabilities, announced they have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a framework for collaboration on the long-term supply of HALEU fuel.

QNI is developing an integrated HALEU production capability in coordination with the DOE and other key stakeholders. Its planned Vanguard facility at Idaho National Laboratory is designed to produce up to 18 tonnes of HALEU annually at full capacity, supporting both commercial and government markets for advanced nuclear reactors.

Under the new MoU, Lightbridge and QNI will discuss the potential supply and long-term offtake of HALEU produced at QNI's facility. The companies intend to collaborate on areas including fuel supply planning, technical interface requirements, commercial structuring, regulatory coordination, and logistics considerations associated with HALEU supply arrangements.

"We are pleased to establish this memorandum of understanding with QNI as we continue advancing the commercialisation of Lightbridge Fuel," said Lightbridge Chairman and CEO Seth Grae. "As we progress in the development and regulatory licensing of Lightbridge Fuel, it is critical that we begin solidifying a reliable domestic supply of HALEU. We look forward to working with QNI to explore opportunities that support our long-term fuel requirements and contribute to a more secure US nuclear fuel supply chain."

Lightbridge Fuel is described by the company as a proprietary next-generation nuclear fuel technology for existing light-water reactors and pressurised heavy-water reactors which it says significantly enhances reactor safety, economics, and proliferation resistance. It is also developing Lightbridge Fuel for new small modular reactors.

Dee Mewbourne, CEO of QNI, said: "Developing a secure, US-based source of HALEU is essential to enabling the next generation of nuclear energy. Our cooperation with Lightbridge reflects the growing alignment between advanced fuel innovation and domestic fuel production. Through this collaboration, we aim to establish a framework for a long-term offtake arrangement that supports commercialisation of Lightbridge's advanced fuel technology while strengthening the domestic nuclear fuel ecosystem."

Last week, QNI signed an MoU with US nuclear fuel innovation company Clean Core Thorium Energy to establish a framework for collaboration on the supply of HALEU fuel. Under the non-binding MoU, the companies will explore how domestically produced HALEU from QNI's planned commercial reprocessing facility at INL could support the future commercial deployment of Clean Core Thorium Energy's ANEEL fuel, which combines thorium with enriched uranium and is designed for use in existing pressurised heavy water and CANDU reactors.

Most advanced reactor designs need HALEU fuel, which contains between 5% and 20% uranium-235, but the material is not currently commercially available from US domestic suppliers - the existing nuclear fleet uses low-enriched uranium fuel, which contains up to 5% of the fissile uranium isotope. Gaps in supply could delay the deployment of advanced reactors. To address this, the DOE set up the HALEU Availability Program in 2020 to secure a domestic supply of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use, which developed into the allocation process.

The allocations announced by the DOE on 23 July will support NASA's SR-1 Freedom mission to Mars and Radiant's deployment of a microreactor to the Air Force's preferred location of Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, DOE said. NASA is a first-time recipient of HALEU under the scheme, while Radiant has received a previous allocation to its Kaleidos demonstration reactor. 

The SR-1 Freedom mission is described by NASA as the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, and a pathfinder mission that will lay groundwork and develop technologies for future applications, including for surface power on the Moon and Mars and for outer solar system exploration. SR-1 - for Space Reactor-1 - will inform Lunar Reactor-1 (LR-1), a fission surface power system designed to keep NASA's Moon Base operating through periods of darkness and in locations where solar power alone is not sufficient. Its HALEU-fuelled reactor, weighing about 12,000 kg, will provide 20 kW of electric closed Brayton cycle power conversion system. With a planned launch date of late 2028, the spacecraft will also carry the SkyFall payload of three Mars helicopters evolved from NASA's heritage Ingenuity Mars Helicopter design. 

Earlier this year, the Department of the Air Force selected Radiant, alongside Westinghouse Government Services and Antares Inc, as potential microreactor developers and operators under its Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations initiative. Radiant's first Kaleidos high-temperature gas-cooled portable microreactor for the Buckley Space Force Base is scheduled for delivery in 2028.

Radiant - alongside TRISO-X, Kairos Power, Westinghouse Electric Company and TerraPower - was one of the first round of conditional selections announced by the DOE in April 2025. Three further selectees - Antares Nuclear, Standard Nuclear, and Abilene Christian University/Natura Resources - were announced the following August.

"This second HALEU allocation moves us a step closer to turning Buckley's national security requirement for resilient power into an operational reality," Radiant's Chief Nuclear Officer Rita Baranwal said. 

"Today's allocations spotlight the importance of fueling advanced nuclear reactors for space exploration and national security," Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish said. "The US Department of Energy's HALEU Availability Program is an important stepping-stone for the nuclear industry as we work to establish a domestic nuclear fuel supply in support of the American nuclear renaissance."

Denison said that, since site preparation and early works began, significant progress has been made to complete several critical site preparation activities - including substantial completion of site clearing activities, advancement of schedule-sensitive site civil works, and the establishment of construction management facilities. Preparation activities also involved the installation and commissioning of temporary construction camp facilities, which significantly increases the accommodation capacity of the Wheeler River property to nearly 400 people and allows a ramp-up in the on-site workforce.

Additionally, aggregate production required for various site civil purposes continues at a nearby quarry, and the concrete batch plant has been mobilised to site. Schedule-critical concrete-related activities for the substation and the main process plant foundations are currently expected to commence in August.

"Completing the site-preparation activities needed to ramp up our on-site workforce and achieve a full-scale rate of construction is an important initial milestone for the Phoenix project," said Denison President & CEO David Cates. "Site civil work has progressed well during the early works programme, with more than 20% of overall site civil work estimated to be completed to date. Importantly, we have achieved near-100% completion of civil subgrade work for the process plant and wellfield areas, which is needed to facilitate the planned concrete pour for the plant and the initiation of the freeze wall installation programme.

"Construction activity is expected to accelerate through the remainder of the summer months with the commencement of a second shift, which means seasonally sensitive civil and other construction work can continue virtually 24-hours a day in support of the completion of our key first-year construction milestones – including concrete pours of the foundations for the process plant and main power transformer, installation of the freeze wall, as well as earth works for the airstrip and on-site power distribution. Achieving these positive early results demonstrates the readiness and commitment of Denison and our construction partners as we advance this unique nation-building project to become Canada's first new large-scale uranium mine since Cigar Lake."

Phoenix - part of the Wheeler River project - is described by Denison as the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure-rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, in northern Saskatchewan. The project is host to the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, discovered by Denison in 2008 and 2014, respectively.

In-situ recovery (ISR) - also referred to as in-situ leach - is a method of recovering uranium minerals 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, which do not generate conventional mine tailings.

Phoenix is the first uranium mine in Canada to use the ISR mining method, and the first large-scale Canadian uranium mining project to be approved for construction in more than 20 years.

Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union (PIMCU), which is part of Rosatom's mining division Rosatom Nedra, said: "The breakthrough will significantly optimise ventilation at the fourth level and the process of loading rock mass at the Shirondukuyskoye deposit for further development work."

Ivan Kiselev, CEO of the company, said: "The connection is of vital importance for the company. It not only connects two sections of the mine but also fundamentally changes the logistics and safety of operations at the fourth level. We are creating a reliable foundation for the smooth development of the Shirondukuyskoye field, which directly impacts our primary objective of ensuring the country's energy security."

The Shirondukuyskoye molybdenum-uranium deposit is part of the Streltsovsky uranium ore district, 8 kilometres from the city of Krasnokamensk in Zabaykalsky Krai. The licence to operate the deposit was acquired in February 2025. According to Rosatom Nedra, the deposit has accounted uranium reserves in the C1/C2 category of 8,000 tonnes, as well as molybdenum reserves. (C1 and C2 are categories under the classification system used for uranium reserves and resources in Russia; they fall mostly within the "reasonably assured", "measured and indicated" or "demonstrated" definitions used elsewhere.)

Nedra sees development of the Shirondukuyskoye deposit as a key milestone for Russia's uranium mining industry: "Its mineral resource base will not only support planned uranium production volumes but also ensure the long-term development of Krasnokamensk, Russia's uranium capital."

Background

Earlier this year, in a report of the annual meeting of Rosatom Nedra with stakeholders, Rosatom said that the licence obtained for the development of the Shirondukuyskoye deposit, in eastern Siberia, was part of its plans to expand its mineral resource base.

The report, in February, quoted Viktor Svyatetsky, First Deputy Director General and Executive Director of Rosatom Nedra, as saying: "Our key objective is to expand our uranium mineral resource base to meet the needs of the Russian nuclear energy industry … in 2026, we will complete the bulk of capital mining work at the Shirondukuyskoye deposit, with the aim of further extracting about 400 tonnes of uranium from it, beginning in 2028. There are plans to bring the Elkon project out of hibernation. This uranium deposit currently holds the largest reserves in Russia."

The first phase of the building dismantling was completed in spring 2024. It involved the demolition of 17 buildings with a total volume of about 177,000 cubic metres – including the administration building, the workshop and operations building, the emergency diesel generator building, the switchgear building, and finally the engine house. This work laid the foundation for the dismantling of the remaining central building complex. Aspects such as safety, environmental protection, and sustainability through material recycling were given top priority.

_{(Image: PreussenElektra)}

The demolition of the reactor building is part of Phase II of the conventional dismantling process and simultaneously marks the beginning of the crucial final phase of the overall project.

On 31 March this year, the demolition of the reactor building began. To weaken the material, a steel ball weighing about four tonnes was first be used to strike the approximately 80-centimetre-thick concrete shell. Following this, the auxiliary buildings were completely demolished before the further demolition of the reactor building began at the beginning of June. This involved the use of, among other things, a 16-tonne hydraulic shear and a 180-tonne cable excavator. The plan is to completely dismantle the reactor building by the end of this year.

In preparation for the demolition, extensive hazardous material remediation of the auxiliary building began in May 2025. This was followed in December by the remediation of the reactor building and the containment vessel within it. For this, the necessary infrastructure was first established both inside and outside the reactor building. This included, in particular, the erection of a complex facade scaffold with stair towers and elevators. As the first externally visible measure immediately before the impending demolition of the reactor building, the external lifting platform, which previously also served for the removal of CASTOR used fuel storage casks and steam generators, was demolished on 6 March.

_{(Image: PreussenElektra)}

"With the start of demolition work on the reactor building, we have reached the final technical milestone we have been working towards for a long time," plant manager Marco Albers said in March. "The entire team has put enormous care into preparing the necessary documentation, and I am very pleased that the review by the independent expert and the approval of the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment have now been granted. Now, with the help of our partner, the Freimuth company, we can implement what is probably the most demanding step in the conventional demolition of the Stade plant in a technically sound and safe manner."

Phases II (involving five building complexes) and III (ten building complexes) have been running in parallel since 2023. The site is scheduled to be released from nuclear regulatory oversight in autumn 2027. This will make the Stade nuclear power plant the first commercially operated pressurised water reactor in Germany to be completely dismantled.

_{(Image: Freimuth)}

Germany's nuclear phase-out 

Following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan in March 2011, the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel decided it would phase out its use of nuclear power by the end of 2022 at the latest. Prior to the accident, Germany was obtaining around one-quarter of its electricity from nuclear power.

In August 2011, the 13th amendment of the Nuclear Power Act came into effect, which underlined the political will to phase out nuclear power in Germany. As a result, eight units were closed down immediately: Biblis A and B, Brunsbüttel, Isar 1, Krümmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Phillipsburg 1 and Unterweser. 

The Brokdorf, Grohnde and Gundremmingen C plants were permanently shut down at the end of December 2021. The country's final three units - Emsland, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 - shut down in April 2023. All the units are now at various stages of decommissioning.

Nuclear safeguards are technical measures applied to verify that nuclear material in peaceful activities is not diverted to nuclear weapons. Implemented in 192 States, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards are an essential component of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. Here, the nuclear industry plays an important role. Through building safeguards considerations into nuclear facility designs, industry can support effective and efficient verification by IAEA safeguards inspectors.

Nuclear safeguards must remain at the cutting edge of technological developments, especially amid the rapid expansion of the nuclear industry, the emergence of novel reactor designs and a wave of new applications for nuclear technology. These place fresh demands on nuclear verification. To ensure that IAEA safeguards continue to be effective and efficiently implemented, cooperation with industry and regulators is essential.

'Fostering open exchange'

Against that backdrop, the IAEA Symposium on International Safeguards is making innovation and cooperation with industry a defining theme. Meeting under the title 'Innovation and Resilience in a Changing World - Safeguards as a Shared Responsibility', the Symposium will bring policymakers, regulators, industry and IAEA experts together to address opportunities and challenges in nuclear verification.

Massimo Aparo, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards, says this year's Safeguards Symposium is taking place at a time when the operating environment is more complex, technologically demanding and financially strained than ever before. "By fostering open exchange, the Symposium provides opportunities for the Department and our stakeholders to identify areas where collaboration can be expanded to ensure that nuclear verification remains robust for years to come."

Held every four years, the Symposium generates ideas for actions, and reviews progress made since its last edition. The Symposium in 2022 welcomed nearly 1,000 participants from 124 countries. 

This year's programme includes an Industry Night, the dedicated evening event where industry stakeholders can present technologies, showcase research and engage with the global safeguards community. Industry stakeholders are invited to exhibit their services and products, and can reserve exhibition space until 15 August.

"As nuclear energy expands around the world, trust and cooperation will be fundamental to the success of the global nuclear industry," said Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of ������Ƶ.

"IAEA Safeguards provide international trust and give governments, investors and communities confidence that nuclear materials are being used only for peaceful purposes. As our industry expands into new countries, new markets and new applications, and develops new technologies, it is essential that professionals across the nuclear sector understand the role of safeguards and work together to implement them effectively to reinforce both non proliferation objectives and deployment realities. The Symposium is a confidence-building and stabilising forum that allows the IAEA, industry, and relevant stakeholders to strengthen their mutual understanding and collaboration to promote effective and efficient safeguards implementation in support of the expected growth of peaceful nuclear activities globally."

The Symposium will also feature a dedicated training day, giving industry professionals and representatives from newcomer countries an opportunity to deepen their understanding of safeguards requirements and meet IAEA experts - and provide engineers, designers and project managers with practical insights into applying safeguards requirements to current and next-generation reactor designs and technologies.

Linked to this will be the central focus on 'Safeguards by Design', which provides guidance to State authorities, designers, equipment providers and prospective purchasers on the importance of taking international safeguards into account when designing a nuclear facility or process. It is applicable to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, from initial planning and design through construction, operation, waste management and decommissioning.

Safeguards by Design has several advantages for both the industry and the IAEA. It enables informed design choices for effective and efficient safeguards implementation and ultimately reduces the operational burden and mitigates the risk of costly retrofitting. For new nuclear facilities, especially novel designs or processes, the earlier safeguards are considered the better: Safeguards by Design allows for safeguards to be built 'into' the system, rather than around it afterwards.

The fifteenth IAEA Symposium on International Safeguards will be held from 9 to 12 November 2026, at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria. Registration and further information are available on the . This article was also co-authored by the IAEA’s Haley Mead, Adem Mutluer and Wolfgang Picot.

The challenge posed is that, according to ������Ƶ's most recent World Nuclear Outlook Report, "when all operable, under construction, planned, proposed, and potential reactors are combined with government targets, the total global capacity could reach 1,446 GWe by 2050", up from the current 403 GWe capacity of operable reactors.

This, the guide calculates, would require investment of USD6 trillion up to 2050 - which includes the investment needs of the full sector from mining to reactor construction to decommissioning and storage costs - and means there needs to be a "significant investment from private, as well as public sources of finance, with capital flowing not only to new generating capacity but also to the nuclear fuel cycle needed to deliver it at scale".

This is where the guide comes in. To find out more about the development of the guide, and the issues it is seeking to tackle, lead author Lola Infante, ������Ƶ Senior Programme Lead, Economics and Finance, outlined the thinking behind it to the World Nuclear News podcast:

"The genesis of the guide happened last September during the financial summit part of the World Nuclear Symposium, where we heard loud and clear from the financial community and the nuclear industry on two related things. One, that there was a structural gap, a disconnect between the two industries that needed to be breached, and two, that we needed to demystify nuclear and start seeing it as just another infrastructure asset class. So the core of the problem is that if we are to scale nuclear to triple capacity by 2050 then we need to unlock investment.

"We hear more and more that the challenge to scaling nuclear is really not technical, it is financial. But it is really not the lack of capital in global markets or the lack of interest from banks or investors. We're seeing more and more interest in nuclear projects from the sector. The issue really is, from where we sit, the lack of commitment or interest in individual real projects. That's where the rubber meets the road and the challenges do start arising. Many in the finance community are interested in nuclear, but they're not sure where or how to engage. So what we want to do with the guide is to show them the different types of opportunities that are arising and that are available at different price points or risk levels. So they get the type of investment that they're interested in.

"Then there are others who are interested and know where they want to invest, but lack the tools or the perspective on how to look at a nuclear asset or how to go about evaluating the project. So for them, we want to provide information that can help them develop frameworks and standardised tools that can facilitate their decision-making. So the guide is trying to address that gap by providing information that we think both industries need."

The newly published first part of the guide - the Roadmap to Mainstream Finance: The Path to Scale Nuclear Energy - sets out the scale of the investment opportunity/challenge, if the widely shared goal of at least tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050 is to be met.

On the scale of the investment required, Infante says: "We are estimating that meeting current government ambitions globally, which more or less triples current capacity, is going to require around USD6 trillion between now and 2050. That's an average of USD250 billion per year. So that's a sizable challenge - or opportunity - depending on how you're looking at it. So it's a lot of capital, but it's by no means unprecedented. Other industries are spending as much, if not more. But it is more capital than governments can finance alone. And I think that's the starting point for this roadmap. Traditionally, even today, governments have a key role to play in the legal and regulatory functions, but also as a main de-risker and main financier of nuclear projects. But we do need to bring in private capital. In many markets, the conditions and maturity of the market needed for this private capital isn’t there yet. So this is what we try to explain with the roadmap. We try to set out the journey to move from today's situation, mostly driven by government, to a situation where nuclear is just like any other asset class, where risks are known, they're understood, they're priced and priceable, where we have large pools of private capital participating in the market, where there is liquidity in the market, where nuclear financing is not only, or predominantly, a government thing.

"So to get to that stage, we think that all stakeholders, government, industry, but also the financial sector have a role to play. We don't think that finance can wait until a fully de-risked project just lands on their desk. Projects don't get de-risked without the financial industry participating in the process of de-risking them and creating the tools to get there. So standardised underwriting and priceable risk come from doing early transactions, not just from waiting for someone else to do them first. We need early engagement from investors and lenders so they can build deals that create benchmarks and frameworks which can then be replicated."

One of the finance experts who played a key role as part of the Advisory Board for the guide is Ananya Modi, co-head of the Energy and Power Financing team at Rothschilds and Co. He began by addressing how important he saw the guide from the finance side.

"We hear a lot about how nuclear power needs to get standardised, and the financing is a core element of that. There is going to be no project without the financing to support it. And so I think ������Ƶ has done a phenomenal job of pulling together people who act and advise across multiple jurisdictions, across multiple technology classes, because you really need that collaboration if we're going to meet the urgency of demand that is there on the capital side of things.

"It is genuinely, in my view, and I am biased because I spend my time doing energy and power financing work, the challenge for our generation. And if we get it right, we're going to be setting this right for future generations to come. And so this guide, I think, is a real turning point because there have been so many conversations, so many multiple ways of doing financing that may have been applicable in certain jurisdictions when we were doing the odd project here and there. But really to scale this from tens of billions a year to the hundreds of billions a year of investment that is required, this guide is going to pave the way for that."

Modi also set out his thoughts on tackling perceived risks of potential project and cost overruns.

"I think the same questions were asked of newer technologies like offshore wind 15 years ago. We were asking people to take unexpected risks or unforeseen risks and people got their heads around it. I think this is where state support schemes, or contractual protections within the risk-sharing framework, is so important to get the financing right. There isn't going to be a perfect solution. It is very jurisdiction-dependent. It is very dependent on who your contractors are, what their risk-sharing appetite is. But I think the fundamental premise is we want these projects to get completed. And so the financing needs to support that objective. If you look at the regulated asset-based model or the CFD (contracts for difference) model, there are different incentives for the capital providers to make sure that the project is delivered on time and on schedule. And as more of these get built, as we have seen in Asia, for example, you get a higher degree of certainty around that cost and schedule. So it's really about these first few, and getting the momentum right. As long as we have the right absorption mechanisms and the right incentives, I think investors are able to get their heads around it."

Infante added that one key element of the guide is to help move away from financing always being first-of-a-kind and to make it repeatable.

"Except for some areas like China, for example, we hadn't been seeing enough nuclear projects around the world to gather enough data to use to benchmark projects and standardise processes. Until very recently, each project and each deal has been treated as unique, first-of-a-kind, and everything is developed from scratch. But I think we're beginning to see changes and we're trying to gather all that experience that we're beginning to get and what we know in general about other industries and about finance to put all those things together.

"In the guide we don't want to be prescriptive, so we're not providing frameworks, but we're providing tools and information and practices and case studies and best practices that we think can help others create those standardised templates, those tools, those frameworks to facilitate their decision-making processes. So, for example, we have a module or a section in the guide that will be released in September where we present a decision framework that includes an investment model that outlines different areas where important decisions need to be made - ownership model, delivery model, government support package, the revenue model, all those things that need to be discussed at one point or another. In another module, for example, we're trying to provide tools on the other side of the table to the nuclear project so they get investment ready a little bit quicker, so they understand what type of information they need to provide to financial institutions, to get their projects understood and better assessed by the financial community. So again, the guide is not a definitive guide to nuclear investment. It does not include everything there is to do or to know but I think it will offer what we think is key information to facilitate nuclear financing, decision-making, and take some of that fear out of the equation so we can better understand the risk and what the deals really truly entail."

She also stressed that the guide is designed to be globally applicable.

"We are doing this for everybody. It is true that when we talk about financing challenges in nuclear, most people think we're mostly talking about Western countries. Again, China has a very successful nuclear programme and other countries do as well but we do think that financing discipline applies to everybody, whether you're financing with private capital or public capital, that discipline and looking at projects from a commercial perspective, understanding the risk, being able to price the risk, all that applies to everybody. Whether you're going to use sovereign funds or export credit capital or multilateral funds, it doesn't really matter. The discipline of how you're looking at a project doesn't change, and that's what we need to scale up. So even though some of the topics we are approaching with the guide don't apply one-to-one to everybody, the overall logic, I think, applies to everybody. It's absolutely global."

The guide also covers the financing demands of the entire sector, rather than just the construction phase of a new nuclear power unit.

Here’s what Modi said:

"The power plant itself is quite a modest amount of the total spend … we think the entire ecosystem is absolutely vital. And so it's not really just about funding the developer. It's about funding the supply chain, making sure the supply chain has the capacity to absorb and participate with skin in the game in terms of the development overall. So we're monitoring that very closely because that's where the bottlenecks could be, around some of these supply chains not being able to deliver, which then has a knock-on consequence on the overall project and timeline. Investors are extremely wise to that, and we're seeing quite a lot of sophistication from the financial community in terms of looking broadly across that ecosystem and saying, ‘whom else do I need to support?’ I think it's a huge opportunity from a financial investment opportunity perspective, there's very few which have the momentum and excitement that nuclear power does today. And the supply chain is increasingly working with financial investors who've come in at different stages of the supply chain to find a way forward, because we've all got to move forward together."

And on the question of what next steps are needed to facilitate the scale of investment required, he said:

"Nuclear is quite unique - in other projects, maybe you can do them on a standalone basis and not really require the collaboration that we were talking about across the supply chain. I think that collaboration extends out of the project and out of the supply chain into the financial investor universe. Lola mentioned state support and just how important that has been. But we've also seen multilateral agencies come back into it, the World Bank, for example, has recently come back into nuclear power and been a great support. Obviously, all of the export credit agencies globally are looking at nuclear power with a very keen eye. So it's not just private capital that's coming in, be it commercial banks, pension funds, insurance providers, private equity firms, infrastructure capital. It is also backed and supported by a lot of these other multilateral agencies and development institutions. On the equity side of things, there is this real public-private collaboration and partnership. I think that is a very, very important aspect of nuclear power, which is quite unique. And I think that needs to continue to evolve.

"The working relationship between the public and the private side of capital, has always historically had some tension. And I think that's where nuclear power can really unlock some of these JVs or joint partnership agreements. So yes, it's all about collaboration, not just in the supply chain, not just ensuring that all the competent parts can come together, but also from a financing perspective. It is not one solution. It is a mix and a real puzzle that you have to put together. And obviously, as advisors, we love that sort of work because it allows us to really add value and look at which pockets of capital are best suited to fund which part of the nuclear power project. So yes, hugely exciting times. And what it means is there is a lot of opportunity for investment across capital pools globally."

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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production
Cover Picture Credit: Adobe Stock/Vadym

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Funding for the hubs - created as part of the Fusion 2040 programme and Germany's High-Tech Agenda - will begin next month. The first collaborative research and development projects will launch shortly thereafter. In the first round, the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) will provide the hubs with about EUR125 million (USD142 million) in funding. The hubs' research and development programmes will be expanded successively in six phases until 2029. These funds will be supplemented by private investments, international collaborations, or activities undertaken by the federal states.

The three selected hubs focus on three key technological areas:

- VEGA is dedicated to laser fusion and is coordinated by Marvel Fusion and Focused Energy. The hub - which will be based at RWE’s former Biblis nuclear power plant in the German state of Hesse - aims to consolidate existing expertise in Germany in photonics, optics, laser technology, and the development and manufacturing of targets. Targets are small spheres or cylinders containing the fusion fuel. These technologies will be used to develop application-oriented fusion technologies.

- STRIDE focuses on magnetic fusion, particularly stellarator technology. The hub, coordinated by Proxima Fusion, Gauss Fusion, and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, aims to facilitate the translation of scientific findings into industrial developments.

- MAT-TRIX is coordinated by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and addresses the cross-cutting topics of fuel cycles and materials development. These include, among other things, the production and handling of the fusion fuel tritium, the development of so-called breeding blankets, and materials that can withstand the extreme conditions in a fusion power plant over the long term. Breeding blankets are components in future fusion reactors in which the fusion fuel tritium is produced from lithium.

The partners will initially create joint structures for their collaboration. These include plans for research and development, the management of intellectual property, and the recruitment of skilled personnel.

In the future, further companies, research institutions and stakeholders from the high-tech industry, value chains and supply chains are expected to be involved.

The BMFTR noted that it already funds research projects in laser and magnetic fusion, the development of new research infrastructures, and junior research groups. It said the new hubs complement these measures by structuring the technology fields, pooling activities, and establishing lasting networks between research and industry. As the next step, the BMFTR is planning milestone-based financing, which will particularly support application-oriented developments by involved companies.

"Fusion has enormous potential to secure the energy supply of the future – clean, safe, and always available. Germany is excellently positioned in fusion research, has promising start-ups, and can become a global pioneer," said Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär. "It has great value creation potential for Germany as a business and innovation hub. Our goal is therefore clear: The first fusion power plant should be located in Germany. With the three fusion hubs, we are now combining entrepreneurial ambition and scientific expertise. This will accelerate the development of new fusion technologies and ensure better knowledge transfer. The federal and state governments are working hand in hand to develop the hubs into strong locations for fusion research and technology in the long term."

Germany's fusion ambitions

On 1 October last year, the German cabinet announced it had approved the federal government's action plan aimed at accelerating commercial fusion deployment in Germany. By 2029, more than EUR2 billion (USD2.4 billion) will be invested in fusion research, as well as the development of new research infrastructures and pilot projects. The Fusion Action Plan implements a flagship measure of the High-Tech Agenda Germany - announced in July 2025 by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space - in fusion, identified as one of six critical future technologies for the country.

In September 2023, then Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger announced that Germany would significantly increase research funding for fusion with an additional EUR370 million over the next five years. Together with funds already earmarked for research institutions, the ministry will provide more than EUR1 billion for fusion research by 2028. The move was aimed at paving the way for the first fusion power plant to be constructed in Germany by 2040.

Each sector module is composed of a vacuum vessel sector, two toroidal field coils, thermal shields, and auxiliary components, with lifting equipment and stabilising beams attached for the lift operation.

_{(Image: ITER Organisation)}

The fabrication of the vacuum vessel sectors is shared between Europe (five sectors) and South Korea (four sectors). Initially, South Korea was tasked with producing two vacuum vessel sectors under its agreement with the ITER Organization. However, in 2016, an additional agreement was made to produce two more sectors originally assigned to the EU.

The sector modules that form the ITER machine’s core have progressively been installed within the tokamak pit since April 2025.

The sixth tokamak sector module, #1, weighing about 1,100 tonnes, was transferred from the Assembly Hall and lowered into the pit in a carefully coordinated lifting operation, which took 30 hours and mobilised more than 100 people, and concluded on 28 July. Together with its lifting rig, the suspended load weighed nearly 1,400 tonnes. The latest sector installation brings two-thirds of the machine's torus-shaped core into place.

_{(Image: ITER Organisation)}

"Experience gained from each successive module assembly and lifting operation has increased the pace, efficiency and predictability of the work," the ITER Organisation noted. It said it was on track to install the final sector module in mid-2027, "with teams continuing to identify opportunities for further schedule optimisation".

"This latest achievement is a visible marker of the progress being made through our accelerated approach to machine assembly," said ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi. "The teams have translated lessons learned from each operation into greater efficiency, stronger coordination and a more predictable assembly sequence. With six modules now in place, we are demonstrating that this technical approach is delivering tangible results on the project's critical path."

With the transfer of sector module #1 now complete, it joins the five others - #4, #5, #6, #7 and #8 - that are already in the tokamak pit. A seventh sector module is expected to be transferred before the end of the year.

_{(Image: ITER Organisation)}

Once all nine sector modules are positioned in the pit, teams will proceed with the complex work of joining the sectors to complete the torus.

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".