Assystem has been selected as a strategic engineering partner and will have a leading role across the various contracts, covering engineering, digital expertise, project management, and construction management on Sizewell C and Hinkley Point C, two gigawatt-scale nuclear power plants in the UK, as well as work on EDF's existing nuclear generation and nuclear services.

"The four new framework agreements will strengthen the support Assystem provides to the UK's nuclear programme," Assystem said. "Under these contracts, the company will also support the design authority of the main licensees and contribute to delivering 6.6 gigawatts of new EPR-generated clean electricity to the UK grid."

Assystem, which has been contracted by EDF worldwide for more than 60 years, said this new partnership "highlights both Sizewell C's and EDF's long-term collaboration with Assystem, as the French multinational energy company continues to seed its investment into the UK's low-carbon energy infrastructure".

Last year, Assystem announced plans to double its UK workforce by creating 1,000 new engineering, digital, and project management jobs by 2030 to support the delivery of these crucial nuclear projects, boosting skills and regional economic investment across the UK – strengthening domestic nuclear capabilities and international industry collaboration between France and the UK.

"Assystem is proud to stand alongside EDF and Sizewell C as a strategic partner at this pivotal moment for the UK's new nuclear programme," said Andrew Bedford, Senior Business Unit Director, Nuclear New Build, at Assystem. "Our position on the Professional Services Framework not only strengthens our long-standing collaboration with EDF but also accelerates the delivery of world-class nuclear capabilities in the UK. With our commitment to double Assystem's UK workforce by 2030, we're bringing vital skills, innovation, and engineering momentum to help meet domestic energy transition needs."

AtkinsRéalis's role expands

The appointment of AtkinsRéalis to the Professional Services Framework extends the multidisciplinary work AtkinsRéalis delivers across EDF's existing fleet of nuclear power plants and its new-build Hinkley Point C programme for an initial five-year term, with the option to extend by a further five years. It also encompasses engineering services delivered at the Sizewell C nuclear new-build programme.

Under the new Professional Services Framework, AtkinsRéalis will support EDF Nuclear Services, EDF Nuclear Operations, Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C across more than 60 different technical and project delivery disciplines, from design and engineering to programme management and consultancy.

"The framework ensures AtkinsRéalis will continue to support EDF as a trusted delivery partner during a vital transition period as some of its existing plants enter vital life extension programmes, others shift towards the end of operational life, and as Hinkley Point C prepares for operations as the UK's first large-scale reactor for a generation," the company said. "The inclusion of Sizewell C will also help to realise the full benefits of replication as the AtkinsRéalis team applies the knowledge and experience from Hinkley Point C to the new build programme as it enters construction phase."

AtkinsRéalis President and CEO Ian Edwards said: "EDF has been a major client to our Nuclear business for over two decades, and this framework is a continuation of the vital work we have been delivering across operational and new build programmes for EDF Energy and Sizewell C in the UK. Our proven ability to provide a breadth of capabilities strengthens our role as a strategic partner with EDF and reinforces our leading position as a truly end-to-end engineering services provider in the global nuclear industry."

"There are over 3000 experienced AtkinsRéalis employees working across civil nuclear programmes in the EMEA region, from structural and mechanical engineers to specialists in digital design, project delivery and decommissioning," added Joe St Julian, President, Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis. "This new framework enables EDF and Sizewell C to seamlessly access our specialists for any of their UK programmes, reinforcing our ability to act as a trusted delivery partner during this crucial period of their nuclear operations."

Serial production of the floating power units (FPU-106) is under way to power a copper mining industrial cluster in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. This will be the first such project to provide carbon-free energy for industrial production, with four floating power units earmarked for it.

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, said: "Rosatom continues to expand its range of floating power units, and the completion of the first reactor for the lead floating nuclear power unit is a significant milestone. Today, Russia is the only country with an operating floating nuclear power plant, and we intend to maintain our leadership in the development of small-scale technologies, offering innovative and low-carbon energy solutions to our partners in Russia and abroad."

The RITM-200C is a modification of the RITM-200 reactors in operation on the latest series of nuclear-powered icebreakers. In total, Rosatom's Machine-Building division is in various stages of producing 14 RITM-200-based reactor units for icebreakers and floating power units.

Russia's first floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, has been operating in Chukotka since 2020. During this time, it has generated more than 1.2 billion kWh of electricity and avoided more than 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, Rosatom said.

The state nuclear corporation says that the RITM-200 reactors have proved their effectiveness in Arctic conditions. It says that, in floating power units, they will be able to effectively address current or potential energy shortages in remote, offshore areas. As well as producing floating power units for domestic use, Russia also sees considerable export potential.

According to past presentations, the FPU-106 units would provide 106 MWe, the refuelling interval would be every 5 to 7 years, and there would be a service life of about 40 years. A version of a floating power unit targeting international markets would be 100 MWe with a refuelling interval of 10 years and a service life of 60 years.

Oklo said its selection - alongside four other advanced nuclear companies (Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy) - supports the company's broader fuel strategy, which includes multiple pathways to source fuel to support advanced reactor deployment while domestic enrichment and fuel infrastructure continue to scale.

SHINE Technologies CEO, Greg Piefer, said: "We've spent more than a decade building the capabilities needed to handle complex nuclear materials - recycling used fuel, recovering isotopes, doing the kind of separations work this programme calls for. Turning surplus material that's been sitting in storage into fuel for the next generation of reactors is exactly the kind of problem we built SHINE to solve."

In partnership with France-headquartered innovative reactor developer Newcleo, Oklo would lead the utilisation of surplus plutonium, while Newcleo would bring relevant fuel experience and potential project capital, subject to definitive agreements, customary approvals, and applicable US security and safeguards requirements.

"Oklo and Newcleo view the programme as a pathway for disposition through use: converting material that already exists into fuel for advanced reactors, using it to generate reliable electricity, and consuming it through fission under stringent security, safeguards, and material control requirements," the companies said in a joint statement. "In doing so, the programme can turn a long-term material management challenge into a domestic energy source."

"Fuel supply constraints are a key throttle to advanced reactor development," said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. "This programme creates a pathway to use existing surplus material as bridge fuel for advanced reactors to bring more reactors online sooner. Material that has been set aside for disposal can instead be converted into fuel to produce electricity through fission."

Newcleo CEO and founder Stefano Buono added: "We are proud of this transatlantic partnership with Oklo to deliver on our promise of reducing nuclear liabilities through our fuel and reactor technologies. The US is taking a visionary approach to the fuel cycle, and we look forward to contributing to it."

In October 2025, Newcleo and Oklo signed an agreement to develop advanced fuel fabrication and manufacturing infrastructure in the USA. At the time, Newcleo said it was planning to invest up to USD2 billion "via an affiliated investment vehicle", with the investment spanning "multiple projects under US oversight" and aiming to "foster transatlantic cooperation that enhances energy security, and focus on creating a robust and resilient fuel ecosystem. Specific projects and investment amounts will be detailed in forthcoming definitive agreements".

In March this year, Newcleo announced it had initiated pre‑application engagement with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to support the future licensing of its first Lead-cooled Fast Reactor and an associated mixed‑oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility in the USA.

Newcleo is developing its Small Modular Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (SM-LFR) technology. According to the company's delivery roadmap, the first non-nuclear precursor prototype of its reactor is expected to be ready by later this year in Italy, the first reactor operational in France by the end of 2031, while the final investment decision for the first commercial power plant is expected around 2029. Newcleo plans to directly invest in a MOX plant to fuel its small modular lead-cooled fast reactors.

Oklo's Aurora powerhouse is a fast neutron reactor that uses heat pipes to transport heat from the reactor core to a supercritical carbon dioxide power conversion system to generate electricity. Building on the design and operating heritage of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), which ran in Idaho from 1964 to 1994, it uses metallic fuel to produce electricity and usable heat, and can operate on fuel made from fresh HALEU or used nuclear fuel.

Under the five-year agreement, the two parties will cooperate to qualify at least 100 UAE nationals holding high school diplomas, vocational diplomas, or postgraduate degrees. DGE's Mawaheb Talent Hub will provide ENEC with a curated list of candidates and grant access to its state-of-the-art facilities to conduct awareness workshops, technical assessments, and interviews.

ENEC will lead the development and funding of the training programmes and financial support for trainees. Upon successful completion of the programme and meeting hiring criteria, the selected trainees will be integrated into the workforce at ENEC and its subsidiaries.

"Since its inception, ENEC has been dedicated to cultivating a world-class team of Emirati professionals who are the backbone of our success at the Barakah Plant today and for the many decades of operations ahead," Al Hammadi said. "This agreement with the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi, allows us to expand our talent pipeline, ensuring that the next generation of UAE nationals is equipped with the expertise to lead and secure our nation's carbon-free future and drive long-term sustainable growth. This Initiative also supports the UAE's transition to a knowledge-based economy by equipping job seekers with specialised skills for high-tech industries."

DGE Undersecretary Ibrahim Nassir added: "We believe that the most important investment any nation can make is in its people. This agreement with ENEC reflects exactly that - a shared commitment to placing Emirati talent at the heart of one of the UAE's most strategically vital sectors. Through Mawaheb, we are not simply connecting job seekers to vacancies; we are building a pipeline of nationally qualified experts who can lead the UAE's clean energy future for generations to come. Partnerships of this depth and ambition are what transform national vision into lasting reality."

ENEC said the partnership builds upon its proven track record of human capability development. "To date, more than 2,000 Emirati talents have been involved in the development and operation of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant," it said. "Through six dedicated talent pipeline programmes, ENEC continues to empower future experts to manage the civil nuclear energy sector for decades to come."

Under a USD20 billion deal announced in December 2009, four Korean-designed APR1400 reactors have been built at the Barakah site by a consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). First concrete for Barakah 1 was poured in July 2012, while that for units 2-4 was poured in April 2013, September 2014 and July 2015, respectively. The units entered commercial operation between April 2021 and September 2024. The Barakah plant - in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi - is owned by ENEC and operated by Nawah, a joint nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of the ENEC and KEPCO. The plant provides about 25% of the UAE's electricity needs.

Ruth Todd, Rolls-Royce SMR's Operations and Supply Chain Director, said: "These are some of the most important long-lead items in nuclear plant construction. Forming strategic relationships now ensures these critical components can be designed for manufacture, reducing project risk and enabling on-time delivery.

"A dual-supply approach strengthens Rolls-Royce SMR’s supply chain and ensures delivery certainty. Both Škoda JS and Doosan Enerbility have long and impressive records of delivering key nuclear island components, including reactor pressure vessels and other related equipment at the heart of nuclear power stations - already operating and under construction around the world."

The first two projects to feature Rolls-Royce SMRs are set to be at Wylfa, in North Wales in the UK, and at Temelin in the Czech Republic. ČEZ is also developing projects on the sites of existing coal-fired power plants and is also examining other locations.

Rolls-Royce SMR said it was "committed to maximising localisation for its customers in the UK and the Czech Republic. Significant supply chains will be built to deliver this important work and Rolls-Royce SMR is actively working to connect potential suppliers with these opportunities - including the supply of forgings".

Škoda JS is owned by Czech nuclear power plant operator ČEZ, which is also a 20% shareholder in Rolls-Royce SMR. Tomáš Pleskač, a member of the ČEZ board of directors, said: "The reactor set, including the reactor pressure vessel, is one of the key parts of a nuclear power plant. Škoda JS from Plzeň has many years of experience in manufacturing these components. The order from Rolls-Royce SMR will further deepen its nuclear know-how and strengthen its position on the global market. The selection of suppliers for the nuclear island components follows the recent signing of an engineering contract between Rolls-Royce SMR and ČEZ."

Karel Bednář, Chairman and CEO of Škoda JS, said: "This is a fundamental shift. It means that our company, in global competition as a purely Czech manufacturer, has joined the global supply chain of the rapidly growing nuclear energy sector and will play a crucial role in SMR projects not only in the Czech Republic. For our team, this is a very prestigious matter and confirmation of the company's ability to ensure cooperation in the development and production of the reactor and other SMR parts for Rolls-Royce. This specifically concerns the reactor pressure vessels, their internal parts, the reactor lid, volume compensators and other heavy components."

According to a report in  Doosan Enerbility has said the partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR will provide a significant chance to expand its role in the global SMR supply chain.

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

In June 2025, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government's preferred technology for the country's first SMR project. 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. A final investment decision is expected to be taken in 2029.

Another agreement was "on the provision to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of a state export loan to finance the construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan".

A third nuclear-related agreement was on an action plan "in the field of interdepartmental cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety regulation for 2026-2030".

Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said the intergovernmental agreement "defines the key parameters of the nuclear power plant construction project. Specifically, it concerns the construction of two Russian-designed power units with VVER-1200 reactors based on best Russian practices. The document covers key areas of cooperation during the NPP's operational life, including maintenance and fuel supply".

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency, signed the agreements in the presence of the presidents.

Further details of the financing was not included in the official announcements, although the official news agency Kazinform said that preliminary estimates put the cost of the two units at about USD14.4 billion with another USD2 billion earmarked for physical security systems and social infrastructure. It quoted Satkaliyev as saying the export loan had "very favourable terms for Kazakhstan". It also reported that the construction start was targeted for 2027, and the aim was for operation of the first unit in 2034.

In their comments after their talks and the signing of the agreements, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said: "There's every reason to single out energy as a very successful area of ​​cooperation. In my view, the agreement signed today on the construction of the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant is of exceptional significance.

"I express my gratitude to the President of the Russian Federation for his personal and decisive support in launching this large-scale project, which will become a driving force for scientific, educational, and technological collaboration and will ensure the development of new related energy sectors and industry as a whole."

President Putin called it "a flagship project in the field of peaceful nuclear energy" and said "the commissioning of the plant will make a significant contribution to the energy supply of the Kazakh economy, helping to provide businesses and households with affordable and clean energy".

He added: "I would like to point out that, as we agreed with the President of Kazakhstan, we are not simply talking about the creation of a nuclear power plant or construction; we are talking about the creation of an entire industry, including education, personnel training, and so on."

Background

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

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

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

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

So far, GBP5.4 billion (USD7.2 billion) has been spent with 1,500 businesses across the South West with case studies highlighting the suppliers growing their capability and winning new work thanks to their experience at Hinkley Point C. Benefits are also felt across Britain, including a new factory in North Wales which has opened to support Hinkley Point C and future nuclear projects. This facility will employ 200 people.

The report also maps grants provided by Hinkley Point C's Community Fund of more than GBP20 million to 385 community projects. Stretching across Somerset, the benefits have been accessible to over 600,000 people. The grants are creating community benefit that will continue well beyond the construction of the new power plant. The investment has also unlocked match funding of at least GBP8.4 million.

The report says the project continues to deliver environmental benefits. It includes examples of the planting of seagrass in the Severn Estuary to benefit the marine environment and the GBP700 million of fish protection measures being delivered by the power plant. It says surveys show wildlife around the site is thriving with 92 bird species recorded in newly created landscape areas.

Construction of Hinkley Point C - composed of two EPR pressurised water reactors of 1630 MWe each - began in December 2018, with unit 1 of the plant originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025, before that was revised to 2027 in May 2022. In 2024, EDF announced that the "base case" was now for unit 1 being operational in 2030, with the cost revised from GBP26 billion to between GBP31-34 billion, in 2015 prices.

When complete, the two EPR reactors will meet around 10% of the UK's current electricity demand, and are expected to operate for as long as 80 years.

"Now at the peak of its construction, Hinkley Point C is providing many more benefits beyond the huge amounts of reliable electricity it will produce," the report says. "The project's commitment to maximising its positive impact for people, skills and the economy is providing growth across Britain. The project is also a catalyst for further growth with people and businesses now able to apply their nuclear expertise and learning at Sizewell C and on future small modular reactor projects. This report demonstrates the wider benefits provided by Hinkley Point C in the three key areas essential for sustainability – people, planet and prosperity."

"We've worked hard to make sure we can change lives for the better by providing new skills and jobs here in the South West and right across the country," said Stuart Crooks, Hinkley Point C's CEO. "We set out ambitious targets for jobs and training, and we've exceeded them. The decision to go ahead at Sizewell C means even more opportunities for the people, industry and businesses that support us."

Sizewell C will be a similar design to the two-unit plant being built at Hinkley Point C, with the aim of building it more quickly and at lower cost as a result of the experience gained from what is the first new nuclear construction project in the UK for about three decades. 

Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: "Hinkley Point C continues to demonstrate the enormous value of new nuclear projects to communities, businesses and the wider economy across the South West and beyond. This report highlights how the project is supporting thousands of skilled jobs, creating opportunities for local firms, and bringing long-term investment into the region. As Britain's largest construction project, Hinkley Point C is not only delivering clean, reliable power and strengthening energy security, it is helping to build the workforce, skills and industrial capability that will support the South West and UK economy for decades to come."

Greece has historically not deployed nuclear power, but in March this year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at the 2nd Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris that it would examine the potential role of small modular reactors in its energy mix and establish a dedicated ministerial committee to submit proposals to the government, Deon said.

"Given Greece's long maritime heritage, developed port infrastructure and reinvigorated shipbuilding industry, the potential for deploying FNPPs warrants consideration. FNPPs are also compatible with Greece’s geography and energy markets, given the large number of inhabited islands, the increasing need for desalination and the country’s climate goals," it added.

Policy, legal and regulatory frameworks in Greece do not yet substantively address nuclear energy or FNPP deployment, reflecting a broader gap in European energy and maritime policy discussions, the study finds. But no fundamental barriers to implementation were identified, "suggesting that the challenge is not one of feasibility, but of framework development".

notes a need for clearer assessment and regulatory pathways, including coordination across maritime, nuclear and energy authorities, and - while FNPPs are perceived positively - social acceptance of nuclear energy remains low in Greece compared with other countries, implying a need for further education and engagement with both the broader public and key stakeholders.

The combined PESTLE analysis shows that FNPPs should not be seen as a standalone energy project, but a complex strategic choice with public-policy impact, the report notes. The strongest arguments in favour of deploying FNPPs in Greece are primarily environmental and political, as they are directly linked to strengthening the country’s energy autonomy, it concludes, although "critical questions remain open" on financing and economic viability of the technology within the Greek context. 

Similarly, while technical obstacles exist, these are mainly due to Greece's limited domestic nuclear experience. The "most decisive barriers are institutional and temporal. This can be attributed to the lack of enduring political commitment, incomplete regulatory and institutional preparation, and insufficient engagement with society".

The report calls for "systematic, coordinated action and credible communication, through which Greece can leverage international experience, gradually develop its own nuclear programme, and implement it through maritime applications that demonstrate higher levels of social and political acceptance", it says, adding that "FNPPs can represent a realistic option for Greece only as the result of a gradual, institutionally organised, and socially prepared strategy".

"This PESTLE study shows that Floating Nuclear Power Plants are not a distant or purely theoretical option for Greece," George Laskaris, President of Deon Policy Institute, said. "No fundamental technical or institutional barriers were identified; the real challenge is building the policy, regulatory, financial and social foundations needed for responsible assessment. For Greece, FNPPs sit at the intersection of energy security, decarbonisation, maritime capability and industrial policy."

NDA subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) has now announced the completion of the Higher Activity Waste (HAW) programme. This work, which took 20 years to complete, focused on the safe management and storage of radioactive waste left behind from operations. The programme focused on the highest waste that remained on site, categorised as intermediate-level waste - a mid-range category of radioactive waste which is more active than everyday low-level waste, but not as hazardous as high-level waste.

It involved retrieving legacy material, processing it safely and placing it into secure long-term storage on site. In total, almost 2,300 individual waste packages were completed, representing a significant delivery achievement and the removal of the site's hazards.

The final waste package has now been transferred into storage, bringing the long‑running campaign to a close. Along the way, teams developed practical and innovative ways of working to safely retrieve the waste. This included using a robotic arm to remove material from deep storage areas and specialist vacuum equipment to collect fine dust and small fragments.

NRS said learning from this work was shared with other sites across the country, helping to improve efficiency, reduce costs and support delivery across the wider decommissioning programme.

"This is not just the end of a major programme, it is the end of an era," said NRS CEO Rob Fletcher. "Completing this work safely and successfully has allowed Trawsfynydd to move into its next phase of delivery, reducing the height of the reactors by almost half. This will create the most noticeable change to the landscape in decades."

NRS Trawsfynydd Site Director Tom Williams added: "Bringing the HAW programme to a close is a remarkable achievement for everyone at Trawsfynydd. Its completion represents a key delivery milestone in our decommissioning mission; one we can look back on with pride whilst also looking forward with excitement to the start of our new major projects."

In October last year, infrastructure solutions company Costain was awarded a GBP70 million (USD94 million) contract to reduce the height of the two reactor buildings at Trawsfynydd from about 54 metres to 25 metres. That project is expected to take up to four years to be completed.

ITER's magnetic system consists of toroidal and poloidal magnetic field coils, correction coils, and the central solenoid.

The first magnet coil to undergo testing in the Magnet Cold Test Facility is a 330-tonne ITER toroidal field coil, wound from niobium-tin superconductor. Additional toroidal field coils from different manufacturers will follow, along with one ring-shaped poloidal field coil - ITER's smallest, PF1.

The first ITER coil was cooled to 4 Kelvin over a 12-day period in the 800-cubic-metre cryostat of the ITER magnet test facility. The milestone was announced on 21 May. Members of the ITER Council Management Advisory Committee attending a meeting on site joined the technical teams in the ITER control room for a small ceremony marking the achievement.

The conductor now has transitioned to its superconducting state, and high-current testing is expected to begin shortly, ITER said. Each test campaign is expected to take four to six months per coil.

"Although no external test can fully reproduce operating conditions inside the ITER machine, tests in the magnet cold test facility will provide essential information on magnet behaviour, cryogenic performance, electrical interfaces, instrumentation, and the critical joints that connect the layers of wound superconductor inside of the magnet coils, and strengthen ITER’s risk mitigation and readiness," ITER said. 

The main objectives of the tests are to validate high-voltage ground insulation at different temperatures, demonstrate critical quench detection capabilities, and verify coil performance at nominal current (68 kA for the toroidal field coils and 48 kA for PF1). The programme will also test instrumentation chains, control logic systems, and key magnet protection functions. The central solenoid modules were cold-tested prior to shipment.

"ITER as a first-of-a-kind project requires ingenuity as well as discipline," said ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi. "By repurposing existing infrastructure, using the capabilities of our cryoplant, and mobilising a multidisciplinary team, we have created a practical way to reduce risk before integrated commissioning. This is important for ITER as well as an example of how ITER can support the wider fusion ecosystem by creating knowledge, infrastructure, and operational experience that others can use."

Following the testing of multiple ITER magnet coils, the magnet cold test facility will be made available to other fusion stakeholders as part of the ITER Organization's knowledge-sharing and engagement initiatives with the private fusion sector.

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".

Kim Hoe-cheon, KHNP President, said: "Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 are a solid foundation that will support Korea’s energy future, just like the concrete being constructed now. Let us build world-class nuclear power plants with safety as our top priority, with a sense of mission to contribute to achieving the national carbon neutrality goal."

KHNP said that Shin Hanul 4 is targeted for completion in 2033, with unit 3 scehduled for operation a year earlier. Once both units are completed it says they are expected to supply 46% of the annual power requirements of the Gyeongbuk region.

Background

In November 2014, KHNP signed an agreement with Ulchin County to build Shin Hanul 3 and 4. The company applied for a construction licence for the units in January 2016. Site preparation for the two units was originally scheduled to begin in May 2017, with commercial operation of unit 3 scheduled for December 2022, with unit 4 following a year later.

However, KHNP announced in May 2017 that it had instructed Kepco Engineering & Construction - which signed a design contract in March 2016 - to suspend work for the planned units as a result of the then new President Moon Jae-in's policy of phasing out nuclear power. Work towards licensing the new units continued.

President Yoon Seok-yeol - who assumed power in May 2022 - reversed the former president's policy of phasing out nuclear power. Preparatory groundwork began for the construction of the two APR1400s following the approval by the South Korean government of the project's implementation plan in June 2023. This effectively approved 20 licensing and permitting procedures under the jurisdiction of 11 ministries required for the construction of nuclear power plants.

In March 2023, KHNP and Doosan Enerbility signed a KRW2.9 trillion (USD2.2 billion) contract for the supply of the main equipment for Shin Hanul 3 and 4. Under the contract - which will run for 10 years - Doosan Enerbility will supply the nuclear reactors, steam generators and turbine generators for the two APR1400 units.

South Korea has four operational APR1400 units - Saeul units 1 and 2 (formerly Shin Kori 3 and 4) and Shin Hanul units 1 and 2. Two further APR1400s are under construction as Saeul units 3 and 4. Four APR1400 units have also been built at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, which are all now in commercial operation.

It started receiving used nuclear fuel from the country's nuclear power plants at the end of 2023 and it has been operating under a commissioning licence. The decision to issue a licence followed examination of the detail of the application and an inspection carried out from 20 April to 1 May.

Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) Oleg Korikov said: "Issuing a licence for the 'nuclear facility operation' life cycle stage of the … facility means the completion of the process of creating our own system for safe management of used nuclear fuel in Ukraine. It is important that the operation of the Central Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility will ensure compliance with nuclear and radiation safety requirements, as well as IAEA standards. According to them, the reactor holding pools of each reactor facility must have free volume for complete unloading of the core at any time during operation. I congratulate you on this event and wish you trouble-free operation."

Pavlo Kovtonyuk, Acting Chairman of Energoatom, said: "Obtaining a licence to operate the Central Spent Fuel Storage Facility confirms the ability of the Ukrainian nuclear industry to implement large-scale and technologically complex projects in accordance with the highest global safety standards. The operation of the storage facility over the next 100 years strengthens the energy sustainability of Ukrainian nuclear generation, guarantees reliable management of spent nuclear fuel, and provides the state with a significant economic effect."

Energoatom says that the new facility will save USD200 million a year which it previously had to pay for the used fuel to be transported and stored in Russia. It will also avoid the risk of having to interrupt operation of plants because of a lack of capacity to safely store used fuel.

The Green River site has previously undergone extensive technical and environmental analysis, including meteorological and seismic data collection, core boring, geophysical surveys, groundwater monitoring, ecological studies, and bathymetry work, Blue Castle said, and the project also benefits from existing water rights, access to the road and rail networks, and multi-market transmission opportunities.

The project to build the nuclear power plant at Green River was first proposed by Transition Power Development in 2007 - project activities and management were consolidated by Transition Power Development into Blue Castle Holdings in 2009. By 2011, Blue Castle Holdings had already begun pre‐application activities with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the site, located about five miles west-northwest of Green River in Emery County. In 2014, Blue Castle Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse to pursue the development of a two-unit AP1000 plant at the site: at that time, it said it anticipated submitting an ESP application in 2016.

Fulcrum Point and Blue Castle said they will now work together to move the project from its current stage through the federal licensing process and towards reactor deployment, with SMR technology and equipment to be provided by Holtec International.

"Blue Castle's focus from the beginning has been to create exactly this kind of opportunity with a company like Fulcrum Point," the company's CEO, Aaron Tilton, said. "Over the past 19 years, Blue Castle has laid the groundwork to de-risk a site for the deployment of nuclear power, creating significant value for future energy development that can serve energy demand across Utah and the surrounding region, as well as potential on-site, behind-the-meter opportunities for advanced technology applications. We appreciate the collaborative effort with Emery County and the City of Green River to create high-value jobs and meaningful economic impact in rural Utah."

Utah initiatives

In 2024, Utah Governor Spencer Cox launched an initiative, Operation Gigawatt, to double Utah's power production over the next 10 years. In November last year, Cox unveiled a project in partnership with Hi Tech Solutions and Holtec International to produce parts for SMR-300 and other advanced nuclear technologies, as well as a workforce training centre, as part of a longer-term plan to deploy a fleet of SMR reactors in Utah and then across the Mountain West region.

Holtec's SMR-300 is a pressurised water reactor producing about 300 MW of electrical power or 1050 MW of thermal power for process applications. The company is planning to deploy two SMR-300 reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan, demonstrating viability for additional orders both domestically and abroad. The reactor is designed to be able to operate using air-cooled condensers, and this flexibility is an attractive feature in arid environments like Utah, where water resources are scarce.

"With Holtec's restart of Palisades Nuclear plant in Michigan ongoing, and the first Holtec SMR-300s, Pioneer 1 and 2, in the NRC licensing process and early site preparation, the work by our partners to acquire sites for next-of-kind deployment in Utah is paramount to our Mountain West expansion strategy as part of Operation Gigawatt," Holtec International President Rick Springman said. "Supply chain development follows reactor deployments, making the advancement of this project crucial to downstream supply chain investments in the state across the nuclear ecosystem."

The project is part of a broader portfolio of energy development projects being advanced by Fulcrum Point, which was formed by Hi Tech Solutions founder Chris Hayter, to develop nuclear power projects across the Mountain West.

"Fulcrum Point is stepping into this project as a true development partner to help move the Blue Castle Project from years of groundwork into the next phase of execution," Hayter said. "Blue Castle has done important work to position this site for success, and we now bring the technical, operational, and project development capabilities needed to help advance it through licensing, deployment planning, and eventual construction. This project has the potential to strengthen Utah's energy future, support rural economic growth, and deliver reliable power for decades to come."

In a post on the social media platform X on Sunday morning, the agency said: "The IAEA team at the ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant) this morning observed damage to the exterior of a turbine building which the plant said was hit by a drone strike yesterday. During a site walk down, the team saw damage to a metal access hatch located several levels up in the building, as well as a few pieces of debris and burned optical fiber remains on the ground. The team's observations are consistent with the impact of a drone.

"The IAEA has also requested access to the inside of the building - noting that it is located immediately next to reactor unit 6 - for further examination. During the walk down, the team was told to shelter after hearing the sound of drones nearby and gunfire to repel them. The team was still able to confirm with their measuring equipment that radiation levels at the site remain normal."

It added that Grossi said Saturday's strike "was a serious incident that endangered key nuclear safety principles. Attacks on nuclear sites are unacceptable and must stop in order to prevent the very real risk of a nuclear accident that would benefit no one".

Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind the drone attack. Ukraine has denied that it had anything to do with it. The IAEA, in line with previous practice during the Russia-Ukraine war, has not attributed blame. Grossi explained the policy, during a media briefing at the United Nations in April 2024, when he said: "We are not commentators. We are not political speculators or analysts, we are an international agency of inspectors. And in order to say something like that, we must have proof, indisputable evidence, that an attack, or remnants of ammunition or any other weapon, is coming from a certain place ... this is why we keep the information as accurate as we can. And we do not trade into speculating".

Unlike the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for the first unit - which was lifted using a large temporary overhead lifting system - the 500-tonne vessel for the second unit was lifted into place using Big Carl, the world's largest crane, before being inserted through a 19.5-metre-high equipment hatch for its precision installation inside the reactor building. EDF Energy said the new method saved space, time and money, and is "another example of the project finding ways to improve performance between units 1 and 2".

_{(Image: EDF Energy)}

Once inside the reactor building, the 13-metre-long vessel was lifted and rotated into a vertical position by the large internal polar crane and lowered carefully onto a support ring with just 40 mm clearance on either side.

The RPV for unit 2 was fabricated by Framatome at its Saint-Marcel plant in Chalon-sur-Saône, eastern France. Framatome announced the completion of the component in late November last year and it was delivered to the Hinkley Point C site in January this year. The vessel for unit 1 was completed at Framatome's Le Creusot facility in Burgundy, central France, in December 2022. It was delivered to the plant construction site in February 2023 and was kept in storage until it was installed within the unit's reactor building in December 2024.

_{(Image: EDF Energy)}

EDF Energy noted that unit 2 of the plant is being built 20-30% more quickly than unit 1, thanks to innovation and experience of building an identical design with the same teams. "The unit 2 reactor building is further ahead than at the same stage for unit 1, with more equipment installed, as well as more structural steel work and the outer containment layer already in place," the company said. "These advantages and innovations will benefit Sizewell C from the start."

The high-strength steel RPV will house the reactor core and all associated components, including the reactor vessel internals which support and stabilise the core within the reactor vessel, as well as providing the path for coolant flow and guiding movement of the control rods.

_{(Image: EDF Energy)}

Installation of the reactor vessel allows EDF Energy to install the remaining equipment to complete unit 2's primary circuit.

"This marks a tremendous achievement by the entire team and one that has taken months of planning and close coordination between the 10 main contractors involved," said Simon Parsons, Hinkley Point C's Delivery Director. "We've also seen strong innovation to achieve not just a 'cut and paste' from the first reactor's installation, but using our experience to save time, money and disruption to the site. Importantly, we are also applying those lessons to put unit 2 well ahead of the first unit's position at the equivalent stage, with more materials in place and more work achieved."

_{(Image: EDF Energy)}

Construction of the first of two 1630 MWe EPR reactors at Hinkley Point C began in December 2018, with construction of unit two beginning a year later. Unit 1 of the plant was originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025, before that was revised to 2027 in May 2022. In January 2024, EDF announced that the "base case" was now for unit 1 being operational in 2030, with the cost revised from GBP26 billion (USD32.8 billion) to between GBP31-34 billion, in 2015 prices. When complete, the two EPR reactors will produce enough carbon-free electricity for six million homes, and are expected to operate for as long as 80 years.

The planned Sizewell C plant will be a similar design to the two-unit plant being built at Hinkley Point C, with the aim of building it more quickly and at lower cost as a result of the experience gained from what is the first new nuclear construction project in the UK for about three decades. Sizewell C's baseline construction cost is 22% lower than the lowest current estimate for Hinkley Point C. A final investment decision for the Sizewell C project was taken in July last year. Construction of the plant is expected to be completed by 2039.

Cameco said the purchase cost to acquire its respective share of Tepco's interest in Cigar Lake was around CAD115.75 million (USD83.7 million), subject to customary closing adjustments. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other standard closing conditions, with the transaction expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

"Cigar Lake is among the world's best uranium mines, producing the highest-grade uranium ore from a safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation," said Cameco's CEO Tim Gitzel. "Increasing our ownership in this world-class, tier-one asset further demonstrates our commitment to our strategy, with scarce, licensed, permitted assets like Cigar Lake playing an essential role in fuelling global ambitions to expand nuclear energy generation."

Orano Canada CEO and President Pascal Bastien said the investment reflects the company's long-term confidence in Saskatchewan and its importance to Orano's future growth in the global nuclear fuel cycle, and thanked Tepco for its contribution to the operation over many years. "Together with Cameco, we remain committed to the safe and reliable operation of the Cigar Lake mine and McClean Lake mill, while continuing to support our employees and the communities where we operate," he said.

Cigar Lake is described by operator Cameco as the world's highest grade uranium mine, with an average ore grade of 16.33% U3O8, but the orebody is in soft Athabasca sandstone, and ground conditions at the 480-metre-deep mine are challenging. Cameco developed an innovative jet-boring technique specifically for the project, freezing the ground and using a high-pressure water jet to mine out cavities in the frozen ore. The mixture of ore and water is then pumped to underground grinding and processing circuits. Thickened ore slurry is pumped to the surface and transported in tanker trucks 70 kilometres to the McClean Lake mill - operated by Orano - where it is processed into uranium concentrate.

Cigar Lake has estimated proven and probable reserves of 172.4 million pounds of U3O8 (66,313 tU), measured and indicated resources of around 26.3 million pounds, and inferred resources of 20.0 million pounds. (100% basis, as of December 31, 2025). Production began in 2014, and by the end of 2025, it had produced around 174.5 million packaged pounds (on a 100% basis).

Cameco's production outlook for the mine for 2026 is 17.5-18 million pounds U3O8 on a 100% basis, with the company planning to continue production and development activities in the area currently being mined, while continuing to advance development work related to Cigar Lake extension needed to extend the life of the mine to 2036. Planned capital projects related to the extension include construction of a freeze pad, freeze distribution, and underground infrastructure, Cameco said. 

"This marks the official completion of the main structure of Unit 1's main plant, signifying the project's transition from the civil construction phase to the equipment installation phase, laying a solid foundation for subsequent project progress," China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said. "As a crucial final step in the modular construction of the project's steel structure, the steel dome is not only a key symbol of the main plant's structural closure but also a critical barrier ensuring the safe and stable operation of the nuclear power plant."

_{(Image: CNNC)}

The construction of the first two 1,250 MWe CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - at the Lianjiang site was approved by China's State Council in September 2022. Excavation works for the units began in the same month, with the pouring of first concrete for the foundation of unit 1 starting in September 2023 and that of unit 2 in April 2024. Unit 1 is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2028.

CNNC is constructing the plant on behalf of the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC).

The CAP1000 reactor design uses modular construction techniques, enabling large structural modules to be built at factories and then installed at the site. This means that more construction activities can take place at the same time, reducing the time taken to build a plant as well as offering economic and quality control benefits.

Once all six CAP1000 units planned at the site are completed, the annual power generation will be about 70.2 TWh, which will reduce standard coal consumption by more than 20 million tonnes, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 52 million tonnes, sulphur dioxide by about 171,000 tonnes and nitrogen oxides by about 149,000 tonnes.

SPIC says the Lianjiang plant will be the first nuclear power project in China to adopt seawater secondary circulation cooling technology as well as the first to use a super-large cooling tower.

"A nuclear-ready vessel is designed and built with the intention of using nuclear power in the future but operates with an alternative power system until a suitable nuclear reactor is installed," ABS said. "This is a complex decision involving technical and commercial challenges so that systems and the design are ready for all requirements. Shipowners/operators who are uncertain about pursuing immediate nuclear installations can opt for vessels built with alternative power systems in the interim. Designing a vessel as 'nuclear ready' involves significant planning and foresight so that its future nuclear conversion can be achieved efficiently, safely, and economically."

Readiness considerations evaluated under the notation may include space allocation, structural arrangements, system interfaces, safety-related features and other design elements needed to support a future nuclear conversion, ABS said. The notation signals that future nuclear conversion has been built into the design approach from the outset rather than treated as a distant or aspirational concept.

It notes that the term 'vessel' includes ships, barges, and offshore units and installations. The guide, ABS said, provides technical direction for nuclear-powered vessels "where nuclear energy is not used for propulsion".

It adds: "However, once industry standards specific to nuclear propulsion are developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), or other applicable bodies, this ABS Guide will be updated accordingly. With this approach, ABS maintains the Nuclear Ready notations in alignment with future advancements in marine nuclear technologies, providing reliable and future-focused support to the industry."

The guide may be applied to both new construction and existing vessel conversions, regardless of size, utilising any form of energy production for vessel operations.

"The Nuclear Ready notations offer shipbuilders, owners, designers, and other applicable stakeholders a pathway to identify and address technical considerations for future nuclear conversion. It reflects ABS's ongoing commitment to protect life, property, and the natural environment including by achieving the safe and sustainable adoption of nuclear-powered vessels."

"The Nuclear-Ready Notation addresses a growing industry need to plan for future nuclear adoption in a structured way incorporating the technology's specific requirements," said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. "As interest in nuclear energy as a marine and offshore power source continues to expand, and the technology develops, ABS is proud to provide industry-leading guidance for owners, designers and builders, a formal framework to incorporate future nuclear conversion into their design approach from the outset."

IAEA initiative

The IAEA has announced a new initiative to support the maritime industry's exploration of small modular reactors to power civilian ships and to provide offshore energy, as operators consider alternative fuels and seek to strengthen long-term energy security.

The Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative will be unveiled at an IAEA Ministerial level event hosted by the USA in Washington on 26-27 August. The IAEA said it seeks to advance the deployment of innovative civil nuclear applications via the ATLAS initiative.

Under the ATLAS initiative, the maritime and nuclear industries will cooperate with the IAEA to identify and address the key challenges and obstacles to using civil nuclear applications at sea, which will support Member State establishment of a robust framework that promotes and supports the deployment of these technologies. This could include recommendations for revisions to IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and strengthening international cooperation to ensure effective safety, security, and safeguards throughout the lifetime of such vessels and facilities.

"Nuclear energy is fast emerging as a potential game-changer for both the shipping and offshore industries," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. "It offers an unprecedented opportunity: not only could it enable ships to sail cleanly, further and faster without frequent refuelling, the high energy density of small modular reactors provides clean energy for a range of operations. This is the kind of solution we urgently need to achieve genuine and lasting transformation in shipping and beyond."

The new plant will use Urenco's proven gas-centrifuge enrichment technology, installed in up to 24 cascades of centrifuges. The first cascades are expected to start producing low-enriched uranium (LEU) in 2032, with additional cascades installed and coming online through to 2036.

LEU serves as the foundational fuel for the existing operating fleet of commercial light water reactors, which generate nearly 20% of US electricity, but will also serve as essential feedstock to produce high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) in the future, the company said. HALEU will be used in some advanced reactor designs planned for deployment in the 2030s.

Urenco invested about USD5 billion in the National Enrichment Facility - the first ever project to be issued a combined construction and operating licence by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and - at the time construction began in 2006 - the first new nuclear project in the USA in almost 30 years, according to information from the company. It began producing enriched uranium in June 2010.

The site now has some 64 cascades of centrifuges online and produces about 4.3 million SWU per year, which is sufficient capacity to meet nearly one-third of the annual US demand for enrichment services. An ongoing expansion project to add 700,000 SWU of capacity is due to be completed in 2027, and the company also plans to refurbish existing capacity at the site.

"For more than fifteen years, Urenco USA has provided its US utility customers with a reliable domestic supply of enriched uranium to power their nuclear reactors," said Boris Schucht, CEO of Urenco Global. "This expansion reinforces our commitment to a resilient US nuclear fuel supply chain focused on meeting the long-term needs of our customers as well as supporting US energy security through continued investment by Urenco."

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

The new project will support between 300-600 US jobs during the peak construction period and 70 jobs in long-term operations at the site, and Managing Director of Urenco USA John Kirkpatrick said the company's new investment will bring jobs and economic benefits to local communities and the state of New Mexico. "This is the most transformative expansion decision for Urenco in the past decade, and our New Mexico employees are ready to fuel the continued growth of the US power industry by bringing this additional capacity online. We are already preparing for the expansion and are excited to continue the work done onsite in recent years to add new capacity to our existing plant," he said.

The US capacity programme is part of a larger effort by UK-headquartered Urenco Global to install 4.6 million of new SWU enrichment capacity at sites in the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany over the next decade. It is also building a commercial HALEU facility - the first in Europe - at Capenhurst in the UK, with joint funding from the UK Government.

The US government has been taking steps to strengthen its domestic nuclear supply chain, and earlier this year awarded task orders totalling USD2.7 billion to three companies - General Matter, American Centrifuge Operating, and Orano Federal Services - to provide enrichment services for LEU and HALEU to transition the USA away from foreign sources of uranium and diversify its domestic fuel supply, plus a separate award of USD28 million going to Global Laser Enrichment to continue advancing next-generation uranium enrichment technology. Orano Federal Services's application for a construction and operating licence for its Project IKE centrifuge enrichment plant, to be built in Tennessee, is currently undergoing review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) completed an initial survey of Fukushima Daiichi unit 2's fuel pool using a submersible remotely-operated vehicle in June 2020. It concluded there were no obstacles to the removal of assemblies from the pool of unit 2.

Similar to the reactors at units 1 and 3, unit 2's reactor suffered a core meltdown after it temporarily lost its cooling functions, but the reactor building - which also houses the fuel storage pool - was spared a hydrogen explosion.

Tepco completed the construction of a fuel removal work platform at unit 2 in June 2024. In May 2025, fuel handling equipment was loaded onto the work platform. Installation of the fuel handling equipment was completed in March this year. Since March, Tepco has been conducting training during which the actual fuel handling equipment and onsite transport casks were used to move simulated fuel in order to repeatedly practice the fuel removal procedure.

Tepco said the first fuel assembly was lifted from a rack within the storage pool using a remotely controlled crane and loaded into a transport cask in the pool on Tuesday. Once full, the cask will subsequently be raised from the pool and lowered onto a trailer from a platform installed next to the building.

_{The fuel assembly is placed in a transport cask  (Image: Tepco)}

The company expects the process to remove all 615 assemblies to be completed in fiscal year 2028 (ending March 2029).

Tepco completed the removal of 1331 used fuel assemblies and 202 unused ones from the storage pool at the top of Fukushima Daiichi 4's heavily damaged reactor building in December 2014. Removal of the used fuel from the damaged building eliminated the largest radiological hazard at the site.

The process of removing all 566 fuel assemblies from the storage pool of unit 3 was completed in February 2021. The removal of fuel began in April 2019 after several years of work to remove debris from the reactor building service floor and preparations for this work.

The transfer of 392 fuel assemblies from the storage pool at unit 1 to the common on-site storage pool has yet to start.

The removal of 398 fuel assemblies from the undamaged unit 6 was completed in April last year, whilst the removal of 1388 assemblies from the pool of unit 5 has been under way since July.

Hot functional tests involve increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should. Carried out before the loading of nuclear fuel, such testing simulates the thermal working conditions of the power plant and verifies that nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet design requirements.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

Cold functional tests - which are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition - were completed at Xudabao 3 in December. The main purpose of those tests - which marked the first time the reactor systems were operated together with the auxiliary systems - was to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit.

CNNC said the completion of the hot tests at Xudabao 3 "lay a solid foundation for subsequent nuclear fuel loading, grid connection, and power generation".

Unit 2 reactor vessel in place

CNNC said the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of unit 2 was successfully hoisted into place on 28 May, "marking the official start of the peak period for the installation of main equipment for unit 2".

_{(Image: CNNC)}

The high-strength steel RPV - weighing more than 300 tonnes - will house the reactor core and all associated components, including the reactor vessel internals which support and stabilise the core within the reactor vessel, as well as providing the path for coolant flow and guiding movement of the control rods.

Background

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

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

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

_{Xudabao 3 and 4 (Image: CNNC)}

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

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

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

According to the CNEA the "update establishes a clear distinction between political leadership and technical operation, promoting for the first time the call for private capital to invest under a scheme that seeks a virtuous circle in which the CNEA contributes research, development and quality professionals and companies finance national projects and take the risk".

Argentina's Secretary of Nuclear Affairs Federico Ramos Napoli said: "The Commission must be based on four fundamental pillars: research, development and innovation so that new advances can generate value; the training of qualified human resources so that Argentina continues to offer top-level professionals; functioning as a technological observatory; and maintaining coordination with the various specialised organisations in the nuclear sector at a global level."

He added that "the mission … is to make the nuclear sector another sector of the economy, capable of positioning Argentina as a key player in global value chains. The country's pre-eminence in the international market is not a loss of sovereignty; it is the consolidation of three-quarters of a century of work".

The policy document says that Argentina "has consistently produced world-class nuclear science and technology but has not managed to convert that production into an industry of equivalent scale … the political task is to close the gap between available capacity and the results achieved".

It says that involving the private sector should not be seen as a threat to the public sector, and says any future investment decisions must start "from the identification of the business opportunity" and then work backwards to "the sizing of the required investment … this sequence reverses the logic that has historically produced the megaprojects of the Argentine sector, in which the investment decision was made on technical assumptions and the commercial question was postponed to later stages that, in most cases, ended up not being realised".

According to CNEA President Martin Porro, writing about the policy document on social media site X: "For decades, the dispersion of efforts and the lack of a common direction postponed the true reach of the sector. Recognising those challenges clearly is not a step backward: it is what gives us the right to build a new stage on solid foundations. We are not starting from zero. We have the infrastructure, the talent, and the projects to compete on the global stage. Our task is to organise that potential and turn technical capacity into industry at scale.

"We seek a virtuous circle, where the CNEA contributes research, development, and quality professionals, and companies invest and assume the risk, under strict state oversight and fiscal discipline. Prestige is not proclaimed from nostalgia: it is sustained by putting all that potential into production. The world is once again betting strongly on nuclear energy, and Argentina has what it takes to respond."

Uranium mining

Meanwhile, Napoli, writing on X the week before the document was published, said that "reactivating uranium mining is a priority for this government".

"Argentina stopped extracting uranium in 1997, when operations ceased at the San Rafael Industrial Mining Complex (Sierra Pintada, Mendoza). Since then, all the uranium that powers Atucha I-II and Embalse has been imported. Today the international context is the opposite of the 1990s. We are facing a springtime of nuclear power generation on a global scale, and Argentina can not only become self-sufficient but also export and become a key player in the nuclear energy supply chain for the entire world," he wrote.

He added: "Since January of this year, remediation efforts have been advancing at Sierra Pintada, the country's largest known uranium deposit, from which only 20% was extracted throughout its entire production history. This is the prerequisite for resuming production. In parallel, mining projects in Chubut, Río Negro, and Santa Cruz are starting to take their first steps. The renewed global interest in nuclear energy is driving uranium demand. Argentina has reserves, expertise, and - for the first time in years - macroeconomic conditions that once again make it profitable to invest in the country. The opportunity to complete the supply chain is real. We are going to reactivate uranium mining. And very soon."

Argentina has three nuclear reactors generating about 7% of its electricity. Its first commercial nuclear power reactor began operating in 1974. It had been developing the CAREM25 small modular reactor, but work on that has been halted under the current government. Uranium exploration and some mining was carried out from the mid-1950s, but the last mine closed in 1997 for economic reasons.

Respondents are asked to present "credible pathways" to deliver at least 1 GW of advanced nuclear capacity in Upstate New York, including technology readiness, siting and permitting strategy, schedule and cost assumptions, ownership structures, and partnership models. Qualified firms will then be invited to participate in a future Request for Proposal.

The authority said it would consider so-called nth-of-a-kind Generation III+ or Generation IV technologies provided that a first-of-a-kind project (either by the respondent or by another owner/developer) is "at or beyond First Nuclear Concrete by early 2030". The selected pathway must "demonstrate a credible path to both produce 1+ GW of energy and start construction before 2033" to ensure eligibility for investment tax credits under the US Inflation Reduction Act Investment Tax Credit. First-of-a-kind technologies and micro modular reactors are outside the scope of this project. Bidders must have "commensurate experience".

The deadline for submissions is 26 June.

The second solicitation is a Request for Applications (RFA) inviting eligible training providers based in New York State to apply for funding to develop and deliver technical training under the Nuclear Energy Workforce Training initiative. The deadline for submissions under the RFA is 31 July.

"Nearly a year ago, I called on the Power Authority to lay the groundwork for the next era of emissions-free power in New York as part of my all-of-the-above approach to energy," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. "The solicitations announced today will help ensure New York is poised to lead the nation in new nuclear development, that along with renewables, will provide needed power in the face of increasing demand to keep the lights on while helping keep costs down. By taking a proactive approach, we are preparing our state to take advantage of the opportunities associated with advanced nuclear, which will provide round-the-clock reliable clean energy while cultivating the partnerships needed to bring the project from concept to concrete."

"New York needs reliable, around‑the‑clock clean power to meet growing energy demand, sustain economic momentum, and achieve a clean energy economy," New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin Driscoll said. "These solicitations will help NYPA establish the roadmap for deploying the first new nuclear facility in New York in a generation that will deliver the dependable, emissions‑free power we will rely on for decades to come."

Four nuclear reactors - all operated by Constellation Energy - currently provide some 21.4% of all New York's electricity, and 41.6% of its carbon-free electricity, according to information from the Nuclear Energy Institute. The State of New York has already supported the continued operation of those facilities - two units at Nine Mile Point and the single-unit Ginna and Fitzpatrick plants - by explicitly recognising their zero-carbon attributes in its clean energy mandate. Two pressurised water reactors at the Indian Point plant were closed down prematurely in 2020 and 2021 respectively following on from a settlement agreement between the plants' then-owner Entergy and the State of New York, although earlier this year New York Congressman Mike Lawler called for those units to be returned to service.
 

The MoU - valid for five years - establishes a framework for exchanging safety-related regulatory information across the full nuclear lifecycle - from siting, construction and commissioning through to operations, decommissioning and waste management. It also covers the regulation of transporting radioactive material, radioactive sources, emergency preparedness, and importantly, regulatory considerations around new reactor technologies. The agreement provides for personnel exchanges and technical visits, helping the development of regulatory capability on both sides.

The partners also agreed to implement a workplan that will support sharing of information that delivers mutual benefit to both parties, and specify the focus areas for collaboration and desired outcomes.

"Sharing licencing frameworks, inspection procedures, safety assessments and research helps ensure that robust regulatory standards keep pace with technological development, wherever in the world that development is happening," ONR said. "This is part of our commitment to support embarking nations in the deployment of nuclear technologies and contribution to worldwide nuclear harmonisation and we were happy to explain and talk through our assessment and licencing processes to the Singapore delegation as they work to establish a new nuclear regulatory framework."

NEA said the cooperation with ONR supports Singapore's overarching effort to build capabilities in nuclear safety, and to study the feasibility of the safe deployment of nuclear energy in the island city-state.

"The MoU with the United Kingdom's Office for Nuclear Regulation will strengthen Singapore's capabilities in radiation protection, nuclear safety and assessment," Koh said. "Through partnerships with well-established regulators like ONR, NEA will deepen its technical expertise to understand new reactor technologies and build the institutional capabilities needed to rigorously assess nuclear safety."

The NEA, as the radiation and nuclear safety regulator, has been developing Singapore's nuclear safety capabilities through close partnerships with the International Atomic Energy Agency and established regulatory bodies in Finland, France and the USA, as well as its regional neighbours with whom it engages in nuclear safety cooperation discussions.

In March 2022, the EMA released a report that concluded nuclear energy could supply about 10% of Singapore's energy needs, helping its power sector achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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

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

"Subject to acceptance, submission marks a significant milestone in X-energy and Centrica's efforts to deploy up to 6 GW of new nuclear in the United Kingdom, initiating a critical step in the UK licensing process," X-energy said. It expects the GDA assessment of the Xe-100 to conclude by the end of 2029.

X-energy noted it has been in active dialogue with UK regulatory authorities since 2024 through the Early Engagement process. The company's latest submission builds on its US licensing progress and is expected to further benefit from expanded collaboration between ONR and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission that allows for direct transfer of design documentation and safety analyses. This streamlined approach allows applicants to leverage NRC-approved technical documents throughout the assessment, creating opportunities for enhanced efficiency in the UK's licensing process.

"Advanced modular reactors like the Xe-100 are the cornerstone of Britain's future energy security, and would bring clean, reliable power as well as renewed opportunities for British industry," said Alistair Black, Vice President and UK Market Lead at X-energy. "We welcome the regulators' recent steps towards a more efficient GDA process, and look forward to working collaboratively to support an efficient, thorough review. GDA submission marks an important milestone in bringing our technology to the UK on a fleet-scale, with the potential to create thousands of high-quality jobs where needs are greatest."

The Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor design which X-energy says is based on decades of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor operation, research, and development. It is designed to operate as a standard 320 MWe four-pack power plant or scaled in units of 80 MWe. At 200 MWt of 565°C steam, the Xe-100 is also suitable for other power applications, including mining and heavy industry. The Xe-100 uses tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, which has additional safety benefits because it can withstand very high temperatures without melting.

In September 2025, British multinational energy and services company Centrica and X-energy Reactor - a subsidiary of X-energy LLC of the USA - announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement to deploy X-energy's Xe-100 reactors in the UK. The companies have identified EDF and Centrica's Hartlepool site as the preferred first site for a planned UK fleet of up to 6 GWe. Under their plan, a plant comprising up to 12 Xe-100 units, generating up to 960 MWe, would be developed at a site adjacent to Hartlepool's existing nuclear power station, which is currently scheduled to cease generating electricity in 2028. In addition to generating electricity, the new plant would also supply high-temperature heat to support Teesside's heavy industries. Subject to regulatory approval, the first electricity generation would be expected in the mid-2030s. Centrica and X-energy said they are already in discussions with additional potential equity partners, as well as leading global engineering and construction companies, with the goal of establishing a UK-based development company to develop this first and subsequent projects.

In 2024, X-energy was selected for the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to develop UK-specific deployment plans including assessment of domestic manufacturing opportunities, supply chain development, constructability, modularisation studies, and fuel management. This culminated in multiple technical and commercial studies estimating a minimum of GBP40 billion (USD54 billion) in lifetime economic value, with GBP12 billion arising from the first project alone.

In Texas, X-energy and Dow are advancing a proposed four-unit plant under the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. This is expected to be followed by Energy Northwest's Cascade Advanced Energy Facility - the first of several projects to deploy at least 5 GW with Amazon by 2039.

"The energy transition is one of the greatest challenges facing Europe and the world today," Hoekstra said. "Nuclear energy must be part of the energy mix. Molten salt reactors are an important step towards stable, reliable and clean energy for Europe, helping to safeguard Europe's energy independence. It is inspiring to see such innovation taking place in the Netherlands."

The test facility is being developed through the PROMOSA project. In January 2025, Brabant-based technology companies Demcon, Thorizon and VDL Group signed a project agreement to develop and test technology for MSRs. The PROMOSA project focuses on demonstrating and validating the manufacturability, safety, and functionality of critical components and non-nuclear (sub)systems of these reactors. All components will be tested in high-temperature molten salt, without the use of nuclear fuel. The work is to be carried out in collaboration with the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), a leading research institute in Eindhoven in Noord-Brabant province.

In March last year, the province said it would contribute 50% of the total project costs of EUR8 million (USD9.3 million), with the remaining financing coming from the companies themselves. The funding is being provided by the innovation coalition 'Nuclear Energy for the Future', which was launched by Noord-Brabant in 2021 with the goal of leveraging the manufacturing industry and research institutes in the province to accelerate the development of MSRs. The province previously invested in a research facility at DIFFER.

The DIFFER research institute conducts leading-edge research on fusion energy and chemical energy and supports the development of MSRs through its unique DICE (DIFFER Irradiation-Corrosion Experiment) research facility, where the interaction between corrosion, heat, and radiation is studied to optimise material choices.

The PROMOSA project forms part of the Nuclear Innovation Coalition, established by the Province of North Brabant in 2022 to strengthen collaboration between governments, companies and knowledge institutions and to build a leading position in safe, next generation nuclear energy.

Thorizon said the test facility "represents a major milestone on the path towards building its first reactor, the Thorizon One, which has been designated by the European Commission as one of eight flagship projects for the accelerated development of small modular reactors".

"Thanks to the support of the province and the collaboration with strong manufacturing partners such as VDL Groep and Demcon, we can build, test and prepare our technology for serial production," Lauwers said. "Brabant has truly become an accelerator for our project in Europe."

Thorizon - a spin-off from NRG, which operates the High Flux Reactor in Petten in the Netherlands - is developing a 250 MWt/100 MWe MSR, targeted at large industrial customers and utilities. The company plans to begin constructing its first reactor, Thorizon One, around 2030. Thorizon collaborates with industry leaders such as Orano, Tractebel and EDF, and its project has been selected by the European Commission and the French government under the France 2030 investment plan.

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.

Göran Björkman, CEO of Alleima, said: "By upgrading and reopening our tube mill, we strengthen our ability to meet the growing demand within the nuclear segment, both for conventional nuclear power plants and for small modular reactors (SMRs). This is a central part of our strategy and demonstrates that we are a leading supplier of high-technology products based on quality, reliability, and long-standing industry experience."

Speaking to World Nuclear News, he said they have already delivered some contracts for SMRs and are also involved in research and development with a number of advanced modular reactor developers, featuring different types of technologies - helium, lead, sodium and molten salt.

Carl von Schantz, President of the Tube Division, said that the investment in R&D was important for customers "because if you're going to build the new generation reactors, the advanced reactors, you need to make sure that you have the right material in the tubes to be able to handle the different cooling methods and the different technologies".

Von Schantz added: "We have customers from all over the world here in Sandviken. This demonstrates that we have established ourselves as a reliable, stable, and long-term partner, manufacturing world-leading products for extremely demanding environments. We are increasing capacity by around 60% to meet the rapidly growing global demand and our customers, they need capacity and they need to have players like us investing to make sure that we can support their growth. This is a long-term partnership."

Among companies represented at the inauguration of the facility were Doosan Enerbility, NuScale Power, Rolls-Royce SMR, and Westinghouse.

Alleima - previously named Sandvik Materials Technology - has been involved in the nuclear energy supply chain for more than 60 years. As well as steam generator tubes it also supplies nuclear fuel cladding tubes and other nuclear-grade components. Since 1964 it says it has supplied tube bundles to more than 400 steam generators in more than 20 countries, and more than 60,000,000 metres of nuclear fuel tubes to more than 100 reactors.

The 340-tonne steam generators were delivered via a 3,000-kilometre journey by sea.

Sergey Butskikh, CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear, said: "Steam generators are key components of the reactor plant. They transfer the thermal energy generated by the reactor to the secondary circuit for subsequent electricity generation. The delivery of the equipment package for unit 4 confirms the stable operation of the project's production and logistics chain. As the building structures are ready, we provide the site with the equipment necessary for subsequent installation stages. This allows for the smooth progress of construction and installation work at all nuclear power plant facilities."

Maxim Zhidkov, head of the Atommash plant, said: "Several years have passed since Atommash engineers began manufacturing equipment for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkey. This isn't just a set of mechanical steps; it's a real contribution to improving the lives of millions of people. A modern nuclear power plant not only generates billions of kilowatts of clean energy, but also creates new jobs, advances science, improves the quality of education, and provides access to nuclear technologies, which are in demand today in a variety of fields, from agriculture to healthcare."

Background

Akkuyu, in the southern Mersin province, is Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors, under a so-called BOO (build-own-operate) model. According to the terms of the 2010 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, the aim was for the commissioning of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant to take place within seven years from receipt of all permits for the construction of the unit.

The licence for the construction of the first unit was issued in 2018, with construction work beginning that year. The first steam generators were shipped to the site - for unit 1 - in August 2020. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023. The aim is for unit 1 to begin supplying Turkey's energy system during 2026.

When the 4800 MWe plant is completed, it is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs. First concrete for unit 4 was poured in August 2023.

Turkey has plans for a second nuclear power plant, at Sinop, and has also been in talks with China about plans for a third plant, in the Thrace region in the country's northwest.

The country is also developing plans for small modular reactors, with the aim of adding 5 GWe of capacity by 2050 - which would mean the equivalent of at least 16 individual SMRs.

It quotes Mikhailov as saying: "This year, we will need to complete an environmental impact assessment and hold public consultations both in Belarus and with other countries. Significant public engagement work is currently under way in Belarus. Then, we will need to select a site for the disposal site. Our plans for 2027 include developing an architectural design for the facility and conducting state assessments. We aim to complete the construction design, construction, and commissioning of the facility by the end of 2030."

He added: "Together with relevant Russian organisations, we must select a safe site that meets the most stringent criteria. We will then need to select the most optimal technical solutions from a safety standpoint and ensure proper personnel training."

At the same event, Mikhail Kisel, Director of the Belarusian Organisation for Radioactive Waste Management, said three prospective sites had been identified - Ostrovets District, near the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, Mstislavl District in Mogilev Oblast, and Khoiniki District of Gomel Oblast.

He said that public hearings would be held after the completion of the environmental impact assessment for such a facility, but added, according to Belta, that they had "already begun working with the public ... over the past six months we have held more than 20 meetings with local residents and representatives of workforce collectives. It is clear that this topic is of great concern to people. We communicate with them completely openly. We explain what a radioactive waste disposal facility is, that it is a high-tech engineering structure designed for the final isolation of waste, with no release into the environment for the entire period of hazard posed by that waste, which is not just decades but longer. We explain the multi-barrier structure. For long-term storage and disposal, radioactive waste is, if necessary, mixed with a cement compound, placed into safe containers, and then into the repository".

The existing Belarus nuclear power plant is located in Ostrovets in the Grodno region. A general contract with Russia's Rosatom for the construction was signed in 2011, with first concrete in November 2013. Rosatom began construction of unit 2 in May 2014. The first Ostrovets power unit was connected to the grid in November 2020. The second unit was put into commercial operation on 1 November 2023. Together they are generating about one-quarter of the country's electricity.

Belarus says there is current storage capacity at the nuclear power plant, but a purpose-built disposal site will be required by 2030.

Deep Fission broke ground in December at the Great Plains Industrial Park in Parsons, Kansas, for its pilot project and plans to build a full-scale commercial plant there following the test reactor demonstration. In August last year, Deep Fission was one of 10 companies selected by the US Department of Energy to receive support under its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to see at least three designs achieve criticality by 4 July this year.

Day & Zimmermann (D&Z) and Deep Fission have now announced a partnership in the construction of Deep Fission's Gravity reactor.

"Deep Fission's advanced reactor technology, combined with Day & Zimmermann's quality programme and nuclear expertise, will bring first-of-a-kind nuclear construction to reality," said D&Z Chief Nuclear Officer Ross McConnell. "For more than 40 years, the power industry has trusted our operational discipline and process-driven approach to quality, safety, and project execution while reliably and safely navigating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's complex oversight. Our partnership with Deep Fission reflects our continued leadership in advancing nuclear technology, and we're excited to move this project forward together."

D&Z said it was "among a select group of companies with not only the qualifications to perform nuclear-code work needed for expanding and modernising the nation's nuclear energy infrastructure, but also with natural gas plant construction experience ... essential for building the non-nuclear, above-ground turbine generator systems of Deep Fission's Gravity reactor".

"Partnering with Day & Zimmermann will bring proven nuclear construction expertise and execution discipline to Deep Fission's deployment," said Mike Brasel, Chief Operating Officer at Deep Fission. "Their track record supports our aim to deliver a new model for low-carbon, reliable power that is simpler to build, inherently safe, and scalable to meet growing energy demand."

Deep Fission was founded in 2023 by father-daughter team Elizabeth and Richard Muller, who also co-founded Deep Isolation in 2016 to develop the concept of placing canisters of radioactive waste hundreds of metres underground via a borehole.

3D printing of SMR components

Indiana-based high-temperature small modular reactor developer NX Atomics has announced a partnership with Sciaky - a division of Morphix Metals - to apply Sciaky's proprietary Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) process to the production of components for NX Atomics' SMR platform.

Chicago-based Sciaky's EBAM process produces fully dense, high-quality metal parts in a wide range of alloys, including titanium, tantalum, Inconel, and stainless steel. Sciaky's EBAM technology is used by leading manufacturers in aerospace, defence, energy, and other industries worldwide.

"This is what bringing nuclear manufacturing into the modern era actually looks like," said NX Atomics CEO John Warden. "3D printing opens up the potential for us to produce nuclear-qualified parts faster and at lower cost, where appropriate swap them out through life, and meaningfully reduce the unit cost of every small modular reactor we build."

Sciaky CEO John Criso added: "Sciaky has spent more than eight decades building the metal manufacturing technology that the world's most demanding industries rely on. Our EBAM process produces parts that fly on commercial aircraft, sail on naval vessels, and orbit the earth. Bringing that capability into America's clean energy infrastructure with NX Atomics is a natural next step, and we are proud that two Midwestern companies are leading this transition."

Specialists from Russia's state nuclear corporation consolidated and transported radioactive waste from the Tuyuk-Suu and Taldy-Bulak sites to the centralised tailings storage facility, Dalneye. "The facility itself underwent extensive technological modernisation. It was equipped with multi-layer insulating protective screens and modern drainage systems, guaranteeing complete safety and resistance to any natural disasters and landslides," Rosatom said.

Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Emergency Situations, Kanatbek Chynybaev, said: "The successful completion of the reclamation project in Min-Kush is a historic step for the environmental safety of all of Central Asia. Thanks to the synergy between our agencies and the state-of-the-art technology of the Rosatom State Corporation, we have eliminated a threat that has troubled our citizens for decades. Areas that once raised serious concerns due to the threat of mudflows and landslides are now fully restored and are returning to safe economic use. We greatly appreciate the support of the Russian Federation, which has provided 75% of the funding for this programme."

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said: "I sincerely congratulate you on the successful completion of the first stage of rehabilitation work in the Kyrgyz Republic. Thanks to this work, facilities in the villages of Min-Kush in the Naryn Region and Kadji-Sai in the Issyk-Kul Region have been brought to a radiation-safe condition."

During the event the two sides approved a joint action plan for "implementing bilateral cooperation in the area of territorial rehabilitation for 2026-2028". A monument was also unveiled in Min-Kush to the country's mining history "and contribution to the USSR's atomic project", Rosatom said.

As well as the completed work to make the uranium tailings dumps radiation-safe, "the current stage involves the rehabilitation of three mine waste dumps, their shafts, and structures in the southern regions of the republic, scheduled to run until 2030. The Russian government has allocated omore than 2 billion rubles for these activities. Work has already been completed at two sites - Too-Moyun in the Osh region and Kyzyl-Zhar in the Jalal-Abad region", Rosatom added.

Background

Central Asia served as an important source of uranium for the former Soviet Union. Uranium was mined for more than 50 years and uranium ore was also imported from other countries for processing, and large amounts of radioactively contaminated material were placed in mining waste dumps and tailing sites. Most of the mines were closed by 1995 but very little remediation was done before or after the closure of the mining and milling operations. The contaminated material is a threat to the environment and the health of the population. The hazards include the possible pollution of ground and surface water in a key agricultural centre of the region.

The IAEA Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites (CGULS) supports countries to safely manage these sites and the residues of radioactive and toxic contaminants to protect people and the environment. Since 2012, CGULS has supported Central Asian countries with practical guidance on remediation strategies, expert missions to guide progress in remediation efforts, and assisted in capacity building and developing legal and regulatory frameworks for remediating legacy sites.

In 2017, the Strategic Master Plan for Environmental Remediation of Uranium Legacy Sites in Central Asia, which focuses on Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was adopted by the IAEA, the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Commonwealth of Independent States Economic Council, as well as the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to establish a strategy and concrete mechanisms to remediate the sites safely and sustainably. The plan - published in May 2018 - identifies seven former uranium production sites in the region as the highest priority: Mailuu-Suu, Min-Kush and Shekaftar in Kyrgyzstan; Degmay and Istikol in Tajikistan; and, Charkesar and Yangiabad in Uzbekistan. The total cost of remediating the seven sites was estimated at around EUR85 million (USD99 million). A revised Strategic Master Plan (SMP) was signed in September 2021.

The  was presented in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in October 2025, and will guide the future activities of the IAEA, international organisations and collaborating countries, focusing on monitoring, maintenance, record keeping and continuous stakeholder engagement towards the safe and beneficial use of the remediated land.

Regulatory hold points are mandatory checkpoints beyond which reactor operation cannot proceed without approval from the Commission. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) applies four hold points to reactor refurbishment projects: loading fuel into the reactor; removing the guaranteed shutdown state and starting the reactor; exceeding 1% full power; and exceeding 35% full power.

Ramzi Jammal, Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, notified the company on 2 June of the regulator's decision to remove the final regulatory hold point after CNSC staff confirmed that the company had met all of its commitments and remained in compliance with its licence conditions. 

Bruce Power Director, Community & External Affairs Maggie Tieman confirmed that the unit has been restarted. "Today at 1:34 a.m. Unit 3 was successfully synchronised to Ontario's electricity grid. As we move forward, we will continue power ascension in Unit 3 and complete the remaining testing and approvals required for commercial operation," she told World Nuclear News.

The Bruce site comprises eight operable Candu reactors divided equally between two plants: units 1-4 make up Bruce A, and units 5-8 are Bruce B. At Bruce A, units 1 and 2 have already been refurbished, returning to operations in 2012. Unit 4 is currently undergoing an MCR which began in February 2025. The four units making up Bruce B are also being refurbished: unit 6's MCR was completed in 2024; units 5 is expected to begin its MCR later this year, according to the CNSC's timeline, with overlapping MCR projects scheduled to begin at units 7 and 8 in 2028 and 2030 respectively.

The bill has now been passed by the Chamber of Deputies with 155 votes in favour, 86 against and eight abstentions.

The bill now goes to the upper house, the Senate, where the government expects the legislation to get final approval before the summer recess at the end of July. The implementing legislative decrees must be adopted within 12 months of the law's entry into force.

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.

Azim Akhmedkhadzhaev, Director of the Uzbekistan Atomic Energy Agency, said: "Today, we are not simply laying the first concrete for the nuclear power plant's foundation. We are laying the foundation for a bright and sustainable future for the Republic of Uzbekistan. This integrated nuclear power plant will symbolise a new technological stage for our country - a stage of energy independence, industrial growth, and environmental security."

"Uzbekistan is confidently moving to the forefront of the global energy sector, strengthening its sovereignty and opening new horizons for innovative development. We are building more than just a power plant - we are laying the foundation for a new era of prosperity, technological leadership, and well-being for future generations of Uzbeks."

_{The IAEA's director general was at the ceremony (Image: Uzatom)}

First concrete followed the Committee for Industrial, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan issuing a licence on 4 June to the general contractor for the construction of the nuclear power plant unit's first unit, a Russian-made RITM-200N.

The planned plant

A contract signed in May 2024, during a visit to the country by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was originally for the construction of a 330 MW capacity nuclear power plant featuring six units of the RITM-200N water-cooled small modular reactor (SMR), which is adapted from nuclear-powered icebreakers' technology, with thermal power of 190 MW or 55 MWe and with an intended service life of 60 years. The first unit was scheduled to go critical in late 2029 with units commissioned one by one.

In 2025 a supplemental agreement to the contract for the new nuclear power plant - in the Jizzakh region - covered the decision to change its contents to two gigawatt-scale VVER-1000 units and two SMRs. This increased the proposed capacity to more than 2,100 MWe, compared with the previous 330 MWe.

_{Concrete work at the site began in March (Image: Rosatom)}

Excavation work began in October last year for the pit for the first of the SMRs at the site. About 1.5 million cubic metres of soil were excavated during the digging of a pit 13 metres deep. In March this year, Rosatom said that about 900 cubic metres were being poured during the concrete foundation work for the reactor building. That was due for completion in April and it said that the foundation has since been levelled and waterproofed before the pouring of the first concrete for the reactor building's foundation slab.

What the presidents said

President Putin said: "The fact that Russia and Uzbekistan are implementing such a truly flagship high-tech project is a shining example of the friendship and alliance between our two countries ... the project will provide related orders for many Uzbek companies: new jobs will be created, and local contractors will be actively involved in installation, material supply, transportation, and other services. In total, approximately 15,000 people are expected to be employed at the construction site.

"Importantly, Russia will not only build the nuclear power plant but also provide its Uzbek partners with a preferential export loan and support throughout the plant's entire lifecycle. This includes commitments for long-term reactor fuel supplies, servicing and maintenance, and spent nuclear material management. Essentially, with our country's assistance, a national high-tech nuclear industry is being developed in Uzbekistan."

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said: "Today, we are launching not just the next stage of an infrastructure project, but are participating in an historic event. We are ushering in a new era of technological, industrial, and scientific development for our country. In Uzbekistan, the foundations are being laid for the development of a new field - modern nuclear energy - an industry that symbolises advanced scientific capabilities, cutting-edge engineering expertise, and a strategic vision for the future.

"It is important to note that this project ... is unique in the world; it combines the latest advances in small-scale nuclear generation and large-scale baseload energy."

The IAEA's Grossi noted the uniqueness of the project - which features the first export order for any SMR - and added: "I see investors from other countries here, and they're interested in this project. This project will also contribute to the development of the digital economy, data centres, and other opportunities."

Andrey Petrov, First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy at Rosatom, said: "Uzbekistan is embarking on a path of accelerated high-tech development, and Rosatom is honoured to be part of this historic process. Once operational, the nuclear power plant will be able to meet up to 14% of the country's energy needs. Moreover, the nuclear city project we proposed to Uzbekistan will create a new community. The nuclear power plant will be more than just a small town; it will be a true science city - a showcase for cutting-edge nuclear and related technologies."

In February 2023, Japan's Cabinet approved a policy to allow new nuclear power reactors to be constructed and the operation of existing reactors to be extended from 40 to 60 years. "Before 2040, more than 3 million kW of existing reactors will reach 60 years of operation, and after that, the supply capacity of existing reactors as decarbonised power sources will be significantly lost," the plan said.

The government's 7th Basic Energy Plan, adopted in February 2025, calls for nuclear electricity generation to increase from 8.5% in fiscal 2023 to about 20% in fiscal 2040. Renewable energy's share of total electricity production, meanwhile, is expected to increase from 22.9% to 40%-50%, with fossil fuels' share dropping from almost 69% to 30%-40%.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has now outlined a proposed target to a subgroup of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy - which advises the industry minister - for replacing reactors that are scheduled to be decommissioned with new reactors in order to maintain this 20% share.

"Based on certain assumptions, it is estimated that approximately 2.2 to 5.5 million kW (approximately 2 to 5 reactors) of nuclear power plants will need to be replaced by the 2040s, and approximately 12.7 million kW to 16 million kW (approximately 11 to 14 reactors) will need to be replaced by the 2050s, including the work done in the 2040s," METI said in a . "Furthermore, given that a similar pace of decline in installed capacity is expected from the 2060s onward, and that future electricity demand may increase more than anticipated, in order to ensure a stable supply, efforts under this guideline will be promoted with a view to replacing at least this amount of installed capacity."

METI said: "It is necessary to present forecasts and a future vision from the perspectives of long-term investment in nuclear power, maintenance of the nuclear industry base, and development and securing of human resources."

The proposal is expected to be officially approved at a session of relevant Cabinet ministers in the coming months.

Criticality means that the reactor has achieved a sustained nuclear chain reaction, with each fission event - when an atom of uranium in the fuel is split - releasing a sufficient number of neutrons to sustain an ongoing series of reactions. In a nuclear power reactor, the heat energy from those fission reactions is used to produce steam and generate electricity.

The Mark-0 is a demonstration reactor, validating key reactor physics parameters for Antares' sodium heat-pipe cooled microreactor technology, which uses tri-isostructural isotropic - or TRISO - fuel containing high assay low-enriched uranium (known as HALEU). 

The DOE described the criticality test of the 53rd reactor to be built at INL since 1951 as a "tremendous accomplishment" validating the safety and operational performance of Antares Nuclear’s fission reactor, and one of the most significant technological achievements in nuclear energy in more than 40 years. "When commercialised after further tests and licensure by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, microreactors like those that Antares makes are anticipated to be used in a variety of terrestrial and space applications and to ensure readiness at military installations requiring reliable energy," the Department said.

The demonstration was conducted in partnership with DOE, INL, and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) - supplier of the TRISO fuel used to power the reactor - and with integration and observation support from the US Army, which is seen as a future end user of the technology.

As well as meeting the administration's objectives to reform how the federal government tests advanced reactors, the demonstration establishes a replicable licensing pathway that DOE and industry can use to accelerate future reactor demonstrations on commercial timelines, Antares said.

"Hitting our commitments is everything to us. Nuclear in America has been defined for too long by delays, by companies that said they would and then didn't," said Antares CEO Jordan Bramble. 

Fuelling the future

The fuel used by Antares is modelled on the TRISO fuel compacts delivered by BWXT for Project Pele, a 1.5 MW transportable microreactor BWXT is building for the US Army's Strategic Capabilities Office. Building on a proven fuel specification and manufacturing expertise matured through Project Pele directly underpins the criticality milestone, Joe Miller, BWXT's president for Government Operations, said.

_{TRISO fuel compacts produced for the Mark-0 by BWXT (Image: BWXT)}

The HALEU feedstock material used to manufacture the Antares TRISO fuel compacts comes from scrap materials provided by the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration. BWXT said it will continue to support Antares with ongoing TRISO fuel manufacturing, reinforcing the company’s readiness to meet customer timelines and the growing national demand for advanced reactor fuel.

"We're grateful for a partnership that continues as we move from neutrons to electrons," Bramble said.

Antares' timeline envisages electricity production in 2027, with the first customer deployments of electricity-producing microreactors the following year. The criticality demonstration, and the licensing pathway it establishes, represent a key step toward deploying electricity-producing microreactors for US military installations by the end of September 2028, Antares said.

"We said criticality in 2026, electricity production in 2027, and power to the warfighter in 2028. Today is the first of those commitments delivered on the schedule we set. The President and DOE set an ambitious timeline for reactor testing, and we met that challenge," Bramble said. "I want to thank our partners at the Department of Energy, Idaho National Lab, BWXT, and the US Army. This is what happens when industry and government work together to accomplish big things."

"We went from concept to a critical reactor, safely, in less than 12 months," he added.  "That doesn't happen by accident. … It also doesn't happen without decades of DOE investment in the AGR-2 TRISO specification and the Project Pele fuel supply chain at BWXT. Our partners at Idaho National Laboratory and DOE-ID provided the design, regulatory, and facilities support that enabled this schedule."

Blykalla's application is the first to be submitted for advanced nuclear power under the new Swedish financing model, which came into effect on 1 August last year. The financing model consists of three instruments: government loans; a contract-for-difference; and a risk and profit-sharing mechanism. The concrete parameters (interest rate level, strike price, contract length) are negotiated project by project and tested by the European Commission.

"This application is a major milestone toward building the clean baseload power Sweden needs," said Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman. "The new financing model is designed to enable exactly what we plan to build, an advanced nuclear reactor park that can meet Sweden's rapidly growing electricity needs as industry is electrified and we increasingly rely on a digital infrastructure. For our reactor park in Norrsundet, it also means that we can expand supply chains with partners and suppliers, and thus take important steps towards commercial series production."

Blykalla noted that the next step in the funding process was to negotiate with the Swedish government about the parameters of the financing model. At the same time, parallel applications are under way with permits according to the Environmental Code and the Nuclear Technology Act and close cooperation with Gävle Municipality.

"The fact that we are now receiving another application to build new nuclear power shows that the financing model with state support is working well," said Minister of Financial Markets Niklas Wykman. "With new nuclear power, we get stable and fossil-free base power that can secure jobs and growth in Sweden."

_{Rendering of the SEALER building in Norrsundet (Image: Blykalla)}

The application will now be prepared at the Ministry of Finance by the Secretariat for Financing New Nuclear Power. The ministry said that an application means that the work for the government to be able to make a decision on support can begin. In addition to preparing the application itself, the process also includes negotiations between the government and the company on the terms and scope of the support. An ongoing dialogue with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition then leads to a formal examination of whether the support is compatible with the EU's state aid rules.

Blykalla - formerly called LeadCold - is a spin-off from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where lead-cooled reactor systems have been under development since 1996. The company - founded in 2013 as a joint stock company - is developing the SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor).

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

The Swedish government received the first such application in December to support proposals for either five GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactors or three Rolls-Royce SMRs to provide about 1500 MW capacity at Ringhals on the Värö Peninsula. The application came from Videberg Kraft AB, a project company owned by Vattenfall AB and backed by a series of industrial firms via the Industrikraft i Sverige AB consortium.

However there was an increased emphasis on emergency preparedness and response, he said, praising the reaction of the operators of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE after an electrical generator located outside the inner site perimeter of the NPP was damaged by a drone on 17 May - "they demonstrated the professionalism, skills and preparedness that nuclear safety demands every day", he said.

"The UAE never imagined in their wildest dreams that one day Barakah would be attacked," he added at the media briefing after his opening address to the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting.

"I am sure that there will be analysis and evaluation - there is going to be, for example, a further look into the layout of external power supply lines ... sometimes the connections and inter-connections are not designed for situations where loss of outside power could happen more frequently."

He was speaking on the same day that a localised ceasefire was agreed in an area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to allow repairs to be carried out to the external Dniprovska 750 kV power line, which has been disconnected for more than two months. In the past few days the plant, which has been under Russian military control since March 2022 and is located close to the frontline of Russian and Ukrainian forces, has suffered its 17th loss of external power, when its sole remaining back-up 330 kV lost connection. During its loss of external power, it has had to rely on emergency back-up diesel generators to provide the power required for essential safety and cooling functions.

The ceasefire, the sixth temporary ceasefire that the IAEA has negotiated with Russia and Ukraine to secure off-site power and ensure nuclear safety, was "complicated by the location of the power line damage: on top of high pylons across the line of control in the Dnipro River". Precise timing and coordinates were agreed by both sides "for the sake of nuclear safety".

In his remarks to the IAEA Board of Governors he referenced drones causing damage in the area of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, as well as at Barakah, and urged restraint, warning of the risks if a nuclear accident was caused. In all the cases referred to, there has been no release of radiation as a result of the incidents.

To facilitate Crane's 2027 restart, Constellation filed a waiver request with FERC on 31 March to allow it to transfer capacity rights from Eddystone, a six-unit, dual-fuelled plant in Pennsylvania. Two 380 MW units - Eddystone 3 and 4 - had been scheduled for closure last year, but have been kept online beyond their planned retirement date to ensure grid reliability under a series of emergency orders issued by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. 

Constellation has argued that the Eddystone units can still operate and meet DOE orders without its capacity interconnection rights and should be thought of as an "energy resource" and not a "capacity resource". (An "energy resource" is not allowed to participate in PJM's capacity market, while a Capacity Resource designation allows a generator to meet capacity obligations through PJM's capacity market).

FERC has now granted Constellation’s request for the waiver, meaning the company can remove the Eddystone units from so-called Capacity Resource status and make the units' capacity interconnection rights available for transfer.

FERC found that the requested waiver would allow for the transfer of capacity interconnection rights between the Eddystone Units and Crane, which could "potentially increase Crane’s interim deliverability and enable Crane to be fully operational before December 31, 2030", and also found that "granting the waiver will not have undesirable consequences, such as harming third parties".

The on 1 June.

Public comment

On 8 June, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued for public comment a draft environmental assessment and draft finding of no significant impact - known as a FONSI - from its evaluation of the "reasonably foreseeable" environmental effects from the proposed reauthorisation of power operations at the plant. 

At the time of its closure in 2019, Three Mile Island unit 1 had a renewed operating licence that was valid until 2034. Constellation has asked the NRC to approve an exemption request and three licence amendment requests to support allowing the resumption of power operations up to the previous expiration date of the plant's licence. It has also previously said it will look to extend operations beyond that, to 2054. 

Based on the findings of its environmental review, which are documented in the draft environmental assessment and draft finding of no significant impact, "the NRC staff has made the preliminary determination that the proposed actions will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Therefore, the NRC staff has made the preliminary determination that it will not prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed actions and that a FONSI is warranted", the Commission . 

The NRC will make its final determination after considering comments on the documents received during the 30-day public comment period which runs until 8 July.

He said that over the weekend there had been further negotiations with both sides before it was agreed that the IAEA would send observers to monitor the mine-clearing work, which is necessary before the repair work can take place on the external power supply lines on pylons on either side of the military front line.

"Without the Dniprovska line, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's off-site power situation is very fragile. Over the past days, the plant suffered its 18th offsite power outage since the war began. With a duration of 15-hours, it was also one of its longest, necessitating the use of emergency diesel generators to cool the six shut down reactors until offsite power was restored on Saturday morning," he said.

The incident with a drone striking the three-year-old Central Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility in the Chernobyl exclusion zone took place on Sunday, with Grossi reporting it caused "significant structural damage to part of the fuel reception building, including the IAEA safeguards office. Spent fuel was stored in casks just a few hundred metres from the damaged building. Thankfully, radiation levels at the facility remained normal, indicating the incident did not cause radioactive contamination. It remains unclear when the facility will be able to start receiving spent fuel from Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants again".

He added: "Attacking a facility with large amounts of nuclear material is extremely dangerous. It must not happen."

The Centralised Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility is a dry storage site for used nuclear fuel assemblies from the country's VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors. It is designed to have a total storage capacity of 16,530 used fuel assemblies, including 12,010 VVER-1000 assemblies and 4,520 VVER-440 assemblies. Contracts were signed for its construction with USA-based Holtec International in 2005, although construction only began in 2017.

_{The damaged building at the used fuel storage facility site (Image: Energoatom)}

It started receiving used nuclear fuel from the country's nuclear power plants at the end of 2023 and it has been operating under a commissioning licence. It was issued with its operating licence last month after an inspection carried out from 20 April to 1 May.

Operator Energoatom said the fire caused by the drone strike covered an area of ​​40 square metres and "was quickly localised and completely eliminated". It said there were no injuries among the personnel and the radiation situation remained within normal limits.

During his speech to the board of governors and during his media briefing, Grossi maintained the IAEA's stance of not attributing blame to either side for incidents during the war.

Asked about the policy during the media briefing, Grossi said that both sides blamed the other for incidents. "The IAEA is not a political commentator. When we say something happened, it must be based on our own independent verification. We try to provide as much information as we can so people can draw their own conclusions."

Both the incidents, followed Grossi's statement to the IAEA's Board of Governors on Friday in which he had warned of the dangers of military action near nuclear power plants. He said that there was an increased focus on military preparedness and response, and suggested that there may be a need for a fresh look at the layout of external power lines, following the recent impacts on power supply at nuclear power plants as a result of military action.

During Monday's press briefing, Grossi was asked whether the attacks on, or near, nuclear power plants means that newcomer countries were rethinking their nuclear power plans. He replied that the attacks on plants "worries us a lot", before outlining the action that the IAEA has been taking to help ensure nuclear safety and security. He added: "We don't see, for now at least, a direct influence between these episodes which are highly regrettable, and medium and long-term planning of many countries in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear energy."

"As our two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2025, Zuuvch Ovoo illustrates our shared commitment to developing a strategic project that creates sustainable value for Mongolia and the Dornogobi Province," he added, before thanking the Mongolian authorities, Orano's partners, and the teams at Badrakh Energy and Orano "for their commitment to this exemplary cooperation".

Mongolia has substantial uranium resources - as of 2023, according to ������Ƶ's information library, its 144,600 tU of uranium resources put it 10th in the world. Although it has been mined there in the past - in conjunction with Russian interests - no  uranium has been mined in Mongolia since the mid-1990s when mining at the Dornod mine, operated by a subsidiary of Russia's Priargunsky Industrial Mining & Chemical Union, ceased.

_{Image: Orano}

Orano Mining has been present in Mongolia for more than 25 years, and has been carrying out exploration in the Gobi Desert since 1997, according to information from the company. The Zuuvch Ovoo deposit was discovered in 2010. In January 2025, Orano and the Government of Mongolia signed an investment agreement to develop and operate the project, in the south-eastern Dornogovi province.

The project will use in-situ leach (ISL, also known as in-situ recovery, or ISR) methods, demonstrated in pilot operations in 2021-2022. Development is planned to take 4 years. The project will have a nominal production capacity of about 2,500 tU per year for a 30-year estimated lifespan, creating 1,600 direct and indirect jobs.

Under the terms of the investment agreement, more than 51% of the direct benefits generated by the project will be received by the Mongolian state.

France's EDF, which had been eliminated from the bidding process, launched legal challenges against the contract decision. The company's objections to the tender process included the belief that the KHNP offer price and the inclusion of a guarantee that the construction would not be delayed or become more expensive, would be "unfeasible without illegal state aid given the prices in the nuclear industry". EDF said that if their rival bidder had state support it would breach European Union rules. KHNP rejected EDF's claims and said "we emphasise that we have not received any subsidies that could damage or distort fair competition in relation to the project".

In response, the European Commission (EC) launched a preliminary review of KHNP and 'Team Korea' - the winning consortium of Korean companies that includes KHNP - in February 2025 to independently examine matters related to the new nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic. The EU Extraterritorial Subsidy Regulation is a system designed to assess whether financial contributions provided to companies by non-EU countries distort competition in the EU market.

"KHNP and Team Korea faithfully cooperated with the preliminary review process by submitting relevant materials and explaining necessary matters in accordance with the request of the EC," KHNP said. "As a result, the EC completed the preliminary review and finally notified KHNP on 5 June that it had decided not to initiate an in-depth investigation."

"This decision is an official judgement made by the EU after directly reviewing the relevant issues," Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan was quoted as saying by The Chosun Daily. "It is a result of confirming that KHNP and Team Korea have faithfully complied with international norms and EU laws and systems while pursuing the project."

Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček said on social media platform X, that the EC decision "to close the preliminary review under the Regulation on distortive foreign subsidies affecting the internal market ... is good news for this project and for the development of the nuclear industry and the future assurance of energy security in the Czech Republic and the European Union".

There has been a separate EC review taking place relating to the Czech new nuclear plan - in April 2024 the EC approved the original Czech government funding plan for a single new nuclear reactor at the Dukovany nuclear power plant site, but in October last year the Czech Republic officially notified the EC it had expanded its plans to two new nuclear units. The following month, the EC announced it had launched an inquiry into Czech funding plan for new nuclear. At the time it said it had doubts about whether it was fully in line with EU State aid rules and wanted to ensure that "no more aid than necessary is ultimately granted. In particular, the Commission has doubts on whether the proposed package achieves an appropriate balance between reducing risks to enable the investment and maintaining incentives for efficient behaviour, while avoiding excessive risk transfer to the State".

The dummy fuel does not contain any nuclear materials and its loading precedes the cold and hot running tests of reactor plant equipment during the commissioning process for new units, before the reactor starts up.

_{(Image: Akkuyu Nuclear)}

_{(Image: Akkuyu Nuclear)}

The loading of the fuel dummies was carried out under the supervision of Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Sergei Butckikh, CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear, said: "The completion of loading of dummy fuel assemblies at Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 is a full rehearsal for loading nuclear fuel. Using the dummies, we work out procedures for handling nuclear fuel in conditions as close to operational as possible, and confirm the readiness of equipment and personnel for the next pre-launch stage."

Background

Akkuyu, in the southern Mersin province, is Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors, under a so-called BOO (build-own-operate) model. According to the terms of the 2010 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, the aim was for the commissioning of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant to take place within seven years from receipt of all permits for the construction of the unit.

The licence for the construction of the first unit was issued in 2018, with construction work beginning that year. The first steam generators were shipped to the site - for unit 1 - in August 2020. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023. The aim is for unit 1 to begin supplying Turkey's energy system during 2026.

When the 4,800 MWe plant is completed, it is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs.

_{Work is taking place on all four units - first concrete for unit 4 (right) was poured in August 2023 (Image: Akkuyu Nuclear)}

Turkey has plans for a second nuclear power plant, at Sinop, and has also been in talks with China about plans for a third plant, in the Thrace region in the country's northwest.

The country is also developing plans for small modular reactors, with the aim of adding 5 GWe of capacity by 2050 - which would mean the equivalent of at least 16 individual SMRs.

DP World has signed an agreement with French research organisation Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) and strategy specialist TerraWater Institute to launch a feasibility study into the use of SMRs at the Port of Constanța. At the mouth of the Danube-Black Sea Canal, the port links sea routes into Eastern and Central Europe, with deep-water access for larger vessels.

The study will model projected energy demand at the port from 2030 to 2050, evaluate integrated low-carbon energy systems, and assess the technical, strategic and economic feasibility of nuclear-based solutions. It will also examine safety standards and considerations for surrounding communities, drawing on CEA's expertise in SMR design and nuclear safety.

DP World said the study is intended to inform future decision-making on how best to meet long-term energy needs for the port and the wider economy. Any future development would be subject to further technical assessment, regulatory review and stakeholder engagement, it noted.

"DP World sees the transition to a net-zero economy not only as an environmental imperative, but as a driver of future growth across global trade," said Nicholas Mazzei, VP Sustainability – Europe, DP World. "Nuclear SMRs are not just energy projects for our ports, they are a competitive infrastructure differentiator. This study will help us better understand how nuclear energy can strengthen operational resilience and help meet rising demand. Across Europe, nuclear energy is increasingly recognised as a resilient and cost-effective solution with the potential to underpin the next generation of industrial activity and the supply chains."

Myrto Tripathi, General Director, TerraWater Institute, added: "Ports sit at the intersection of industry, energy systems, and communities. This study is about understanding how future low-carbon energy systems could be designed to meet complex and evolving demands, while maintaining high standards of safety and environmental performance. For energy as for everything, offer should not shape demand and should provide opportunities rather than dictate terms. Industries' needs have to be understood, assessed and met, while decarbonising. This is the only energy paradigm we should strive for and what we are aiming to demonstrate with this study, thanks to nuclear."

"This study brings together expertise in nuclear technology and energy systems to assess how small modular reactors could be integrated into a real port environment," said Stéphane Sarrade, Directeur des Programmes Énergies at CEA. "By working with DP World and TerraWater, we are applying advanced modelling and analysis to better understand how these solutions could support reliable, low-carbon energy for ports."

In September last year, DP World signed a memorandum of understanding with US-based micro-nuclear technology developer Last Energy to establish the world's first port-centric micro-nuclear power plant at London Gateway in the UK. A proposed PWR-20 microreactor - to begin operations in 2030 - would supply London Gateway with 20 MWe of electricity to power the logistics hub, with additional capacity exported to the grid.

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

The first nuclear fuel was delivered for unit 3 in December. It was manufactured at Rosatom's Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant.

Rosatom says that during operation of the first two units, its specialists, together with Indian specialists "have significantly improved their efficiency through the introduction of advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles. Since 2022, the Kudankulam NPP has been supplied with advanced TVS-2M nuclear fuel. It ensures more reliable and cost-effective operation of the power units due to its rigid structure, a next-generation anti-debris filter, and a higher uranium mass".

It has also led to the time between refuelling shutdowns being extended from 12 months to 18 months. Units 3 and 4 will operate with 18-month fuel cycles from the start.

According to ������Ƶ information, India currently has 24 operable nuclear reactors totalling 7,943 MW of capacity, with eight reactors - 4,768 MW - under construction. A further 10 units - some 7 GW of capacity - are in pre-project stages.

India has a target to expand its nuclear energy capacity to 100 GW by 2047. It plans to achieve this by a two-pronged approach, with the deployment of large-capacity reactors as well as small modular reactors (SMRs). In August last year Minister of State Jitendra Singh outlined to the country's Parliament the three types of SMR that are being designed and developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for demonstration: the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (sometimes referred to as BSMR-200); a 55 MWe small modular reactor (SMR); and a 5 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor for hydrogen production by coupling with suitable thermochemical process for hydrogen production.

Unit 3 began its Major Component Replacement outage in March 2023 and was originally scheduled to return to service in January 2027. It was reconnected to the grid in the early hours of 3 June, since when Bruce Power continued with power ascension and the final testing and approvals required for commercial operation. Its early completion "is the most expedient refurbishment in Ontario to date and reinforces the province's position as a global leader in nuclear energy", according to Ontario's Ministry of Energy and Mines.

"The Unit 3 MCR project was delivered safely and successfully, continuing Ontario's track record of delivering nuclear refurbishments on time, on budget and with quality by a skilled workforce, industry partners and a robust Made-in-Canada supply chain," Bruce Power said.

The refurbishment means the unit's life has been extended by more than three decades. 

The Major Component Replacement projects are part of Bruce Power's Life-Extension Program to refurbish Bruce units 3-8, to enable the site to operate into the 2060s (units 1 and 2 have already been refurbished). Unit 6's MCR was completed ahead of schedule and under budget in 2024, and, with unit 4's MCR already under way, this represents the midway point for the programme, the company said. Each MCR builds on those that have gone before: unit 3's successful return to service, with key phases completed ahead of schedule, has been supported by innovation and continuous improvement; record-setting execution in critical work programmes, reflecting advancements in tooling, planning and workforce expertise; and ongoing improvements in efficiency and quality driven by lessons learned from earlier refurbishments.

Provisions built into Bruce Power's refurbishment agreement with Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator will ensure that Ontario's citizens benefit from savings realised during the Life-Extension Program and operation of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station. Bruce said it is expecting to return about CAD150 million (about USD108 million) to the Independent Electricity System Operator as a result of its performance. 

"With unit 3 now back in service and providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable electricity to the province, we continue to demonstrate that large-scale nuclear projects in Ontario can be delivered safely, efficiently, and with real long term financial benefits for ratepayers," said Eric Chassard, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Power. "This achievement reflects the dedication of our workforce, our skilled trades partners, and the strength of our made-in-Canada nuclear industry."

Bruce Power's Life‑Extension Program directly and indirectly supports some 22,000 jobs annually and contributes billions of dollars each year to Ontario's economy.

"When Ontario successfully completed the world's largest nuclear refurbishment at Darlington ahead of schedule and under budget, critics said it couldn't be done again. Yet again, we are proving them wrong," the province's Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce said.
 

Ampera says it is developing subcritical thorium-based microreactor systems that are energy dense and do not require refuelling. Through its proprietary TRISO fuel platform, neutron-source technology and advanced additive manufacturing, it aims to deliver scalable, factory-built, rapidly deployable, emission-free power for data centres, defence, industrial and maritime applications.

In February, Ampera formed Ampera Australia Pty Ltd to expedite the procurement and import of thorium to the USA. This followed the October 2025 announcement by the governments of the USA and Australia of a framework for securing supply in the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths.

"Our strategy is to secure thorium directly at the source and vertically integrate the entire fuel value chain, from mineral supply through advanced fuel production," said Ampera founder and CEO Brian Matthews. "Thorium offers a compelling combination of abundance, energy potential, economics, and safety, making it an ideal fuel for Ampera's advanced microreactors and a promising resource for the broader nuclear industry."

The company says its broad fuel platform is built on "proprietary processes protected by trade secrets and more than 60 patents for nuclear fuel manufacturing, including proprietary jetting technology used to produce high-quality safe tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel kernels."

"Thorium is the future for ultra-safe, clean power production," Matthews said. "By producing TRISO thorium kernels in the United States, we can ensure ample access to the needed fuel supply as we scale up and also minimize price volatility risk."

In February, Ampera submitted a formal letter to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission indicating its desire to begin the pre-application process for its factory-fabricated, containerised microreactor, and in April, it entered into a strategic collaboration with Monaco-based shipping company Scorpio Tankers Inc to jointly develop and commercialise advanced microreactors for marine, shipping and related maritime applications. The same month, Ampera opened its global headquarters in Florida. It has said it plans to produce TRISO thorium kernels at another location in the state.