Greetings!

In this week’s issue, we examine the U.S. military’s airlift of Valar Atomics’ small reactor and the value of the event’s resulting Hollywood-like highlight reel. We spotlight a report from Westinghouse Electric and PricewaterhouseCoopers which details significant economic benefits from deploying a fleet of AP1000 reactors. Finally, we highlight key nuclear technology, security, and geopolitical developments, reports, and analyses.

This issue of Nuclear News and Views was produced by PGS Program Director, Patrick Kendall, and Della Ratta Energy and Global Security Fellows, Gabriela Zanko and Cate Donovan.

A longer version of this article will be published by The Center for the National Interest and it can be found here.

The hoped for American nuclear renaissance now has a spectacular highlight reel. It is a cinematic marriage of national security and nuclear flexing that features three C-17’s airlifting a Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 advanced nuclear reactor from California to Utah.

But despite the undeniably priceless political and public relations value of this imagery, it is debatable how much this event propelled progress toward the Trump administration’s nuclear deployment goals.

Public Relations vs. Reality

The Ward 250 flight occurred because Valar is building a reactor test site at the San Rafael Energy Lab in Orangeville, Utah. The Wall Street Journal reported that Valar paid the cost of the flights, roughly estimated at less than $1 million. But the product will be a test reactor, and no power production will occur at this site.

Valar is a start-up launched in 2023, and its founder wants to make it the fissioning counterpart to Elon Musk’s Space-X. That, among other reasons, has helped make it a darling of the Trump administration. It has attracted significant venture capital investment and that has provided it with a certain tech cache that perhaps other more prosaic reactor vendors don’t possess.

Valar is a participant in the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Reactor Pilot Project and its Advanced Nuclear Fuel Line Pilot Project. But it is not part of any military nuclear power project, which makes it an unusual test case for military microreactor transportation.

The Department of Defense’s Project Pele aims to develop and demonstrate the ability to effectively transport a TRISO-fueled military microreactor inside a standard 20-foot shipping container. But the Pele reactor chosen by the Department of Defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office is being built by BWXT, not Valar.

Questions and Claims

Despite the excitement, the Valar flight does not represent “the dawn of a new era in American nuclear engineering , one defined by speed [and] scale.” What was transported was a single, non-operational, and unfueled unit, delivered in three pieces.

It also was not the first time a small reactor had been transported by the US military. There are several examples from the 1950’s and 1960’s. And in 1992, two Russian TOPAZ-II space nuclear reactors, fueled with 93% enriched uranium, were flown by U.S. C-5’s to New Mexico.

Questions also have been raised about other claims of success. For example, Valar announced that its Project NOVA core achieved zero-power criticality in November 2025 at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Former Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy at DoE, Katy Huff, explained, that the test at LANL “was a cold zero power test that did not take the fuel up to actual power densities…I want to see ‘hot full power’ criticality” which allows an understanding of whether “modelling matches reality”.

The Valar reactor seems to have some advantages as the U.S. government has approved its Preliminary Documented Safety Analyses (PDSA’s). But there are numerous other competitors in the small reactor horserace, and several are outpacing Valar even if their accomplishments are less fizzy.

NuScale’s SMR has received design certification. The TerraPower Natrium reactor has received a construction permit for its Kemmerer, Wyoming location. The BWRX-300 SMR has received a construction license from the Canadian regulatory authority. And Radiant Energy is planning a full power test of its reactor this Summer.

Deficient Delivery

Trump is committed to vaulting America back to the top position in the global nuclear power competition. That is a critical objective for domestic energy production and national security purposes. But the administration does not have a sound strategy for delivering this goal. Its run and gun approach to nuclear development is not typical for building sustained nuclear energy capability.

This act-fast-and-break-things approach certainly creates flash and it may generate opportunities. But it hasn’t yet delivered any new commercial power reactors under contract or construction in the U.S. By contrast, China is building nuclear reactors like Lego’s and Russia has signed agreements for SMR exports.

Valar’s high-flying video delivered on two of the Trump administration’s prized priorities. It created undeniably compelling public relations cinema and it projected American nuclear energy dynamism. What it didn’t do is prove that America can achieve the nuclear energy dominance it so desperately desires and that the country needs. That goal is a decade or more away and it requires devoting much more attention to overcoming technical, financial, and policy hurdles than heralding Hollywood highlight reels.

Ken Luongo, President, Partnership for Global Security

Spotlight

Last Fall, the Trump administration committed to provide $80 billion to build 10 Westinghouse AP-1000 reactors in America. But progress toward that goal has been halting with American utility companies slow to commit and international partners, including Japan and South Korea, still being sorted out. A newly published joint report from Westinghouse Electric and PricewaterhouseCoopers now details the significant domestic economic impact of moving forward on that objective. The study finds that the construction phase of a 10-unit AP1000 fleet could generate more than $93 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) for the United States and support 44,300 jobs annually for 13 years. The report further states that the fleet would create an additional $1 trillion in GDP over its 80-year lifetime. Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology has thus far been selected for nuclear energy programs in Poland, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, and is also under consideration at multiple sites throughout Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Patrick Kendall, Program Director, Partnership for Global Security

Issues of Special Interest

Global AI and Data Center Energy

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country plans to leverage its nuclear power infrastructure to support AI data centers while speaking at the World Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris. According to Macron, France exported 90 terawatt hours (TWh) of decarbonized electricity in 2025, adding that France’s nuclear fleet and export surplus gives France the ability to expand computing capacity without compromising its domestic energy supply. Macron’s statements come as Europe has thus far relied on foreign cloud providers and AI infrastructure.

The Impact of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine on International Nuclear Affairs

The United States voted against a resolution condemning attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on March 5. In their statement to the Board, the United States stated that they found the resolution to be redundant while reiterating their call for all parties to refrain from taking any actions that could result in a nuclear safety incident in Ukraine. The resolution warns that strikes on Ukraine’s energy system supplying nuclear power plants, including the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, pose a direct threat to nuclear safety and security.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reported that a damaged backup power line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine has been successfully restored after repairs conducted under a temporary local ceasefire. The 330 kV Ferosplavna‑1 line had been out of service for over three weeks, leaving the plant reliant on a single 750 kV line to supply electricity for essential safety systems. Grossi emphasized that repeated interruptions to off‑site power in recent months underline the ongoing vulnerability of nuclear facilities in conflict zones.

An interim report is being prepared on how to restore the protective functions of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure that covers the destroyed reactor at Chernobyl. The repairs are needed after a Russian drone strike in February damaged parts of the massive arch-shaped shelter, prompting temporary fixes to prevent further weather-related deterioration. Ukrainian authorities are working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the original builders, Bouygues and Vinci, to develop a full repair plan. The project aims to restore the NSC’s containment capability and anti-corrosion systems so it can operate for its intended 100-year lifespan.

A contract has been awarded to prepare detailed design plans for safety work on parts of the turbine hall and the deaerator stack at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Assessments found that sections of the deaerator stack remain structurally sound but require reinforcement, while unused portions of the turbine hall are in poor condition and will likely need to be dismantled. Funded through international contributions administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the effort is intended to support long-term safety and enable future dismantling of the unstable original shelter from 1986.

The State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management reported that potential locations for small modular reactors (SMRs) have been identified within the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The agency conducted extensive environmental monitoring in 2025 and concluded that radiation conditions in the zone remain stable, with no significant changes detected. Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom is collaborating with the agency to assess the feasibility of placing SMRs there, taking advantage of the sparsely populated and restricted land.

Globa

The Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy by 2050 has garnered new signatories. China, Italy, Brazil and Belgium announced that they had signed the declaration at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris on March 10. South Africa also endorsed the declaration earlier this month. The Declaration was announced at the COP28 Climate Conference in 2023 as a means of keeping a 1.5℃ limit on the rise of global temperatures, and there are currently 38 signatories.

Cameco’s end-of-February global spot price for uranium was measured at $86.95 per pound, which is down from January’s price of $94.28. Although the overall price was down, this latest spot price is still the second highest since the end of May 2024. Numerous recent uranium-related developments factored into this high spot price, including the final regulatory approval of Canada’s in situ recovery mining operation at Wheeler River and the expansion of the uranium enrichment facility at Centrus Energy’s facility in Piketon, Ohio.

Russia

Russian nuclear power group Rosatom stated it plans to move forward with its power plant projects in foreign countries despite new sanctions from the British government against Russian companies. The British government announced its largest sanctions against Russia, including those against three Rosatom subsidiaries that are part of foreign power plant builds. The British government stated these companies were included because they are involved in trying to secure contracts for new Russian nuclear installations overseas and create additional energy revenue streams.

Russia has completed the installation of the second tier at Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant’s seventh unit. The new phase of the plant, known as Leningrad II, features two VVER-1200 units that have been commissioned, as well as a third and fourth new unit currently under construction. They will replace the original four RBMK-100 units, with the pouring of first concrete for unit 7 taking place in 2024.

China

China’s government unveiled a new goal of 110 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2030 in its latest five-year plan. The country missed its nuclear energy projections for 2020 and 2025. Still, by the end of the decade, China is set to overtake France and the United States as the world’s biggest producer of nuclear energy with a pipeline of dozens of new reactors currently under development.

Construction is continuing at the Lufeng nuclear power plant in Guangdong. China National Nuclear Corporation’s (CNNC) subsidiary, CNNC 23 Engineering Co Ltd, hoisted a 1,000+ metric ton module- comprising plant and equipment for used fuel storage, transmission, the heat exchanger and waste collection- into place at Lufeng Unit 2. The Lufeng power plant will consist of four 1250 MWe CAP1000 reactors (based on Westinghouse’s AP1000) and two Hualong One reactors. Construction began on Unit 1 in February 2025 and on Unit 2 in December.

China’s State Power Investment corporation announced that cold functional tests had been completed at unit 3 of the Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant in Shandong. The main purpose of cold functional tests is to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit and components (such as pressure vessels, pipelines and valves of both the nuclear and conventional islands) and to clean the main circulation pipes. Subsequent milestones include hot functional testing to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating and reactor fuel loading.

Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe made a strategic error by reducing its reliance on nuclear power. Speaking at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, she argued that nuclear energy provides reliable, low-carbon electricity and should complement renewable sources in Europe’s future energy system. She announced plans for a European strategy to accelerate the development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), with the goal of having them operating in the early 2030s. The EU will also create a €200 million financial guarantee, funded through the Emissions Trading System, to support investment in innovative nuclear technologies.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that it is not possible for Germany to return to nuclear power despite appeals by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. While Merz previously stated that Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power was regrettable, he added that finding a majority of supporters in the Bundestag is unlikely given the opposition from the Social Democrats. While Germany is sticking with the phaseout of its nuclear sector, other European countries led by France are considering expanding nuclear power to meet the rising demand for electricity and unpredictable energy trends abroad.

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) stated the effectiveness of the European Commission’s support for non-EU countries in enhancing their nuclear safety has been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive and up-to-date strategy, as well as shortcomings in the monitoring of the financed actions. The ECA added that it should develop a new strategy to guide its cooperation and improve the selection and monitoring of EU-funded actions. The European Union has allocated around $697 million in grants to partner countries for training, equipment, expertise, and remediation since 2014.

British consultancy firm Fisher German has secured a contract to provide Great Britain Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) with expert advice during the planning and delivery of its small modular reactor (SMR) project at the Wylfa site. The Fisher German team will provide estate management services in the pre-construction phase as the contract will run for an initial five-year period. In November of last year, the British government announced that the Wylfa site will host three SMRs designed by Rolls-Royce SMR.

Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has been granted an electricity generation license by the UK energy regulator Ofgem, a requirement for any organization that wants to produce electricity in the country. The license confirms that the regulator considers GBE-N capable of meeting operational and safety standards for electricity generation. GBE-N plans to develop small modular reactors (SMR), likely using Rolls-Royce technology, with initial projects such as those proposed for the Wylfa site in Wales, aiming to deliver power to the grid in the mid-2030s.

The United Kingdom Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) awarded a contract to Kyoto Fusioneering to develop a segment of an advanced manufacturing demonstrator for future fusion blanket concepts. The primary goal of the contract is to demonstrate that ferritic-martensitic steels can be fabricated into the segments required for a fusion breeder blanket. Once Kyoto Fusioneering’s Breeder Blanket Segment Demonstrator is built, the segment will undergo high-level testing with the aim to establish a domestic supply chain for commercial-scale fusion deployment by the 2040s.

Rolls-Royce SMR has signed a memorandum of understanding with technical project consultancy company Equilibrion to collaborate on a technical and economic assessment of sustainable aviation fuel produced using small modular reactors. Rolls-Royce SMR claims that the two companies’ technologies have the potential to produce over 160 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel per year, including baseload generation from Rolls-Royce SMRs for at least 60 years. Equilibrion and Rolls-Royce SMR’s agreement will contribute to the United Kingdom’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate targets.

Candu Energy and Türkiye Nuclear Energy Company signed a memorandum of understanding for the potential deployment of CANDU PHWR technology. Rosatom is currently constructing Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, consisting of four VVER-1200 reactors, under a build-own-operate model. The Akkuyu plant is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs, with the aim that all four units will be operational by the end of 2028. Turkey is also talking to Russia and South Korea about a second nuclear power plant, and with China about plans for a third plant.

Swedish nuclear technical services provider Studsvik announced it will acquire small modular reactor (SMR) project development company Kärnfull Next in a transaction worth $7.5 million. Subject to customary considerations and regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of this year. Studsvik previously signed a memorandum of understanding with Kärnfull Next to investigate building and operating SMRs on the Studsvik industrial site near Nyköping, and Kärnfull Next has conducted feasibility studies for SMRs in several Swedish municipalities since 2022.

Romanian nuclear research and development organization RATEN has contracted Newcleo subsidiary SRS Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo (SRS) to supply lead-cooled nuclear reactor research facilities. Under the $42 million contract, SRS will design, supply, and commission a liquid lead and irradiated loop-type facility to study the interaction between liquid lead and irradiated fuels during accidents. This infrastructure will support Romania’s roadmap toward deploying lead-cooled fast reactor technology in the country.

Helsinki energy utility Helen plans to invest between $1.16 and $5.78 billion in small modular capacity in the coming years. Helen Nuclear Ltd. CEO Pekka Tolonen stated that nuclear power is a significant means to expanding the utility’s capacity while further reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Finland joins numerous countries such as the United States and South Korea in pursuing nuclear energy generation from SMRs.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece will set up a ministerial committee that will look into the development of small modular reactors (SMR) to contribute to the country’s energy mix. He stated that the country will need long-term predictable baseload power beyond renewable energy, and that nuclear power has the most to offer in this regard. Greece currently relies primarily on wind and solar power while importing natural gas in order to meet the country’s electricity needs.

Czech energy company ČEZ awarded contracts to two domestic firms, ZAT and I&C Energo, to modernize the control systems at all four units of the Dukovany nuclear power plant. ZAT will supply its SandRA automation and control technology and provide the project’s technical design, while I&C Energo will handle installation, commissioning, and engineering services. The upgrades will replace control systems for both the primary and secondary circuits as part of a ten-year modernization program. The project supports ČEZ’s broader effort to maintain safety and efficiency and extend the plant’s operational life to roughly 60 years, potentially into the mid-2040s.

Poland’s Synthos Green Energy (SGE), the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant operator Altra, and GE Hitachi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to assess the potential for GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMR) in Lithuania. Lithuania’s 2024 National Energy Independence Strategy predicted that demand for electricity was set to increase to 74 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2050, with the Ministry of Energy considering the installation of 1.5 gigawatts of nuclear reactor capacity as one of the possible solutions. Lithuania plans to make a decision on deploying SMRs by 2028.

Asia & The Pacific

Japan and the United States are working to include a nuclear power project in the second round of deals under Japan’s $550 billion investment package. Japanese firms such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toshiba are rumored to be involved in this project. Japan is working to build up deals under the investment commitments it made as part of a U.S. tariff agreement that already has three projects valued at $36 billion, with the nuclear power project designed to strengthen both countries’ energy supply chains.

Japan and Canada have implemented the Canada-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Roadmap to enhance cooperation in the area of clean energy. The roadmap says the two countries will strengthen collaboration in the field of nuclear energy, with small modular reactors (SMR) highlighted as a principal area of energy development and deployment. Both Japan and Canada have nuclear energy programs, with nuclear power generating 15% of Canada’s total electricity, and Japan operating 33 reactors in addition to 10 more currently in the process of restarting.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has begun an internal investigation of Fukushima Daiichi unit 3's primary containment vessel using palm-sized micro-drones. TEPCO said the investigation to evaluate conditions inside the reactor and inform an access route for planned fuel debris retrieval would take approximately two weeks. There is an estimated total of 880 metric tons of fuel debris in units 1-3. The decommission process is expected to take several decades.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and Manila Electric Company signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding for cooperation in developing nuclear power plants in the Philippines. The MoU establishes a foundation for strategic cooperation on the overall adoption of nuclear power technology, strengthening human resources through training, and exploring financial support measures for nuclear power projects. The Philippines’ current energy plan is to have its first nuclear power plant operational by 2032 and reach 4,800 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) to cooperate on civil nuclear energy, particularly small modular reactors. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation on conducting joint studies of small modular reactors (SMRs) for potential applications in Singapore, human resource development and training, and sharing of technical information and best practices. Singapore does not currently have any nuclear energy program but is exploring the deployment of SMRs.

South Korea will speed up the restart of nuclear reactors undergoing maintenance to secure energy amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment held an emergency meeting and met with firms including state-owned utility Korea Electric Power Corp., Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. and Korea Gas Corp. On March 11 it announced that it would seek to restart Wolsong 1 and Kori 2 this month, and Hanbit 6, Hanul 3, Wolsong 2 and Wolsong 3 by mid-May. South Korea currently has 15 nuclear units in operation.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and South Korea's HD Hyundai entered into a joint development project for the conceptual design of a nuclear-powered electric propulsion system for a container ship. ABS and HD Hyundai will collaborate to develop the basic design of a nuclear-linked electric propulsion system for 16,000 TEU container ships, select electrical equipment specifications, and design the electrical equipment layout. HD Hyundai plans to explore the potential of SMRs as a new ship power source, tailored to large container ships requiring long-distance and high-speed operation.

India’s government held a ceremony marking the first pouring of concrete at the new unit of the Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant, with the aim of achieving criticality in the next 5 years. The ceremony was held just days after approval was given by India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for the first pour of concrete for Kaiga units 5 and 6. Kaiga currently has four existing pressurized heavy water reactor units, with NPCIL presenting a purchase order for the contract to build Kaiga units 5 and 6 last year.

Africa

The IAEA conducted an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission in Rwanda during the first week of March. The reviewers found that Rwanda showed progress in drafting laws and enhancing the regulatory framework in anticipation of a nuclear power program, conducting site surveys to identify candidate sites for a potential SMR project, and proactively engaging stakeholders. The mission also provided recommendations, including that Rwanda finalize its comprehensive report informing national decisions on nuclear power and that it complete its review of legislation to develop and adapt policies in support of a nuclear power program.

The Middle East

Russian nuclear agency Rosatom has halted construction work at new units of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant after the U.S.-Israeli air assault on Iran. Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev previously warned of the threat posed by strikes near Iranian nuclear facilities and said explosions could be heard kilometers away from the plant, although the facility itself was not being targeted. Additionally, hundreds of Russian personnel are currently being evacuated from the country as the threat of a larger war rises.

The Institute for Science and International Security captured satellite imagery appearing to show the first known strikes on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the U.S.-Israeli air operation. The institute said imagery showed two strikes on access points to the underground enrichment plant at Natanz, which was also hit by U.S. bomb strikes in June of last year. Iran’s nuclear program is among the primary reasons the United States and Israel have given for the attacks, alleging that Iran was getting close to making a nuclear bomb while Iran denies these claims.

The IAEA said it has not detected any increase in radiation levels either in Iran or countries bordering Iran following U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency’s incident and emergency center had been activated to assess potential radiological consequences of the strikes, and that the IAEA’s regional safety monitoring network had also been placed on alert. Iran currently has one operational nuclear power plant in Bushehr while also declaring enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow.

South & Central America

There are no new updates for this region.

North America Nuclear Collaborations and Policy

United States

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a construction permit for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Nuclear Power Plant project in Wyoming, the first such permit for a commercial-scale U.S. non-light water reactor in four decades. TerraPower submitted its construction permit application in March 2024, with the official review beginning in May of that year. TerraPower began non-nuclear construction of its Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor in June 2024, and it expects the Kemmerer project to be complete in 2030.

The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Ho Nieh, outlined the top three priorities for the agency in an era of nuclear expansion. The core missions are safety and efficiency, leadership and operational excellence, and sustainable performance through continuous improvement. His remarks were made during the annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC). During his remarks, Nieh defined ultimate success at the NRC as witnessing licenses issued and shovels in the ground to build nuclear reactors securely.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a proposed rule for comment that would streamline Atomic Safety and Licensing adjudicatory hearings on most license applications, including new reactors and reactor license renewals. The amendment would resolve evidentiary hearings in a few months, start hearings as early as possible after a challenge is admitted for hearing, and reduce discovery burdens for all parties and accelerate appeals. This rule is part of broader reforms from a Trump executive order to expedite the nuclear regulatory process and increase the country’s nuclear power capacity.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced the opening of a 90-day comment period on a proposed regulatory framework that would further develop nuclear fusion regulations. The amendments include changes to the definitions of several terms such as particle accelerator, as well as change requirements related to recordkeeping, inspection, and environmental reports. As these amendments are reviewed, there have been numerous advancements in U.S. nuclear fusion projects, with companies such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Helion Energy, and Type One Energy having identified sites for future fusion power plants.

The Department of Energy and Idaho National Laboratory’s National Reactor Innovation Center are setting up a Nuclear Energy Launch Pad to promote the development and implementation of advanced nuclear technology by private industry. The Launch Pad is intended to build on DoE’s Reactor Pilot Program and the Fuel Line Pilot Program which have already have several projects underway. DoE plans to transition the pilot programs’ new and future applicants to the Launch Pad and include the testing and operations necessary to scale first-of-a-kind technologies toward widespread commercial deployment.

The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) announced the Molten Salt Thermophysical Examination Capability (MSTEC) at the Idaho National Laboratory. MSTEC is a shielded argon globe box that allows researchers to study fuel salts at the extreme temperatures required for use in advanced molten salt reactor designs. The data collected using MSTEC will enhance fuel cycle research and help to inform the testing and licensing of advanced molten salt reactors in the United States and augment INL’s other facilities that seek to advance molten salt reactor technologies.

Centrus Energy and Oklo announced their discussions on a joint venture focused on deconversion services for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and the advancement of related fuel-cycle technologies and supply chains. The joint venture aims to enable an efficient coupling of uranium enrichment and deconversion to improve efficiency and costs through co-location and expand advanced nuclear fuel capacity. In January of this year, the Department of Energy awarded Centrus Energy’s American Centrifuge Operating $900 million of funding to provide uranium enrichment services.

French nuclear supplier Framatome and U.S. reactor developer NuScale Power have expanded their existing partnership to strengthen the fuel supply chain for NuScale’s small modular reactors. The agreement allows Framatome to use its European fuel-fabrication facilities to manufacture fuel assemblies for future SMR projects in Europe, while its Richland, Washington plant will also support production. The collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship that began in 2015 and focuses on supplying fuel for NuScale’s reactor technology approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Despite New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent push to expand nuclear power in the state, her office has opposed the Trump administration’s campaign to restart the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant just north of New York City. Her office told Reuters that it opposes the power plant’s relaunch after Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the facility to campaign for its reopening. Without her support, Indian Point is unlikely to restart after being closed in 2021, which could deal a blow to the Trump administration’s goal of expanding the U.S. nuclear energy sector. Hochul, however, is supporting the construction of a new nuclear power plant in upstate New York.

Aalo Atomics signed a fuel fabrication contract with Global Nuclear Fuel and contracted Baker Hughes to supply the steam turbine for the Aalo-X reactor. Through the supply contract, Global Nuclear Fuel plans to deliver fabricated uranium dioxide fuel rods to Aalo in early 2026, with Aalo assembling these into final fuel assemblies. Baker Hughes will provide a 10-megawatt electrical (MWe) steam turbine generator set and ancillaries solution, with the steam turbine set to be used for the power island of Aalo-X.

Canada

Canada’s Cameco signed a deal to supply 22 million pounds of U3O8 to India between 2027 and 2035 on an estimated $1.9 billion contract. Cameco previously supplied uranium to India under a five-year contract that began in 2015. The renewed deal was part of a series of agreements- including on critical minerals and cooperation on renewable energy- signed during Canadian PM Mark Carney’s visit to India. India is looking to expand nuclear power capacity from its current 8 GW to 100 GW by 2047.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued NexGen Energy a license to Prepare Site and Construct for the Rook I uranium project in northern Saskatchewan. NexGen says construction will begin later this year. NexGen will submit a separate operating license. Rook I is centered on the Arrow deposit, which studies estimate to hold 357 million pounds of high-grade U3O8.

Mexico

There are no new updates for this region.

New Research

Decommissioning and Waste Management Considerations for Fusion Facilities

International Atomic Energy Agency, March 9

Op-Eds & Articles

How the Pentagon Is Fumbling the Nuclear Energy Renaissance

The National Interest, March 11

Opposites Can Solve Nuclear Waste Problems Working Together

American Nuclear Society, March 10

​​Trump Has Undermined the Agency Tasked with Making Sure America Has Another Nuclear Meltdown

CNN, March 10

What TerraPower’s Big Milestone Says About Future Nuclear Projects

Latitude Media, March 10

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Defining Moment

Real Clear Energy, March 10

The US Nuclear Push Requires More Urgent Execution at Scale

Semafor, March 10

How the Iran Energy Shock Could Bring Lasting Geopolitical Change

Axios, March 9

Nuclear Waste Is a Wicked Problem

The Breakthrough Institute, March 9

As Fukushima Memories Fade, Japan Embraces a Nuclear-Powered Future

Japan Today, March 9

America’s AI Future Demands a Nuclear Power Comeback

The Washington Times, March 9

The Possibilities – And Impossibilities – of Nuclear Energy in the West

Deseret News, March 6

Utilities Are Spending Billions on the Data Center Boom. What Are the Risks?

Utility Dive, March 6

AI Is Outpacing America’s Power Grid. Nuclear Must Become a National Priority.

Utility Dive, March 5

Building Now for What Comes Later: How Nuclear Fits into the Grid’s Next Decade

POWER Mag, March 4

Navigating Nuclear: Unused Combined Licenses Provide a Shortcut to New Builds

JD Supra, March 3

The Rise of the Security Premium

Carlyle, March 2

How an Amended DOE Contract for Nuclear Waste Will Affect New Reactors: Considerations for Policymakers

Center on Global Energy Policy, March 2

Scientists Don’t Just Want to Neutralize Radioactive Waste – They Want It to Power Our Future

Popular Mechanics, March 2

America’s Once-in-a-Generation Energy Opportunity

POWER Mag, March 2

News items and summaries compiled by:

Patrick Kendall, Program Director, Partnership for Global Security

Gabriela Zanko, Della Ratta Fellow, Partnership for Global Security

Cate Donovan, Della Ratta Fellow, Partnership for Global Security