|
Greetings!
In this week’s newsletter, we feature a commentary from PGS President Ken Luongo that discusses how South Korea is letting the potential to strengthen its nuclear energy relationship with the United States slip away. We spotlight a recent article from the Energy Innovation Reform Project and the Center for the National Interest that provides several policy recommendations for the U.S. government to strengthen its nuclear sector domestically and its position as a nuclear power exporter. 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, Mackenzie Hansen and Gabriela Zanko.
| | South Korea is Risking its Nuclear Success | | |
A longer version of this article was published by The Center for the National Interest and it can be found here.
South Korea is blowing a big opportunity to participate in the U.S. nuclear energy buildout, and time is not on its side. To achieve the Trump administration’s objective of beginning construction on 10 new large reactors by 2030, a close partnership between the United States and South Korean nuclear industries is imperative.
But South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung left his August summit with President Trump with barely a trace of progress on this nuclear partnership. And a highly anticipated Westinghouse-Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) nuclear power joint venture (Team KORUS) faltered before the While House meeting even convened primarily because of Korean tepidness.
There was some progress on the sidelines of the summit as the U.S. agreed to discuss uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, two processes currently limited under the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement. And, KHNP and Doosan Enerbility paired with X-Energy and Amazon to support the deployment of 5 GW of nuclear power in the United States by 2039.
Political Mistakes
The opening for South Korean participation in American nuclear projects was created in the ADVANCE Act. That legislation lifted a previous ban on foreign ownership of U.S. nuclear plants and opened it to U.S. allies in the OECD and India, with approval from the NRC.
The Trump administration’s aggressive nuclear construction ambitions and determination to win the AI race, is an unprecedented opportunity for the Korean nuclear industry to participate in the building of 10 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear energy in America.
But the relationship seems to be sinking as both sides introduce self-defeating stumbling blocks.
The Trump administration’s tough tariff policy, resulting in 15 percent duties, set a confrontational tone. And the ill-conceived immigration raid at the Hyundai-LG electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in Georgia, is a serious self-inflicted wound that has enraged Korean officials and executives across the ideological spectrum. It could curtail significant Korean industrial investment in America. Under the new U.S-South Korea trade agreement Korea pledged to invest $350 billion in American industries, including nuclear energy.
The Lee government also has made a very questionable decision to open a politically-motivated investigation into the January 2025 agreement between Westinghouse, KHNP, and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). That deal ended a damaging five-year freeze of nuclear cooperation. It was reached because both sides finally agreed that the Korean reactors contain Westinghouse-licensed components, and they realized that each country needs the other to effectively compete in the global nuclear market.
The deal allows for South Korea’s construction of two new APR-1400 reactors in the Czech Republic, a project that will net the country almost $18 billion and mark its first major nuclear reactor exports since the UAE deal in 2009.
It is unclear what Lee’s end game is in questioning the deal. His party clearly dislikes the agreement, but he is unlikely to get a better one and this risks the country’s position as a reliable nuclear supplier. If the real demand is that a Korean label be affixed to a reactor built in America, that is a long shot at best. And it may result in shooting his own industry in the foot. The Czech deal and many other nuclear energy opportunities could unravel for South Korea including the opportunity for participation in the expansion of the American market.
Nuclear Geopolitics
Further, the inability to come to terms on a bilateral U.S.-South Korean nuclear energy partnership prevents the rapid formation of a powerful and needed response to the state-owned nuclear export companies of Russia and China. Stymying the nuclear exports of these authoritarian nations is a joint political objective.
The Trump administration and American nuclear market are not going to wait for South Korea if it continues to delay. U.S. data centers could quadruple energy demand by 2030, according to one forecast, and construction of these power-hungry facilities is booming in several regions of the country. The data center expansion is being replicated in other industrialized nations creating more nuclear energy opportunity.
Nuclear needs to be ready when the data centers are, and Team KORUS is a democratic nation partnership that can drive that nuclear build-out and benefit both nations. It also would leave Putin and Xi looking on from the sidelines. But it won’t work if the two nations can’t find common ground, and fast.
| | Ken Luongo, President, Partnership for Global Security | | | | |
Spotlight
NRC in Transition
The Energy Innovation Reform Project and the Center for the National Interest published a report arguing in favor of federal action to unleash the United States’ nuclear energy sector. Among the numerous arguments the report includes are that the United States needs to deploy nuclear reactors domestically and export them globally to establish U.S. nuclear energy dominance, and that the American private sector cannot deploy nuclear reactors efficiently and quickly without strong government policy support. Additionally, the U.S. government will need to foster and deploy a large workforce of skilled construction workers, engineers, and plant operators for the expansion of the American nuclear sector.
The report also provides several policy recommendations for the U.S. government to promote its nuclear power sector. In order to boost the domestic deployment of nuclear energy, the report suggests providing risk insurance or other similar policy support to assist project developers with next-generation commercial reactors, consistently fund the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, and preserve existing funding for the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. To promote America’s nuclear energy exports, the two organizations recommend negotiating new 123 Agreements in accordance with President Trump’s nuclear energy agenda, expanding Nuclear Regulatory Committee (NRC) cooperation with foreign regulators, and expanding the authority of the Export-Import Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to better support nuclear energy exports.
| | Patrick Kendall, Program Director, Partnership for Global Security | | Issues of Special Interest | | Global AI and Data Center Energy | | |
The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Request for Application (RFA) to promote American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and leverage the country’s nuclear power sector to fuel the industry’s growing energy needs. The DoE is seeking proposals from U.S. companies to build and power AI and data centers at the Idaho National Laboratory; one of the four sites identified for AI infrastructure and power generation projects on federal land. The DoE site office previously identified approximately 44,000 acres of federal land for AI infrastructure projects.
Fermi America has filed for an initial public offering and provided details of its financial strategy and push for federal loans to support its planned data center complex in Amarillo, Texas. Fermi America is currently in the pre-approval process with the Department of Energy’s loan office as it seeks to deploy up to four Westinghouse-designed nuclear reactors at the site. The Hypergrid data campus is envisioned as a massive natural gas and nuclear complex that will power data centers in Texas, and Fermi envisions nuclear energy powering 56% of the electricity produced by the complex.
Atomic Canyon has entered into a strategic partnership with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to develop and release a benchmark suite for evaluating retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and large language models (LLM) in nuclear applications. This suite will allow for the evaluation of AI systems that can access public nuclear documentation through RAG techniques. Atomic Energy previously collaborated with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop AI tools for the nuclear sector, and the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant was the first nuclear facility to deploy Atomic Canyon’s AI in November last year.
| | The Impact of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine on International Nuclear Affairs | | |
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi provided an update on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on September 4th. Beyond reaffirming the critical nature of the IAEA’s presence and work at the plant, Director Grossi provided updates on the status of safety and security operations at the plant. An isolation dam was recently built in the plant’s cooling pond channel since the water level in the cooling pond dropped by 3.2 meters since the Kakhovka dam was destroyed in June 2023. Mobile pumps are being used to transfer water into the cooling channel. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam also prompted the construction of groundwater wells, which provide water to the plant’s 12 sprinkler ponds. The IAEA conducted an inspection of the ponds during the last weekend of August and confirmed that the ponds are full. Throughout these maintenance activities, the IAEA has also reported sightings of drones and other unidentified flying objects at the Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plant sites.
Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant via a drone strike on Ukraine’s Independence Day. Reactor three at the plant had to have its operating capacity decreased by fifty percent, but the fire at the facility was extinguished with no injuries reported, and the IAEA confirmed that radiation levels were normal near the plant.
| | Global Nuclear Developments, Geopolitics, & Governance | | The World Nuclear Association’s World Nuclear Performance Report 2025 found that nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2,667 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, beating the previous nuclear generation record of 2,660 TWh in 2006. The latest edition of this yearly report also recorded that the average capacity factor increased to 83%, a metric which measures how much electricity is produced as a percentage of what could be produced if a power plant was operating at full power nonstop. The increase in global nuclear generation over the past decade comes primarily from Asia, which accounted for 56 of the 68 reactors commissioned during this period. | | |
Rosatom Chief Alexei Likhachev announced that Russia will support China to become the largest producer of nuclear power. The announcement was made on state TV following talks in Beijing. Collaboration between the two countries is already evident as Russia helped with the construction of four reactors in China and there are plans for four more. Likhachev also announced that Russia is ready to engage with Westinghouse to discuss what to do with U.S. nuclear fuel found at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid U.S. concerns over intellectual property with regard to the fuel.
Construction is moving forward for new units at the Leningrad nuclear power plant. The first tier has been installed for the plant’s seventh unit, part of a longer-term construction project to have units 7 and 8 replace units 3 and 4, which will be shut down in the coming years. The Leningrad plant is an important source of energy for the region, providing 55% of electricity demand, and this new unit aims to provide further energy resources as the unit is projected to generate power for 60 years.
The delivery of equipment for the BREST-OD-300 reactor indicates that Russia is making progress in the implementation of its Proryv (Breakthrough) project. The central void shell and inner casing for the core support barrel have been delivered to the construction site at the Siberian Chemical Combine site in Seversk. The unit is to be the main facility of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex at the site to demonstrate an on-site closed fuel cycle.
| | |
The inner containment dome of Haiyang-4 in Shandong has been installed, completing the reactor building’s steel containment shell. Measuring 40 meters in diameter, 11 meters high, and weighing 658 tons, the dome was lifted into place in just over three hours. The milestone marks the transition from civil construction to the installation of mechanical and safety systems.
China’s State Council awarded a contract for the construction of the conventional islands of the Xuwei nuclear power plant’s first three reactors. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) plans to build two Hualong One units and one high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR) unit as part of the first phase of the power plant’s construction. Xuwei will supply both industrial heating and electricity in what the CNNC describes as the world’s first dual-coupling demonstration project coupling third-generation and fourth-generation nuclear reactors.
The main structure of the auxiliary building for Unit 1 at the Lianjiang nuclear power plant was topped off in August, meaning its auxiliary plant’s main framework is now complete. Lianjiang Unit 1 is the second of two CAP1000 reactors approved in 2022. Excavation started in September 2022, foundation concrete pour for Unit 1 was in September 2023, and its reactor pressure vessel was installed in February 2025. The unit is expected to begin operation in 2028.
The first of two steam generators has been installed at Haiyang-4 in Shandong, marking a key step in construction. Each unit measures nearly 6 meters in diameter, 24 meters in length, and weighs over 630 tons, with the lift taking just over three hours. The installation paves the way for connecting the reactor’s primary circuit and sealing the building. Haiyang-4 is one of two CAP1000 reactors approved in 2022 and is expected to begin operation by 2027.
| | |
The European Union’s General Court ruled that the European Union can continue to categorize nuclear power and natural gas as “environmentally sustainable” energy sources, deciding that the European Commission had not breached its obligations to tackle climate change. The ruling means that the current deadlock over EU funding for conventional nuclear reactors could be coming to an end, constituting a major win for pro-nuclear countries such as France. Austria had previously sought to overturn the EU’s decision to include nuclear power and natural gas in the EU’s green taxonomy, arguing the Commission had bypassed the proper legislative processes before making their decision.
Polish joint venture company Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) announced that it will oversee the construction of Europe’s first BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at a site in Włocławek. OSGE plans to have at least two SMRs up and running by 2035, with one key provision of the joint venture deal granting OSGE full access to the American-developed BWRX-300 technology. Poland’s government approved the construction of 24 SMRs at six locations in the country as Poland is seeking to move away from fossil fuels like coal.
Westinghouse Electric has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with six British suppliers to support nuclear newbuild projects based on its AP1000 and AP300 reactor technology. The agreements will provide these companies with the ability to supply key reactor components such as valves, pumps, mechanical electrical piping, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers. The MoUs are an additional step toward the deployment of Westinghouse reactors in Great Britain following the British government’s approval of the AP300 reactor technology for its Generic Design Assessment process.
French nuclear fuel company Orano’s CEO, Nicolas Maes, outlined his company’s future nuclear power deployment and fuel production plans at the World Nuclear Symposium. Maes stated that Orano is preparing for the rising demand in nuclear fuel when new nuclear reactors come online in the coming decades, and the company is also looking to renew and expand its reprocessing and recycling facility in France for used fuel. Orano has experience deploying and operating Électricité de France’s (EDF) EPR reactors in countries such as France, Finland, China, and the United Kingdom.
French nuclear startup Naarea announced the development of a method for synthesizing key molten salts for its advanced molten salt reactor technology. The company found a proliferation-resistant pyrochemical method for the creation of molten salts that represents a milestone in its fuel cycle strategy. This progress was made in partnership with Naarea’s Innovation Molten Salt Lab and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, and Naarea aims to bring its molten salt reactor to market sometime in the 2030s.
The Belgian Nuclear Forum (BNF) and Groupement des Industriels Français de l'Énergie Nucléaire (GIFEN) signed a nuclear cooperation agreement focused on information sharing. Under the agreement, BNF and GIFEN plan to implement several concrete actions in the coming months such as information-sharing on France’s and Belgium’s nuclear programs and exchanges between respective members to promote alliances and partnerships between the two industries. This agreement follows a July declaration where the French and Belgian energy ministers agreed to deepen cooperation on nuclear energy.
The European Court of Justice backed Austria’s appeal against Hungary’s state aid for the construction of the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant, stating that the European Commission should have ascertained whether the direct award of the contract complied with the European Union’s public procurement rules. The European Commission previously approved investment aid for Hungary’s development of additional Paks reactors, although the construction of these plants was entrusted to Russian company Nizhny Novgorod Engineering. The Paks Power Plant currently has four Russian-designed VVER-440 reactors.
Slovenian nuclear utility GEN energija has determined that Westinghouse’s AP1000 and Électricité de France’s (EDF) EPR1200 reactor models are suitable for the planned JEK2 site in Slovenia. The JEK2 project is for a new nuclear power plant that will be located next to the existing Krško Nuclear Power Plant, with Westinghouse and EDF previously asked last January to conduct a Technical Feasibility Study for their reactors at the site. GEN energija added that the estimated investment amount is within the framework of the economic study of the project, which is between €9.314 billion and €15.371 billion.
Italian micro-modular reactor developer Terra Innovatum Srl signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italian industrial firm ATB Riva Calzoni for the development and production of Terra Innovatum’s SOLO microreactor. Under the memorandum, the two companies will conduct joint feasibility studies and advance component design, and safety evaluations. ATB is expected to lead the manufacturing and commissioning of the SOLO reactor, which is intended to form the basis for a scalable modular energy platform.
Romanian company Nuclearelectrica has started the civil construction works for the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1’s refurbishment project. The company signed the engineering, procurement, and construction contract (EPC) for the €1.9 billion refurbishment project late last year, with a consortium of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Candu Energy, the Canadian Commercial Corporation, and Ansaldo Nucleare working on the project. Cernavoda is currently Romania’s only nuclear power plant and consists of two Candu-designed reactors.
Sweden’s government announced a draft law that proposes amendments to the Environmental Code and Mineral Acts that would allow for the extraction of uranium in the country, with the amendments proposed to enter into force in 2026. Sweden passed an amendment to the Environmental Code in 2018 that banned uranium exploration and mining, but the current pro-nuclear government is looking to expand Sweden’s nuclear power capacity. The country currently has six operating nuclear reactors and imports most of its nuclear fuel and enrichment services.
Three Norwegian state agencies have set out their proposed program for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a small modular reactor (SMR) plant in the municipalities of Aure and Heim. Norsk Kjernekraft previously submitted its proposal to Norway’s Ministry of Energy in 2023 for an assessment of the construction of the SMR plant bordering the two municipalities. Elsewhere, a joint venture of Norsk Kjernekraft and Austrheim Municipality has begun the formal regulatory process to assess the construction of a nuclear plant in Austrheim.
| | |
Samsung Heavy Industries has obtained Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a liquefied natural gas carrier that will be powered by a small modular salt reactor. The molten salt reactor is a 100 MWt unit being jointly designed by Samsung Heavy Industries and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). In 2023, shipping organizations such as the ABS approved new greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 using low carbon alternatives like nuclear power.
Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) has appointed British engineering firm Mott McDonald to conduct a study on the safety and technical feasibility of advanced nuclear reactor technologies. The EMA previously launched a tender in December 2024 for consultancy services on advanced nuclear technologies and is evaluating the safety performance and technical feasibility of technologies such as small modular reactors (SMR). Singapore has become increasingly interested in adopting nuclear power, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stating the government will study the potential deployment of nuclear power in the country.
Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, announced his country’s nuclear energy plans during his annual state-of-the-union address. Tokayev stated that Kazakhstan plans to introduce an additional 6.3 gigawatts of green energy over the next five years, which includes nuclear power. He added that the country should begin planning the construction of additional nuclear power plants beyond the ongoing inaugural one being built with assistance from Rosatom.
The IAEA conducted a Pre-Operational Safety Review Team (Pre-OSART) mission which assessed Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The IAEA team stated that the plant’s operator is committed to taking all steps to ensure the successful transition from commissioning to operations. Some of the recommendations made to the Rooppur Power Plant operators and the Bangladeshi government include enhancing the fire safety arrangements and prevention measures, improving the supervision and standards of plant operations, and strengthening the arrangements for equipment preservation during commissioning.
| | |
At the latest World Nuclear Symposium, South African officials announced several plans to expand the country’s nuclear power sector, including adding 10 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity. The officials said the country aims to be self-sufficient across the nuclear value chain, as well as restarting the dormant pebble-bed modular reactor program. South Africa had a pebble-bed reactor technology program three decades ago before it was placed under care and maintenance, effectively pausing the program.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed an agreement with Zimbabwe’s Center for Education, Innovation Research, and Development to cooperate on a feasibility study for the deployment of a Korean-designed small modular reactor (SMR) in the African country. In addition to a feasibility study for KHNP’s innovative SMR (i-SMR), the two sides will also support the training of nuclear energy experts and share nuclear energy technology information. The i-SMR is an integrated pressurized water reactor that KHNP officially launched at the COP28 conference in 2023.
| | |
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signed an agreement on modalities that seeks to resume cooperation between the two sides. The IAEA has not been regularly present to carry out monitoring duties in Iran due to Israeli military attacks on various Iranian nuclear installations and the Iranian parliament’s passage of a law that suspended the agency’s inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran’s nuclear energy program has been under scrutiny in recent years due to concerns Iran might engage in undeclared uranium enrichment.
Jordan’s state-owned uranium mining company, JUMCO, and Kazakh nuclear company Kazatomprom, signed a Heads of Agreement on the development of the Central Jordan Uranium Project (CJUP). The purpose of this agreement is to define the main conditions for implementing the project, as well as developing new opportunities for bilateral and international cooperation. Jordan is currently estimated to have 63,019 tU of identified conventional resources, and its government plans to build the CJUP uranium mill in order to produce 300-400 tU per year.
| | |
American Lithium announced a victory in Peru’s Supreme Court, which confirmed its title to 32 uranium concessions at the Macusani project. The ruling ends years of uncertainty over ownership and allows the company to advance one of Latin America’s largest undeveloped uranium resources. The project is now positioned to progress exploration and development as demand for new uranium supply grows.
Eletronuclear began a four-month campaign to transfer used fuel from the Angra-1 reactor into newly commissioned dry storage facilities. The move will extend the capacity of the plant’s spent fuel pool by about 20 years, providing greater operational flexibility and supporting long-term generation. The campaign reflects Brazil’s commitment to sustaining its existing nuclear fleet while work continues to complete Angra-3 and explore new nuclear build options.
| | North America Nuclear Collaborations and Policy | | |
The Department of Energy (DoE) unveiled three more companies that will receive high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) under conditional commitments. Antares Nuclear will receive HALEU for its microreactor demonstration project under the Reactor Pilot Program, Standard Nuclear will work to expand its tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) manufacturing capacity as part of the Fuel Line Pilot Program, and Abilene Christian University and Natura Resources LLC will use HALEU for its molten salt research reactor under construction in Texas. This marks the second round of allocations under the Department’s HALEU Availability Program.
Oklo Inc. announced plans to design, build, and operate a nuclear fuel recycling facility for next-generation fast reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The facility will be the first phase of Oklo’s planned $1.68 billion advanced fuel center, and Oklo will also work with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to explore opportunities in recycling used fuel and evaluating potential power sales from future Aurora powerhouse reactors. The Aurora powerhouse is Oklo’s fast neutron reactor, and Oklo plans to build the first of these reactors at the Idaho National Laboratory.
Kairos Power and BWX Technologies (BWXT) signed an agreement aimed at optimizing the commercial production of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) nuclear fuel for Kairos Power’s advanced reactor fleet. The joint team will explore opportunities to use the TRISO Development Lab at Kairos Power’s Albuquerque campus and the BWXT Innovation Campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. They also agreed to explore the development of a TRISO fuel fabrication facility with newly developed technology.
The U.S. government granted authorization for the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant to receive nuclear fuel and restart the plant once allowable conditions are met. The Palisades Power Plant is now the first decommissioned U.S. nuclear plant to officially transition to “operations” status, which Holtec has been working towards after acquiring the shuttered plant in 2023. However, the plant is not yet generating electricity and still requires extensive work before officially resuming operations, such as reassembling the main generator and turbine.
Holtec International President Kelly Trice stated that restarting the shuttered Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in New York state remains a possibility. Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo struck a deal with Indian Point’s previous owner in 2017 to shut down the plant over safety and environmental concerns, but Holtec is keen on restarting the power plant after making progress in resuming the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan. However, restarting the Indian Point Plant is largely opposed by the local population and would need political and financial support from the state and federal governments.
Urenco USA has started up a new cascade of gas centrifuges ahead of schedule at its enrichment plant in New Mexico, and it is also on track to supply Aalo Atomics with enriched uranium for its Aalo-X modular reactor next year. The new cascade is the second to start up as part of the expansion of the National Enrichment Facility, which will see Urenco USA add 700,000 separative work units (SWU) of new capacity at the site between 2025 and 2027. Aalo Atomics will take delivery of LEU to fuel its experimental modular reactor by early 2026.
Aalo Atomics broke ground on its first experimental extra-modular reactor at a site at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Aalo will manufacture the Aalo-X at its pilot factory in Texas before transporting it to Idaho, and it plans to complete construction and achieve criticality by July 2026. This milestone happened two weeks after Aalo’s Aalo-X modular reactor was selected as one of the advanced reactor projects to receive support under the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program.
The Department of Energy (DoE) announced it will provide more than $35 million for 42 projects to help deploy emerging nuclear energy technologies and secure sites related to AI and advanced nuclear technology manufacturing. The 2025 awards cover 19 DoE national laboratories, plants, and sites, including seven technology-specific partnership projects with the Office of Nuclear Energy. The selected projects also leverage over $21 million in cost-share from private and public partners.
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) has launched a new subsidiary to pursue the feasibility of a new U.S. uranium refining and conversion company, with the subsidiary being called United States Refining & Conversion Corp. (UR&C). UEC currently has three in-situ recovery uranium platforms in Texas and Wyoming that have a combined production capacity of 4,654 tU per year. This latest initiative responds to the recent executive orders from the Trump administration that calls for a fourfold increase of U.S. nuclear generating capacity by 2050.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) revised the duration of its licensing design certifications for nuclear reactors from 15 years to 40 years, with Westinghouse’s AP1000 approval now extended to 2046. The NRC noted that the change means companies applying to build and operate reactors will have more time to reference already-certified designs. The expansion of the design certification allows the AP1000 modular reactors to meet the U.S. government’s vision of having 10 large-scale reactors under construction by 2030.
U.S. nuclear fuel company Centrus Energy signed an agreement with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Posco International to explore potential Korean investment in the expansion of Centrus’ uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. The memorandum of understanding is aimed at promoting additional private sector capital to support the potential expansion of the plant’s enrichment capacity, as well as calling for the three companies to explore additional opportunities for cooperation. Centrus has already produced and delivered 900 kilograms of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to the Department of Energy.
The Department of Energy fired the top official overseeing the cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site in Washington state, Roger Jarrell. The Department cited Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s desire to go in a different direction on the Hanford site cleanup as the primary reason for his firing, with anonymous sources speculating that the DoE is considering the elimination of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project (WTP) altogether. The Hanford complex is currently home to 57 million gallons of high-level nuclear waste left over from weapons production.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission official David Wright was sworn in as the Chairman for a third term on the commission. Wright first joined the NRC in 2018 and served his second term that ended on June 30 of this year. Prior to joining the Commission, Wright served as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and also served as President of the strategic energy consulting business Wright Directions.
The North Dakota Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee has selected Canadian company Nucleon Energy to plan the state’s path for adopting nuclear power. Nucleon Energy will spend the next 12 months studying the possibility of attracting the U.S. nuclear power industry to the state. The key elements of the study will include identifying potential locations, gauging public support, and laying the groundwork for the federal licensing process.
| | Fusion Fuel Cycles reached an agreement with General Atomics to finalize the $20 million, 10-year investment into the Unique Testing Facility (UNITY-2) project in Canada. General Atomics will leverage the facility’s advanced infrastructure to further its research and development on fusion components while supporting the Canadian team in identifying the best methods for handling, storing, and managing tritium. Fusion Cycles was established as a joint venture between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Kyoto Fusioneering to develop and deploy deuterium-tritium fusion fuel cycle technologies. | | There are no new updates for this region. | | |
Michigan Is Leading the Nuclear Resurgence
The Washington Reporter, September 10
The Uranium Boom Is Back as Demand for Nuclear Surges
CNBC, September 9
Will Small Nuclear Reactors Start Europe’s Atomic Renaissance?
Fortune, September 9
How Nuclearn Is Using AI to Streamline Nuclear Development
Latitude Media, September 9
Nuclear Is Coming in from the Cold – But Will It Be Made in Europe?
Euractiv, September 8
What to Know About Oklo, Oak Ridge’s Newest Big Nuclear Company
Knoxville News Sentinel, September 8
Nuclear Power Is Back, Let’s Harness Is to Our Advantage
The Maine Wire, September 8
Is the U.S. Headed for a Power Grid Crisis?
Forbes, September 7
Nuclear Reactors, We Want You Back
Native News Online, September 7
Companies See Big Chance to Spin Nuclear Straw into Usable Gold
Axios, September 5
Nuclear Energy Now – Nuclear Energy Generation Breaks a World Record
The National Interest, September 5
FERC in Focus: Will the Agency Maintain its Independent Under Trump 2.0?
Utility Dive, September 4
Why Fusion Energy Should Be Central to US-Turkey and Middle East Relations
The National Interest, September 3
Are Small Modular Reactors the Future of Energy
Power Technology, August 28
Another Old Reactor Is Coming Back. These Stocks Could Benefit.
Barron’s, August 27
| | |
News items and summaries compiled by:
Patrick Kendall, Program Director, Partnership for Global Security
Mackenzie Hansen, Della Ratta Fellow, Partnership for Global Security
Gabriela Zanko, Della Ratta Fellow, Partnership for Global Security
| | For twenty-five years the Partnership for Global Security (PGS) has developed actionable responses to global security challenges by engaging international, private sector, and multidisciplinary expert partners to assess policy needs, identify effective strategies, and drive demonstrable results.
| | | | |
