Romania shut down the final operating nuclear reactor at the Cernavodă plant on Thursday after the drought-hit Danube River dropped too low to supply cooling water, following the earlier shutdown of Unit 1.
Bill Gates visits South Korea to meet with political and business leaders, including Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, to discuss partnerships on small modular reactors (SMRs) with TerraPower, where SK Group is a major shareholder.
A massive swarm of jellyfish clogged the cooling pumps at the Gravelines nuclear power station in northern France, forcing the shutdown of multiple reactors.
Nuclear power is experiencing a revival as startups test new micro-reactors at Idaho National Laboratory. While locals in Atomic City, Idaho, embrace the technology, critics warn that looser federal regulations and staff cuts at oversight agencies pose safety risks.
A relentless heat wave in Europe is causing historic low water levels in the Danube, disrupting nuclear operations in Hungary and Romania, fueling deadly wildfires in Greece, and triggering heat health warnings in Italy and the UK.
Romania detonated a rock outcrop in the drought-stricken Danube River to redirect crucial cooling water to its Cernavoda nuclear reactor. This action follows one reactor shutdown and comes as Hungary's Paks plant also operates at reduced capacity, leading to increased power imports and voluntary consumption cuts across both nations due to extreme heat.
Record-low Danube water levels due to drought have forced Romania to use explosives to redirect cooling water to its Cernavodǎ nuclear reactor and Hungary to reduce output at its Paks plant, deepening fears of a regional energy crisis and increasing reliance on expensive power imports.
Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev reported a Ukrainian combat drone struck meters from Zaporozhye NPP's power unit No. 3 reactor building and another drone attempted to attack a spent nuclear fuel storage facility on July 30.
Chinese researchers create tantalum-based alloy retaining strength at 2,400°C, surpassing 2,000°C limit of most metals, with potential for aerospace, hypersonic vehicles, and nuclear reactors.
The U.S. has agreed to build and operate commercial nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, a deal conditioned by President Trump on Saudi normalization with Israel. The agreement prohibits reprocessing American nuclear material for weapons but lacks restrictions on other countries' nuclear fuel, raising concerns in Israel and the broader Middle East.
The Trump administration signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, allowing US companies to operate commercial nuclear power plants there. The deal, worth billions, lacks "gold standard" nonproliferation provisions, raising congressional and expert concerns about potential weapons development.
Russian specialists, led by Ilya Chekh of the Borders of Science research and technical guild, have developed small modular nuclear reactors (170 MW) for deep space exploration, orbital launches, and Arctic research, with potential cooperation with China and the US.
A major AI datacentre complex in Scotland, promised to be powered by on-site renewables, has misrepresented its energy plans. Documents reveal developers and the government were aware of power provision issues, raising doubts about the UK's AI infrastructure ambitions.
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev stated that the US's active development of low-power nuclear power plants validates Rosatom's strategy and confirms the accelerated growth of nuclear generation globally. He congratulated US colleagues on bringing microreactors to physical production after decades.
A consortium led by Polish billionaire Michał Sołowow plans to build 14 small modular nuclear reactors across three UK sites, including Gloucestershire. The £35bn private capital project aims to power 8m homes and potentially datacentres, with GE Vernova and Hitachi providing design. The consortium seeks a government support contract and aims for electricity generation by 2034.
A leak of 208 kilograms of heavy water occurred at South Korea's Wolsong-4 nuclear reactor in Gyeongju earlier this week. Nuclear safety officials confirmed no radiation leak and stated the water did not escape the facility. The reactor was shut down for regular inspection at the time.
India has launched a pilot plant producing 'pink hydrogen' using heat from a nuclear reactor via the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle, offering a continuous, carbon-free alternative to grid electricity-powered electrolysis and natural gas reforming for heavy industry.
Under a Trump-era initiative, US companies are rapidly building experimental nuclear reactors, with two already achieving 'criticality.' The program, which significantly cut regulations, aims for three reactors by July 4, 2026. While proponents hail the speed, critics warn of compromised safety.
The Trump administration is allocating $17.5 billion to accelerate the development of 10 new large nuclear reactors, aiming to meet the surging electricity demand from data centers. The initiative seeks to speed up construction timelines and lower costs compared to previous projects.
The Energy Department will provide $17.5 billion in loans to accelerate the deployment of 10 large nuclear reactors across the U.S. The funding supports five projects using Westinghouse's AP1000 design, aiming to power over 800,000 homes each.
Gyeongbuk Province is emerging as a nuclear energy hub with 13 operating reactors and plans for 4 more, including 2 new large-scale reactors in Yeongdeok. The province hosts KHNP headquarters and a radioactive waste disposal site, aiming to leverage stable power for industries like steel and data centers, while advocating for differentiated electricity rates.
South Korea's state-run KHNP has chosen Yeongdeok for two new large nuclear reactors (2.8GW) and Gijang for a small modular reactor (0.7GW), aiming for completion by 2038. This reverses a previous stance against new nuclear construction, driven by rising power demand from AI and clean energy goals.
Rolls-Royce SMR has won a contract to build three Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) on Sweden's west coast, a deal hailed by the UK government as a major export win and a breakthrough for British nuclear technology. The project aims to power industries and households in southern Sweden.
The US government disclosed 3,611 AI use cases, a 70% increase since the Biden administration. Concerns are raised over AI's role in sensitive government functions, lack of transparency, and potential for misuse, despite potential benefits.
