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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to replace up to 5 nuclear reactors by the 2040s and a maximum of 14 by the 2050s. This is the first specific numerical target set by the government since the Fukushima Daiichi accident, aiming to encourage investment and workforce development in the nuclear industry.
Russia plans to build nine fast-neutron nuclear reactors by 2042 as part of its General Plan for Electric Power Facilities. Rosatom's First Deputy Director General, Alexander Lokshin, stated this at the IAEA FR-26 conference in Beijing, emphasizing the strategic importance of fast reactors for nuclear energy's long-term existence and spent fuel management.
China has announced that it now has the capacity to build up to 50 nuclear reactors simultaneously, as it doubles down on a push to rapidly expand its nuclear power generation and become a global leader in the sector. The figure came from a report released by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) on Friday, which highlights the country’s ability to run dozens of nuclear projects concurrently spanning the full project life cycle – from design to construction. “China’s nuclear technology...
Rolls-Royce has secured a £599m loan from the UK's national wealth fund to accelerate the development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) at the Wylfa site in Anglesey, a project expected to create 1,000 jobs and bolster domestic energy security.
