The Biden administration’s new announcements to “Bolster Domestic Nuclear Energy,” are a welcome effort to create a more cohesive ecosystem to support the deployment of U.S. reactors in pursuit of decarbonization.

There are bright spots for U.S. nuclear exports, including the deal with Poland and engagement with other European nations, including Romania and Ukraine. But there also are challenges.

One fundamental question is how to outcompete Russia and its ability to provide a one-stop-shop for reactor purchasers that private sector companies and the U.S. government can’t match at present.

However, Korea’s KEPCO nuclear corporation and the UAE’s ENEC have gone further and formed a joint working group on nuclear export to third countries. This advances a commitment made by their leaders in January 2023. Of particular note is the fact that the working group will study emerging markets to “increase order-taking opportunities.”

Russia and Uzbekistan reached an agreement this week that could lead to six 55 MW Russian reactors being deployed in the country. Russia’s nuclear export company, Rosatom, stated that this agreement represented the “first ever export contract for the construction of a small nuclear plant.”

The Biden Administration has announced new initiatives to strengthen the domestic nuclear industry, aiming for a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035. This week’s White House Summit on Domestic Nuclear Deployment highlighted the progress being made in the public and private sectors and announced the creation of a Nuclear Power Project Management and Delivery working group to mitigate project risks and costs. Additionally, it noted that the U.S. Army is releasing a Request for Information to inform a deployment program for advanced reactors at various Army sites within the U.S. This builds on other DoD small reactor projects such as Project PELE.

The main power line supplying the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine was down for over three hours, but no safety threat was reported. While the plant's six reactors are not operational, it relies on external power to keep the nuclear material cool and prevent accidents. The reason for the outage is under investigation. Despite the outage, which did not change radiation levels, the situation underscores the ongoing risks to nuclear safety and security.

Russia announced that it is not currently planning to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The plant has been under Russian control since the early stages of the conflict, and its reactors are not in operation. Discussions between the IAEA and Rosatom emphasized the importance of the plant's safety amid ongoing tensions and accusations of shelling from both Russia and Ukraine.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with senior Russian officials as part of the continuing efforts of the agency to help prevent a nuclear accident at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. During his meeting with Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev, Grossi raised numerous issues with the current situation, including the vulnerability of Zaporizhzhia’s off-site power lines, its need for reliable water supplies to ensure reactor cooling, and the ongoing situation related to staffing and equipment maintenance. IAEA experts have also continued to hear explosions on most days, including four explosions near the site.

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEPA) and six business-to-business memoranda of understanding about cooperation in the development of nuclear power plants in third-world countries. During UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to South Korea, the two countries also agreed to continue to explore cooperation in the construction of more nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel supply chains, and small modular reactors (SMR). The UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant was exported and built by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) back in 2009.

South Korea and the Czech Republic discussed nuclear power cooperation during bilateral economic talks in Seoul. Korean deputy foreign minister Kim Hee-sang urged the Czech Republic to consider Korea's capabilities in nuclear power plant construction for their upcoming projects. The talks also covered expanding cooperation in global supply chains, trade, investment, energy, and science and technology.

Slovakia is considering South Korea, along with the United States and France, as potential partners for a new 1.2 GWe nuclear power unit at Bohunice, with details to be developed by October. This follows the Slovak government's approval of the plan and discussions between Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár and his South Korean counterpart on expanding nuclear cooperation. Slovakia's nuclear strategy includes consultations on small modular reactors, with the country's existing reactors generating half of its electricity and plans for further expansion underway.

Hungary and Belarus signed a roadmap for cooperation on nuclear energy, focusing on their Russian-built nuclear power plants with VVER-1200 units. The agreement, discussed by Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, includes areas such as personnel training, scheduled maintenance, and radioactive waste management for 2024-2025. This roadmap builds on a memorandum of understanding from April 2023, aiming to leverage Belarus's experience in nuclear construction for Hungary's Paks II project.

Japanese fusion technology company Kyoto Fusioneering and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) have formed a joint venture, Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc (FFC), to develop deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion fuel cycle technologies. The venture aims to engineer and deliver large-scale fuel cycle systems globally, starting with the UNITY-2 test facility in Ontario, which will demonstrate efficient tritium processing by late 2025. This collaboration builds off of a memorandum of understanding between CNL and Kyoto Fusioneering in 2023.

Dutch company Thorizon signed a cooperation agreement with Électricité de France (EDF) R&D to advance the Thorizon One molten salt reactor design. Under the agreement, EDF R&D will review Thorizon’s neutronic core calculations and conduct scenario analyses to determine how the Thorizon One reactor could help close the fuel cycle in the European reactor fleet. Additionally, Blue Capsule signed a partnership agreement with the French Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for the development of its small modular reactor.

Jacobs engineering group has been appointed by the United Kingdom’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) to assist in developing a high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR) in partnership with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The joint project will focus on reviewing designs, developing cost and schedule estimates, and ensuring regulatory compliance. This collaboration aims to contribute to the decarbonization of heavy industries by providing advanced nuclear technology solutions.

The U.S. Ambassador to Warsaw, Mark Brzezinski, urged Poland to reduce its dependency on coal and Russian energy, advocating for nuclear power investment. Poland's Nuclear Energy Program plans to build two nuclear power plants, totaling 6-9 GW, aiding in ending Russian fossil fuel imports and achieving energy self-sufficiency. The U.S. government supports this initiative, with Westinghouse and Bechtel chosen to build the first plant, but Brzezinski was concerned that the building of the second nuclear plant with the French Électricité de France (EDF) could disrupt the consistency in technology and efficient construction.

The Polish government is backing Rolls-Royce's plan to build nuclear power plants in Poland. Rolls-Royce SMR announced that Polish industrial group Industria is advancing the approval process for deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with Environment Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska confirming the investment aligns with national energy and climate policies. The support allows Rolls-Royce to proceed with commercial and technical discussions, with each SMR unit capable of powering a million homes with low-carbon energy for over 60 years.

Norwegian nuclear project developer Norsk Kjernekraft released a new business plan to construct off-grid small modular reactors (SMR) in industrial applications where both reliable power and access to heat are needed. The company believes that nuclear power generated from SMRs can be used to meet the rising demand associated with artificial intelligence. Norsk Kjernekraft added that it could build three to four SMRs of 300 MWe capacity each in connection to Google’s upcoming data center in Norway.

Doosan Enerbility has agreed to supply reactors, steam generator tubes, and other main components for NuScale Power’s $37 billion construction project. Doosan won the large order after investing a total of $104 million in 2019 and 2021 to supply key components to NuScale when it was still a startup company. According to nuclear sources, NuScale has agreed to supply 24 small modular reactors (SMR) to Standard Power, an IT infrastructure company, starting in 2029.

France is open to Emirati investments in its nuclear power and artificial intelligence industries, according to Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire. This statement was made ahead of signing a strategic AI partnership with the UAE, where Le Maire added that France would be willing to provide assistance to the UAE if the country expanded its nuclear infrastructure. Le Maire's discussions in Abu Dhabi include potential collaborations in nuclear energy, AI, semiconductors, and cloud computing.

The IAEA held its ICONS 2024 conference in Vienna this month. The conference comprised of a ministerial segment which provided the opportunity for ministers to deliver messages on achievements and adopt a Ministerial Decision, with the second section being a technical program comprising of high-level policy discussions on the overall themes of nuclear security and sessions on specialized scientific technical, legal, and regulatory issues concerning nuclear security. As part of this conference, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk released a statement supporting the IAEA’s Atoms4NetZero initiative and committing to take action to develop and strengthen national nuclear security infrastructure.

U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, Ann Ganzer, announced a new civil nuclear agreement to further support Ghana’s safe and secure use of nuclear power. Ganzer attended the signing of key arrangements facilitated by the U.S. FIRST Program in order to advance the safe and secure deployment of a small modular reactor (SMR) in Ghana. In addition to this agreement, the United States is also in discussions with Ghana on a 123 Agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation.

Reuters reported that Ghana is poised to select a company to construct its first nuclear power plant by December of this year. The Ghanaian power deputy director in charge of nuclear and alternative energy, Robert Sogbadji, confirmed the list of competitors: Électricité de France (EDF), NuScale Power, Regnum Technology Group, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), and Rosatom. Ghana is planning to adopt nuclear energy, aiming to integrate 1 GW of nuclear power into its electricity mix by 2034.

The Philippines and the United States have agreed to train Filipinos in building and operating nuclear power plants to enhance the country's electricity supply. This initiative follows a nuclear cooperation agreement signed in November, which allows for U.S. investment in the Philippines' atomic power sector. The training will involve scholarships and exchange programs focused on civil nuclear power and renewable energy, aiming to develop the skilled workforce needed for clean energy infrastructure. The United States also plans to establish a civil nuclear industry working group in Manila.

Russia signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to build Central Asia's first nuclear power plant and export its first small reactor. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the project's importance, noting Uzbekistan's significant uranium reserves, while Russian President Vladimir Putin committed to supporting Uzbekistan's nuclear energy market. The plant, featuring six 55 MW reactors with a total capacity of 330 MW, represents a strategic move to enhance Russia's influence in the region amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Russia offered India technology for building and operating floating low-power nuclear power generation projects. Additionally, Russia proposed the serial construction of Russian-designed, land-based nuclear power units at a new site in India, along with cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle. This development was discussed during a meeting between Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission, and Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, who also reviewed progress on the joint Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in India.

Leaders from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the European Commission (EC) issued a Joint Statement on Enhancing Radioactive Source Security at the IAEA’s International Conference on Nuclear Security. The statement highlights the need to strengthen security of radioactive sources in open civilian facilities to prevent the use of those materials in acts of terrorism. The statement also demonstrates the United States and the European Union’s commitment to support states in establishing and maintaining national nuclear security regimes for radioactive materials.

Westinghouse Electric Company delivered the first reload of VVER-1000 fuel assemblies to the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria. The first delivery follows a thorough and extensive joint fuel licensing process between Westinghouse and the Kozloduy power plant. Westinghouse and Bulgaria signed a 10-year supply contract in 2022 in order for Bulgaria to diversify its nuclear fuel imports away from Russia, who originally designed the Kozloduy power plant’s reactor units.

According to the IAEA’s latest quarterly report, Iran has grown its supply of enriched uranium over the last few months. The report shows Iran has 142.1 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase from 121.5 kilograms in February. The report comes as Iran is increasing pressure on the international community to lift the sanctions imposed over its nuclear energy program.

The United Kingdom’s government has chosen Wylfa in Wales as the preferred site for a new large-scale nuclear power plant. The new power station is expected to be on a similar scale to the ongoing nuclear power projects at Hinkley and Sizewell, and multiple international companies have reportedly begun talks with the British government to start building the new power plant. The United Kingdom is seeking to quadruple its nuclear power capacity by up to 25 gigawatts by 2050 through a new fleet of nuclear power plants.

Rolls-Royce SMR is setting up a £15 million facility in Sheffield to manufacture and test prototype modules for its small modular reactors (SMR). The Rolls-Royce SMR Module Development Facility will be housed within the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre. This announcement is another important milestone for Rolls-Royce SMR’s plans to deploy a fleet of factory-built small modular power plants both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Representatives from China and Pakistan formally signed the final acceptance certificate for Karachi unit 2, just over three years after the 1,100 MWe Hualong One unit started up. According to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), various performance indicators have been gradually optimized and operating performance has been continuously improved since the initial startup. Karachi units 2 and 3 are the first exports of CNNC’s Hualong One pressurized water reactor, with China slated to provide another Hualong One reactor for Pakistan’s Chashma Nuclear Power Plant.

The European Investment Bank’s 2023-2027 roadmap was leaked recently, with the document notably containing no new significant plans pertaining to nuclear energy. The EIB document states that the organization will continue to support research and development for nuclear fission and fusion but not when it comes to electricity generation. The EIB remains cautious about the prospect of financing nuclear energy, instead adopting a technology-neutral approach towards financing environmental and energy projects.

GEN energija has given its latest update on the development of the JEK2 nuclear power project in Slovenia, putting forward likely costs and making recommendations for the optimal size of the facility. In a report of the briefing, GEN energija stated that the optimal size for JEK2 would be 1300 MW, which would cost anywhere between €9.3 billion and €15.4 billion. Slovenia plans to build the JEK2 Nuclear Power Plant next to its existing Krško power plant, with the current timetable for a final investment decision to be made in 2028 and construction beginning in 2032.

The incoming Dutch coalition government said it will aim to expand offshore natural gas extraction and nuclear energy production to reduce the Netherlands’ dependence on other countries. The draft pact ensured commitment to increasing nuclear energy production, stating that the existing reactor at Borssele will remain open, and the construction of two new reactors will continue along with the possibility of additional small reactors. The Netherlands currently has one operational reactor at the Borssele Nuclear Power Plant.

Switzerland has endorsed a nuclear technology known as “nuclear transmutation” to dramatically reduce the amount of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. Nagra, the Swiss national body that manages nuclear waste, said it has spent several months exploring the method proposed by start-up company Transmutex and concluded that the company’s technology could cut the volume of highly radioactive waste by 80%. While more than 20 countries have agreed to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050, there is currently no long-term nuclear waste storage site in operation globally.

X-energy and Cavendish Nuclear have commissioned Teesside University to undertake a study of the potential regional benefits and economic impacts of a proposed power plant in Hartlepool, England, based on X-energy’s Xe-100 reactor. The assessment will include a review of available socio-economic data and engagement with local stakeholders, as well as include jobs, skills, supply chain contracts, and investment figures. The Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor based on X-energy’s high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology.

Unit 4 of the Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant in China’s Guangxi province has entered commercial operation, the second of two CGN-designed demonstration Hualong One reactors at the site. The pressurized water reactor completed a 168-hour test run, which officially met the conditions for commercial operation. Fangchenggang Unit 4 reached first criticality in April of this year and was first connected to the national grid the same month.

The French government completed the process of loading fuel assemblies into the core of the Flamanville 3 European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) ahead of schedule. The first nuclear reaction will be carried out in the coming weeks, with the reactor gradually increasing power to 25% capacity before continuing to increase further output in stages. The 1650 MWe EPR is expected to reach 100% output before the end of 2024.

The Department of Energy has issued details of the process for obtaining waivers to allow the import of limited quantities of Russian-origin light-enriched uranium (LEU) so as to ensure U.S. nuclear plants do not experience supply disruptions when the recently passed Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act comes into force. According to the Department, an import of Russian uranium could be in the national interest if it is necessary to maintain the viability of a U.S. nuclear energy company that is critical to the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain or if the import is intended to support an existing arrangement to provide fuel for a nuclear power plant in another country. Companies can apply for a waiver up until January 1, 2028.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) accepted TerraPower’s construction permit application for review, marking the first time in more than 40 years that the NRC has docketed this type of application for a commercial non-light water reactor. NuScale is seeking to build its Natrium advanced reactor in Wyoming as part of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project (ARDP). The reactor is a 345-MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt storage system.

An effort to send the “Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy” (ADVANCE) Act to President Joe Biden has stumbled after Senate leaders failed to secure unanimous support from Democrats. Senators Tom Carper and Shelley Moore Capito used this week as a chance to gauge support for the ADVANCE Act, but they will now have to wait until June for another opportunity to pass the bill. The ADVANCE Act is aimed at boosting the advanced nuclear energy industry along with other provisions.

The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy is backing nuclear power as a reliable and sustainable energy source for data centers. Assistant Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Rian Bahran, gave a keynote speech in which he proposed siting new data centers aside nuclear power plants, as well as deploying small modular reactors at data centers. There are currently a handful of plans to use nuclear energy for data centers, including Standard Power’s plans to deploy up to two dozen SMRs on two of its data center campuses in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Holtec International announced “remarkable progress” made in the early stages of repowering the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan. The progress made includes the re-establishment of critical plant workforce, revitalizing training programs, significant regulatory development, and procurement of numerous plant systems and components. In April of this year, the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) offered a conditional commitment of $1.52 billion as a loan guarantee to restart the shuttered Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, aiming to bring the plant back online and to upgrade it to produce power until at least 2051.

Members of the U.S. State Energy and Natural Resources Committee included nuclear energy as part of their discussion of the increasing demand for electricity anticipated in the coming decade. Several nuclear company officials testified before the committee advocating for nuclear power, with American Electric Power CEO Benjamin Fowke stating that nuclear power can effectively cater to the energy needs of both manufacturers and consumers. These discussions are being spurred in large part by the rise of artificial intelligence, data centers, and public consumption.

Data center company Wyoming Hyperscale has agreed to buy 100 megawatts of energy from small modular reactor company Oklo following the signing of a non-binding letter of intent. Wyoming Hyperscale is currently building a data center campus on 58 acres of land on a remote site in the state of Wyoming. Oklo has been in discussions with multiple companies on using nuclear reactors to power data centers.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a final rule and corresponding update to the generic environmental impact statement (GEIS) the agency uses when considering applications to renew the operating licenses of nuclear power reactors. The rule revises the NRC’s regulations to update the potential environmental impact issues that must be evaluated during the environmental review process. The NRC added that its changes are based on experience gained from license renewal reviews the agency performed since its last update to its license renewal GEIS in 2013.

Wyoming is finalizing rules to expand its energy regulatory authority to include uranium and rare earths mining. The new changes could deliver a competitive advantage for radioactive materials found in Wyoming, helping to streamline the United States’ nuclear fuel cycle by providing a domestic supply of the ingredients needed to make nuclear fuel. Wyoming’s new rule change also comes as TerraPower is planning on building its Natrium reactor in the state of Wyoming within the next few years.

The Department of Energy awarded $7.4 million to 8 projects at 7 universities to enhance the U.S. nuclear energy infrastructure and instruction. The funding will support improvements and upgrades to university research reactors, as well as provide K-12 schools, vocational schools, and other colleges access to university research reactors to increase nuclear science, engineering, and technology awareness. The awards are funded under two Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy funding opportunities: the University Nuclear Research Infrastructure Revitalization, and the University Research Sharing and Outreach Program.

Nevada state senators have introduced a bill to ban Yucca Mountain from being used as a nuclear waste repository. The Jobs, Not Waste Act would repeal the law that led to the designation of Yucca Mountain and examine what, if any, economic benefits are possible for the area. Despite this act, the legislators are likely to face an uphill battle getting support from politicians and the public in the face of the expanding deployment of nuclear power in the United States.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative published a paper evaluating existing strategies for reducing risks and recommending additional steps that governments, industry, and other stakeholders can take to build the resiliency of nuclear facilities. NTI examines two types of crises, armed conflict and natural disasters, and stresses that understanding these scenarios is important to prepare for as a growing number of countries embark on nuclear energy programs. The report provides several recommendations, including improving response and contingency planning, keeping dangerous weapons-usable nuclear materials out of the fuel cycle, and developing an international code of conduct for dealing with armed conflict near nuclear facilities.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its domestic uranium production report for the year 2023. According to the report, U.S. uranium mines produced 50,000 pounds of uranium concentrate, a significant decrease from 194,000 pounds produced in 2022, partially because facilities such as the White Mesa Mill and the Sweetwater Uranium Project were on standby. However, the Lost Creek Project and the Smith Ranch-Highland Operation in-situ recovery facilities were operating throughout 2023 with a combined capacity of 7.5 million pounds of uranium concentrate per year.

Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) published its annual GenCost report finding that small modular reactors have a significantly higher levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) than its renewable counterparts. The CSIRO found that the LCOE for small modular reactors would be around $230-383 per megawatt hour (MWh), which is much higher than $89 for solar and $125 for wind. Australia currently has no nuclear power plants and a domestic nuclear energy industry is banned due to an active moratorium. While opposition leaders have supported the adoption of nuclear energy, the current government states it has no plans to alter the moratorium.

A recent webinar held by law firm Morgan Lewis explored possibilities and barriers for industrial companies, raw material extractors, and data centers looking at nuclear energy for reliable, low-carbon energy. The webinar argued that due to high barriers for newly built advanced reactors, offtake agreements with existing conventional reactors may be a more cost-effective choice for high-load customers seeking 24/7 clean power in the near term. Morgan Lewis added that it’s becoming easier for data center operators and industrial facilities to make a business case for local offtake and behind-the-meter nuclear projects.

Dutch nuclear energy development company ULC-Energy carried out a study which found that hydrogen can be produced from small modular reactors at a much cheaper price than alternative methods. The study found that hydrogen can be produced at $3.80 per kilogram using a combination of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and SMRs. In November of last year, ULC-Energy announced it had signed an agreement with Denmark’s Topsoe, Rolls-Royce SMR, and KYOS to jointly investigate the production of hydrogen using Topsoe’s SOEC technology.

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