FASCIST WRECKER

EU leaders fail to sway Hungary's Orban on €90 billion Ukraine loan


EU leaders on Thursday failed to convince Prime Minister Viktor Orban to lift his blockade on a vital €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The Hungarian leader is blocking the measure over damage to a pipeline running through Ukraine that supplies Hungary and Slovakia with Russian oil, part of an effort to bolster his anti-EU image ahead of national elections next month.


Issued on: 19/03/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the day of a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium March 19, 2026. © Yves Herman, Reuters

EU leaders failed to persuade Hungary's Viktor Orban to lift his block on a massive loan to support Ukraine's war effort at summit talks on Thursday, leaving the much-needed funding in limbo.

Moscow's closest partner in the bloc, the nationalist prime minister has long resisted helping Kyiv to repel Russia's invasion, stalling EU aid and repeated rounds of sanctions.

This time around, Orban is holding up a 90-billion-euro ($104 billion) loan as leverage in a feud over damage to a pipeline running through Ukraine – which has choked the flow of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.

"The Hungarian position is very simple. We are ready to support Ukraine when we get our oil, which is blocked by them," Orban said on arrival at the summit, which Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky addressed by videolink.


Orban had made it clear he planned to play hardball, as he leans into anti-EU and anti-Ukrainian narratives ahead of close-fought national elections on April 12 – to the exasperation of fellow EU leaders.

And despite concerted pressure from his counterparts in Brussels, he refused to budge.

"No movement from Orban," summed up an EU diplomat after the Ukraine talks concluded. "We all know it's linked to the elections – we are going to have to be creative."

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas warned earlier it was "really, really time" to show support by unlocking funding for Ukraine for this year and the next – which Hungary's leader signed up to in December along with the rest of the bloc.

But only 25 of the bloc's 27 leaders endorsed Thursday summit conclusions reaffirming their intent to begin disbursing the funds next month, with diplomats confirming the holdouts were Budapest and Bratislava.

Leaders agreed to revisit the matter, which requires unanimity, at their next meeting planned in late April.

Election 'weapon'

At the root of the standoff is a weeks-long dispute in which landlocked Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of stalling on pipeline repairs – while Zelensky has called it "blackmail" to link the issue to support for Kyiv's war effort.

The European Commission moved this week to unblock the situation by sending a team to help restore oil transit, but Orban dismissed the scheme as a "fairy tale".

"We are waiting for the oil," Orban told reporters – calling the matter "existential" for Hungary.

Many of his counterparts see the block as squarely motivated by national politics.

"He's using Ukraine as a weapon in his election campaign, and it's not good. We had a deal," Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters in Brussels.

Belgium's Bart de Wever likewise said Orban's veto seemed to be "part of his election campaign," calling his U-turn "unacceptable".
Shortfall

It's a well worn routine in Brussels, where Orban has held up countless decisions on Ukraine, and solutions have ultimately been found – in one famous case having him leave the room while the bloc approved the start of membership talks with Kyiv.

But this time around, it remains unclear when he might blink.

"He doesn't sound like he's ready to be convinced," said a second EU diplomat after the talks.

Complicating matters, leaders have been wary of offering Orban – who is trailing main rival Peter Magyar in election polls – a chance to bolster his image as a maverick on the EU stage by publicly ganging up on him.

Facing a budget shortfall four years into the war, Kyiv is estimated to need an influx of funds in early May – implying a decision to unlock the EU loan by mid-April.

The failure to break the deadlock may push the issue back until after the Hungarian vote, whatever its outcome.

Can Ukraine hold out until then? Unclear, say EU diplomats.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

ANALYSIS

Why Hungary's Viktor Orban is vilifying Ukraine before crucial elections

Weeks before crucial parliamentary elections, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s campaign has characterised his main rival as a stooge of Kyiv and Brussels. With his party trailing in the polls, the nationalist leader has sought to escalate tensions between Hungary and Ukraine, alleging that Kyiv and its European allies are conspiring to drag Hungary into war with Russia.


Issued on:  19/03/2026 - 
FRANCE24
By: Sonya CIESNIK

An attendee holds an image of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a pro-government rally named a 'Peace March' during Hungary's National Day celebrations in Budapest, Hungary, March 15, 2026. © Marton Monus, Reuters

In 1241, the Mongol army marched into Hungary, creating indescribable chaos. Most of the country’s religious dignitaries were slaughtered. The pillaging, massacres and famine the foreign invaders left in their wake imprinted an undeniable trace on the Hungarian psyche.

Centuries later, as Hungary braces for crucial parliamentary elections in April, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is tapping into the demons of Hungary’s past, claiming the country is once again under threat.

Fidesz, Orban’s far-right party, is focusing on a new foreign menace – the danger it claims is posed by Ukraine. As part of its re-election strategy, the Hungarian government has sought to escalate tensions with Kyiv.

“Orban has repeatedly opposed European funding and military support for Ukraine’s fight,” said Michael Ignatieff, a former Canadian opposition leader and historian, who was rector of the Central European University in Budapest when Orban's government forced it to relocate abroad in 2017.


“What’s new in the campaign is the personal vilification of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the claim that Zelensky will drag Hungary into the war and Hungarian soldiers will die," Ignatieff added.
The threat of imminent war

Richard Demény, a foreign policy analyst at Political Capital, a research institute in Budapest, says Fidesz initially campaigned on "domestic policy narratives focused on the Orban regime’s achievements over the past 16 years."

Yet the messaging has done little to win over digruntled voters who want more from the government in areas like public education and healthcare. "To distract from these shortcomings and to shape the public agenda, Fidesz has employed fear-based narratives to exacerbate anxiety in segments of society susceptible to the threat of an imminent war,” said Demény.

Orban's party has been trailing in the polls since last year, while the centre-right Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, is picking up speed. Magyar's supporters hope to end Orban's 16-year rule.

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, attends the Hungary's National Day celebrations, in Budapest, Hungary, March 15, 2026. © Bernadett Szabo, Reuters


In reponse to his rival's lead in the polls, Orban has stepped up his attacks on Ukraine. In one campaign video released by the ruling party in February, a young Hungarian girl asks about her father. The video then cuts to footage of a blindfolded soldier in a Hungarian uniform being shot in the head and falling into the muddy ground. A caption reads: “This is only a nightmare now, but Brussels is preparing to make it a reality. Fidesz is the safe choice!”

Fidesz has framed the 2026 elections as a choice between war and peace, and the video implies that a Tisza victory would force Hungarians to go to war.

“For the first time, Orban is straightforwardly alleging the existence of political coordination and collusion between the Ukrainian administration, EU institutions, and the Hungarian opposition to remove him from power and establish a pro-Ukraine government in Hungary,” said Daniel Hegedüs, deputy director at The Institute for European Politics.

From the cosmopolitan streets of Budapest to small villages in the countryside, large campaign billboards are being used to try to sway “segments of society susceptible to the threat of an imminent war”, said Demény.

“They themselves are the risk,” read a caption of a pro-government billboard featuring a combined photo of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelensky and Magyar.

A pedestrian walks past a pro-government billboards featuring a portrait of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L), with the text reading, 'Let's not let Zelensky have the last laugh, and another billboard featuring European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R), Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C), and Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar (L) with a text, 'They themselves are the risk.' in Budapest's 3rd district on March 3, 2026, in prepatation for the upcomping general election set to take place on April 12, 2026. © Attila Kisbenedek, AFP

‘No oil, no money’

At the core of Hungary’s escalating tensions with Ukraine is what Orban called “the Ukrainian oil blockade” in a March 17 video posted on X.

Ukraine and Hungary have been locked in an escalating feud since Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia were halted in January due to damage to the pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian officials have blamed the damage on Russian drone attacks.

Orban has accused Zelensky of deliberately holding up oil supplies – claims that Zelensky denies. In retaliation, Orban has vetoed a major €90 billion EU loan to cover Ukraine’s military and economic needs for two years.

“If President Zelensky wants to receive his money from Brussels, then he must reopen the friendship oil pipeline,” said Orban in the video.

Orban has even accused Ukraine of plotting to attack him and his family, releasing a video in March purporting to show him speaking to his daughters over the phone and warning them of the threat.

READ MORE’Ready to govern’ Hungary: Former ally Magyar challenges Orban with Europe gun

“Orban’s basic political method is to create enemies. First Brussels, then George Soros, and now Peter Magyar, all portrayed as malign alien forces conspiring to harm Hungary. Orban then portrays himself as the plucky, heroic defender of the Hungarian nation,” said Ignatieff.

Yet Orban may have met his match in a man like Magyar, added Ignatieff, who is "ex-Fidesz himself, and far too clever a politician to cede the nationalist ground to Orban."

“Magyar tours the countryside, sings patriotic folk songs with his supporters, waves the national flag, quotes Hungary’s great poets and is competing effectively with Orban in the battle for the nationalist vote.”

Orban's strategy could still work. In his book "Hungarians", the historian Paul Ledvai wrote that the most important psychological consequence of the Mongol invasion was the inference that "We Hungarians are alone”.

The mistrust of foreigners, even when they were urgently needed as allies in times of acute danger, “could be effective at keeping Fidesz and undecided voters focused on an existential threat,” said Demény.

(With AP)

 

US, Japan to focus rare earths cooperation on select group of minerals at first

Reuters | March 20, 2026 |

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited the White House on Thursday. Credit: Sanae Takaichi’s official X page

The US and Japan on Thursday released an action plan for their efforts to develop alternatives to China for critical minerals and rare earths supply chains, focusing initially on price floors for a select group of minerals.

A joint US-Japan statement released by the US Trade Representative’s Office during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to the White House said the two countries aimed to deliver “concrete, near-term results towards securing mutual supply chain resilience.”

The statement said the two countries will discuss coordinated trade policies such as a border-adjusted price floor mechanism, “focusing in the first instance on a select group of critical minerals.” They did not identify which minerals would be considered first for price floors.

Takaichi and US President Donald Trump signed a framework agreement on rare earths in October 2025 in Tokyo as both countries were struggling with Chinese export controls.

The action plan announced on Thursday does not mention China by name, but refers to a need to correct “distortions resulting from pervasive non-market policies and practices (that) have left critical minerals supply chains of market-oriented economies vulnerable to a myriad of disruptions, including economic coercion.”

The two sides will consult on how price floors and other trade provisions can fit into a plurilateral critical minerals supply agreement involving other countries, the statement said.

They also will work to identify specific projects in each country and elsewhere for critical minerals mining, processing and manufacturing that meet internationally recognized responsible business practices and that should get priority financing and policy support, the statement added.

US-based Albemarle, the world’s largest lithium producer, is “exploring opportunities” for potential Japanese investment or supply deals with the company’s under-construction North Carolina lithium project, according to the statement.

An Albemarle spokesperson said the company had nothing to add.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Materials is in talks with Indiana-based ReElement Technologies for a potential equity stake or joint venture, according to the statement. A representative for ReElement was not immediately available to comment.

Tokyo and Washington also agreed to share information on mining standards, technical cooperation, and geological mapping of potential critical mineral deposits. They also agreed to coordinate stockpiling of critical minerals, rapid responses to prevent supply disruptions and joint actions to address economic coercion, the statement said.

(By David Lawder and Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Paul Simao and Daniel Wallis)

U.S. Approaches Chile for Critical Mineral Supply

By Charles Kennedy - Mar 19, 2026

• The U.S. is negotiating a supply deal with Chile for rhenium, a rare and critical mineral essential for defense and aerospace, with Chile controlling about 50% of global supply.
• 
  
• Rhenium is indispensable due to its extreme heat resistance and lack of substitutes, making it vital for jet engines, turbines, and military systems.
• 
  
• The move is part of a broader U.S. strategy to secure critical minerals and reduce dependence on China through global partnerships and strategic reserves.

Oil and gas prices are hogging headlines, but while the world watches the Middle East, U.S. officials have been busy elsewhere. Chile, the world’s biggest supplier of one particular critical mineral, is in talks with the U.S. on a supply agreement for rhenium—an element seen as vital for national security.

Rhenium is a genuinely rare element that has an extremely high melting point of around 3,180 degrees Celsius, which makes it extra resistant to both heat and wear, according to the USGS. This, in turn, makes rhenium highly prized in the defense industry. Since most rhenium is extracted as a by-product from copper mining, it is little surprise that Chile is the largest producer, seeing as the South American state is also the world’s top copper producer. It accounts for 50% of global rhenium supply, per UPI, which reported the news about the talks.

“Chile controls nearly half of a mineral that the United States and China cannot produce in sufficient quantities. Washington reinstated rhenium to its critical minerals list in 2025 and explicitly included it in the bilateral mining agreement with Chile. That makes it a genuine geopolitical asset, not just a mining one,” UPI quoted an engineering professor from Chile’s Adolfo Ibanez University as saying.

Indeed, the Trump administration has prioritized critical minerals from day one. The overwhelming reliance of most of the world on China for both supply and, more importantly, processing of rare earths and other critical elements had started to become a cause for concern in both the United States and the European Union, but the U.S. under Trump has been a lot quicker in taking action.

Last year, Washington closed a deal with Australia’s government to cooperate in the development of a local critical mineral supply. The deal, worth more than $3 billion, according to the White House, could open up access to resources worth $53 billion or more—theoretically. Australia is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world. It is home to some of the largest reserves of lithium as well as rare earths, tungsten, vanadium, manganese, cobalt, copper, and other metals and minerals used in key industries. The deal with the Trump administration would help boost the production of these metals and minerals and diversify the U.S. supply chain.

Then this year, President Trump announced he would set up a strategic national reserve for critical metals and minerals worth $12 billion to make sure the United States does not get vulnerable to supply shifts from China. The reserve would include rare earths and some of the most in-demand metals and minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite, which are used in weapons systems, satellites, batteries, data centers, and industrial motors.

Yet when it comes to weapons systems, rhenium is a lot more valuable than the rest of these metals and minerals. It has no substitutes and its role in defense and aerospace applications is critical as part of specialized alloys—rhenium, in short, is literally indispensable. “It is the metal that allows aircraft engines and military turbines to withstand extreme temperatures without deforming,” according to Professor Victor Perez from Adolfo Ibanez University.

The global race for critical minerals is still on, even if it is not all over the news. And the United States just made an important move in Chile, which is part of a broader move to gain greater exposure to South America’s mineral resources. Every such move counts. The U.S. has a lot of catching up to do with China in the field of critical minerals and speed counts, especially in the current geopolitical situation.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

  NUKE NEWZ  

Trump, Takaichi unveil $40 billion US nuclear project

Bloomberg News | March 20, 2026 | 

Uranium’s spot price continues to rise as more countries back nuclear power. 

Credit: Adobe Stock

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced a nuclear power project in the southern US, the latest initiative stemming from an investment fund the countries established as part of a trade pact.

At the White House on Thursday, the two leaders said that GE Vernova Inc. and Hitachi Ltd. will build BWRX-300 small modular nuclear reactors in Tennessee and Alabama at a cost of as much as $40 billion, according to a White House fact sheet. Japan will also invest up to $33 billion in natural gas power plants in Pennsylvania and Texas.

The projects are intended to stabilize electricity prices and bolster US leadership in global technology competition according to a White House official, who shared the details before the announcement on condition of anonymity, referring to the global race by technology giants to build power-hungry data centers to drive artificial intelligence development.

The small modular nuclear reactors, known as SMRs, would help fuel American industrial growth by adding power that can be generated on demand, the official added. Specific details, including when the reactors would be operational, weren’t immediately clear. 

While the Trump administration and the nuclear-power industry are taking steps to hasten the development of these reactors, most such designs still need regulatory approval. No SMRs have yet been added to US grids.

SMRs will feature less capacity than traditional reactors, which typically boast 1 gigawatt. But the technology is intended to be developed faster than the decade it usually takes to site, build and finance traditional reactors.

The reactor deal is the latest from the $550 billion fund that the US and Japan agreed to as part of an agreement that saw Trump lower auto tariffs and other levies. The two countries also announced a trio of debut projects totaling $36 billion last month, including a US oil export terminal, gas power plant and synthetic diamond manufacturing facility.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statement that the projects would also involve IHI Corp., Japan Steel Works Ltd. and Tamagawa Seiki Co., which are expected to supply components and machinery. The initiative will help the two countries secure stable energy supplies amid rising global electricity demand and geopolitical uncertainty, including tensions in the Middle East, according to the ministry.

Separately, Mitsubishi Materials Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. will be involved in rare-earth mining and recycling projects in Indiana and Arizona, while Japanese companies are exploring avenues for possible investments in or purchasing agreements with an Albemarle Corp. lithium-ion project in North Carolina, according to a fact sheet released by Japan’s government.

The US and Japan also signed an agreement on Thursday to accelerate cooperation on deep-sea critical minerals, including rare-earth muds near Japan’s Minamitorishima Island. They also agreed on a plan to increase the production and diversity of critical minerals, including a trade initiative supported by price floors or other measures. 

Trump and Takaichi also pledged to continue working together in science and technology, space, national defense and regional security.  

For Japan, the trade agreement codifies ties with the US, locks in a more preferable tariff rate for auto exports and creates a potential fast-track avenue for direct investment — one that could smooth concerns that swirled over the tumultuous process by a Japanese firm to buy US Steel, which Trump ultimately approved.

For the US, Trump will seek to present the megafund deals as a sign US industrial rebirth and vindication of his frenzied tariff rollout that has strained trade ties and realigned some supply chains. 

“The scale of these projects are so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS,” Trump said in a social media post last month.

The exact process under which the $550 billion will be allotted remains somewhat unclear. The staggering sum also carries potential political risk for Japan if major flagship initiatives encounter challenges. 

(By Josh Wingrove)

Is Europe going to be forced to return to nuclear energy?

Copyright Ludovic Marin/pool photo via AP

By Quirino Mealha

Published on 21/03/2026 - EURONEWS

With the EU still importing over 50% of its energy and facing persistently high electricity bills, the debate over a nuclear revival to ensure independence and affordability has been reignited.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Iran war has sent energy prices surging and once again laid bare Europe’s deep vulnerabilities.

Consequently, the topic of energy sovereignty has decisively returned to the table in Brussels. This month, the European Commission unveiled a comprehensive set of nuclear-related initiatives as part of its broader energy strategy.

With around 549 million tonnes, Europe’s primary energy production continues to be through oil and other equivalents, according to Eurostat.

Renewables accounted for more than 45% of that output, yet the overall energy mix remains heavily dependent on imported oil and petroleum products (around 38%) and natural gas (roughly 21%).

The latest Middle East crisis has added billions to the imported energy bill, mirroring the price shocks of 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Even in calmer times, households and industry pay among the world’s highest electricity prices. Germany, Belgium and Denmark lead the rankings, as the European Commission has repeatedly noted.

Nuclear development is intrinsically a long game, it cannot provide an immediate fix, but recent events have prompted an analysis of the future.

European leaders at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris on 10 March made clear that the bloc may have little choice if it wants genuine independence and affordable power.

Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen and Rafael Grossi attend the IAEA Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, March 10, 2026 Abdul Saboor, Pool Photo via AP

Speaking at the summit, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was blunt, stating that "this reduction in the share of nuclear was a choice, I believe that it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power."

This is a clear pivot from the Commission President's position on the matter in 2011, which was not directly referenced in the speech. Von der Leyen was part of the cabinet that proposed and backed the "mistake", aligning with her party's position at the time.

Germany closed its last nuclear reactors in 2023, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also labelled the phase-out a “serious strategic error”. Restarting old plants is impossible, so attention has turned to new construction and small modular reactors (SMRs).

Conversely, France generates around 65% of its electricity from nuclear and exports surpluses, illustrating the independence gains available.

The impact on energy security could be substantial. Nuclear offers stable base load power that pairs well with renewables, cutting reliance on fossil-fuel imports that still represent over 60% of the EU’s total.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the same summit that “nuclear power is key to reconciling both independence, and thus energy sovereignty, with decarbonization, and thus carbon neutrality.”

President Macron also pointed to the increased energy demand from AI, highlighting that France’s nuclear fleet has given the country “the ability to open data centres, to build computing capacity and to be at the heart of the artificial intelligence challenge.”

Related

• Portugal has no nuclear power plants. Is this a ‘strategic mistake’ in light of the energy crisis?
• Earthquake-prone Greece long shunned nuclear power. Could that be about to change?

The promise of small modular reactors

Brussels is placing growing faith in SMRs as a flexible, low-carbon solution that can be rolled out more swiftly than traditional plants.

According to the European Commission’s SMR Strategy published this month, the first units could be operational by the early 2030s, with capacity potentially scaling to between 17 GW and 53 GW by 2050.

These compact, factory-built reactors are viewed as particularly well suited to meeting the needs of energy-intensive AI data centres, industrial heat applications, hydrogen production and district heating networks.

The Commission has vowed to cut red tape through streamlined permitting and to provide financial guarantees to speed deployment. Eleven EU member states have already endorsed a joint declaration backing the technology.

International momentum was underscored on Thursday when the US and Japan announced a $40bn (€34.75bn) project to develop SMRs in Tennessee and Alabama, during Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to the White House.

The initiative, centred on GE Vernova Hitachi technology, is intended to stabilise electricity prices for consumers and reinforce the two countries’ leadership in next-generation energy solutions.

US President Donald Trump speaks with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office, 19 March 2026 AP Photo/Alex Brandon

At the Paris summit, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi also captured the growing global consensus when he observed that “all the conditions are now pointing in the direction of fully integrating nuclear energy into the global energy mix.”

Proponents argue that SMRs can serve as a transitional pillar, delivering reliable base load power to complement renewables and reduce Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.

National experiments and shifting attitudes

Member states are pursuing markedly different paths, signalling a pragmatic reassessment of nuclear power’s role in the energy transition.

A key part of the initiative are European pressurised reactors (EPRs), which are third generation pressurised water reactors designed for enhanced security and efficiency.

These EPRs were developed through a collaboration of French and German companies.

France, which already meets around 65% of its electricity needs from nuclear sources, is pressing ahead with six new EPR reactors and has eight more under consideration, all while expanding its renewable capacity.

Belgium is fighting to extend the lifespan of its existing fleet, Italy is preparing draft laws to repeal its longstanding ban, and even Greece, historically cautious because of seismic concerns, has opened a public debate on advanced reactor designs and SMRs.

In countries that never abandoned the technology, such as Sweden and Finland, nuclear continues to underpin some of the highest renewable shares in final energy consumption.

Nuclear energy provides around 23% of the EU’s electricity and around 50% of its low-carbon electricity, according to Eurostat, with evidence from Finland showing that it can deliver more stable and competitive prices than in phase-out countries such as Germany.

The move can also help the bloc avoid emissions equivalent to removing one-third of all cars from the world’s roads.

Emmanuel Macron speaks during a visit to the EPR2 new generation reactors construction site at the Penly nuclear power plant in Petit-Caux, France, 12 March 2026 Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP

The European Commission’s 8th Nuclear Illustrative Programme, released this month, projects that total EU nuclear capacity will grow from 98 GW in 2025 to between 109 GW and 150 GW by 2050, supported by an estimated €241bn in new investments.

These national experiments reflect a growing recognition that nuclear can reinforce energy sovereignty in the medium to long term.

Obstacles that cannot be ignored

Yet major barriers persist that cannot be overlooked. Waste management, public acceptance and the need for harmonised EU-wide regulation remain unresolved issues.

Environmental organisations warn that large-scale nuclear investment could divert funds and political attention from the faster rollout of renewables.

Capital costs and long construction timelines continue to worry investors, while deep-rooted opposition lingers in Germany, Austria and several other countries.

Nuclear development is intrinsically a long game, it cannot provide an immediate fix to today’s supply disruptions or price spikes. Currently, Europe still faces dependencies on Russian technology, uranium and fuel supplies, adding another layer of strategic risk.

SMRs, despite their promise, are widely regarded as unproven at commercial scale, with no construction licences granted anywhere in the EU as of early 2026.

The bloc is nevertheless committing €330mn through 2027 to accelerate fusion research and support nuclear technologies toward eventual grid connection.

Nuclear power offers no panacea, but the combined pressures of geopolitics, soaring AI-driven demand and stubbornly high energy bills are forcing a serious rethink of the EU’s energy future.

World Nuclear News

Darlington 4 back in service, completing refurb project

Monday, 16 March 2026

The fourth unit at Darlington nuclear power plant in Ontario, Canada, has been reconnected to the grid at 100% power, ending the mammoth refurbishment project which began in 2016.
 

The Darlington plant will keep generating electricity into the 2050s (Image: OPG)

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) said the four-unit CAD12.8 billion (USD9.4 billion) Darlington Refurbishment Project - which extends the plant's operation by another 30 years - had been completed CAD150 million under budget and four months early.

Unit 4 was taken offline in July 2023 for refurbishment, which was completed in 968 days, the quickest of the four units. OPG says about 8000 lessons have been learned from the refurbishment project.

Nicolle Butcher, OPG’s President and CEO, said: "Through this project, we have demonstrated to the world that complex nuclear projects can be completed successfully, ahead of schedule and under budget. Our experience on this refurbishment, and the thousands of lessons we have learned, will serve as our foundation as we advance the future of nuclear. Darlington’s refurbishment has given us the confidence, the tools, and the skills to forge ahead."

Candu units are pressurised heavy water reactors designed to operate for 30 years before refurbishment. Refurbishment is a major undertaking: it includes the replacement of key reactor components such as steam generators, pressure tubes, calandria tubes and feeder tubes, and involves removing all the reactor's fuel and heavy water and isolating it from the rest of the power station before it is dismantled. Thousands of components are inspected before the plant is rebuilt and is ready for another 30 years of operation.

Unit 2 was the first to be refurbished and returned to service in June 2020; unit 3 returned to service in July 2023; and unit 1 returned to service in November 2024.

Financial results

Meanwhile OPG reported its financial results for 2025 on 12 March, saying that net income attributable to the shareholder (it is owned by the Ontario government) was CAD1.5 billion, up CAD521 million on 2024. 

It said: "The increase was primarily attributable to higher earnings from the Regulated - Nuclear Generation business segment, reflecting lower operating, maintenance and administration expenses, mainly due to fewer planned cyclical outage activities and the cessation of commercial operation of Unit 1 and Unit 4 of the Pickering GS in the fourth quarter of 2024 as planned, and higher revenue as a result of higher nuclear electricity generation."

Future plans

A major refurbishment project of Pickering units 5-8 got the go-ahead from the provincial government in November and OPG said the four units will be removed from service at the end of the third quarter this year.

It says that following defuelling, the refurbishment project will begin in January 2027 with unit 5 expected to return to service in 2031, and all four back by 2034. The approved budget to refurbish the four units is CAD26.8 billion (USD19.1 billion), "including interest, cost escalation, and contingency".

The Pickering generating station (Image: OPG)

Pickering units 5-8 - known as Pickering B - began operations in the mid-1980s and had been scheduled to end electricity production last year, but in 2022 the provincial government directed OPG to keep them in operation until 2026 and to reassess the feasibility of refurbishing the units. The government gave OPG the go-ahead to begin the initiation phase of the refurbishment project in January 2024, and one year later, it gave its permission for the start of the project definition phase.

According to a study by the Conference Board of Canada, the mega-project - which will enable the plant to continue in operation for up to 38 more years - will increase Ontario's GDP by CAD38.2 billion in 2024 dollars over the project's lifespan, including CAD17 billion during the refurbishment phase, and increase Canada's national GDP by CAD41.6 billion over its lifespan.

Butcher said: "We have the talent and experience, honed during the Darlington Refurbishment and ready to transition to this project, to deliver Pickering Refurbishment within budget and make it as successful as Darlington's."

Pickering units 1 and 4 - the four units making up Pickering A - ceased commercial operations in 2024.

Aalo completes assembly of experimental reactor

Friday, 20 March 2026

Aalo Atomics has held a ceremony to unveil its completed Critical Test Reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. The company said it expects the reactor to achieve criticality "well before" the 4 July deadline.
 

(Image: Aalo Atomics)

Austin, Texas-based Aalo was named in August last year by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as one of 11 advanced reactor projects initially selected for support through its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to see at least three of them achieve criticality by 4 July this year. The initiative is part of the Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May.

Two weeks after being selected, the company broke ground on a plot of land at the border of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to start construction of its first experimental extra modular nuclear reactor, the Aalo-X.

On Thursday, Aalo held a ceremony - attended by representatives from DOE, INL and supply chain partners, including Paragon Energy Solutions and Amsted Graphite - to unveil the completed reactor. Attendees toured the facility, viewing demonstrations of the control software and hardware, shielding systems, and the reactor itself.

(Image: Aalo Atomics)

Aalo-X has been manufactured at Aalo's pilot factory in Austin, Texas, before being transported to and installed at the INL site. The test reactor is the precursor to the Aalo Pod, a 50 MWe XMR (Extra Modular Reactor) power plant purpose-built for data centres. Each fully modular Aalo Pod will contain five factory built, sodium-cooled, Aalo-1 reactors, using low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel. The company says it will be in commercial use by 2029.

In a post on X, Aalo cofounder and CEO Matt Loszak said the nuclear fuel for the Critical Test Reactor "will be arriving any day now". The company, which was founded in 2023, announced earlier this month that it had signed a fuel fabrication contract with Global Nuclear Fuel - a GE Vernova-led alliance with Hitachi Ltd and affiliate of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy - for fuel to power Aalo-X.

Loszak noted that one step remains before the reactor can then be started up: "the final DOE approval to turn the reactor on, which we expect to receive soon".

(Image: Aalo Atomics)

"Today, a completed reactor building stands there - constructed, equipped, and ready for operators to split atoms in the Critical Test Reactor," Aalo said. It added that is "isn't waiting for the deadline" of 4 July to achieve zero-power criticality, adding that it will "go critical in a matter of weeks". 

Aalo said: "Today we unveil the Critical Test Reactor, the first new nuclear reactor at INL in 50 years. Next, our company solves the engineering challenges of extra-modular nuclear reactors. Then, we will construct a massive reactor gigafactory, which will 'productise' the nuclear industry so that we can build reactors in a matter of days. Full-power deployment to customers will happen later this decade. The foundational bricks for that future are now laid."

The other companies selected by the DOE for support under the Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program are: Antares Nuclear Inc; Atomic Alchemy Inc; Deep Fission Inc; Last Energy Inc; Natura Resources LLC; Oklo Inc (selected for two projects); Radiant Industries Inc; Terrestrial Energy Inc; and Valar Atomics Inc.

X-energy, Talen to assess deployment of multiple SMR plants

Friday, 20 March 2026

US advanced nuclear technology developer X-energy Reactor Company has signed a Letter of Intent with Talen Energy Corporation to assess deploying X-energy's XE-100 small modular reactors in Pennsylvania and across the PJM Interconnection Regional Transmission Organization market.
 

(Image: X-energy)

The companies will explore opportunities to deploy three or more four-unit XE-100 plants "to add clean baseload capacity to help support reliability and meet growing energy demand from onshoring of manufacturing, data centres, and electrification" in the PJM Interconnection market. PJM is the regional transmission organisation that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Under the agreement, X-energy and Talen plan to conduct early-stage project development activities, including feasibility studies, site evaluations, and a project execution framework. While specific siting parameters have yet to be finalised, the companies intend to assess opportunities to transition fossil-fired generation to nuclear power through X-energy SMRs, leveraging established infrastructure, transmission connectivity, and workforce resources.

Independent power producer Talen Energy Corporation owns and operates about 13.1 GW of power infrastructure in the USA, including 2.2 GW of nuclear power and a significant dispatchable fossil fleet.

The Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor design which X-energy says is based on decades of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor operation, research, and development. It is designed to operate as a standard 320 MWe four-pack power plant or scaled in units of 80 MWe. X-energy says the reactor is "strongly aligned to meet the Mid-Atlantic region's growing energy needs, with unique characteristics well-suited to regional grids, hyperscale data centres, and other large commercial off-takers". At 200 MWt of 565°C steam, the Xe-100 is also suitable for other power applications, including mining and heavy industry. The Xe-100 uses tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, which has additional safety benefits because it can withstand very high temperatures without melting.

"Our agreement with Talen is an important step forward to strengthen baseload capacity and meet growing energy demands in the PJM market," said X-energy Chief Commercial Officer Dinkar Bhatia. "Our small modular reactor technology is uniquely suited to meet these demand opportunities reliably and safely, with the scalability and flexibility to deploy across a range of project sites."

X-energy says it is currently developing more than 11 GW of new nuclear capacity across commercial partnerships in the USA and the UK. In Texas, X-energy and Dow are advancing a proposed four-unit plant under the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. This is expected to be followed by Energy Northwest's Cascade Advanced Energy Facility - the first of several projects to deploy at least 5 GW with Amazon by 2039 - and a 6 GW commitment from Centrica for the UK's first advanced reactor fleet.

Talen President Terry Nutt added: "Talen believes that future power demand needs an all-of-the-above supply approach, and this includes new nuclear technology. Commercial nuclear energy is a proven carbon-free energy source that provides for energy independence and diversification. We look forward to working with X-energy as part of our broader commitment to Powering the Future."

In June last year, Talen entered into a new agreement for the long-term supply of 1,920 MWe of electricity from its Susquehanna nuclear power plant to support Amazon Web Services' data centres. At the time, Talen said that together with Amazon it would also explore building new SMRs "within Talen's Pennsylvania footprint" and "pursue expanding the nuclear plant's energy output through uprates, with the intent to add net-new energy to the PJM grid."

Framatome to supply low-enriched fuel for Belgium's BR2 research reactor

Friday, 20 March 2026

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN has signed a contract with Framatome to supply fuel for the BR2 research reactor, which is converting from the use of high-enriched uranium fuel to low-enriched uranium fuel.
 

The BR2 reactor core (Image: SCK CEN)

The French-based fuel specialist will supply high-density silicide low-enriched uranium (HD LEU) fuel elements for the 100 MWt reactor, which is a key global producer of medical radioisotopes.

Framatome delivered three Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs) in April 2025 of HD LEU to qualify as an approved supplier for the BR2 reactor. The LTAs have been "successfully irradiated in the BR2 reactor, going through a representative series of operating cycles for standard driver fuel elements, without any reported defect or irregularity", Framatome said.

Ralf Gathmann, Vice President of CERCA at Framatome, said: "This contract represents an important step in demonstrating Europe's capabilities in the nuclear field and in strengthening European supply‑chain expertise for the production of medical radioisotopes."

Steven Van Dyck, BR2 Director at SCK-CEN, said: "This step reinforces our roadmap towards BR2's future conversion to low-enriched uranium. With the successful irradiation of these LTAs, we can consider Framatome as a qualified supplier of LEU fuel for BR2 and, combined with this new fuel supply contract, we can count on them as a trusted partner for future fuel deliveries. We are ready to start using this fuel as soon as we receive official approval from the Belgian nuclear authority."

Framatome said it was now focused on full industrial-scale production of HD LEU fuel elements.

Background

The BR2 is one of three operating research reactors at SCK-CEN in Mol, northeast Belgium. In operation since 1963, the BR2 is one of the oldest research reactors in Western Europe. The reactor is due to have its next periodic safety review later this year, when a decision will be taken on operation for a subsequent 10 years.

The BR2 accounts for about a quarter of the global production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes, including for cancer therapy and medical imaging. It also produces doped silicon, which forms a semiconductor material that provides the basic substance for electronic components.

Most of the world's research reactors were built in the 1960s and 1970s using technology that required high-enriched uranium (HEU) - with enrichment levels as high as 98% - to perform experiments. HEU targets have also been used in the production of medical radioisotopes. However, such HEU could potentially be used to make a nuclear weapon and is therefore seen as a proliferation risk. Much of this research can now be carried out using LEU, of which uranium-235 accounts for less than 20%.

CERCA is Framatome's subsidiary for the fabrication of fuel elements for research reactors and supplies almost all European research reactors and a significant share of research reactors across the globe. More than 20,000 fuel elements have been manufactured by CERCA for research reactors around the world. 75% of the world's technetium-99m scans are performed using medical targets produced by CERCA.

Early construction landmarks for Chinese units

Friday, 20 March 2026

The giant CA20 structural module of Bailong nuclear power plant's unit 1 has been lifted into place - and the first steam generator moved into position at Lufeng nuclear power plant's unit 6.

(Image: Guangxi Nuclear Power Company)

The construction of Phase I (units 1 and 2) of the Bailong plant in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was among approvals for 11 new reactors granted by China's State Council in August 2024. State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) plans to build two CAP1000 pressurised water reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - as the first phase of the plant. An investment of about CNY40 billion (USD5.6 billion) is planned for the two units, which are expected to take 56 months to construct.

Excavation work for the foundation pit began in late December 2024. SPIC subsidiary Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute (SNERDI) - joint general contractor for the project - announced it poured the first concrete on 22 December 2025 for the basemat of the nuclear island at Bailong unit 1. The company said a total of a 6,662 cubic metres of concrete was poured in a process lasting just over 64 hours.

Located on Jiangshan Peninsula in Fangchenggang City, Guangxi Province, the Bailong plant is planned to have six units, with a total installed capacity of 8.62 GWe and a total investment of approximately CNY120 billion. The first phase of the project adopts the CAP1000 design, with each unit having a capacity of 1.25 million kilowatts. Four CAP1400 reactors are also proposed to be built at the site - located about 24 kilometres from the border with Vietnam and about 30 kilometres southwest of China General Nuclear's Fangchenggang nuclear power plant - in later phases.

After the first phase of the project is completed and put into operation, it is expected to generate about 20 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by about 6 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by about 16 million tonnes per year.

The cuboid-shaped CA20 module is about 21 metres long, 14 metres wide and about 21 metres tall, with a lifting weight of about 1,064 tonnes. It consists of 32 wall modules and 39 floor modules. It will comprise plant and equipment for used fuel storage, transmission, the heat exchanger and waste collection, among other things.

Guangxi Nuclear Power said that after strict quality inspections, the CA20 structural module completed the on-site transportation on 17 March, with the lifting operation beginning at 08:57 on 18 March and lasting two hours and ten minutes.

It added that the successful process had accumulated valuable experience for subsequent modular construction.

Lufeng

The Lufeng plant - located in Jieshi Town, Lufeng City, Guangdong Province - is planned to eventually have six 1,000-megawatt pressurised water reactor units.

(Image: CNNC)

In April 2022 the State Council approved construction of two HPR1000 (Hualong One) units at Lufeng as units 5 and 6. First concrete was poured for unit 5 on 8 September 2022 and that for unit 6 on 26 August 2023.
 

China Nuclear Construction Corporation said that the first steam generator - the heaviest and largest core equipment in the nuclear island - was hoisted into place in unit 6 at 17:18 on 17 March.
 

The team had worked with experts to learn from the successful experience with unit 5, it said and were "rigorous and meticulous" throughout the process of moving the steam generator and flipping and hoisting it into place.
 

"The smooth hoisting of the first steam generator is not only an important milestone in the construction of unit 6, but also accumulates valuable experience," it added, for future construction.

Hunterston B site relicensed for decommissioning

Thursday, 19 March 2026

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has formally approved the relicensing of the Hunterston B nuclear power plant in North Ayrshire, Scotland - from EDF to Nuclear Restoration Services - marking the beginning of the site's decommissioning phase.
 

(Image: ONR)

The plant site is due to transfer to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the body tasked with decommissioning the UK's former nuclear sites, on 1 April. NDA subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) will assume the role of licensee and take on full responsibility for overseeing the decommissioning of the site, making it the first of EDF's Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) sites to move to NRS.

During a signing ceremony at Hunterston B on Wednesday, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) granted a site licence to NRS and signed the documentation revoking EDF's site licence from 31 March.

The licence, which will take effect at the point of site transfer, is a legal document that will see responsibility for the site move from EDF to NRS. It sets out the conditions under which the site can operate and is crucial for future decommissioning work to proceed.

"The change in ownership is expected to take place on time and on budget," the NDA said. "It involves the transfer of thousands of files and records, more than 20 contracts and six site licences and permits from EDF to NRS, the NDA subsidiary that will carry out the decommissioning."

"This first-of-a-kind project is a massive undertaking involving not just the transfer of a huge number of documents and permits but also of 246 brilliant people and the knowledge and skills they hold," said EDF’s Decommissioning Director, Paul Morton." Transfer is on track to be delivered on schedule. This has only been possible due to the strong relationship developed between EDF and NRS which has given the ONR the confidence to make this change to the site licence and enable continued decommissioning."

Andrew Munro, Managing Director (AGRs and Paired Sites), NRS, said: "I am hugely proud of the collaborative work by so many people and organisations to bring us to this point. It has been a massive effort by all involved. We now look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the NRS family on 1 April and embarking on the exciting next phase of the site's lifetime – the journey of safe, secure and sustainable decommissioning. We are ready to support the site team using the decades of decommissioning experience gained in the wider NRS business, including the paired Hunterston A site next door. And, of course, we look forward to the transfer of Hinkley Point B later this year."

Hunterston B (Image: EDF Energy)

The Hunterston B plant comprises two 490 MWe AGRs - Reactors 3 and 4. Reactor 3 came online for the first time in February 1976, was initially expected to run for 25 years but had its generating lifespan increased to more than 45 years. It was taken offline in November 2021. The plant's other unit, Reactor 4, started up in March 1977 and was shut down in January 2022. In April last year, Hunterston B became the first of the UK's seven AGR power plants to be declared free of all used nuclear fuel ahead of decommissioning.

Decommissioning of the site will involve dismantling nuclear facilities and removing any associated radioactive waste for safe storage or disposal which includes removing all plant, equipment, services and buildings outside of the reactor building. After the decommissioning process is complete, the site will enter a period of care and maintenance. Decommissioning is being carried out using funds from the Nuclear Liabilities Fund, a ring-fenced GBP20.7 billion (USD27.6 billion) fund set up in 1996 specifically to pay for the decommissioning of the current nuclear fleet.

Decommissioning of AGRs
 
EDF had originally been responsible for total lifetime decommissioning of the seven AGR plants, which comprise Torness and Hunterston B in Scotland, Dungeness B in Kent, Hartlepool in Teesside, Heysham 1 and 2 in Lancashire and Hinkley Point B in Somerset. All these plants are scheduled to reach the end of their operational lives this decade.

However, in June 2021, the UK government and EDF agreed improved arrangements to safely and efficiently decommission the AGRs. Under the agreement, EDF will aim to shorten the time it takes to safely remove the fuel from the plants as they come offline, before working closely with the NDA to transfer ownership of the stations to the NDA.

Four AGR plants are still in operation. Hartlepool and Heysham 1 are currently expected to operate until March 2028. Heysham 2 and Torness are currently due to generate until March 2030.

Kazakhstan updates on nuclear energy, uranium plans

Thursday, 19 March 2026

An intergovernmental agreement with Russia on the construction of the Balkash Nuclear Power Plant, and the signing of an EPC contract, are among priorities set out by Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency for 2026.
 

Kazatomprom's CEO and the President discussed the uranium outlook (Image: Kazatomprom)

In an update outlining its first year of operation, the agency highlighted its development of a strategy for the nuclear industry to 2050 and the selection of Russia's Rosatom as the leader of an international consortium to build the country's planned new plant, to be named Balkash and located in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region.

It said "the main stage of field research has been completed: geophysical work has been carried out, 60 wells have been drilled, about 1,000 soil and water samples have been taken for laboratory analysis, and hydrogeological studies have been conducted".

Work was also taking place towards a second and third nuclear power plant in the country, with the Zhambyl district designated as the location for the second plant and "issues of possible partnership with Chinese companies" being worked out.

It stressed its close collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency in developing the nuclear power programme, saying: "The plan provides for the development of new regulatory documents, as well as updating the existing framework regulating the entire life cycle of nuclear power plants - from design to decommissioning."

There had also been a new mechanism approved to use 1% of the costs of uranium production to finance scientific research.

"In 2026, it is planned to move to the next stage of the implementation of the nuclear programme. Among the priorities are the signing of intergovernmental agreements with the Russian Federation on the construction project of the Balkhash NPP, the signing of an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract, approval of the industry development strategy until 2050, adoption of a law on working with radioactive waste, as well as further development of international cooperation, isolation of production and personnel training," the update concluded.

Uranium outlook

This week also saw Meirzhan Yussupov, CEO of Kazatomprom, update Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the company's performance, saying that uranium production in 2025 had been 25.8 thousand tonnes and, according to the company's report, that "despite geopolitical turbulence, the company continues to deliver on its contractual obligations in full and ensures uninterrupted global uranium supplies".

It added that Yussupov "emphasised that in accordance with the directives of the Head of State, the company is continuing its efforts on geological exploration and strategic expansion of the nation's mineral resource base. Kazatomprom has established a portfolio of six new prospective uranium areas … spanning an aggregate area of more than 1,000 square kilometres, with total exploration investments projected at KZT75-85 billion (USD156-175 million) through 2030".

By the end of 2025, consolidated sales volume across the Group had increased by 11%, reaching 18,500 tonnes and, it said, in accordance with the company's 2025-2034 strategy, Kazatomprom was actively expanding its footprint across new markets and had secured uranium supply agreements with European utilities Axpo Power AG, of Switzerland, and ČEZ Group, Czech Republic, and Kansai Electric Power, from Japan. "Efforts are currently under way to finalise a long-term agreement for the supply of natural uranium concentrates to India," the report added.

Background

Kazakhstan is the world's leading producer of uranium. Although it does not currently use nuclear energy, it is not without nuclear experience: it has three operating research reactors, and a Russian-designed BN-350 sodium-cooled fast reactor operated near Aktau for 26 years, until 1999.

Kazakhstan has been preparing for a possible nuclear power programme to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, diversify its energy mix and reduce CO2 emissions for some time. Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund JSC, was set up in 2014. In a referendum in 2024 more than 70% of the 7.8 million people who voted answered 'yes' to the question: "Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?"

As well as the proposed large-scale nuclear power plants there are also options for using small modular reactors to replace retiring coal plants in the years to come - the government has had a target for nuclear to produce a 5% share of the national generation mix by 2035.