It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Gary, Indiana’s two-week blackout highlights a broader decline in U.S. grid reliability, driven by aging infrastructure, extreme weather and rising electricity demand.
A weak grid could also undermine emerging technologies such as fusion and AI, which require enormous amounts of power and robust transmission infrastructure.
A two-tier electricity system where wealthier consumers secure reliable private power while lower-income households increasingly depend on a deteriorating public grid could become reality.
After two weeks of darkness, power has been restored to all the citizens of Gary, Indiana, an old, low income, lakefront, industrial city within sight of Chicago. The outage did get some national publicity, TV stories showing the residents of Gary roaming around in the hot nights, showing empty refrigerators in dark apartments, complaining bitterly. But, you know, not a story as spectacular as when an electric company burned down an entire island or when another one managed to set fire to Pacific Coast towns with glamorous names. Just two weeks in the summer without electricity. Not a big story.
A violent storm had hit Gary. Trees fell. Some people complained that the trees had not been trimmed properly. The local utility had infelicitously announced a reorganization of assets to attract data center business, too. Not paying attention to the core business? The governor will investigate. So what is the big deal? It’s an isolated incident caused by freakish weather. Sort of like all the other incidents caused by freakish weather, drought, storms, blizzards.
Well, we have another take on events. Freakish weather has become normal. That’s what scientists predicted more than two decades ago, predictions the electricity industry, by and large, chose to ignore. Add together years of unpreparedness, changing climate, aging equipment and rising demand on the system and that produces a decline in reliability, a trend demonstrated by the statistics over the past 25 years. In other words, two weeks without power in Gary is just part of a pattern.
We have argued that technology has begun to favor a scenario in which those who want and can afford high quality standalone electric service (solar, batteries, propane back-up) will arrange it for themselves and the public network will become a provider of last resort for those who cannot afford the best. This scenario has equity implications, of course. People need electricity in the same way they need water. We don’t furnish (not usually, anyway) second rate water to those who have trouble paying the water bill. There is, however, another implication of our scenario, for fusion power, the unlimited energy source that will (we hope) bail us out of our current energy dilemma. Backers of fusion are tackling their projects in the same way as backers of electric vehicles did, that is, build the device and expect that the market will furnish the infrastructure in a timely manner. Fusion power plants will require a robust electric grid ready to transmit their power. The grid is an interconnected system. The invisible hand won’t produce one. If it sinks into a second rate state, it won’t have the resources to support new fusion technologies. Delivery system first and power source second. (As an aside, one of the top AI executive said that connection to the grid can take years, maybe 4-12 years depending on the situation. But that a comment brings up the question of why the AI people were making plans without understanding the limitations of the network. You would think that all that artificial intelligence would lead to a better planning process.)
Finally, a nasty and cynical thought. Would the outage have lasted two weeks if it had occurred in Beverly Hills, CA or Greenwich, CT or Georgetown in Washington, DC? Just something to think about.
By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles for Oilprice.com
Siemens Energy to produce Rolls-Royce SMR turbines in the UK
Key steam turbine components – including high-pressure turbines and valve casings - for Rolls-Royce SMR's first three small modular reactors at the Gwyndod project on Anglesey in North Wales, will be manufactured at Germany-based Siemens Energy's facility in Newcastle, in northeast England.
(Image: DESNZ)
The announcement was made on Thursday at Siemens Energy's historic CA Parsons Works site in Newcastle in the presence of Miatta Fahnbulleh, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. The plant has been a critical part of the UK's energy infrastructure since 1889 – including building the steam turbine for Calder Hall in West Cumbria, the World's first commercial nuclear power plant, which began generating in 1956.
Rolls-Royce SMR selected Siemens Energy in February 2025 as its global turbine systems partner for its small modular reactor (SMR). Under the agreement, Siemens Energy is to be the sole supplier of steam turbines, generators, and other auxiliary systems for Rolls-Royce SMR's planned nuclear power plants. Siemens Energy's solutions for nuclear power plants include steam turbines and generators with outputs ranging from 20 MW to 1,900 MW, as well as operational control technology and control systems.
Under the latest announcement, Siemens Energy will produce vital components for the Gwyndod project in the UK and for the growing SMR export market.
"This marks the first time these components will be produced for a small modular reactor anywhere in Europe, representing another important milestone in building a UK-led nuclear supply chain," Rolls-Royce SMR said, adding that the announcement will support more than 550 jobs and create new opportunities in Newcastle.
"I'm proud of today's announcement which clearly demonstrates how Rolls-Royce SMR is delivering its commitment to localisation, driving investment and reshoring work that would have taken place overseas," said Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton. "By working with Siemens Energy in Newcastle, we are building on a remarkable industrial legacy while creating and sustaining the skills and supply chain needed to deliver clean, secure and affordable energy for decades to come."
Darren Davidson, UK Vice President for Siemens Energy, added: "This is a significant moment for Siemens Energy and our Newcastle facility, for UK manufacturing and for Britain's nuclear future. Building on a site with a world-class engineering legacy, we're preparing to manufacture the next generation of steam turbines for small modular reactors, supporting energy security, creating skilled jobs and helping power the UK's future energy mix."
"I'm delighted to welcome Siemens to the team delivering the UK's first SMRs," said Simon Roddy, CEO of Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N). "Manufacturing these major components in Newcastle for our flagship project in North Wales demonstrates that every corner of the UK has a role to play in this programme. I'm particularly proud that we're sustaining such a vital strategic capability, strengthening both our industrial base and the UK supply chain."
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: "This is what reindustrialisation looks like - a vital clean energy project reviving our old manufacturing capabilities to provide good, skilled jobs where we need them. The announcement is a real vote of confidence in industrial Britain and shows what SMRs and nuclear projects can deliver for this country."
The Gwyndod project
The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Ninety percent of the SMR - measuring about 16 metres by 4 metres - will be built in factory conditions, limiting activity on-site primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested, modules which significantly reduces project risk and has the potential to shorten build schedules.
In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected by ČEZ to deploy up to 3 GW of electricity in the Czech Republic, and ČEZ took a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR. The plan is for the first SMR to be deployed in the area of the Temelín site (which already has two gigawatt-scale VVER-100 units), with further projects being developed for coal-fired power plant sites, including Tušimice. Rolls-Royce SMR has signed an early works agreement with ČEZ to progress licensing, permitting and site-specific design for deployment.
In June 2025, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government's preferred technology for the country's first SMR project. A final investment decision is expected to be taken in 2029. In November, the UK government announced that Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, would be the site to host the three Rolls-Royce SMR units. It said the site - where a Magnox plant is being decommissioned - could potentially host up to eight SMRs. In April, Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract with GBE-N to begin site-specific design and delivery activities for the UK's first SMRs at Wylfa.
In May this year, GBE-N launched a contest to find a name for the SMR plant to be built at the Wylfa site. The company subsequently announced that, after hundreds of suggestions were submitted by locals, a panel of young people from Anglesey has decided the plant will be called Gwyndod Power Station.
Helical selected for Japanese fusion demonstration project
Tokyo-based fusion company Helical Fusion announced it has been conditionally selected by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for a project aimed at demonstrating fusion energy power generation in the 2030s.
Helical Fusion's planned first power generation plant, Helix KANATA (Image: Helical Fusion)
Founded in October 2021, Helical is building on research conducted by the National Institute for Fusion Science on the Helical Stellarator design. It aims to achieve "the world's first practical power generation using fusion energy" through the Helix Programme, which aims to commercialise fusion energy using Japan's unique "helical fusion reactor". The programme aims to complete individual demonstrations of the two major development elements - the high-temperature superconducting magnet and the blanket/divertor - by the mid-2020s. In the 2030s, the programme plans to conduct integrated demonstrations using the final demonstration device, the Helix HARUKA, and achieve the world's first practical fusion power generation device, the Helix KANATA.
A stellarator fusion reactor is different to a tokamak fusion reactor such as the Joint European Torus in the UK or the ITER device under construction in France. A tokamak is based on a uniform toroid shape, whereas a stellarator twists that shape in a figure-8. This gets round the problems tokamaks face when magnetic coils confining the plasma are necessarily less dense on the outside of the toroidal ring.
Helical's Helix Programme defines three essential requirements for commercially viable fusion power: steady-state operation, net electricity output, and regular, efficient component maintenance. The Helical Stellarator is uniquely capable of meeting all three criteria with existing technologies, the company said.
Helical now said it has been selected as a conditionally approved project operator for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's (METI's) FY2025 Supplementary Grant for Promoting Fusion Energy Power Generation Demonstration Project. This project, under the Basic Energy Plan and the national strategy for nuclear fusion development, the Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy, promotes and supports diverse challenges in order to realise world-leading fusion energy power generation demonstrations in the 2030s. By the end of February 2029, a total of about JPY60 billion (USD370 million) in subsidies is expected for all selected project operators. Formal selection and grant amounts will be announced at a later date.
In power generation demonstrations in the 2030s, the goal is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of power generation systems that are expected to be marketable and economically viable, and to systematically acquire fundamental knowledge of the technologies necessary for commercial power plants. Furthermore, ensuring safety, implementing rational safety measures, and engaging in dialogue with the local community are also prerequisites.
Takaya Taguchi, CEO of Helical, said: "This subsidy programme aims to determine which technologies are realistic for realizing power plants, and Helical Fusion has selected and developed technologies based solely on this criterion. I am confident that the helical system, with its characteristics suitable for power plants - high power generation efficiency, steady-state operation, and maintainability - will undoubtedly become a strength for Japan in the international competition surrounding fusion energy."
Preparatory work for the next phase of decommissioning the three intact reactor units at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is due to be completed by the end of 2028, the operators of the site say.
(Image: ChNPP)
The accident in 1986 destroyed the plant's unit 4, but three other units were undamaged and continued to operate afterwards - the last one was only shut down 14 years later.
According to an update from Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP), its staff have now completed 94% of preparatory work for the decommissioning of unit 2, with 44% also completed at unit 1.
Planning for the work at unit 3 is currently taking place, with "physical works scheduled to begin in 2027".
The work includes: decommissioning of systems and components located within the conservation zone premises; removal of thermal insulation and combustible materials; removal of power, signalling and control cables; sealing of wall penetrations, installation and process openings at the boundary between the conservation zone premises and the control zones; and installation of fire-resistant panels and mats at the points where wall penetrations and installation openings have been sealed, and on air ducts within the conservation zone.
Maksym Protsenko, Head of the Chornobyl NPP Engineering Centre, said: "We have decided to carry out these works using the plant's own personnel, as part of ongoing operations and in accordance with the work execution plans developed by the Chornobyl NPP Engineering Centre."
The current work is described as the second of four stages of decommissioning and "the final shutdown and conservation of the reactor installations of Units 1, 2 and 3".
These three units, all RBMK-1000 reactors, closed down in 1991, 1996 and 2000, respectively. There are also two almost-completed ones, being decommissioned.
The first phase of the work was completed by 2015, when all units were offline and had their nuclear fuel removed and transferred to the used nuclear fuel storage facility.
Once the current stage is completed, contractors will undertake work, including lowering the height of parts of the units by 12-16 metres, as well as the dismantling of loading and unloading machinery and hoisting mechanisms.
ChNPP says there will also be work to carry out "key measures aimed at ensuring safety and preparing the reactor units for long-term controlled storage" which includes:
- Dismantling systems and plant components external to the nuclear reactor - Strengthening the barriers to the release of radioactive substances - Reliable preservation of plant components that are not subject to dismantling - The creation of conditions for the temporary controlled storage of radioactive substances remaining within the plant - The collection and conditioning of radioactive waste generated during the works, and its transfer to specialised organisations for further management
ChNPP says: "The safe storage stage involves a period during which the level of radioactivity is expected to decrease naturally to acceptable levels. It is planned to move to this stage in 2034, following verification of the safety of long-term storage of radioactive materials within the limits and for the duration specified in the nuclear facility decommissioning project."
During the next stage - the dismantling of the reactor units - systems and components subject to control as sources of ionising radiation will be dismantled and removed, and subsequently placed in radioactive waste repositories. Protsenko said: "This approach to the decommissioning of the Chornobyl NPP complies with national regulations and international standards."
What about unit 4?
The situation with the fourth unit, which was destroyed during the accident in April 1986, is different. A shelter was constructed in a matter of months to encase the damaged unit, which allowed the other units at the plant to continue operating. It still contains the molten core of the reactor and an estimated 200 tonnes of highly radioactive material.
However that shelter was not designed for the very long-term, and so the New Safe Confinement - the largest moveable land-based structure ever built - was constructed to cover a much larger area including the original shelter. The New Safe Confinement has a span of 257 metres, a length of 162 metres, a height of 108 metres and a total weight of 36,000 tonnes and was designed for a lifetime of about 100 years. It was damaged by a drone strike last year and there is work taking place to return it to its full design functions before the proposed safety work on the original shelter can take place.
Rosatom signs EPC contract for Kazakhstan nuclear plant
An engineering, procurement and construction contract for Kazakhstan's proposed Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant has been signed by Rosatom and Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants.
(Image: Rosatom)
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom was selected last year to lead an international consortium to build the proposed 2,400 MW capacity plant in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region.
The new contract sets out the responsibilities of the two sides in the project, with Rosatom responsible for the project implementation "from design and procurement to construction, commissioning, and handover of the completed facility to the customer".
Survey work began in the chosen area in August 2025, with more than 60 boreholes up to 120 metres deep drilled for samples to be analysed to help in the selection of the preferred location for the units. This work is due to be completed next year, followed by the preparation of documentation for the permit application process.
The plant is due to consist of two of Rosatom's VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors, the type being used in projects in Belarus, China, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt and Hungary.
Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev said: "The signed document marks a new stage in our cooperation with Kazakhstan. Rosatom will soon complete design work and create an international consortium of equipment suppliers. At every stage of the project, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our core objective: to build and commission power units that meet the most stringent international safety and efficiency requirements. We are confident that Russian nuclear technologies will provide a reliable foundation for the energy independence and sustainable development of the Republic of Kazakhstan."
Background
An intergovernmental agreement setting out the key principles - and export loan financing - for Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant project was signed in May during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to the country.
Further details of the financing was not included in the official announcements, although the official news agency Kazinform said that preliminary estimates put the cost of the two units at about USD14.4 billion, with another USD2 billion earmarked for physical security systems and social infrastructure. It reported that the construction start was targeted for 2027, and the aim was for operation of the first unit in 2034.
In his comments after signing the agreement in May, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said: "There's every reason to single out energy as a very successful area of cooperation. In my view, the agreement signed today on the construction of the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant is of exceptional significance."
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?"
In addition to the initial nuclear power plant, China National Nuclear Corporation is lined up to build a second one, at a site also in the Zhambyl district, adjacent to the site selected for the first plant, as well as a third plant, Kazinform News Agency reported last July. The government has set a target for nuclear to produce a 5% share of the national generation mix by 2035.
Industrial zone plan to boost localisation for Uzbek nuclear project
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said there should be an increase in localisation of work as he reviewed the construction and infrastructure plans for the country's first nuclear power plant.
(Image: Uzbek Presidential website)
Excavation work began in October last year for the pit for the first of the small modular reactors at the site. About 1.5 million cubic metres of soil were excavated during the digging of a pit 13 metres deep. In March this year, Rosatom said that about 900 cubic metres were being poured during the concrete foundation work for the reactor building. After that was levelled and waterproofed, a ceremony was held in June to mark the pouring of the first concrete for the reactor building's foundation slab.
According to a presidential website report on a progress briefing to the president, it says he was told that excavation work has been completed on an area of 100 hectares at the construction and installation base, with 450 workers and specialists, and more than 100 items of specialised equipment, working at the site.
"According to preliminary estimates, local production accounts for 21 percent of the project … the head of state noted that this figure is insufficient. The goal is to increase the share of domestic production in the project to at least 30 percent, ensure that 65 percent of construction and installation work is carried out by national enterprises, and attract 7,000 local workers and specialists," the report says.
To help this process, the president approved a plan for a 200-hectare industrial zone which would attract tax and customs benefits for firms, which are expected to include "at least 100 joint ventures" and help "localise production in 15 areas through technology transfer".
For the infrastructure works - which include 39 kilometres of roads, 11 kilometres of railway and 388 kilometres of electrical networks - the president said he wanted to see a 60-70 percent share of local products and services.
There is also a plan for a 200-hectare city for nuclear workers, which will have around 10,000 apartments for about 33,000 residents and include "energy-efficient multi-story buildings, schools and preschools, healthcare, sports, and cultural facilities, recreation areas, and extensive green spaces".
The presidential office's report adds: "Taking into account the expansion of the functions of the Uzatom Agency and the Directorate for Nuclear Power Plant Construction, proposals for a phased strengthening of their organisational and personnel potential were considered.
"The head of state gave specific instructions to responsible officials to ensure high quality, safety, and timely construction of the nuclear power plant and the city of nuclear workers, expand the participation of domestic enterprises, and coordinate the implementation of infrastructure projects and personnel training programmes."
Background
Uzbekistan has a long nuclear-related history with considerable mineral deposits - it is the world’s fifth-ranking uranium supplier. It has also had two research reactors, a 10 MW tank type - WWR-SM - which has been operating since 1959 at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Uzbek Academy of Sciences near Tashkent, and a small 20 kW one operated by JSC Foton in Tashkent which was decommissioned between 2015-19.
It has had long-term plans to develop nuclear energy capacity and a contract was signed in May 2024, during a visit to the country by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was originally for the construction of a 330 MW capacity nuclear power plant featuring six units of the RITM-200N water-cooled small modular reactor (SMR), which is adapted from nuclear-powered icebreakers' technology, with thermal power of 190 MW or 55 MWe and with an intended service life of 60 years. The first unit was scheduled to go critical in late 2029 with units commissioned one by one.
In 2025, a supplemental agreement to the contract for the new nuclear power plant - in the Jizzakh region - covered the decision to change its contents to two gigawatt-scale VVER-1000 units and two SMRs. This increased the proposed capacity to more than 2,100 MWe, compared with the previous 330 MWe. It is the first export order for Russia's SMR. The first land-based version is currently being built in Yakut, Russia, with the launch of the first unit scheduled for 2027.
TerraPower selects more suppliers for Natrium components
US small modular reactor developer TerraPower has announced the selection of 12 supplier awards as it continues to build out the supply chain needed to support its first Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor power plant, in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
A rendering of the Kemmerer plant (Image: TerraPower)
The awards include work for Merrick & Company (two contracts), Mirion Technologies Inc, BWXT Canada Ltd, Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc, Marmen Inc, Thermal Engineering International (USA) Inc, Jensen Hughes, Boston Government Services LLC, James Fisher Technologies LLC, KROHNE Nuclear, and Valserve.
TerraPower's Natrium technology features a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with a molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can temporarily boost the system's output to 500 MWe when needed, enabling the plant to follow daily electric load changes and integrate seamlessly with fluctuating renewable resources. TerraPower began non-nuclear construction for its first Natrium plant, in Kemmerer, in June 2024, and expects construction of the plant - which it says will be the first commercial-scale, advanced nuclear project in the USA - to be complete in 2030. The first Natrium project is being developed through the US Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The Natrium reactor is a TerraPower and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy technology.
TerraPower has already secured all the long-lead items for the project as well as the entire Natrium reactor enclosure system.
In addition to the first Natrium plant under construction, TerraPower has an agreement with Facebook and Instagram owner Meta for up to eight Natrium plants by 2035.
"These equipment awards support the construction of the Natrium plant, as well as support completion of the first-of-a-kind sodium test and fill facility that is also being constructed on the Natrium site in Wyoming," TerraPower said. "Through these award selections for the first Natrium plant, TerraPower is establishing a resilient and sustainable supply chain to bring a fleet of Natrium reactors online in the coming decade.
"Securing contracts up and down the supply chain is critical to ensuring project milestones are met and the US manufacturing base is well positioned to support the exponential growth in advanced nuclear deployment anticipated in the coming decade."
Pat Young, senior vice president and Natrium project director at TerraPower, added: "Securing supplier contracts is fundamental to establishing the resilient and sustainable supply chain needed to build advanced nuclear plants. With each contract awarded, we are strengthening our network of qualified partners and ensuring critical milestones are met as we bring the Natrium reactor to market."
Last month, TerraPower signed agreements with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction (HDEC) and SK Innovation to develop and commercialise its Natrium reactor technology across the USA, Korea and select international markets. The agreements were signed in Seoul during the first meeting among the top executives of the three companies since HD Hyundai, TerraPower and HDEC signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding in May to cooperate on next-generation sodium reactor projects.
Consortium formed for Swedish SMR project
Studsvik has selected GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Samsung C&T as its strategic partners for an initial four-unit BWRX-300 small modular reactor project, either at its existing licensed nuclear site in Nyköping or at the Målma site in Valdemarsvik.
(Image: Studsvik)
Swedish nuclear technical services provider Studsvik, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH), GE Vernova Financial Services, DS Investment Partners and Samsung C&T announced the signing of an agreement to advance the ReFirm nuclear programme at Studsvik's sites in Sweden. The agreement is exclusive for a fixed period, which the parties may extend.
ReFirm is a multi-site small modular reactor (SMR) and new nuclear development programme that became part of the Studsvik Group through the acquisition of Kärnfull Next earlier this year. The programme is focused on light-water SMR technology, with plans for multiple units at "SMR parks". Its plan is for the first unit to be commissioned in the mid-2030s. Kärnfull Next has worked with GE Vernova Hitachi on BWRX-300 deployment in Sweden since 2022 and entered a strategic teaming agreement with Samsung C&T in December 2024.
Under the new agreement, the partners will begin joint development work immediately, including commercial, technical, regulatory and financing activities during the exclusivity period. Studsvik will lead permitting, the environmental impact assessment, site rights, community engagement and the dialogue with the Swedish state. GVH will lead reactor design, licensing support and cost estimation and acts as design authority, and, together with Samsung C&T, acts as the execution team, giving the project single-point responsibility for design and construction delivery. During the exclusivity period, South Korean investment firm DS Investment Partners will lead the investment and GE Vernova Financial Services participates in an advisory and financial structuring capacity in support of the consortium.
A joint project company will be established to support development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of the plants, with details to be finalised in definitive agreements, Studsvik said. It noted that the agreement marks the next phase of development and does not constitute a final investment decision or authorisation to construct.
Illustration of a multi-unit SMR campus (Image: Studsvik)
The agreement covers sites at Nyköping and Valdemarsvik and provides for development to commence with a four-unit BWRX-300 project of about 1,200 MWe in total at one of them.
Studsvik has been investigating the possibility of constructing and operating SMRs on its industrial site near Nyköping on Sweden's east coast. The company has previously said the site is in a strategic location and houses the company's broad expertise in nuclear technology, including fuel and materials technology, reactor analysis software and fuel optimisation, decommissioning and radiation protection services as well as technical solutions for handling, conditioning and volume reduction of radioactive waste.
In March this year, Kärnfull Next submitted an application to build a power plant based on SMRs in the municipality of Valdemarsvik in Östergötland county in southeastern Sweden. It was the first application under Sweden's new Act on Government Approval of Nuclear Facilities. The application - submitted by project company ReFirm Målma AB - covers a planned SMR campus in Valdemarsvik, initially planned to host between four and six small light water reactors. In February 2025, Kärnfull Next announced it had secured land rights for the Valdemarsvik project. The property includes areas that were identified as suitable for nuclear power in studies going back as far as the 1970s.
In June, Studsvik submitted an application to the Swedish government for state support for up to 1,400 MW of new nuclear power, featuring SMRs, in the southern part of the country, with options at Valdemarsvik and Nyköping forming the basis of the application.
Studsvik said the site that hosts the first project will be decided during the development work.
"The phased, multi-unit structure is intended to support standardisation across the programme and creates opportunities to capture lessons learned from early deployment and apply them to subsequent units, helping improve cost, schedule and productivity outcomes," Studsvik said. "It will also help maximise Swedish industrial participation throughout engineering, procurement, construction, and long-term operations. This reflects the broader objective of building a supply chain that can support not only the first project, but also follow-on units and wider deployment opportunities in Sweden and Europe."
GVH's BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH's ESBWR boiling water reactor. The first BWRX-300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by the end of the decade.
Agreement welcomed
"Sweden's electricity supply is a long-term play: existing nuclear capacity is ageing, and demand for baseload power is growing," said Studsvik President and CEO Karl Thedéen. "To meet that, we have looked for long-term partners and for the conditions that let projects like this succeed. In GE Vernova Hitachi and Samsung C&T we have found them. We intend to build the first project either on an existing nuclear site or on greenfield. One reactor is a project. Four is the start of an industry."
Jason Cooper, CEO of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, added: "Today's announcement is about helping Sweden turn its energy ambitions into reality in a timeframe that matters for its communities and industries. The country has a strong foundation of nuclear expertise and operational excellence, and the BWRX-300 combines proven boiling water reactor technology with the lessons being learned every day at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Canada. Together with a growing global pipeline of projects across North America and Europe, this experience gives Sweden access to a technology that is moving from first-of-a-kind deployment toward fleet-scale execution."
"Samsung C&T is honoured to partner with Studsvik, GE Vernova Hitachi and the other members of the development team to support Sweden's next generation of nuclear energy," said Oh Se-chul, President and CEO, Engineering & Construction Group, Samsung C&T. "By combining proven technology, world-class EPC execution, operational excellence and financing capability, we are establishing a strong foundation for the successful development of the ReFirm programme. We are equally committed to strengthening Sweden's industrial capability, expanding local supply chains and building a long-term strategic partnership that creates lasting value for Studsvik and Sweden."
Ebba Busch, Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Energy, and Minister for Business and Industry, welcomed the signing of the agreement, saying: "It is an important step, a great success for Sweden as a nuclear power country and a clear acknowledgment that Sweden is once again a country where world-leading companies want to develop new nuclear power projects ... We have built strong relationships with both the United States and South Korea through several cooperation agreements, including the Technology Prosperity Deal. Now we are moving from words to action, from plans to concrete projects."
Major U.S. Oil Port Selected for Nuclear Power Project
Corpus Christi and Long Beach have been selected to explore integrating small modular nuclear reactors, aiming to strengthen the resilience of two strategically important U.S. ports.
SMRs promise cheaper, faster and more flexible nuclear deployment, although commercial projects have struggled with rising costs and implementation challenges.
U.S. interest in nuclear power is accelerating, driven by energy security, grid reliability and soaring electricity demand from AI and data centers.
The port of Corpus Christi has become one of two ports selected for a project aimed at integrating small modular reactors in a bid to expand the use of nuclear power in more industries—and propel SMR technology forward.
Small modular reactors are all the rage, at least on paper. They can be installed more quickly than conventional nuclear reactors, and their locations can be more flexible. They are also significantly cheaper to build than conventional reactors and can be constructed incrementally to meet the growing energy demand of a site.
However, applying small modular nuclear technology in real life has proved challenging and not a little expensive. In the United States, NuScale, which was set to build the country’s first SMR, canceled the project, citing a lack of interest amid rising electricity costs.
Yet this has not deterred the Trump administration from pursuing a greater role for nuclear energy in the country’s energy mix. Earlier this year, the federal government announced it was looking into floating nuclear power as President Trump seeks to boost U.S. nuclear power capacity fourfold by 2050.
“Submerged reactor systems have been safely deployed in naval applications for decades, demonstrating their potential as a reliable source of energy in demanding marine environments. While no commercial deployment on the Outer Continental Shelf is planned or approved at this time, it could greatly strengthen America's energy security in the future,” the acting director of the Marine Mineral Administration, Matt Giacona, said last month.
Not everyone agrees that floating nuclear reactors are conducive to greater security, but small modular reactors remain quite popular. The port of Corpus Christi, along with Long Beach, were selected for the project due to their importance in U.S. trade. Long Beach handles $300 billion worth of cargo annually, according to the port’s CEO, as cited by Forbes. Corpus Christi is a major oil and fuel export terminal, with fuel exports in 2024 alone worth $80 billion, according to data from the Comptroller’s office, cited by Forbes.
The potential integration of small nuclear reaction at the two ports would aim to make sure that “our critical Gulf Coast maritime supply chains remain resilient against any contingency, from extreme weather to power grid disruptions, while training the next generation of high-skilled American mariners,” according to Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel. The Maritime Administration is the Department of Transport’s division directly in charge of the small modular reactor project.
Nuclear power fell out of favor as wind and solar rose to fame, but over the past couple of years, the one baseload, emission-free source of electricity has begun making a comeback as the shortcomings of intermittent power generation become too obvious to ignore. While battery storage grows, to reduce these shortcomings, nuclear is increasingly being accepted as an inevitably greater part of the global energy mix if emission reduction targets are to be met without plunging the world into energy poverty.
Even the International Energy Agency has thrown its weight behind nuclear power, seeing as wind and solar could not shoulder the forecast surge in electricity demand on their own, even with batteries. Now, the Persian Gulf crisis has become the latest driver behind nuclear expansion—a genuine homegrown source of electricity, even though the world’s uranium supply mostly comes from a handful of countries.
Whether or not small nuclear reactors live up to the promise remains to be seen, yet the fact that interest in them remains quite alive and eager means that, chances are, at some point, they will make commercial sense. In the meantime, nuclear as a whole is getting another chance, not least thanks to Big Tech and the projected surge in electricity demand in the future, driven by artificial intelligence.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
“Pink Corridor” to Explore Nuclear-Powered Transatlantic Container Shipping
"Pink Corridor" will look at the technical challenges as interest grows in nuclear-powered shipping (Lloyd's Register)
A new project focusing on the challenges of developing a so-called “pink corridor” for nuclear-powered transatlantic container shipping is taking shape. It will be led by Lloyd’s Register and A.P. Moller - Maersk working with the ports of Charleston, South Carolina, and Felixstowe in the UK to examine the security and safeguarding requirements for the theoretical deployment of a nuclear-powered containership route.
It comes as the prospects of nuclear-powered commercial shipping continue to entice the industry and regulators. Earlier forays into nuclear power for commercial shipping failed to gain traction in the 1950s and early 1960s other than the U.S. demonstration project Atoms for Peace that resulted in the passenger-cargo ship NS Savannah. Japan experimented with nuclear propulsion and the Soviets built a ship, Sevmorput, that remains active, as the industry is reawakening to the potential from a new generation of small nuclear reactors.
Last week, US Secretary for Transportation Sean Duffy posted, highlighting the potential for nuclear propulsion. It came as the US Maritime Administration signed a new agreement with UK-based Core Power’ that envisioned a fleet of 50 nuclear-powered merchant vessels. MARAD also announced agreements with the Port of Long Beach, California, and the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, to explore nuclear projects.
According to the organizers, the Pink Corridor aims to provide a structured basis for collaboration, helping stakeholders understand the practical requirements, gaps and future work needed before any potential nuclear maritime corridor could be considered. Centered on a conceptual nuclear-powered container ship, the Pink Corridor will examine the requirements for theoretical port access on the specified route. Lloyd’s, Maersk, and the ports will focus on key areas including ship security, safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response, insurance regimes, and alignment between maritime and nuclear regulatory expectations.
Nick Gross, Global Containerships Segment Director, LR, highlights they are taking a practical, collaborative approach to explore the issues. “The partnership brings together industry-leading players across shipping, ports and classification, reflecting the growing interest in nuclear technology as a route to more sustainable maritime operations,” says Gross.
The work is expected to support broader maritime development under the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal and its bilateral commitment to explore civil maritime nuclear applications, including the potential creation of a shipping corridor between the two nations.
The collaboration also builds on LR and Core Power’s 2024 regulatory assessment study, which was formalized with Maersk through a joint development project exploring the safety, operational, and regulatory requirements for applying advanced nuclear power to container shipping.
The outcomes of the initial phase of the Pink Corridor project will inform the scope of a potential second phase, including areas requiring further study across engineering, regulatory, legislative, security and safeguards frameworks for nuclear merchant ships.
Project to consider trans-Atlantic nuclear-powered cargo ships
UK-based classification society and professional advisory service Lloyd's Register, Danish global shipping company AP Moller-Maersk, the USA's Port of Charleston and the UK's Port of Felixstowe are partnering to examine the security and safeguarding requirements for the theoretical trans-Atlantic deployment of nuclear-powered container ships.
(Image: Lloyd's Register)
The Pink Corridor project will focus on the security and safeguards considerations needed to inform future regulation and support the safe, secure and responsible adoption of nuclear power for commercial shipping between the Port of Charleston in South Carolina and the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, England. Centred on a conceptual nuclear-powered container ship, the partners will examine the requirements for theoretical port access on the specified route. Key areas of focus will include ship security, safeguards, cyber resilience, emergency response, insurance regimes and alignment between maritime and nuclear regulatory expectations.
The work is expected to support broader maritime development under the US-UK Technology Prosperity Deal and its bilateral commitment to explore civil maritime nuclear applications, including the potential creation of a shipping corridor between the two countries.
Lloyd's Register said the Pink Corridor project aims to provide a structured basis for collaboration, helping stakeholders understand the practical requirements, gaps and future work needed before any potential nuclear maritime corridor could be considered.
The outcomes of the initial phase of the Pink Corridor project will inform the scope of a potential second phase, including areas requiring further study across engineering, regulatory, legislative, security and safeguards frameworks for nuclear merchant ships.
"The Pink Corridor joint development programme is an important step for the application of nuclear technology in merchant shipping," said Nick Gross, Global Containerships Segment Director at Lloyd's Register. "By taking a practical, collaborative approach, the project will examine the security and safeguards that would need to be addressed for safe operations. The partnership brings together industry-leading players across shipping, ports and classification, reflecting the growing interest in nuclear technology as a route to more sustainable maritime operations."
Adam Ramsey, Commercial Director of the Port of Felixstowe, added: "As the UK's largest and busiest container port, the Port of Felixstowe is well-positioned to support the Pink Corridor and contribute practical insight to this important early-stage work. We are committed to improving the efficiency and resilience of our own operations, while supporting the wider industry as it explores sustainable, long-term propulsion options for global trade."
"As a major US East Coast port, Charleston is always looking for innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable ways to move freight," said Tom Boyle, SC Ports' Director of Vessel Operations and Carrier Sales. "The conceptual Pink Corridor project allows for the study of the possibility of a nuclear-powered maritime corridor."
The collaboration builds on an earlier study by Core Power, Maersk, Lloyd's Register and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands which examined the safety, operational and regulatory considerations associated with a nuclear-powered container ship calling at a European Union port. Released in June, the study found that "the principal barriers to nuclear ship port calls are not technical, but relate instead to local and international regulatory alignment, governance, risk management integration and public acceptance".
The shipping industry consumes about 350 million tonnes of fossil fuel annually and accounts for about 3% of total worldwide carbon emissions. In July 2024, the shipping industry, via the International Maritime Organization (IMO), approved new targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions, aiming to reach net-zero emissions by, or around, 2050.
In July 2024, Lloyd's Register released a report that concluded nuclear power could transform the maritime industry with emissions-free shipping, whilst extending the life cycle of vessels and removing the uncertainty of fuel and refuelling infrastructure development. However, it said regulation and safety considerations must be addressed for its widespread commercial adoption.
There are a range of different development projects for using nuclear power in civilian vessels. The IMO is also revising the Safety Code for Nuclear Ships and the International Atomic Energy Agency launched its Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative last week, which "aims to support the maritime industry's exploration of small modular reactors to power civilian ships and to provide offshore energy, as operators consider alternative fuels and seek to strengthen long-term energy security."
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