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)
EDF and Mistral AI will collaborate on AI tools designed for EDF’s nuclear operations, including conversational agents that can search technical knowledge from France’s nuclear fleet and construction sites. The tools will support field teams, maintenance operations, engineering work and EPR2 construction activities, while EDF retains ownership of its data.
The agreement underscores France’s push to pair nuclear expansion with domestic AI capabilities and tighter control over strategic industrial data. EDF is preparing its EPR2 reactor program as part of France’s broader nuclear revival, while Mistral has emerged as a flagship European AI company focused on alternatives to U.S. and Chinese platforms. The companies said the systems will be hosted on trusted infrastructure, including sovereign cloud or EDF data centers, reflecting growing concern over data sovereignty in critical energy infrastructure.
The AI tools will not be used in nuclear plant control systems, a key distinction given the safety and regulatory sensitivities around nuclear operations.
Russia and Kazakhstan sign nuclear power plant agreement
An intergovernmental agreement setting out the key principles - and export loan financing - for Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant project has been signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to the country.
A number of bilateral agreements have been signed during the presidential visit (Image: Kremlin.ru)
Following talks between the two presidents, a list of agreements signed by the two countries was published, including one "on the basic principles and conditions of cooperation on the project to build a nuclear power plant on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan".
Another agreement was "on the provision to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of a state export loan to finance the construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan".
A third nuclear-related agreement was on an action plan "in the field of interdepartmental cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety regulation for 2026-2030".
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said the intergovernmental agreement "defines the key parameters of the nuclear power plant construction project. Specifically, it concerns the construction of two Russian-designed power units with VVER-1200 reactors based on best Russian practices. The document covers key areas of cooperation during the NPP's operational life, including maintenance and fuel supply".
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency, signed the agreements in the presence of the presidents.
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 quoted Satkaliyev as saying the export loan had "very favourable terms for Kazakhstan". It also reported that the construction start was targeted for 2027, and the aim was for operation of the first unit in 2034.
In their comments after their talks and the signing of the agreements, 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.
"I express my gratitude to the President of the Russian Federation for his personal and decisive support in launching this large-scale project, which will become a driving force for scientific, educational, and technological collaboration and will ensure the development of new related energy sectors and industry as a whole."
President Putin called it "a flagship project in the field of peaceful nuclear energy" and said "the commissioning of the plant will make a significant contribution to the energy supply of the Kazakh economy, helping to provide businesses and households with affordable and clean energy".
He added: "I would like to point out that, as we agreed with the President of Kazakhstan, we are not simply talking about the creation of a nuclear power plant or construction; we are talking about the creation of an entire industry, including education, personnel training, and so on."
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?"
Floating nuclear power plants 'realistic' for Greece
The report by the Deon Policy Institute think-tank identified no fundamental barriers to the implementation of floating nuclear power plants in Greece, although policy, regulatory, financial and social acceptance issues still need to be overcome.
(Image: Deon Policy Institute)
The study derives its policy insights from a research programme conducted by CORE POWER, Athlos Energy - a Greek nuclear company founded in 2024 - and the American Bureau of Shipping. The research, stemming from a two-day workshop held in Athens last October, focused on discussions to assess the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that would shape the potential deployment of floating nuclear power plants - or FNPPs - in a European country such as Greece. This is also known as a PESTLE framework.
Greece has historically not deployed nuclear power, but in March this year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at the 2nd Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris that it would examine the potential role of small modular reactors in its energy mix and establish a dedicated ministerial committee to submit proposals to the government, Deon said.
"Given Greece's long maritime heritage, developed port infrastructure and reinvigorated shipbuilding industry, the potential for deploying FNPPs warrants consideration. FNPPs are also compatible with Greece’s geography and energy markets, given the large number of inhabited islands, the increasing need for desalination and the country’s climate goals," it added.
Policy, legal and regulatory frameworks in Greece do not yet substantively address nuclear energy or FNPP deployment, reflecting a broader gap in European energy and maritime policy discussions, the study finds. But no fundamental barriers to implementation were identified, "suggesting that the challenge is not one of feasibility, but of framework development".
The study notes a need for clearer assessment and regulatory pathways, including coordination across maritime, nuclear and energy authorities, and - while FNPPs are perceived positively - social acceptance of nuclear energy remains low in Greece compared with other countries, implying a need for further education and engagement with both the broader public and key stakeholders.
The combined PESTLE analysis shows that FNPPs should not be seen as a standalone energy project, but a complex strategic choice with public-policy impact, the report notes. The strongest arguments in favour of deploying FNPPs in Greece are primarily environmental and political, as they are directly linked to strengthening the country’s energy autonomy, it concludes, although "critical questions remain open" on financing and economic viability of the technology within the Greek context.
Similarly, while technical obstacles exist, these are mainly due to Greece's limited domestic nuclear experience. The "most decisive barriers are institutional and temporal. This can be attributed to the lack of enduring political commitment, incomplete regulatory and institutional preparation, and insufficient engagement with society".
The report calls for "systematic, coordinated action and credible communication, through which Greece can leverage international experience, gradually develop its own nuclear programme, and implement it through maritime applications that demonstrate higher levels of social and political acceptance", it says, adding that "FNPPs can represent a realistic option for Greece only as the result of a gradual, institutionally organised, and socially prepared strategy".
"This PESTLE study shows that Floating Nuclear Power Plants are not a distant or purely theoretical option for Greece," George Laskaris, President of Deon Policy Institute, said. "No fundamental technical or institutional barriers were identified; the real challenge is building the policy, regulatory, financial and social foundations needed for responsible assessment. For Greece, FNPPs sit at the intersection of energy security, decarbonisation, maritime capability and industrial policy."
In June last year, Russia's Rosatom was selected as the leader of an international consortium to build Kazakhstan's first planned nuclear power plant - to be called the Balkhash plant - in the village of Ulken, in Zhambyl district, on the shore of Lake Balkhash. 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.
First RITM-200 reactor unit manufactured for floating nuclear plant
The RITM-200C reactor will be one of two which will together be installed on the first of Russia's planned fleet of floating nuclear power units.
(Image: Rosatom)
The 58 MWe capacity reactor unit has been manufactured by Rosatom's Machine-Building division at the ZiO-Podolsk plant near Moscow.
Serial production of the floating power units (FPU-106) is under way to power a copper mining industrial cluster in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. This will be the first such project to provide carbon-free energy for industrial production, with four floating power units earmarked for it.
Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, said: "Rosatom continues to expand its range of floating power units, and the completion of the first reactor for the lead floating nuclear power unit is a significant milestone. Today, Russia is the only country with an operating floating nuclear power plant, and we intend to maintain our leadership in the development of small-scale technologies, offering innovative and low-carbon energy solutions to our partners in Russia and abroad."
The RITM-200C is a modification of the RITM-200 reactors in operation on the latest series of nuclear-powered icebreakers. In total, Rosatom's Machine-Building division is in various stages of producing 14 RITM-200-based reactor units for icebreakers and floating power units.
Russia's first floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, has been operating in Chukotka since 2020. During this time, it has generated more than 1.2 billion kWh of electricity and avoided more than 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, Rosatom said.
The state nuclear corporation says that the RITM-200 reactors have proved their effectiveness in Arctic conditions. It says that, in floating power units, they will be able to effectively address current or potential energy shortages in remote, offshore areas. As well as producing floating power units for domestic use, Russia also sees considerable export potential.
According to past presentations, the FPU-106 units would provide 106 MWe, the refuelling interval would be every 5 to 7 years, and there would be a service life of about 40 years. A version of a floating power unit targeting international markets would be 100 MWe with a refuelling interval of 10 years and a service life of 60 years.
'Largest ever shipment' for a single nuclear plant
A reactor pressure vessel, four steam generators and a pressuriser, have been shipped together from Volgodonsk in Russia to Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power plant.
(Image: Rosatom)
In addition to the 330-tonne reactor vessel for El Dabaa’s second unit, the other equipment - including the pressuriser for unit 1 - pushed the total cargo weight up to about 2,000 tonnes.
The items were manufactured at the Atomash plant in Volgodonsk in Russia's Rostock Region and delivered on the Alexander Udalov, a vessel designed for both river and maritime transport. This enabled the equipment to be delivered directly from the plant's pier to the specially constructed port at the El Dabaa NPP construction site.
Lifting the equipment is a high-precision operation (Image: Rosatom)
The cylindrical steel reactor pressure vessel, with an initial service life of 60 years, with the possible extension to 80 years, houses the reactor core and ensures a hermetic seal and withstands high pressures and temperatures, ensuring the safety and reliability of the power unit.
It had a special 500-square-metre cover for its journey, comprimising two layers, a special canvas one to protect it from moisture during transport and a second, decorative, outer layer.
(Image: Rosatom)
According to Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, "this shipment was the largest ever for a single nuclear power plant".
Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom Director General, said: "The equipment shipped to the El Dabaa NPP is essential for the transition to start-up operations for the first power unit and for the peak construction of the second power unit."
Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat attended the unloading of the cargo at El Dabaa’s port. According to Egypt's Nuclear Power Plant Authority, he said the project was central to the national energy strategy, praised the strategic relations between Egypt and Russia, and added that the El Dabaa plant project was being implemented according to the timetable, including an increase in training programmes to prepare for future operation of the plant.
Background
El Dabaa will be Egypt's first nuclear power plant, and the first in Africa since South Africa's Koeberg was built nearly 40 years ago. The Rosatom-led project, about 320 kilometres north-west of Cairo, will comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets plant in Belarus.
Under the 2017 contracts, Rosatom will not only build the plant, but will also supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle, including building a storage facility and supplying containers for storing used nuclear fuel. It will also assist Egyptian partners in training personnel and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation. Rosatom said last month that it is aiming for a future service life of 100 years for nuclear power plants.
The four units are being built almost concurrently, with first concrete at unit 1 in July 2022, followed in turn by the others, concluding with first concrete at unit 4 in January 2024. The reactor pressure vessel was delivered in October 2025 and installed in El Dabaa's first unit the following month, following a ceremony which included speeches from the Egyptian and Russian presidents.
Egypt's aim is for 9% of electricity to be generated by nuclear by 2030, which would be achieved by the commercial operation of the first two units by that time, directly displacing oil and gas.
Energoatom gets operating licence for centralised fuel storage facility
The official licence for the operation of the Centralised Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility has been handed over by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine to Energoatom.
(Image: Energoatom)
The Centralised Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility, located in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, is a dry storage site for used nuclear fuel assemblies from the country's VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors. It is designed to have a total storage capacity of 16,530 used fuel assemblies, including 12,010 VVER-1000 assemblies and 4520 VVER-440 assemblies. Contracts were signed for its construction with USA-based Holtec International in 2005, though construction only began in 2017.
It started receiving used nuclear fuel from the country's nuclear power plants at the end of 2023 and it has been operating under a commissioning licence. The decision to issue a licence followed examination of the detail of the application and an inspection carried out from 20 April to 1 May.
Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) Oleg Korikov said: "Issuing a licence for the 'nuclear facility operation' life cycle stage of the … facility means the completion of the process of creating our own system for safe management of used nuclear fuel in Ukraine. It is important that the operation of the Central Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility will ensure compliance with nuclear and radiation safety requirements, as well as IAEA standards. According to them, the reactor holding pools of each reactor facility must have free volume for complete unloading of the core at any time during operation. I congratulate you on this event and wish you trouble-free operation."
Pavlo Kovtonyuk, Acting Chairman of Energoatom, said: "Obtaining a licence to operate the Central Spent Fuel Storage Facility confirms the ability of the Ukrainian nuclear industry to implement large-scale and technologically complex projects in accordance with the highest global safety standards. The operation of the storage facility over the next 100 years strengthens the energy sustainability of Ukrainian nuclear generation, guarantees reliable management of spent nuclear fuel, and provides the state with a significant economic effect."
Energoatom says that the new facility will save USD200 million a year which it previously had to pay for the used fuel to be transported and stored in Russia. It will also avoid the risk of having to interrupt operation of plants because of a lack of capacity to safely store used fuel.
Nineteen years on, companies team up for US new-build project
Fulcrum Point Holdings and Blue Castle Holdings have formed a joint venture to take Blue Castle's project to build a nuclear power plant at Green River in Utah through the next stages of site development, licensing, and eventual reactor deployment, using Holtec International's SMR-300 small modular reactor technology.
A rendering of a Holtec SMR-300 using air-cooled condenser technology (Image: Holtec International)
Fulcrum Point is an affiliate of Utah nuclear services company Hi Tech Solutions. Last year, Hi Tech Solutions signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Holtec International and the State of Utah covering collaboration to support the deployment of Holtec's SMR-300 in Utah and the broader Mountain West region.
The Green River site has previously undergone extensive technical and environmental analysis, including meteorological and seismic data collection, core boring, geophysical surveys, groundwater monitoring, ecological studies, and bathymetry work, Blue Castle said, and the project also benefits from existing water rights, access to the road and rail networks, and multi-market transmission opportunities.
The project to build the nuclear power plant at Green River was first proposed by Transition Power Development in 2007 - project activities and management were consolidated by Transition Power Development into Blue Castle Holdings in 2009. By 2011, Blue Castle Holdings had already begun pre‐application activities with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the site, located about five miles west-northwest of Green River in Emery County. In 2014, Blue Castle Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse to pursue the development of a two-unit AP1000 plant at the site: at that time, it said it anticipated submitting an ESP application in 2016.
Fulcrum Point and Blue Castle said they will now work together to move the project from its current stage through the federal licensing process and towards reactor deployment, with SMR technology and equipment to be provided by Holtec International.
"Blue Castle's focus from the beginning has been to create exactly this kind of opportunity with a company like Fulcrum Point," the company's CEO, Aaron Tilton, said. "Over the past 19 years, Blue Castle has laid the groundwork to de-risk a site for the deployment of nuclear power, creating significant value for future energy development that can serve energy demand across Utah and the surrounding region, as well as potential on-site, behind-the-meter opportunities for advanced technology applications. We appreciate the collaborative effort with Emery County and the City of Green River to create high-value jobs and meaningful economic impact in rural Utah."
Utah initiatives
In 2024, Utah Governor Spencer Cox launched an initiative, Operation Gigawatt, to double Utah's power production over the next 10 years. In November last year, Cox unveiled a project in partnership with Hi Tech Solutions and Holtec International to site a manufacturing hub in Brigham City to produce parts for SMR-300 and other advanced nuclear technologies, as well as a workforce training centre, as part of a longer-term plan to deploy a fleet of SMR reactors in Utah and then across the Mountain West region.
Holtec's SMR-300 is a pressurised water reactor producing about 300 MW of electrical power or 1050 MW of thermal power for process applications. The company is planning to deploy two SMR-300 reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan, demonstrating viability for additional orders both domestically and abroad. The reactor is designed to be able to operate using air-cooled condensers, and this flexibility is an attractive feature in arid environments like Utah, where water resources are scarce.
"With Holtec's restart of Palisades Nuclear plant in Michigan ongoing, and the first Holtec SMR-300s, Pioneer 1 and 2, in the NRC licensing process and early site preparation, the work by our partners to acquire sites for next-of-kind deployment in Utah is paramount to our Mountain West expansion strategy as part of Operation Gigawatt," Holtec International President Rick Springman said. "Supply chain development follows reactor deployments, making the advancement of this project crucial to downstream supply chain investments in the state across the nuclear ecosystem."
The project is part of a broader portfolio of energy development projects being advanced by Fulcrum Point, which was formed by Hi Tech Solutions founder Chris Hayter, to develop nuclear power projects across the Mountain West.
"Fulcrum Point is stepping into this project as a true development partner to help move the Blue Castle Project from years of groundwork into the next phase of execution," Hayter said. "Blue Castle has done important work to position this site for success, and we now bring the technical, operational, and project development capabilities needed to help advance it through licensing, deployment planning, and eventual construction. This project has the potential to strengthen Utah's energy future, support rural economic growth, and deliver reliable power for decades to come."
Decommissioning milestone reached at Trawsfynydd
Nuclear Restoration Services has announced the completion of a 20-year project to remove all the remaining intermediate-level radioactive waste from the shut-down Trawsfynydd nuclear power plant in Gwynedd, North Wales, UK.
(Image: NDA)
The 392 MWe Trawsfynydd Magnox nuclear power plant - the only inland nuclear power station in the UK - began operation in 1965 and was retired in 1991, with defueling completed by 1997. Since generation stopped, the site has focused on safely managing the legacy left behind, with much of the effort centred on reducing risk and preparing the site for long term decommissioning. In July 2020, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announced its intention to pursue a rolling programme of decommissioning aimed at accelerating Magnox reactor sites decommissioning with Trawsfynydd identified as the 'lead and learn' site.
NDA subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) has now announced the completion of the Higher Activity Waste (HAW) programme. This work, which took 20 years to complete, focused on the safe management and storage of radioactive waste left behind from operations. The programme focused on the highest waste that remained on site, categorised as intermediate-level waste - a mid-range category of radioactive waste which is more active than everyday low-level waste, but not as hazardous as high-level waste.
It involved retrieving legacy material, processing it safely and placing it into secure long-term storage on site. In total, almost 2,300 individual waste packages were completed, representing a significant delivery achievement and the removal of the site's hazards.
The final waste package has now been transferred into storage, bringing the long‑running campaign to a close. Along the way, teams developed practical and innovative ways of working to safely retrieve the waste. This included using a robotic arm to remove material from deep storage areas and specialist vacuum equipment to collect fine dust and small fragments.
NRS said learning from this work was shared with other sites across the country, helping to improve efficiency, reduce costs and support delivery across the wider decommissioning programme.
"This is not just the end of a major programme, it is the end of an era," said NRS CEO Rob Fletcher. "Completing this work safely and successfully has allowed Trawsfynydd to move into its next phase of delivery, reducing the height of the reactors by almost half. This will create the most noticeable change to the landscape in decades."
NRS Trawsfynydd Site Director Tom Williams added: "Bringing the HAW programme to a close is a remarkable achievement for everyone at Trawsfynydd. Its completion represents a key delivery milestone in our decommissioning mission; one we can look back on with pride whilst also looking forward with excitement to the start of our new major projects."
In October last year, infrastructure solutions company Costain was awarded a GBP70 million (USD94 million) contract to reduce the height of the two reactor buildings at Trawsfynydd from about 54 metres to 25 metres. That project is expected to take up to four years to be completed.
Construction starts for Shin Hanul 4
First concrete has been poured for the reactor building of South Korea's Shin Hanul nuclear power plant's unit 4, marking the official start of construction.
Construction work is under way on both Shin Hanul 3 and 4 (Image: KHNP)
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said the initial pouring of concrete for the foundation began on 29 May. Construction permits for Shin Hanul units 3 and 4 - APR1400 units - were issued in September 2024, with first concrete poured for unit 3 in May 2025.
Kim Hoe-cheon, KHNP President, said: "Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 are a solid foundation that will support Korea’s energy future, just like the concrete being constructed now. Let us build world-class nuclear power plants with safety as our top priority, with a sense of mission to contribute to achieving the national carbon neutrality goal."
KHNP said that Shin Hanul 4 is targeted for completion in 2033, with unit 3 scehduled for operation a year earlier. Once both units are completed it says they are expected to supply 46% of the annual power requirements of the Gyeongbuk region.
Background
In November 2014, KHNP signed an agreement with Ulchin County to build Shin Hanul 3 and 4. The company applied for a construction licence for the units in January 2016. Site preparation for the two units was originally scheduled to begin in May 2017, with commercial operation of unit 3 scheduled for December 2022, with unit 4 following a year later.
However, KHNP announced in May 2017 that it had instructed Kepco Engineering & Construction - which signed a design contract in March 2016 - to suspend work for the planned units as a result of the then new President Moon Jae-in's policy of phasing out nuclear power. Work towards licensing the new units continued.
President Yoon Seok-yeol - who assumed power in May 2022 - reversed the former president's policy of phasing out nuclear power. Preparatory groundwork began for the construction of the two APR1400s following the approval by the South Korean government of the project's implementation plan in June 2023. This effectively approved 20 licensing and permitting procedures under the jurisdiction of 11 ministries required for the construction of nuclear power plants.
In March 2023, KHNP and Doosan Enerbility signed a KRW2.9 trillion (USD2.2 billion) contract for the supply of the main equipment for Shin Hanul 3 and 4. Under the contract - which will run for 10 years - Doosan Enerbility will supply the nuclear reactors, steam generators and turbine generators for the two APR1400 units.
South Korea has four operational APR1400 units - Saeul units 1 and 2 (formerly Shin Kori 3 and 4) and Shin Hanul units 1 and 2. Two further APR1400s are under construction as Saeul units 3 and 4. Four APR1400 units have also been built at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, which are all now in commercial operation.
Monday, May 25, 2026
'Wiped out': Ukraine's bird lovers long for peaceful skies
Kryvyi Rig (Ukraine) (AFP) – When Viktor Sevidov looked up to the sky above Ukraine's war-scarred landscape, he was not watching out for incoming missiles or drones. Instead, he was looking for birds.
"There's a jay... That's a bluethroat... Do you see the hen harrier? We're lucky," the 37-year-old photographer told AFP.
Threatened in peacetime by deforestation, intensive agriculture, urbanisation, pollution, hunting and climate change, Russia's 2022 invasion has wrought yet more suffering on Ukraine's birdlife.
The constant aerial bombardments have devastated wildlife and wrecked a delicate ecosystem across a 1,200-kilometre (750-mile) frontline – including birds' nesting grounds and migratory routes.
Every dawn or dusk, Sevidov leaves his grey apartment block on the outskirts of Kryvyi Rig, an industrial city in central Ukraine, to see what birds he can spot
"I see shaheds every day... I want to see a clear sky," he said, referring to the Iranian-style attack drones that Russia fires hundreds of every day at Ukraine.
Amid a global biodiversity crisis, birds – which play a vital role in pollination, seed dispersal and controlling insect populations – are one of the fastest declining groups.
Before Russia invaded, Sevidov photographed wildlife in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Partly occupied by Russia and under constant bombardment, his previous spots are either "destroyed" or "unreachable".
One day in 2024, he saw a Russian missile shot down above him while he was taking photos near Odesa.
"For me, it's disgusting... I don't want to see that. I love nature. I love life. Not things that bring death."
'Fatal'
Contrary to what some may think, birds cannot always easily flee the dangers of war, zoologist Ewa Wegrzyn, from the Polish University of Rzeszow, said.
Many species of birds are philopatric, meaning they either stay in the area they were born or regularly return to the same place to mate.
"Unfortunately, during war, philopatry can be fatal, as it leads birds along migration routes over areas affected by fighting," Wegrzyn said.
At a refuge centre in Voropaiv, near the capital Kyiv, more than 200 birds have been housed, including dozens wounded in the war.
"Birds very often get caught in anti-drone nets or become entangled in fibre-optic cables, injuring their wings, and they suffer terribly," Iryna Snopko, the shelter's 63-year-old director told AFP.
Alongside covering roads in huge nets to stop drone attacks, both Russia and Ukraine have fired thousands of tethered fibre-optic attack drones – with the webs of discarded cables stretching for dozens of kilometres.
Walking around, Snopko spoke affectionately about the "love stories" that have formed among the storks.
She showed off a female crow, Varia, who can say her own name.
"Vooaaria!" the bird croaked, a concoction of sounds that resembled a drunken old man. 'Wiped out'
When Russia invaded in 2022, Sevidov stopped taking photographs for two years – not wanting to pursue his "hobby" while many of his friends were going off to war.
He had wanted to join the army, but was declared unfit for service as one of his arms has been disabled since birth.
Those same friends eventually convinced him to restart, to try to show something "positive".
China added 34 GW of nuclear capacity over the past decade versus a single new plant in the U.S., and is on track to overtake both the U.S. and France as the world's top nuclear producer within ten years.
Beijing's 15th Five-Year Plan prioritizes advanced reactor development, domestic nuclear fuel independence, and expanding China's nuclear footprint across emerging markets via the Belt and Road Initiative.
Both countries are racing toward next-gen nuclear tech -- SMRs and commercial fusion -- but China's state-backed spending and regulatory agility give it a structural edge Washington can't easily close.
China and the United States are facing off for nuclear energy dominance on the world stage. The United States has the world’s largest nuclear energy production capacity, but China has the fastest-growing nuclear fleet. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (15FYP), released back in March, sets out a bold nuclear power strategy for Beijing, aiming to continue to build the nation’s own nuclear fleet while also intensifying China’s presence in international nuclear energy markets, particularly in emerging economies.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the Trump administration is also rushing to loosen regulations on nuclear power development in order to revive the nation’s aging and slowing nuclear power sector. While the United States has added just one nuclear plant in the last decade, China added a staggering 34 gigawatts of capacity over the same time period. As a result, China is set to overtake the United States (and France) to become the world’s single biggest producer of nuclear energy within the next ten years based on current projections.
Beijing’s latest five year plan shows that China has no intentions of slowing down. “With innovation and security as its leading themes, the latest FYP illuminates how nuclear energy underpins multiple strategic priorities for China in the context of not only energy security but also technological innovation and global engagement,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonprofit policy research organization and bipartisan think tank recently reported.
The CSIS summarizes China’s recently unveiled nuclear power strategy for the years 2026 through 2030 and compares the rhetoric around nuclear power to previous five year plans. Based on this analysis, the report highlights seven key takeaways:
China is investing heavily into nuclear energy as a part of an ultra-diverse energy portfolio in order to shore up domestic energy security and resilience.
The Chinese government is propping up the nation’s nuclear sector in a big way, funding manufacturing as well as research and development of next-gen nuclear energy models like small modular reactors.
While China is intent on expanding its nuclear energy influence on a global scale, its exports of nuclear reactors are struggling – the country has seemingly abandoned plans for exporting large-scale reactors, and is apparently delaying the rollout of modular models.
While China’s desire to build up nuclear energy supply chains in other countries is central to its own interests in terms of energy security and (geo)political influence, Beijing is spinning this strategy as a contribution to energy security in poor countries in Global South under the banner of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a decadeslong development/soft-power-building infrastructural program.
China is focused on developing advanced nuclear reactors as a key priority of the domestic nuclear program, with particular attention to new reactor models that use less water and rely on alternative fuels, thereby reducing the sector’s resource needs as well as its dependence on nuclear fuel imports.
Speaking of those nuclear fuel imports, Beijing’s reliance on them means that China’s trade relationship with Russia remains critical to the country’s energy strategy – a dynamic that Beijing is eager to shift.
Finally, we can expect a major research and development push toward unlocking commercial nuclear fusion, the ‘holy grail of clean energy’, building upon the long list of fusion breakthroughs that Chinese labs have already been stacking up.
The United States’ nuclear energy ambitions are extremely similar to those laid out by China in March. The Trump administration is eager to “produce lasting American dominance in the global nuclear energy market” and is taking a Chinese approach to this goal, by issuing executive orders to reshape the national nuclear energy regulatory framework. The Trump administration is likewise bullish on developing next-gen nuclear reactors and nuclear fusion technology on its own home turf in order to stay at the technological vanguard of the nascent sector. Finally, the United States is also fighting to free itself from international nuclear fuel supply chains by building up domestic uranium extraction and enrichment capacities.
However, despite similar goals and leadership styles, China is a clear frontrunner in the nuclear energy race over the next few decades. Beijing has simply been outspending Washington for decades, and has the authoritarian ability to continue to prop up the sector without the pesky inertia of checks and balances. But the result of the nuclear energy race between the world’s two biggest economies could end up being a boon for the entire planet, nuclear expansion represents a key tenant of global decarbonization pathways.
Kazatomprom alleges that Rosatom-linked SGCC failed to meet uranium production targets and contribute adequately to an environmental remediation fund.
Despite the dispute, the Budenovskoye uranium joint venture remains profitable and expects stable operations in 2026.
Financing uncertainty surrounding Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant reflects broader economic pressure on Russia following Western sanctions.
Kazakh officials are haggling with a Rosatom subsidiary, asserting that the Russian entity has failed to fulfill contractual obligations under a uranium mining agreement.
Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s nuclear energy entity, filed a complaint in early 2026, asserting that the Rosatom-associated company, identified as Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine (SGCC), violated an agreement covering the Budenovskoye joint venture, which is engaged in uranium mining in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan Region.
SGCC was accused of various financial shortcomings, including failure to contribute to a “liquidation fund” established to remediate potential environmental damage caused by mining operations. The complaint also states that SGCC failed to meet its uranium extraction quota in 2024.
SGCC has disputed the Kazakh complaint, according to an annual report for 2025, which was published last February by the joint venture and quoted by the Kazakh news outlet, InBusiness.kz. “The issue is under consideration, the final decision of the competent authority has not been made,” the financial report states.
Despite the dispute, the annual report indicates that Budenovskoye JV is profitable and has manageable debt, although liabilities currently outweigh assets by almost 60 million tenge (about $127,000). Kazatomprom owns a 51 percent stake in the JV.
“The company expects positive flows from operating activities in 2026. In addition, the management received appropriate assurances from the company’s participants that they would provide financial and other support, if necessary,” the report states. “Accordingly, the management of the group does not expect that the company will have risks associated with the repayment of financial obligations and the execution of the company’s investment plans for 2026.”
The liquidation fund at the end of 2025 stood at 1.4 billion Kazakh tenge (almost $3 million), up from 666 million tenge (about $1.4 million) in 2024, according to the report.
Rosatom was long a financial rainmaker for the Russian government. But Western sanctions imposed because of the Kremlin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine in 2022 have caused Rosatom’s financial muscle to atrophy.
Kazakhstan awarded Rosatom the contract in 2025 to build the country’s first nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Balkhash, but financing woes have clouded the construction timetable. In April, Kazakh officials announced that the Russian government had pledged to provide 85 percent of the financing for the project, but an agreement has not been finalized. The overall cost of the nuclear project is estimated at $15 billion.
Russia’s economy is starting to show signs of severe strain, due to fiscal demands of the Ukraine war.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said her government is preparing to launch a new framework in the coming months aimed at reintroducing nuclear energy into the country's energy mix.
Prime Minister Meloni addressing the Senate (image: governo.it)
Responding to a question on the establishment of a control board to address the country's strategic priorities, she told the Senate: "I believe your question raises a common ground, which is clearly the current situation we find ourselves in: the particularly complex international economic environment and the ongoing geopolitical tensions we are experiencing will impact, as they are already impacting, growth, energy costs, business competitiveness, and household purchasing power. And that, in these challenging times, there should be less room for controversy and more room for concrete discussion on the major strategic issues affecting Italy.
"Clearly, among these major issues, there's energy. You know that the government - whether you agree or not - has been working on this from the beginning, from the gas release to the nuclear measures. I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that the enabling law will be approved by the summer, and the implementing decrees will be adopted to create the legal framework necessary for the resumption of nuclear power in Italy."
In October last year, Italy's Council of Ministers, at a meeting chaired by Meloni, approved for final consideration a bill delegating responsibility for the reintroduction of nuclear energy in the country to the government. The bill empowers the government to comprehensively regulate the introduction of 'sustainable' nuclear power, within the framework of European decarbonisation policies by 2050 and energy security objectives. The mandate includes, among other things, the development of a National Programme for Sustainable Nuclear Power, the establishment of an independent Nuclear Safety Authority, the strengthening of scientific and industrial research, the development of new skills, and the implementation of information and awareness campaigns.
The implementing legislative decrees must be adopted within 12 months of the law's entry into force.
Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990.
In late March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Italian government approved a moratorium of at least one year on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, which had been looking to restart its long-abandoned nuclear programme. In a poll held in June of that year, 94% of voters rejected the construction of any new nuclear reactors in Italy. However, a poll conducted in June 2021 showed that one-third of Italians were in favour of reconsidering the use of nuclear energy in the country, with more than half of respondents saying they would not exclude the future use of new advanced nuclear technologies.
In May 2023, the Italian Parliament approved a motion to urge the government to consider incorporating nuclear power into the country's energy mix. In the September of that year, the first meeting was held of the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear Power, set up by the government to define a time frame for the possible resumption of nuclear energy in Italy and identify opportunities for the country's industrial chain already operating in the sector.
US federal funds awarded to spur SMR deployment
The US Department of Energy has selected eight companies to collectively receive more than USD94 million in federal cost-shared funding to support the near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the USA by addressing key barriers in licensing, supply chain, and site readiness.
BWXT has been granted USD21.4 million to upgrade its Mount Vernon facility (Image: BWXT)
In October 2024, the US Department of Energy (DOE) - under the Joe Biden administration - opened applications for funding to support the initial domestic deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactor (SMR) technologies, with up to USD800 million to go to two "first-mover" teams, with an additional USD100 million to address so-called gaps that have hindered plant deployments. According to the solicitation documentation, a Gen III+ SMR is defined as a nuclear fission reactor that uses light water as a coolant and low-enriched uranium fuel, with a single-unit net electrical power output of 50-350 MWe, that maximises factory fabrication approaches, and the same or improved safety, security, and environmental benefits compared with current large nuclear power plant designs.
The solicitation was re-issued by the DOE in March 2025 to better align with President Donald Trump's agenda on unleashing American energy and AI dominance.
In December last year, the DOE selected Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec Government Services to each receive USD400 million in federal cost-shared funding to support early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the USA. TVA's application was selected for funding to accelerate the deployment of a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at its Clinch River site in East Tennessee. Holtec plans to deploy two SMR-300 reactors - named Pioneer 1 and 2 - at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan.
The DOE has now chosen eight further companies to receive funding from the Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Pathway to Deployment Program.
"Projects will bolster the supply chain needed to deliver new nuclear generation in the 2030s, strengthen the development of Gen III+ SMR orderbooks, and advance President Trump's Executive Orders to usher in a nuclear renaissance and expand America's Energy Dominance agenda," the department said.
Roughly half of the funding has been allocated to projects related to SMR site selection and preparation. Constellation SMR Development LLC will receive USD17.3 million to pursue a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Early Site Permit (ESP) for a location in New York to support the future deployment of Gen III+ SMRs, while Nebraska Public Power District will receive USD27.9 million to obtain an NRC approved ESP for a location in Nebraska to support the future deployment of Gen III+ SMRs.
In order to develop the US SMR supply chain, BWXT Nuclear Energy Inc has been allocated USD21.4 million to procure equipment for an existing facility in Mount Vernon, Indiana, that is required for final assembly of reactor pressure vessels and the manufacture of other large nuclear reactor components.
Container Technologies Industries LLC will receive USD547,900 to expand the company's nuclear quality assurance certifications for their facility in Helenwood, Tennessee, to enable it to produce steel for Gen III+ SMR deployments.
Meanwhile, Framatome US Government Solutions LLC has been awarded USD8.8 million to expand a fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Washington, by increasing the number of ceramic pellet production lines, adding about 200 tonnes of uranium of annual capacity.
Global Nuclear Fuel Americas LLC will receive USD3 million to establish a second production line for fuel rod fabrication for boiling water reactors, acquire capital equipment to automate the pellet inspection process, and implement automated storage and handling for pellets, for its facility in Wilmington, North Carolina.
American Forgemasters Company has been awarded USD2.9 million to procure a new furnace for its facility in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to facilitate the domestic production of large component forgings for Gen III+ SMRs, while Scot Forge Company will receive USD12.3 million to procure and install a large vertical turning lathe and gantry style milling machine for a facility in Spring Grove, Illinois, to facilitate the domestic production and manufacturing of large components for Gen III+ SMRs.
"President Trump has made clear that America is going to build more energy, not less, and nuclear is central to that mission," said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "Advanced light-water SMRs will give our nation the reliable, round-the-clock power we need to fuel the President's manufacturing boom, support data centres and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid. These awards ensure we can deploy these reactors as soon as possible."
EAGL-1 is a lead-bismuth cooled fast-spectrum small modular reactor (SMR) which can operate in a closed-fuel cycle in which used fuel is continuously reprocessed and reused. FANCO submitted a regulatory engagement plan for the 240 MWe SMR to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April, marking the start of its pre-application engagement with the regulator.
FANCO says its system will focus on mixed-oxide fuel and other transuranic fuels sourced from existing US Department of Energy stockpiles, although the EAGL-1 system is also capable of operating on high-assay low-enriched uranium. This "fuel-agnostic" approach means it can avoid major supply chain bottlenecks while helping reduce the nation's stockpile of long-term nuclear waste, the company says. Its BridgePower solution offers customers the ability to generate immediate power using off-the-shelf package boilers that feed steam turbines, and later seamlessly transitions to nuclear energy by replacing the boilers with the EAGL-1 reactor, using the same turbine infrastructure, with minimal equipment and modification costs.
The people of Anglesey in North Wales are being asked to suggest a name which is "easy to pronounce and welcoming to a wide audience" for the small modular reactor plant which is to be built at the Wylfa site on the island.
The invitation to take part is in Welsh and English (Image: Screengrab from Great British Energy - Nuclear)
Great British Energy - Nuclear says the other qualities they are looking for in the name are it being "inspired by Anglesey, its heritage, landscape or language" and "respectful, inclusive and community-minded" while also being "unique and not already widely used for similar energy projects".
In their bilingual invitation to take part in the contest, the UK government's arms-length delivery agency for new nuclear capacity, said: "This project will be part of Anglesey's story for generations to come, and we believe that the name should come from the people who know the Island best. Children and young people are welcome to take part, including through schools. Your suggestions will be reviewed by a panel of local young people from Anglesey, alongside community and industry leaders."
An inspiring overhead view of the Wylfa site (Image: Arup)
CEO of Great British Energy - Nuclear, Simon Roddy, said: "Wylfa is a first‑of‑a‑kind project for the UK, with long‑term benefits both locally and nationally ... we are serious about delivering it safely, responsibly and with the community at its heart."
Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government's preferred technology for the country's first small modular reactor (SMR) project in June last year, and GBP2.6 billion was allocated in the 2025 Spending Review towards the project.
In November, the government announced that Wylfa on Anglesey would host an initial three Rolls-Royce small modular reactors. It said the site - where a Magnox plant is being decommissioned - could potentially host up to eight SMRs.
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 drastically shorten build schedules.
The orginal Wylfa nuclear power plant's two 490 MW units operated from 1971 to 2012 and 2015 respectively. In 2012, Hitachi bought the Wylfa site and proposed constructing a new power station, featuring UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactors, to be called ‘Wylfa Newydd’, on adjacent land. However Hitachi dropped these plans in 2020.
Nuclear power plants commonly adopt the name of the place they are located or the name of a nearby place. For instance, the Hinkley Point site is based in the Hinkley Point area of Somerset.
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