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)
India and Russia discuss new nuclear power plant options
India aims to finalise a site for a second Russian nuclear power plant in the country - and says broader cooperation could include small modular reactors, floating power plants and localisation of fuel supply.
(Image: Kremlin.ru)
A joint statement issued by the Indian Prime Minister's Office after talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two sides: "Confirmed their intention to broaden cooperation in nuclear energy, including fuel cycle, life cycle support for operating Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and non-power applications, as well as to elaborate a new agenda of interaction in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy and related high technologies.
"The sides noted the importance of further discussion on the second site in India for an NPP; the Indian Side will strive to finalise formal allotment of the second site in accordance with earlier signed agreements.
"The sides agreed to accelerate technical and commercial discussions on the VVER of the Russian design, research and joint development of NPPs, localisation and joint manufacturing of nuclear equipment and fuel assemblies for Russian-designed large capacity NPPs, subject to terms and conditions as mutually agreeable."
In a joint press conference after the talks, Modi said that "enhancing connectivity between our two countries is a key priority for us" and said that they would move forward "with renewed energy" on transport links such as the Northern Sea Route, and the Chennai-Vladivostok route. The two sides also agreed on training Indian sailors on operating in Arctic waters.
Putin said that bilateral trade had reached about USD65 billion a year, and the aim was to increase that volume to USD100 billion. He also noted the progress on building the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and said that once it reaches full capacity "we believe that building small modular reactors and floating NPPs could also be relevant, just as using nuclear technology for non-energy purposes, including in healthcare, agriculture and other sectors".
He also said that Russia and India were collaborating on a project to "to create the North-South corridor linking Russia and Belarus to the Indian Ocean. Infrastructure development along the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor, including the Northern Sea Route as its main artery, offers ample opportunities for expanding bilateral trade". The Northern Sea Route along Russia's northern coast relies on nuclear-powered ice-breakers for year-round navigation.
Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev said, according to the official Russian Tass news agency, that Rosatom and India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways had established a working group to examine the potential for floating nuclear power plants in India. Russia has pioneered floating power units with the Akademik Lomonosov, whichhas been operating for more than five years. Russia's designs use modified versions of the small reactors used for the nuclear-powered ice breakers.
Background
The Kudankulam site, about 100 kilometres from the port city of Tuticorin at the southern tip of India, is already home to two operating Russian VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors which have been in commercial operation since 2014 (Kudankulam unit 1) and 2017 (unit 2). Four more are currently under construction, in two phases: construction of units 3 and 4 began in 2017, with work on units 5 and 6 beginning in 2021. Two further units - Kudankulam 7 and 8, larger AES-2006 units with VVER-1200 reactors - have been proposed as a fourth phase of the plant.
Last week, the first delivery took place of nuclear fuel for the initial loading of Kudankulam unit 3.
According to World Nuclear Association information, India currently has 24 operable nuclear reactors totalling 7,943 MW of capacity, with six reactors - 4,768 MW - under construction. (The Indian government often classes two units at Gorakhpur where site works have begun as being under construction, although the first concrete for the reactor buildings has not yet been poured.) A further 10 units - some 7 GW of capacity - are in pre-project stages.
India has a target to expand its nuclear energy capacity to 100 GW by 2047. It plans to achieve this by a two-pronged approach, with the deployment of large-capacity reactors as well as small modular reactors (SMRs). In August Minister of State Jitendra Singh outlined to the country's Parliament the three types of SMR that are being designed and developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre for demonstration: the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (sometimes referred to as BSMR-200); a 55 MWe small modular reactor (SMR); and a 5 MWt high temperature gas cooled reactor for hydrogen production by coupling with suitable thermochemical process for hydrogen production.
EU approves Polish state aid for nuclear plant
The planned public support for Poland's first nuclear power plant complies with EU rules on state aid, the European Commission has concluded.
(Image: Polish Government)
In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. An agreement setting a plan for the delivery of the plant was signed in May 2023 by Westinghouse, Bechtel and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland's State Treasury. The Ministry of Climate and Environment in July 2024 issued a decision-in-principle for PEJ to construct the plant. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033. The total investment costs of the project are estimated to be about EUR42 billion (USD47 billion).
In September last year, the Polish government notified the European Commission (EC) about its intention to support this investment through: an equity injection of about EUR14 billion covering 30% of the project's costs; state guarantees covering 100% of debt taken by PEJ to finance the investment project; and a two-way contract for difference (CfD) providing revenue stability over the entire lifetime of the power plant of 60 years.
Under EU state aid rules, the European Commission analyses the compatibility of the measure under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which enables Member States to support the development of certain economic activities under certain conditions. The support should remain necessary and proportionate and not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest. The Commission opened a formal investigation into Poland's proposed support package for the nuclear power project in December 2024.
The EC has now completed its investigation of the Polish state aid and concluded that it meets EU rules.
"During the in-depth investigation, Poland revised key elements of the aid package to address the Commission's concerns," the EC noted. "To ensure that the aid is appropriate, proportionate, and does not unduly distort competition in the internal market, Poland committed to several significant adjustments."
These included: a shortened duration of the direct price support, with the period of the CfD reduced from 60 to 40 years; a revised design of the CfD to ensure strong incentives for PEJ to operate the plant efficiently and to make use of its abilities to respond to market signals; and the strike price of the CfD will be set using a 'discounted cash flow' model that takes into account the equity injection and the state guarantees provided, ensuring that the total aid is limited to the project's funding gap.
To mitigate risks related to market concentration and to prevent the aid from being passed through to consumers, Poland has agreed to strict conditions regarding electricity trading. At least 70% of the plant's annual electricity output will be sold on the open power exchange - covering day ahead, intraday and futures markets - throughout the lifetime of the power plant. The remaining output may be sold via auctions conducted under objective, transparent and non-discriminatory terms. Poland also committed to ensure that PEJ will be legally and functionally independent from other major operators in Poland's electricity market.
"The construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant is becoming a reality, and the European Commission's decision underscores the enormous potential of the project we are implementing," said Miłosz Motyka, Poland's Minister of Energy. "It was our government that secured the funding and applied for the Commission's approval, which we received in record time – less than 12 months. This confirms that our actions are not only ambitious but also rapid and extremely effective. Nuclear energy will be one of the foundations of the Polish energy mix. Today, we have taken a crucial step towards its unleashing. Nuclear energy will become the foundation of Poland's energy security and a driver of our economic development. We are already the 20th largest economy in the world. With nuclear energy, we can reach even further."
Wojciech Wrochna, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Energy and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, added: "Receiving the final decision from the European Commission is the culmination of our team's extremely hard work. It served to develop a mechanism that will allow for the financing and implementation of the nuclear power plant project, while taking into account the interests of the state, the investor, and, most importantly, the electricity consumers.
"This decision is one of the key stages of this project. During the dialogue, we clarified all the concerns of the European Commission, even the smallest ones. The next step will be to transfer state budget funds to the Polish Nuclear Power Plants company to continue implementing the project according to the established schedule. The Polish nuclear power plant is taking shape. This investment will be built – we are convinced of that."
"The Commission's final decision approving state aid – one of the largest, if not the largest, individual aid in the history of the European Union – within this timeframe and in this form is a huge success for the Polish side and an example of exemplary cooperation between the administration and a state-owned company," said Marek Woszczyk, president of PEJ's management board. "It paves the way for the signing of a contract for the construction of the power plant with a consortium of American companies, Westinghouse (technology supplier) and Bechtel (construction contractor). I thank everyone involved in the dialogue process with the European Commission."
MoU marks next step in potential VC Summer sale
The board of South Carolina’s public power and water utility has approved a memorandum of understanding that marks the next step in the potential sale of the two partially built VC Summer AP1000 units to Brookfield Asset Management.
The VC Summer construction project, abandoned in 2017 (Image: Santee Cooper)
Santee Cooper announced in October that it was in negotiations with Brookfield Asset Management about the potential completion of the units, triggering a six-week week initial project feasibility period. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) that has now been approved establishes a formal feasibility period regarding completing those units, the company said.
The deal terms include USD2.7 billion in cash to Santee Cooper should the parties reach a Final Investment Decision (FID) and commit to constructing the units, plus a targeted 25% ownership share for Santee Cooper, with proportional capacity, once the units begin commercial operation. The ownership benefits could be adjusted depending on the final cost of completing the units.
The agreement also establishes a path to FID, which is estimated to take 18-24 months. Under the MoU, Brookfield must, by 26 June 2026, determine initial feasibility, establish a target date for its FID, and develop a draft economic development plan that "considers a commitment" to using South Carolina companies and workforce, partnerships with the educational sector, investment in workforce development including providing opportunities to veterans, and engagement with communities and stakeholders. Santee Cooper will work with Brookfield on actions needed to evaluate feasibility, as well as actions related to detailed construction planning and analysis, needed to reach FID.
"Santee Cooper has negotiated a strong deal for our customers, including a cash payment that will significantly reduce the debt our customers have been paying, and future electric capacity they will receive from these units at no additional capital cost," Santee Cooper President and CEO Jimmy Staton said. "In addition to enabling completion of units that will generate over 2,000 megawatts in reliable, carbon-free electricity here, this deal also puts South Carolina at the front of the nation’s nuclear resurgence," he added.
Construction of the two units at VC Summer began in 2013. However, the owners of the Summer project - Scana subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) and Santee Cooper - decided in August 2017 to abandon construction of the units following reactor vendor Westinghouse's filing for bankruptcy in March that year. Majority owner SCE&G (now Dominion Energy South Carolina) transferred its interest in the assets to Santee Cooper in 2018.
Earlier this year, Santee Cooper launched a competitive bidding process for the potential sale of the VC Summer assets to a third party who would complete the unfinished nuclear units.
Second phase of Nuward review completed
Six European nuclear regulators have completed the second phase of a joint early review of France's Nuward small modular reactor design.
A rendering of a Nuward SMR plant (Image: Nuward)
In June 2022, EDF announced that the Nuward design would be the case study for a European early joint regulatory review led by the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) with the participation of Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB). The review would be based on the current set of national regulations from each country, the highest international safety objectives and reference levels, and up-to-date knowledge and relevant good practice. The main objectives of the multilateral review were to identify key issues towards the hypothetical licensing of a Nuward small modular reactor (SMR) in the three countries, and to identify divergences and convergences between the regulatory frameworks in these countries - it was not intended to replace any future licensing review of any participating regulator.
The six areas covered during the year-long joint early review were: the general safety objectives; the list of design basis conditions and design extension conditions; the use of passive cooling systems; the development plan for computer codes; the integration of two reactor units in a single facility; and the Probabilistic Safety Assessment approach. The three regulators published their report on the first phase of the review in September 2023.
At that time, a second phase of the review was announced, which was joined Poland's National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA), the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) and the Netherlands' Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS).
This second phase built upon the successes of the pilot phase - particularly the work of reviewing a specific project and establishing a direct dialogue with the designer - while evolving to address new challenges, notably broader participation. During the second phase, the scope of the assessment was extended to new technical topics, including: management of extended design conditions; assessment of containment and radiological effects; architecture of electrical systems and measurement, control and management systems; and criticality risk management.
The final report of the second phase, which was published on 2 December, presents the programme carried out, the working methodology implemented, as well as the main lessons learned.
"This second phase confirmed the benefits of such an initiative in enhancing regulators' effectiveness and responsiveness in licensing new reactors," the report says. "In particular, it was a helpful input for members revising their regulatory framework. It also confirmed that most of the identified divergences stem from differences at the guidance level and the way of implementing regulatory requirements but not really from differences in requirements as such.
It adds: "The results confirmed that the joint regulatory approach increases the efficiency of information exchange, accelerates the identification of technical differences and allows to address key safety issues earlier than would be possible under separate national licensing processes. The Joint Early Review thus strengthens the readiness of individual states for future assessment of SMR proposals and at the same time creates space for further harmonisation of procedures in Europe.
"A dedicated forum where regulators can engage with a vendor on a specific reactor design is a highly effective tool for early interactions. It allows safety-related issues to be addressed at an early stage, minimising findings later in the licensing process, while also enabling the deployment of a reactor design across multiple countries through joint regulatory evaluation. Furthermore, such cooperation facilitates practical, in-depth assessment of safety features, making the process both concrete and results-oriented."
"The project has taught everyone involved how safety assessments can be carried out together in practice," said Eero Virtanen, Principal Advisor for STUK. "During the project, we also saw how different interpretations of safety requirements can affect the final design of the nuclear reactor."
ANVS licensing authority Thierry Louis added: "During a real licensing procedure, an initiator has to convince us substantively that they can guarantee nuclear safety. The Joint Early Review gave Nuward the opportunity to discover what fellow regulators are looking for. Conversely, we learned about a modern SMR and benefited from the collaboration with fellow regulators."
Discussions are currently under way to continue the joint review of the Nuward reactor project, focusing on new topics.
The Nuward project
The Nuward project was launched in September 2019 by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, EDF, Naval Group and TechnicAtome. The Nuward - consisting of a 340 MWe SMR plant with two pressurised water reactors (PWRs) of 170 MWe each - was jointly developed using France's experience in PWRs. The technology is intended to replace old high CO2-emitting coal, oil and gas plants around the world and support other applications such as hydrogen production, urban and district heating or desalination.
According to Nuward's previously announced SMR roadmap, the detailed design and formal application for a new nuclear facility was scheduled to begin in 2026, followed by first concrete in France in 2030 with the construction of that first unit anticipated to take about three years.
However, in July 2024, EDF said that in response to feedback from potential European customers it planned to optimise the Nuward design, focusing on existing and proven technologies, in order to guarantee that project deadlines and budgets are met.
In January this year, Nuward said: "The studies conducted in recent months have been decisive: Nuward has refined its SMR strategy to fully meet the expectations of the utilities and industry. The Nuward SMR will deliver 400 MW of power and offer an option for cogeneration, up to approximately 100 MWt. It will rely on well-known and perfectly mastered technological building blocks within the nuclear sector to offer a safe product adapted to market needs."
The company said the aim now is to finalise the conceptual design of the reactor by mid-2026 and "market a product for the 2030s", with a first-of-a-kind reactor built in France.
Regulator approves safety case for French repository
The French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority has issued a favourable opinion on national radioactive waste management agency Andra's application for a licence to construct the Cigéo deep geological repository for radioactive waste.
(Image: Andra)
Andra submitted its application for the planned Centre Industriel de Stockage Géologique (Cigéo) repository to the Ministry for Energy Transition in January 2023. In March 2023, the ministry asked the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) to lead the technical appraisal of the application to verify that the project offers all the guarantees required to meet the applicable safety requirements.
Andra plans to construct the Cigéo repository - an underground system of disposal tunnels - in a natural layer of clay near Bure, to the east of Paris in the Meuse/Haute Marne area. The facility is to be financed by radioactive waste generators - EDF, Framatome and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission - and managed by Andra. It will hold 83,000 cubic metres of long-lived high-level waste and intermediate-level waste. Subject to the issuance of the creation authorisation decree in late 2027/early 2028, the receipt of the first waste packages is currently planned for 2050.
The Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR), said its technical appraisal included a standard expert review and investigation process, accompanied by dialogues with stakeholders. Expert assessments were carried out by the Institute for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (IRSN) - which became ASNR on 1 January this year following its merger with the ASN - and then by the ASNR's Research and Environmental Expertise Department in three phases, each focusing on a different theme: baseline data used for the Cigéo safety assessment; safety during the operational phase of the surface and underground facilities; and safety after closure. The Standing Group of Experts on Waste was also consulted and issued three opinions. For each of the three phases of the review, the reports and expert opinions were published and were the subject of an information note issued first by the ASN and then by the ASNR.
It said the entire process involved gathering the expectations and concerns of stakeholders (including the local information and monitoring committee of the Bure laboratory, the National Association of Local Information Committees and Commissions, representatives of associations and civil society in general) in the form of consultation on referrals, technical dialogue during the review of the case and consultation on the draft opinion of the ASNR with stakeholders. In particular, the ASNR's draft opinion was open for public consultation between 3 October and 6 November.
"In its opinion, the ASNR considers that Andra has acquired a sufficient knowledge base regarding the baseline data used for the relative safety assessment and that the safety demonstration for the operational and post-decommissioning phases, based on this knowledge base, is satisfactory at the stage of an application for authorisation to create the facility," ASNR said. "This demonstration will need to be supplemented before commissioning, which is limited to the pilot industrial phase."
ASNR's opinion was presented to the Parliamentary Office for Scientific and Technological Assessment and to the High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Safety.
Andra said ASNR's opinion validates the measures it has taken in Cigéo's safety demonstration "to achieve its ultimate objective: protecting people and the environment over the very long term from the hazards posed by intermediate- and high-level long-lived waste. The ASNR concludes that Andra’s creation license application may give rise to a public inquiry scheduled for the second half of 2026".
"We are taking a crucial step forward in the development of the Cigéo project, and we can say today that it has been reached successfully," said Lydie Evrard, CEO of Andra. "For 30 years, the Cigéo project has been developed in line with the highest safety standards and, more broadly, with best practices in design, public engagement and dialogue with local communities. I would like to thank Andra's teams for the work accomplished and for their constant commitment. I would also like to commend the quality of the technical dialogue with the ASNR, as well as the quality of our relations with elected officials and representatives in the Meuse and Haute-Marne region, and more broadly with all stakeholders.
Estonia moving ahead on new nuclear planning
Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has announced a public procurement for consultancy services for the preparation of work towards selecting a location and environmental impact assessments for a 600 MW nuclear power plant.
Tallin, the Estonian capital (Image: Angelo Giordano/Pixabay)
Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Keldo said: "We are looking forward to qualified companies participating in the tender to contribute to the development of Estonia's energy security. This is a good opportunity to pave the way for the future, creating a new opportunity for energy production in Estonia. If the decision to build a nuclear power plant is made, the plan with the most suitable location and solution will already be waiting for the investor."
The Estonian Government initiated the state spatial planning process for the nuclear power plant at the request of Fermi Energia in May. The planning area includes the rural municipalities of Viru-Nigula, Haljala, Rakvere and Vinni and the Rakvere city rural municipality in Lääne-Viru county; the Lüganuse and Toila rural municipalities and Kohtla-Järve city in Ida-Viru county; and the sea area from Kunda Bay to Narva Bay, covering some 1,285 square kilometres in total. This is significantly larger than the actual area where the nuclear power plant and the necessary facilities will be built, but ensures that the best location for the nuclear power plant can be thoroughly considered and assessed, the government said.
A working group has also been established in the country for the project, with representatives from 35 organisations, which aims to ensure the views of experts and communities are taken into account.
The ministry said the current procurement - which has a deadline of 8 January - will lead to the first stage of the project plan, and include setting the criteria for site selection and an environmental impact assessment and various other studies that will be required. It will include a "search for the best possible location for the nuclear power plant in the planning area, where a comprehensive and detailed solution will be planned in the next stage. In doing so, construction conditions will be developed and other issues related to the construction of the plant will be resolved. All necessary infrastructure will also be planned together with the plant, including electrical connections to the existing network, accesses, cooling systems".
Estonia's government says that the proposed nuclear energy capacity will bring more energy security to the country, cheaper prices and create new high-paying jobs.
Fermi Energia was founded by Estonian energy and nuclear energy professionals to develop deployment of SMRs in Estonia. In July 2019, the company launched a feasibility study on the suitability of SMRs for Estonia's electricity supply and climate goals beyond 2030, following a financing round from investors and shareholders.
In February 2023, the company selected GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment by the early 2030s. The BWRX-300 design is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of the company's ESBWR boiling water reactor.
In September this year Fermi Energia signed a three-year teaming agreement with Canadian construction company Aecon during which the parties will strategise, plan, and evaluate paths forward for the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Estonia. They will work together on pre-construction schedule and cost planning, and development of a capable reactor building deployment team, in collaboration with local and international partners.
Fermi Energia expects to submit a construction permit application for the proposed plant in 2029, with construction targeted to begin in 2031. The first of two SMRs is set to be operational by the second half of 2035.
First projects selected for INL reactor experiments
The five initial selections for end user experiments at Idaho National Laboratory's Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) reactor include projects related to data centres, technology application in commercial and advanced reactors, and applications for nuclear-generated process heat.
(Image: INL)
MARVEL is a sodium-potassium-cooled microreactor being developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE). It will generate 85 kilowatts of thermal energy and up to 20 kilowatts of electricity. It is to be located at the Transient Reactor Test Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and will serve as a nuclear test bed to demonstrate microreactor operations and end-use applications, providing a platform for the private sector to access to an operational microreactor to demonstrate innovative new use cases for the technology. The reactor will be connected to INL's microgrid, and is expected to be operational by late 2027.
The projects selected in a competitive process as the first potential end-users for Marvel are:
- Amazon Web Services Inc, which proposes coupling the MARVEL reactor with a modular data centre, which could potentially provide a simple and cost-effective way for government agencies to build data centres anywhere in the world by enabling the creation of a self-sustaining, rapidly deployable system that can operate independently of traditional power infrastructure;
- DCX USA and Arizona State University, with a proposal to use MARVEL to demonstrate the feasibility of a microreactor to power a data centre for artificial intelligence to yield valuable data on how to provide a stable, continuous power supply capable of handling the unique demands of AI processing;
- General Electric Vernova, which proposes to use MARVEL to demonstrate remote and autonomous reactor operations and establish controls standards for broader application of the technology with commercial reactors;
- Radiation Detection Technologies Inc, proposing to use MARVEL to test advanced high-performance sensor technologies that could help monitor the performance of advanced reactors;
- Shepherd Power, NOV and ConocoPhillips with a proposal to leverage MARVEL for a pilot-scale desalination project using nuclear-generated process heat to demonstrate the viability of advanced nuclear energy for addressing produced water challenges in oil and gas operations.
"Nowhere else in the world will you find this level of support for public sector innovation in nuclear energy," said John Jackson, national technical director for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy's Microreactor Program. "With access to MARVEL, companies can explore how microreactors will potentially help us win the global AI race, solve water challenges and so much more."
The selectees will now work with DOE and national laboratory staff to create implementation plans and to determine the feasibility of their proposed application using MARVEL. Final agreements for proposed projects are expected to be announced in 2026
Niger accuses Orano of radioactive pollution as uranium row deepens
Niger has accused French nuclear fuel group Orano of “predatory behavior” and environmental crimes, escalating a bitter dispute over control of the West African nation’s uranium mines.
The military-led government said Orano could face criminal proceedings for “mass crimes” after authorities reported finding 400 barrels of radioactive core material in Madaouela, near Arlit, where Orano used to operate its uranium mines.
Orano, 90% owned by the French state, said it had not received any official notice of legal action and denied operating at Madaouela.
“Orano does not hold an operating license for the Madaouela site and has conducted no operations there,” the company said in a written response to Reuters‘ questions.
Justice Minister Alio Daouda said the radiation in the area was much higher than normal — about 7 to 10 microsieverts per hour, compared to the usual 0.5 microsieverts. Tests also found two substances that are linked to breathing problems and could be harmful to people.
Niger began transporting uranium from the site last week, saying it was exercising its sovereign right despite a World Bank tribunal order barring it from accessing the stockpile.
Niger is the world’s seventh-largest producer of the nuclear fuel and cancer treatment material. France, which relies on nuclear power for 70% of its electricity, sourced about 15% of its uranium from Niger when the West African nation’s mines were in full operation.
Niger’s expropriation of Orano’s stake mirrors a broader regional shift, with military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea asserting more control over resources.
Reuters previously reported that about 1,500 metric tons of uranium were stockpiled at Somaïr, with potential buyers including Turkish, Iranian and Russian interests.
(By Niger Newsroom and Maxwell Akalaare Adombila; Editing by Felix Bate and Tomasz Janowski)
Eiffel Closes €1.2 Billion Fund to Accelerate Europe’s Energy Transition
Eiffel Investment Group has completed fundraising for its latest energy-transition infrastructure debt vehicle, Eiffel Energy Transition III, hitting its €1.2 billion hard cap and surpassing an initial €1 billion target.
The new fund marks the largest vintage in Eiffel’s energy-transition program and underscores accelerating capital demand for renewable energy across Europe. The strategy provides short-term, flexible debt to renewable developers, bridging a financing gap between costly equity and slower-moving long-term project finance—an area where infrastructure investors see rising structural imbalance. Nearly half of commitments came from institutions that backed Eiffel’s previous two funds, highlighting the program’s performance and investor confidence. More than 30 major French and international investors joined the round, many seeking exposure to stable, collateralized green-energy assets at a moment when Europe faces record financing needs to meet decarbonization and energy sovereignty goals.
Since launching its first fund in 2017, Eiffel has financed more than 5,000 renewable assets—solar, wind, biomass, biogas, hydro, cogeneration, and efficiency projects—equivalent to 15 GW of low-carbon capacity. The firm has supported over 100 developers across Europe, helping accelerate project deployment in markets where permitting and capital constraints often delay build-out. Recent financings include solar portfolios in Ireland and Germany with Power Capital Renewable Energy and Enerparc.
Eiffel Energy Transition III is expected to deploy roughly €3 billion over its eight-year life thanks to recycling of repaid capital. The firm reports a €1.5 billion pipeline and reviewed over €7 billion in opportunities across 2024–2025. More than half of upcoming financings involve repeat borrowers, reflecting long-term relationships and larger-scale project ambitions.
The company has also expanded its infrastructure investment team to more than 30 professionals, adding four senior hires in 2025 to manage the accelerated deployment pace and portfolio oversight.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
Europe Fast-Tracks Industrial Electrification With €1B Auction
The EU has launched its first-ever industrial electrification auction, offering €1 billion in subsidies to replace fossil-fueled process heat with electric and renewable systems.
Electrification is pulling ahead of hydrogen and CCS, as heat pumps, electric boilers, and similar technologies can be installed quickly.
This auction marks a deeper shift in EU industrial policy.
The European Commission’s announcement of the first-ever EU-wide industrial electrification auction marks more than a new funding mechanism; it represents a philosophical shift in how Europe intends to decarbonize its industries, and a signal that, at least for now, electrons are pulling ahead of molecules in the energy transition race.
With a budget of €1 billion under the Innovation Fund, the pilot auction will subsidize the direct electrification of industrial process heat, one of the most stubborn and carbon-intensive parts of the industrial value chain. This is the world’s first auction of its kind, and its implications stretch far beyond factory walls.
Electrifying the hardest heat
Process heat is the silent giant of industrial emissions. It powers furnaces, reactors, dryers, and kilns in sectors ranging from steel and cement to chemicals, glass, and food production. It accounts for roughly one quarter of Europe’s industrial CO2 footprint, yet remains largely fossil-fueled.
The new auction directly targets that problem. Eligible technologies include industrial heat pumps, electric boilers, resistance and induction systems, plasma torches, as well as solar thermal and geothermal systems. In essence, it opens the door for any system that replaces fossil heat with clean electricity or direct renewable heat.
Projects will compete for a fixed premium subsidy per tonne of CO2 abated, paid for up to five years. This results-based model rewards measurable carbon reduction rather than theoretical potential, an important distinction. By tying payments to verified performance, the EU hopes to attract bankable projects and bridge the economic gap between conventional and electrified heat.
The auction is expected to open in December 2025, giving the industry a year to configure systems, partnerships, and monitoring plans. That may sound distant, but in industrial planning terms, it is the blink of an eye.
A test of scale and speed
The significance of this auction goes beyond the €1 billion headline. It signals that electrification has matured from an efficiency measure to a pillar of industrial decarbonization policy.
While Europe has spent years debating hydrogen backbones, carbon capture networks, and cross-border CO2 storage, electrification is quietly emerging as the fastest-moving front. The technologies exist, the supply chains are mostly domestic, and the emissions benefits are immediate.
Industrial heat pumps and electric boilers can be installed within existing plants, often with minimal permitting. They integrate naturally with renewables and with the grid, especially when paired with flexibility measures that shift demand away from peak hours. In a system increasingly constrained by intermittency, these grid-friendly industrial assets are valuable not only for emissions reduction but for balancing electricity supply and demand.
By contrast, molecule-based pathways such as hydrogen, synthetic fuels, or CCS remain hampered by high costs, infrastructure bottlenecks, and fragmented policy support. Hydrogen production still depends on expensive electrolysers and clean power availability. CCS requires transport and storage capacity that remains scarce and politically sensitive.
In short, electrons can move faster than molecules.
The economics of momentum
The economics reinforce this trend. Electrified heat is capital-intensive but relatively simple to finance once policy provides a predictable premium. The auction’s pay-per-ton model mimics the logic of the U.S. 45Q tax credit for carbon capture, reward verified abatement, de-risks investment, and lets the market find the most efficient projects.
Hydrogen and CCS, meanwhile, remain hostage to system-level costs. Producing, transporting, and storing molecules, whether hydrogen or CO2, demands massive, integrated infrastructure that no single project can justify alone. Without a guaranteed offtake market or a predictable price for avoided carbon, private investors stay cautious.
That difference in scalability may define the next decade of European decarbonization. Electrification can move incrementally, one boiler, one line, one plant at a time. Molecule-based systems need a whole ecosystem to move together.
Europe’s strategic rebalancing
The timing of this policy pivot is not accidental. High gas prices, volatile ETS costs, and tightening climate targets have forced policymakers to confront industrial exposure to fossil fuel volatility. By electrifying heat with locally sourced renewables, Europe strengthens both energy security and industrial competitiveness.
There is also a deeper strategic message. The electrification auction is a prototype for what the Commission calls the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, a permanent facility to finance low-carbon industrial investment. If the pilot succeeds, it could expand into a much larger platform, channeling billions into technologies that reduce industrial CO2 at source.
In that sense, this is more than a funding call, it is a stress test for Europe’s ability to move from rhetoric to replication.
The coming divergence, electrons vs. molecules
This growing divergence between electron-based and molecule-based approaches reflects a broader philosophical split in Europe’s transition planning.
Hydrogen and CCS have long dominated headlines, political speeches, and national strategies. They are indispensable for deep decarbonization, no one doubts that, but their deployment remains slow, costly, and infrastructure-heavy. Electrification, on the other hand, advances quietly because it relies on existing systems.
In practice, a factory can replace a fossil boiler with an electric one far faster than it can install a CCS unit or switch to hydrogen combustion. The capital costs may be comparable, but the regulatory and infrastructure complexity is not. That simplicity could make electrification Europe’s bridge technology for the 2030s, cutting emissions now, while hydrogen and CCS catch up.
The danger, of course, is overcorrection. A Europe that bets everything on electrification could still hit limits, grid capacity, renewable intermittency, and high industrial electricity prices. The challenge will be to use auctions like this not as an endpoint, but as a learning mechanism to optimize system integration, combining the immediacy of electrification with the longer-term flexibility of low-carbon molecules.
A quiet revolution in industrial policy
For decades, industrial decarbonization was seen as a future problem. The Innovation Fund’s electrification auction brings it into the present tense. It rewards results, not roadmaps, and signals that Brussels is finally willing to spend serious money on proven solutions.
It also marks a new chapter in industrial policy, Europe is starting to back winners based on technological readiness, not political symmetry. Where hydrogen and CCS still depend on frameworks under construction, electrification now has a launchpad.
Whether this becomes a model for future auctions covering cooling, storage, or low-carbon feedstocks will depend on its success in attracting viable bids and delivering measurable CO2 reductions. But the direction of travel is clear, Europe wants to move from blueprints to building sites.
The transition’s next inflection point
In the end, the auction’s real importance lies in its symbolism. For years, Europe has talked about industrial decarbonization as a long-term challenge. This initiative says something different, the technologies are ready, the money is available, and the political case is undeniable.
Electrons may not solve everything, but they are solving something now. Molecules will follow, eventually. The race is no longer between technologies, but between time and temperature.
Europe’s first industrial electrification auction may not make headlines like hydrogen valleys or CCS hubs, but in terms of tangible progress, it might just prove the most consequential.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a new EU tax on imports from countries with less strict emission standards, designed to create a "level playing field" for European industries hurt by the EU's strict green mandates.
Major exporters like India are already seeking alternative markets for goods such as steel, the production of which is incompatible with the EU’s low-emission requirements.
The effectiveness of CBAM is at risk due to issues in its implementation, specifically inconsistencies in the default emission values assigned to exporting nations, which some industry executives warn could allow high-emission imports to enter the EU with insufficient carbon costs.
On January 1 next year, a new tax will come into effect in the European Union. Dubbed the carbon border adjustment mechanism, the tax will be imposed on imports from non-EU countries with less strict emission reduction standards. Those countries are already speaking out against the tax—and the EU is about to face some unforeseen consequences.
Last week, Reuters reported that Indian steel exporters were looking for new markets to replace the European Union, which currently absorbs as much as two-thirds of Indian steel exports. India’s steel manufacturing is done in blast furnaces fueled with coal, which is incompatible with the European Union’s emission reduction plans. Steel mills could switch to electric arc furnaces from coal-fired blast furnaces. The electric version has a lower emissions footprint, but such a switch would take time and money—quite a bit of it. Europe itself makes steel in electric arc furnaces, and this is still rather expensive.
It was in response to European industries that the carbon border adjustment mechanism, or CBAM, was drafted in the first place. The EU’s strict emission reduction targets and the mandatory requirements that go with them were making European goods uncompetitive on international markets, hurting steelmakers, cement producers, carmakers, and all other industries, really. So, these industries spoke up and got this sort of a concession, which fits in perfectly with the European Union’s ambition to become a standard-setter in climate policies.
“If you want to create a level playing field, if you are asking this [green standards] from companies in Europe, then it also makes sense to ask it from companies from outside of Europe [which are selling into the EU],” the EU’s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, told the Financial Times this month. Indeed, it makes sense to have one standard for all. Unfortunately, enforcement may not be as easy as Mr. Hoekstra made it sound in his interview with the Financial Times.
“As people get used to it and it gets implemented, it will be less of a conversation,” Hoekstra claimed. That might be true for people in general, but for people running companies that depend on export revenues, things look a little bit differently. To comply with European standards in emission reduction, these specific people would need to spend a certain amount of money to transform their production process and make it more vulnerable to cost shocks because electric arc furnaces, as the name suggests, work with electricity rather than coal. This is arguably a big reason why European steelmakers are finding it difficult to compete: for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit, European industries have to pay some 80 euro, equal to over $93. Yet they do not really have a choice.
India, China, and other exporters to the European Union do have a choice. “Some of those making money out of [fossil fuels] are seeking to prolong that process. We have seen this quite explicitly,” Wopke Hoekstra told the FT. “Some of the petrostates are seeking to at least slow down rather than speed up [the energy transition].” Indeed, most countries that make good money out of export commodities that enjoy strong and stable demand have very little motivation to kill their cash cows, as it were, just to please the policymakers in Brussels. It appears that Brussels is aware of it—and of the fact that the European Union is heavily dependent on imports of essential goods.
Politico reported this month that while the CBAM was more or less done in terms of text, it still needed work in the emission measurement part. It was unclear as of yet how exactly the specific emissions of exporters to the EU from India, China, Saudi Arabia, and others “making money out of fossil fuels” were going to be measured. The publication said it had seen two documents on the emission measurement, one containing emission benchmarks and the other default value for the production of the goods that would be subject to the new tax from January. It also said there were signs of the EU circumventing its own rules to keep the imports flowing in.
Politico cited industrial executives as saying the default values for emissions for certain countries that export to the EU were set too low to be real, including some steel production in China that, according to these estimates, turned out to be lower-emission than steel production in the EU.
“Inconsistencies in the figures of default values and benchmarks would dilute the incentive for cleaner production processes and allow high-emission imports to enter the EU market with insufficient carbon costs,” an industry representative told Politico. “This could result in a CBAM that is not only significantly less effective but most likely counterproductive.”
One could, in fact, argue that the CBAM is counterproductive by definition because it seeks to make more products expensive for more people in pursuit of an elusive goal of arresting changes in global temperatures. Yet the EU is going ahead with it, although it will provide “additional flexibilities” in response to the United States’ unfavorable reaction to the new levy.
The EU's goal to completely phase out Russian natural gas imports by 2027 is facing a major challenge due to a growing shortage of skilled labor needed to build the necessary alternative infrastructure.
The global energy sector is booming, with jobs up by over 5 million since 2019, but a survey of 700 companies found that more than half reported critical hiring bottlenecks for electricians, engineers, and grid technicians.
In addition to the workforce crisis, the IEA also warns that current electricity market designs are failing to send the right long-term investment signals and must be redesigned to value flexibility for a system dominated by renewables.
But as the policy ink dries in Brussels, a new challenge is emerging in the real economy…
We might not have enough hands to build the infrastructure that replaces it.
International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol stood alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week and called it the "end of an era."
But he also delivered a warning.
The transition away from Russian energy is only as strong as the workforce available to execute it. And right now... that workforce is stretched to the breaking point.
The Golden Rule: Diversification
Following the invasion of Ukraine, the IEA responded with a 10-Point Plan to reduce reliance on Russian fuel. The results have been swift. Europe has moved toward firmer footing, diversifying suppliers and accelerating renewables.
Dr. Birol, speaking at the European Commission, laid out the new philosophy simply:
“In the energy world, overreliance can quickly turn into major geopolitical vulnerabilities. My number one golden rule for energy security is diversification.”
The deal is done. The timeline is set. But policy is just paper until it is built.
A Boom with a Bottleneck
The energy sector is growing. Fast.
According to the IEA’s newly released World Energy Employment 2025 report, the sector is a job-creation machine.
Global energy employment hit 76 million people in 2024. It is up by more than 5 million since 2019. Last year alone, energy jobs grew by 2.2%, a rate growing at twice the pace of the wider global economy.
The center of gravity is shifting, too.
The power sector has overtaken fuel supply as the industry's top employer.
Solar PV is the primary driver of growth.
Jobs in EV manufacturing and battery production surged by nearly 800,000.
At first glance, all seems well, but the report highlights a deepening shortage of skilled labor. Of the 700 energy-related companies surveyed, more than half reported critical hiring bottlenecks.
Europe is facing a paradox. It has the capital. It has the policy mandates. But it lacks the electricians, the engineers, and the grid technicians to deploy them on schedule.
These shortages threaten to slow the building of infrastructure, delay projects, and raise system costs exactly when Europe needs to move fastest.
Rewiring the Market's Operating System
As the grid transforms to accommodate wind, solar, and batteries, the market design—the economic logic that governs the grid—is struggling to keep up.
Short-term markets are working well; they are efficiently dispatching power hour-by-hour. But long-term markets? They are failing to send the right investment signals.
The old models weren't built for a system dominated by renewables. The report argues that we need to redesign these markets to value flexibility and attract long-term capital.
If we don't fix the market signals, the investment won't flow... no matter what the policymakers in Brussels say.
The Global Context
The pivot isn't happening in a vacuum. While Europe finalizes its divorce from Russian gas, the rest of the world is moving, too.
In Norway: Dr. Birol met with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to discuss Norway's role as a guarantor of energy security and a partner in clean cooking initiatives for Africa.
In Southeast Asia: 150 policymakers gathered in Vietnam for the IEA’s 22nd Energy Efficiency Policy Training Week, addressing rapidly growing demand in the region.
The Bottom Line
The 2027 phase-out deal is a massive geopolitical win for Europe. It signals resilience. But the hard work is just starting.
We have traded a geopolitical crisis for an industrial one. The race is no longer just about securing gas contracts; it is about securing the talent and the market structures to keep the lights on.
Europe has cut the cord. Now, it has to build the battery.
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