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)
Meeting global aspirations to significantly increase global nuclear energy will require greatly accelerating the expansion of the nuclear workforce, supply chains and availability of finance, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency has said in a new report.
The goal of at least tripling global nuclear capacity - currently almost 400 GWe - by 2050 has been endorsed by more than 30 countries since the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023.
The Nuclear Energy Agency's (NEA's) analysis of future global nuclear capacity is built around four scenarios that describe how global installed nuclear capacity could evolve to 2050 and beyond, taking into account refurbishments and long-term operations of the existing nuclear reactor fleet, as well as new builds of gigawatt-scale and small modular reactors (SMRs). In the Low Scenario, global installed nuclear capacity falls to 347 GWe by 2050, as retirements in OECD countries offset new projects and recent momentum fails to translate into sustained deployment. In the Current Trends Scenario, global capacity reaches 619 GWe, driven largely by non-OECD planned and proposed projects. In the Ambitious Scenario, global capacity reaches 883 GWe, with a larger contribution from new build and SMRs. In the Transformative Scenario, global capacity reaches about 1,324 GWe by 2050, more than tripling global capacity - it requires deployment rates that far exceed recent experience and, in OECD countries, would require a major step change in project execution, industrial capability and financing.
Long-term operation of the existing nuclear fleet remains a key factor in meeting global nuclear capacity targets, the NEA says. Many reactors in OECD countries will reach the end of their initial licences before 2040. Extending operations to 60 years and, increasingly, 80 years could preserve reliable low-carbon capacity, support energy security and avoid the need to replace large volumes of firm generation at short notice. However, the report estimates that plants representing more than 50 GWe of OECD nuclear capacity have not yet secured licences to operate to 2040. "Renewing the licences of plants capable of continued operations is essential," it says.
Challenges related to supply chain and workforce capacity must also be overcome if higher deployment scenarios are to be delivered. In many OECD countries, limited new build over the past 25 years has weakened industrial capabilities and project delivery experience, the report says. "Meeting this challenge will require close co-operation among like-minded countries, stronger industrial partnerships and a shift from project-by-project approaches to programme-based deployment."
The NEA says financing will also be a decisive factor. Recent global capital expenditure on new nuclear has averaged about USD30 billion per year, mainly driven by China and Russia. "To meet higher deployment scenarios, this will need to rise sharply," it says. For OECD countries, annual capital requirements would need to increase from about USD12 billion per year over the last decade to an average of USD68 billion in the Ambitious Scenario and USD143 billion in the Transformative Scenario. During the 2030s, the Transformative Scenario could see OECD capital requirements approach USD200 billion per year. Mobilising private capital will be essential. "This will require bankable project structures, clear risk allocation, credible revenue models and government-backed mechanisms that reduce construction, market and political risks."
The NEA says the report "highlights that closing the gap between ambition and delivery will require concerted efforts by governments, industry and financial institutions. Only together can the existing barriers to deployment be overcome, and support for the next phase of nuclear energy's development secured".
"The future of nuclear energy will not be shaped by ambition alone, but by the ability to deliver projects successfully and at scale," says NEA Director-General William Magwood in the report's foreword. "By systematically tracking progress and identifying the opportunities and challenges ahead, this report aims to support informed decision-making and, ultimately, to help enable the future global expansion of nuclear energy."
In its inaugural World Nuclear Outlook Report, released in January, World Nuclear Association compiled national government targets and goals for nuclear capacity for 2050 and assessed them alongside plans for continued and extended operation of existing reactors, completion of those under construction, and realisation of planned and proposed projects. It found global generating capacity could reach 1,446 GWe by 2050 if governments hit their targets for new nuclear, far exceeding the 1,200 GWe goal set in the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy.
World Nuclear Association's report said that achieving the projected 2050 capacity requires scaling annual grid connections from 14.4 GWe per year in 2026-2030, to 22.3 GWe per year in 2031-2035, to 49.2 GWe per year in 2036-2040, 51.6 GWe per year in 2041-2045 and 65.3 GWe per year in 2046-2050. It noted that the required 65.3 GWe per year during 2046-2050 is "roughly double the historic peak build rate seen in the 1980s".
The U.S. Has More SMR Projects Than Its Four Closest Rivals Combined
The US has 28 SMR siting announcements, more than the next four countries combined, according to new data from Visual Capitalist and the National Public Utilities Council.
National laboratories lead US siting activity with seven announcements, while utilities, universities and SMR developers are tied with five each.
SMRs top out around 300 MWe versus 1,000 to 1,400 MWe for traditional reactors, making them a fit for data centers and remote sites where full grid connections are costly.
The U.S. is leading the world in small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) development with 28 siting announcements, as of 2026.
Only 78 of 129 SMR designs being tracked by the NEA are publicly reported in the digital dashboard. The rest have either requested not to be included or are not under active development.
Across the U.S., national laboratories lead in siting announcements (7), followed by a three-way tie among utilities, universities, and SMR developers (5 each).
Why Small Modular Reactors Matter
SMRs are a critical clean-energy technology that are cheaper and more flexible than traditional nuclear power generation.
Small: SMRs can produce up to 300 MWe, far less than traditional reactors, which typically produce around 1,000–1,400 MWe.
Modular: SMRs are designed for mass factory manufacturing to reduce cost and build time.
Reactor: The four main reactor types are light water reactors, fast neutron reactors, graphite-moderated high temperature reactors, and molten salt reactors.
Their compact, modular design enables easier transport and deployment ideal for data centers or remote sites where grid connection is costly or unnecessary.
The Role of SMRs in the Future of Power
As electricity demand accelerates, SMRs are becoming an increasingly important part of conversations around grid reliability, energy security, and clean firm power.
For utilities and policymakers, tracking where these projects are emerging can help inform planning, policy, and long-term strategy.
By Zerohedge
SGE-led team targets 14 BWRX-300 SMRs in UK
Poland's SGE and a deployment team including Samsung C&T, Laing O'Rourke, Aecon Group and Google Cloud, have outlined plans for the privately financed deployment of 14 GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors across three sites in the UK.
(Image: SGE)
SGE (formerly Synthos Green Energy) submitted the application under the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework for reactors which could provide 4.2 GW of capacity, equivalent to 11% of current UK power demand.
SGE, which has BWRX-300 projects under way in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, said it has already invested GBP50 million (USD66 million) to get to the stage of submitting the UK project application, which included more than 1,500 pages. It has established SGE SMR UK Ltd as its UK-based project vehicle.
At a signing ceremony before submitting the application, SGE said that its aim was for the project to enter the UK's Advanced Nuclear Pipeline in November, with site selection and government support scheme negotiations in the first half of 2027, a final investment decision in 2030 and commercial operation of the first unit targeted for 2034.
The plan is for the initial site to host six of the 300 MW small modular reactors (SMRs), with four each at two subsequent sites. The locations of the proposed sites, and the proposed operator of the units, are said to be going to be released "in the near future", pending final negotiations.
Michał Sołowow, founder of SGE, said: "We are focused on delivering efficient, safe, affordable, and clean nuclear energy power at fleet scale. The UK is home to one of the world's most experienced nuclear workforce and the British Government has provided a clear path to market with the Advanced Nuclear Framework. Because of this, I am confident we will set a new standard for nuclear development by combining our disruptive business model with the BWRX-300's tenth generation proven technology. We will rely strongly on the UK supply chain; it is a critical element for our project."
He stressed it was a commercial approach, saying they were not asking for money from the UK government, "we are asking for the opportunity", adding that it is "our risk, if we don’t deliver".
How a BWRX-300 could look (Image: GE Vernaova Hitachi)
Rafał Kasprów, CEO of SGE, said: "Standardisation, repetition, modularisation, and a fleet deployment strategy are the most effective ways to deliver new nuclear projects successfully, reducing costs, construction risk, and delivery times. We are committed to working with UK partners to provide secure, affordable, and clean electricity to millions of British households for generations to come."
Jason Cooper, CEO of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, said: "SGE's vision reflects the growing momentum behind new nuclear across Europe and the critical role SMRs can play in strengthening energy security while delivering reliable, lower-carbon electricity. With construction already under way at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Ontario, Canada, the first commercial-scale SMR under construction in the Western world, the BWRX-300 offers the confidence that comes from real project execution."
John O’Connor, Group Commercial Director of Laing O’Rourke, said the company would bring nuclear experience and pioneering industrialised construction methods to the development of SMRs. Aaron Johnson, Senior Vice President, Nuclear, Aecon Group Inc, a leading partner on the Darlington BWRX-300 deployment in Canada, said "early involvement in this landmark project positions Aecon to leverage first-of-a-kind experience and tailor proven approaches for SGE in the UK and in other international markets".
Others involved in the project include Fermi Development, a UK-based developer with a decade of renewable energy development expertise, which says it has "screened more than 100 sites, with around 40 sites identified as potentially developable, enabling a fleet approach through application of a consistent model, which is central to schedule resilience, delivery and investor confidence".
Luba Kotzeva, founder and CEO of advisory and consultancy group Etara, whose team has had advisory roles on nuclear projects in 12 European countries, including the UK's Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C and Wylfa projects, said the proposed fleet-scale delivery was to capture learnings and to bring pricing down so "it is privately financeable and at affordable levels".
The project is proposing a Contract for Difference financing scheme - the type used for Hinkley Point C and preferred in European Union projects, but replaced by the regulated asset base model in the UK for the more recent Sizewell C project - which means an agreed price is set in advance for the electricity generated, with the power generator repaying the difference if the price goes above the agreed level, and the government subsidising the amount if the electricity price is below the agreed level. Under the Contracts for Difference system developers finance the construction of a nuclear project and only begin receiving revenue when the power plant starts generating electricity. Under the Regulated Asset Base funding model consumers contribute towards the cost of new nuclear power plants during the construction phase.
The project aims to learn from the experience of Contract for Difference schemes elsewhere in Europe and has proposed modifications to the Hinkley Point-style scheme to better enable private finance, with government asked to back provision of revenue support and risk sharing - including protection against future political changes of policy - "and for consumers providing a hedge for future power price shocks".
It is understood that the aim is for the level set for the Contract for Difference is to likely be in the same area as the current Hinkley Point C figure. The potential for power purchase agreements, which could also underpin financing, will also be included in the negotiations, as well as investment from the UK’s National Wealth Fund.
As to the likely cost per SMR, the project team aims that once they are in fleet mode, each SMR would cost about GBP2.2-2.5 billion (USD2.9-3.3 billion). There are plans to have some associated data centres with the SMRs, and although Google’s current role is as a technology partner SGE hopes they may become an investment partner on the data centre on the site.
Background
GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 small modular reactor is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH's ESBWR boiling water reactor. In December it passed Step 2 of the UK's Generic Design Assessment. The regulators said there are "no fundamental safety, security, safeguards or environmental protection shortfalls with the design that could prevent its deployment in Great Britain".
However before units could be built, the regulators would need to undertake a further period of detailed design assessment before safety-significant construction could begin and environmental permits could be issued. This assessment could be conducted on a generic basis with GE Vernova Hitachi, should the company choose to return to the GDA process to complete Step 3. Alternatively, it could be undertaken with a licensee or constructor as part of a site-specific development.
Orlen Synthos Green Energy applied to Poland's Minister of Energy last month for a Contract for Difference for the construction of a total of 14 BWRX-300 small modular reactors at three locations in Poland, the first phase of a broader OSGE programme, which ultimately includes the construction of 26 BWRX-300 units in line with the principal decisions obtained by the company from the Polish government. The aim is for the first unit to be operational in 2032.
The UK currently generates about 15% of its electricity from about 5.9 GWe of nuclear capacity. Most existing capacity is to be retired by the end of the decade, but the first of a new generation of nuclear plants is under construction at Hinkley Point C, and a final investment decision has been confirmed for a second plant at Sizewell C. Government plans call for up to 24 GWe of new nuclear capacity by 2050 to provide about 25% of electricity.
A selection contest was held for the UK government's first small modular reactor programme, which culminated last year with Rolls-Royce SMR being selected, with at least three and possibly eight of its 470 MW units set to be built at the Gwyndod site near the existing Wylfa site on Anglesey in North Wales.
State support needed to make new Swiss reactors viable, report says
The construction of new nuclear power reactors in Switzerland is not competitive under current conditions, but would become profitable with state subsidies, risk mitigation and significantly lower construction costs, according to a study from ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute.
The Beznau plant (Image: ENSI)
The study investigated under which conditions the construction of new nuclear power plants may make financial sense for Switzerland's future energy system. The findings of the study are based on four different energy models. These models calculate which technologies Switzerland could use by 2050 to cover significantly higher electricity demand as cheaply as possible and in a carbon-neutral way.
Assuming that the state will continue to subsidise renewable electricity sources such as photovoltaics and wind as part of its target to expand power generation to 45 TWh and not provide any funding for the construction of new nuclear power plants, nuclear power would be too expensive under the majority of model calculations used in the study. This remains the case even with low to moderate construction costs of CHF5,000 to CHF8,000 (USD6,180 to USD9,890) per kW of installed capacity.
According to the study, however, new nuclear power plants are technologically compatible with a future energy system based primarily on solar and wind power. And in order for nuclear power to be economically competitive compared with the renewable electricity sources that are already being supported, three things are needed. Firstly, the government would have to decide to also support nuclear power as part of the 45 TWh target. Secondly, politicians would have to decide on risk reduction measures to lower the financing costs of new nuclear power plants from its estimated market rate of 8% to 5%, in line with the interest rate for other large-scale carbon-neutral plants. Thirdly, construction costs for new nuclear power plants must not be too high. With construction costs of CHF12,000 per kW, which are similar to costs recently observed in Europe and the USA, building new nuclear power plants will no longer be worth it in three of the four models – even if the government awards subsidies and bears a portion of the financial risk. But in the hypothetical scenario where construction costs of CHF5,000 per kilowatt could be achieved, it would be profitable to build between 2.6 and 4.9 GWe of new nuclear power plants. Even with moderate construction costs of CHF8,000 per kW, two out of four models still predict an installed power plant capacity of 2 GWe.
The study says Switzerland can achieve its net-zero target using existing and planned technologies without the need for new nuclear power plants with efficient electricity trading with foreign countries among the essential factors for the stability of a system that does not include nuclear. The models show that new nuclear power plants would reduce net electricity imports in winter overall, but not eliminate them entirely. Depending on the model, net electricity imports in winter could be reduced by 1 to 6 TWh - 3 to 20% of the electricity currently generated between October and March.
"Each of these models is based on a range of assumptions that are associated with uncertainties and simplify the complexity of the energy system," said André Bardow, Professor at ETH. "In cases where these models point in the same direction, there are robust findings that could form the basis for discussion by society and in the sphere of politics. As for whether to decide for or against nuclear power, this is ultimately a question for society."
Andreas Pautz, Head of the PSI Centre for Nuclear Engineering and Sciences, Professor of Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour at EPFL and one of the study's authors said: "This goes to show how crucial construction costs are for nuclear power plants to be competitive. Prices for new nuclear power plants recently seen in the US and Europe can also be attributed to the fact that they are the first projects of their kind. At best, nuclear energy will only be competitive in Switzerland if manufacturers successfully learn the lessons of these cost overruns and limit the costs of future plants to around CHF8,000 per kW."
The Swiss Nuclear Forum welcomed the study, saying it shows "that new nuclear power plants can be part of a cost-optimised, climate-neutral Swiss energy system under certain economic and regulatory conditions".
Hans-Ulrich Bigler, President of the Swiss Nuclear Forum, said: "The study is not a rejection of new nuclear power plants. Instead, it shows under what conditions nuclear energy can be economically integrated into the future Swiss energy system. Ultimately, the framework conditions that will apply in the future are a political decision ... Lifting the legal ban on new construction is the right way forward. Those who want to make technology-neutral decisions shouldn't exclude one option by law today. Whether and when new nuclear power plants are actually built will be determined later by economic viability, willingness to invest, and future electricity demand."
Background
Switzerland currently has four nuclear power reactors - two at the Beznau plant and one each at the Gösgen and Leibstadt plants - generating about one-third of its electricity. They all have an unlimited operating licence and can be operated as long as they are safe.
A new Swiss energy policy was sought in response to the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Two months later, both the Swiss parliament and government decided to exit nuclear power production. The Energy Strategy 2050 initiative drawn up by the Federal Council came into force on 1 January 2018 and calls for a gradual withdrawal from nuclear energy. It also foresees expanded use of renewables and hydro power but anticipates increased reliance on fossil fuels and electricity imports as an interim measure.
In August last year, Switzerland's Federal Council presented draft legislation that would remove the country's ban on the construction of new nuclear power.
The publication of the study by ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute comes as the 'No to New Nuclear Power Stations' coalition - comprising the Greens, the Socialist Democrats, the Green Liberal Party and various other organisations - launched a popular initiative to block the construction of new nuclear power plants in Switzerland. Building new nuclear plants would make the country dependent on foreign energy, cost billions and hinder the development of renewable energy, according to the initiative committee. The committee has until 8 October to collect 50,000 signatures for the referendum to go ahead.
An online poll conducted in September 2024 found that 53% of the Swiss population supports the government's plan to remove the country's ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants.
Criticality for third US reactor ahead of 4 July deadline
Deployable Energy's Unity demonstration reactor has successfully achieved initial criticality at the National Reactor Innovation Center located at Idaho National Laboratory - which means the US has achieved the presidential goal set last year of three microreactors under Department of Energy authorisation to achieve initial criticalities by 4 July 2026.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright examines a fuel rod at INL during during preparations for the Unity demonstration reactor criticality test (Image: Deployable Energy)
Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor became the first to do this, reaching initial criticality in early June, closely followed by Valar Atomics' Ward 250 reactor.
Antares' and Valar's reactors achieved their first criticality under the Department of Energy (DOE) Reactor Pilot Program. Deployable Energy completed the Unity criticality experiment under the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, an initiative launched in March under the Idaho National Laboratory (INL)-based National Reactor Innovation Center to build on the Reactor Pilot Program, leveraging authorisation from the DOE - rather than the conventional US Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing route - to expeditiously certify and construct first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear technologies for demonstration.
Unity was the first selection under the Launch Pad initiative, in April this year. Reaching the criticality milestone so soon has set a new benchmark for execution speed in the advanced nuclear sector, according to INL Laboratory Director John Wagner: "Achieving criticality in roughly 150 days is a remarkable accomplishment, and Idaho National Laboratory is proud to have provided the facilities and expertise that helped make this milestone possible," he said.
"Having instrumental partners in the Department of Energy, INL, and our suppliers has been crucial to the success of this criticality test," Deployable Energy co-founder and CEO Bobby Gallagher said. "This accomplishment demonstrates the dedication of our team and partners and moves us collectively one step closer to delivering reliable, resilient, and deployable nuclear energy solutions by leveraging the expertise and capabilities at INL and the existing fuel supply chain."
"Last week, I had the opportunity to see the Unity demonstration reactor firsthand and meet with the talented teams from Deployable Energy, INL and DOE whose work made this historic moment possible on the eve of our nation's 250th anniversary," Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said, describing the achievement as "a significant milestone on a timeline many thought was unachievable. Advanced nuclear technologies like Unity will help power the next generation of American industry, strengthen our energy security, and ensure the United States remains the world's nuclear innovation leader".
The Unity microreactor is envisaged by Deployable Energy as a compact, 1 MWe water-moderated, gas-cooled "nuclear battery" designed to provide reliable, carbon-free power where conventional energy infrastructure is unavailable, impractical, or vulnerable. It says the technology aims to support a wide range of applications, including remote communities, emergency response operations, defence missions, critical infrastructure resilience, and industrial energy needs.
Criticality is the point at which a nuclear reactor sustains a controlled, self-supporting chain reaction. Although the initial criticality was achieved with a full-scale core load, this was a zero-power criticality. Now this has been achieved, the next steps for Unity will be a phased testing programme that includes further validating reactor physics, load following, inherent safety, and full-power operations. These tests will provide additional data to verify reactor performance and support future licensing and commercialisation efforts, and to support continued system validation, performance optimisation, and future deployment planning.
Cameco shuts Cigar Lake mine on Orano mill disruption
Cigar Lake is the world’s highest grade uranium mine and is located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Credit: Cameco
Cameco (TSX: CCO; NYSE: CCJ) says it has temporarily suspended operations at its Cigar Lake mine in northern Saskatchewan, citing disruptions at the McClean Lake mill operated by France’s Orano.
The McClean Lake mill, where the Cigar Lake ore is normally processed, has encountered operational challenges with its sulfuric acid plant that caused it to shut down in order to repair the issue, the uranium miner said in a press release on Wednesday.
Orano is currently working to bring the plant back online and is assessing options to obtain acid supply from an alternative source while it waits for replacement parts to complete the repair, Cameco added.
“With limited ore storage capacity at Cigar Lake, we have temporarily suspended mining activities until sufficient acid is available to allow processing to resume at McClean Lake,” Cameco’s statement reads.
Shares of Cameco were little moved during the early hours of trading despite the operational setback. Trading at about $102 a share in New York, the company has a market capitalization of $44.6 billion.
Two-week stoppage
The company expects the McClean Lake mill to resume in about two weeks and does not anticipate an impact on its 2026 production outlook for Cigar Lake, though it did not rule out a longer-than-expected disruption.
Depending on the duration of any additional delays, our 2026 production outlook could be impacted, it said.
McClean Lake represents one of the world’s largest uranium processing facilities, with an annual production capacity of 24 million lb. in concentrates. It is operated by Orano as its majority owner (77.5%) in partnership with Denison Mines (22.5%). The site is located 750 km north of Saskatoon.
Cigar Lake, situated 70 km southwest of the mill, is the world’s highest-grade uranium mine. Since commissioning in 2014, the operation has produced a total of 174.5 million lb. of yellowcake.
Supply chain challenges prompt Cigar Lake suspension
Cameco has temporarily suspended operations at the Cigar Lake mine in northern Saskatchewan due to challenges related to sulphuric acid availability at Orano's McClean Lake mill, where ore from Cigar Lake is processed.
The leaching circuit at McClean Lake (Image: Orano Canada)
"Orano's McClean Lake mill has encountered operational challenges with its sulphuric acid plant that caused it to shut down in order to repair the issue. Orano is currently working to bring the acid plant back online and is assessing options to obtain acid supply from an alternative source while it waits for replacement parts to complete the repair. With limited ore storage capacity at Cigar Lake, we have temporarily suspended mining activities until sufficient acid is available to allow milling to resume at McClean Lake," the company said.
Cameco said that at present, the mill is expected to return to operation in around two weeks, and the disruption is not expect to impact its 2026 production outlook for Cigar Lake. "However, there is a risk that the repairs to the acid plant take longer than planned and that mining at Cigar Lake is unable to resume on the expected schedule," the company notes - adding that additional delays could affect its 2026 production outlook.
Cigar Lake is the world's highest grade uranium mine, with an average ore grade of 16.33% U3O8. Cameco developed an innovative jet-boring technique specifically for the project, freezing the ground and using a high-pressure water jet to mine out cavities in the frozen ore. The mixture of ore and water is then pumped to underground grinding and processing circuits. Thickened ore slurry is pumped to the surface and transported in tanker trucks 70 kilometres to the McClean Lake mill - operated by Orano - where it is processed into uranium concentrate.
The McClean Lake mill was originally built to process uranium from the McClean Lake mine, with a grade of 2.4% U3O8, but was subsequently upgraded to process high-grade uranium: according to its 77.5%-owner, and operator, Orano, it is the only facility in the world capable of processing high-grade uranium ore without dilution, and can process ore grades more than 100 times the world's average grade.
Sulphuric acid is a key reagent used in the leaching, counter-current decantation, solvent extraction and yellowcake precipitation processes at the mill. The mill has its own acid plant, but globally, supplies of sulphuric acid have been impacted by the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the American Chemical Society's Chemical & Engineering News, about half of the seaborne trade in sulphur normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the start of war in Iran, sulphur shipments have almost completely stopped. And China - the world's largest exporter of sulphuric acid - has restricted exports since the beginning of May.
Cigar Lake produced 4.9 million pounds U3O8 (1885 tU) in the first quarter of 2026 (of which Cameco's share was 2.7 million pounds), with total production for 2026 expected to be between 17.5 and 18.0 million pounds in 2026.
US uranium project completes federal permitting process
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a 20-year renewal of the source materials licence for enCore Energy's Dewey Burdock In-Situ Recovery Uranium Project, completing the federal part of the permitting process for the South Dakota project.
The Dewey-Burdock site (Image: BLM)
This follows an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact in support of the licence issued by the commission earlier this month. The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has also recently authorised the start of construction of infrastructure on portions of bureau-managed public lands within the larger Dewey Burdock Project.
Dewey Burdock is described by enCore as an advanced-stage uranium project covering 10,580 acres (about 4,282 hectares), including 10,340 acres of private surface rights and 240 acres of Bureau of Land Management-managed surface rights. It was originally awarded a source and byproduct materials licence by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2014. The project became part of enCore Energy's portfolio on its acquisition of Azarga Uranium in 2022, consolidating the companies' assets which also included licensed in-situ production facilities at Rosita and Kingsville Dome, both in South Texas, and the Gas Hills project in Wyoming.
The project was approved in August 2025 for inclusion in the US Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council's FAST-41 programme. (“Permitting Council”) on 28 August, 2025, with the NRC acting as the lead agency. Inclusion in the programme helps critical mineral projects to receive accelerated permitting review.
Permitting Council Executive Director Emily Domenech congratulated the NRC and enCore Energy Corp "for getting the Dewey Burdock ISR Uranium Project to the federal permitting finish line ... increasing the domestic production of uranium is critical to national security and energy dominance, and will play a pivotal role in accelerating the deployment of nuclear energy to meet growing electricity demand".
The company has commenced permitting efforts with the State of South Dakota, which are required before the Dewey Burdock Project proceeds to full operational status.
“FAST-41 has played an important role in securing federal permitting, and we look forward to finalising state permitting, beginning construction, and ultimately producing from this critical source of clean, reliable, and affordable uranium to fuel the rapidly expanding US nuclear energy needs," enCore Energy Executive Chair William Sheriff said. "This project should provide positive local and national economic impacts through development and ongoing operations."
EnCore plans to operate Dewey Burdock through its Powertech USA subsidiary by the in-situ recovery, or ISR, process, using an oxygen and water-based solution in the production wellfield to dissolve uranium minerals in place. (ISR is also sometimes referred to as in-situ leach).
The last large module - the CB20 containment water tank module - has been installed at unit 4 of the Haiyang nuclear power plant site in China's Shandong province, State Power Investment Corporation announced.
(Image: SPIC)
The CB-20 module will store more than 3,000 tonnes of water, which can be used to help cool the reactor in an emergency. The water can also be directed into the reactor's used fuel pool, while the tank itself can be refilled from water stored elsewhere on site. The tank is part of the plant's passive safety systems which require no operator actions to mitigate potential emergency situations, using natural forces such as gravity, natural circulation and compressed gas to achieve their safety function. In conjunction with other passive safety features, the CB-20 module can maintain unit safety for 72 hours without human intervention.
The module - consisting of two layers of cylindrical wall panels, a top plate, and a conical bottom plate - was hoisted into place on top of the nuclear island's shielding building on 29 June. It has an outer diameter of almost 26 metres, an inner diameter of 10.6 metres and a height of just over 10 metres, and a total weight of some 419 tonnes.
(Image: SPIC)
"This successful hoisting marks the full entry of the Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant Phase II project into the installation and commissioning phase," SPIC said.
The construction of two CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - at each of the Haiyang, Sanmen and Lufeng nuclear power plant sites in China was approved by the country's State Council on 20 April 2022. The approvals were for Haiyang 3 and 4, Sanmen units 3 and 4 and units 5 and 6 of the Lufeng plant. The Sanmen and Haiyang plants are already home to two AP1000 units each.
(Image: SPIC)
Unit 1 of the Haiyang plant entered commercial operation in October 2018, with unit 2 following in January 2019.
The first safety-related concrete was poured for the nuclear island of Haiyang unit 3 in July 2022, and in March the outer steel dome of the nuclear island containment building was hoisted into place. Construction of Haiyang 4 began in April last year. The planned construction period for Haiyang 3 and 4 was 56 months, with the two units scheduled to be fully operational in 2027.
(Image: SPIC)
"Once all four units are in operation, the plant is expected to generate 40 billion kWh of electricity annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 30 million tonnes each year," SPIC noted.
The Haiyang plant is planned to eventually have six 1,000 MW reactors, with room for expansion of two more units, the company said.
Mali's war on civilians deepens as alliances shift, HRW says
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the army, allied militias and Islamist armed groups have all committed abuses with impunity since the attacks in northern Mali in April.
Issued on: 01/07/2026 - RFI
Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition gather at the Kidal roundabout in Kidal, on 26 April, 2026. AFP - ABDOLLAH AG MOHAMED
In a new report titled Mali: Grave Abuses Amid Renewed Fighting, published at the end of June, the human rights NGO examines abuses committed in the country by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), as well as by the Malian army and its Russian proxies from Africa Corps, since the attacks of 25 April.
On that day, jihadists and their partners from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara and captured the northern town of Kidal.
Since then, the Malian army and its Russian partners from Africa Corps have intensified their "counter-terrorism" operations, while JNIM jihadists have imposed new blockades on civilian populations. Impunity fuels abuses
Against this backdrop, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has investigated abuses committed by the various parties to the conflict.
The organisation points out that humanitarian law prohibits any deliberate or indiscriminate attack against civilians, and that "long-standing impunity continues to fuel the cycle of abuses against civilians in Mali," according to Ilaria Allegrozzi, Sahel researcher at HRW and author of the report.
She told RFI that she had wanted to focus on the impact of the hostilities on civilians, having initially assumed that most casualties were caused by clashes between JNIM and the FLA on one side, and the Malian army and Africa Corps on the other.
"But in reality, you see in our report that yes, there were casualties in clashes, in Kidal, during the fighting, but most of the people killed were killed by the Malian army, either during counterinsurgency ground operations in the centre of Mali or during the drone strikes that we documented. And that's even more worrying," she added.
HRW called on the UN and the African Union (AU) to support independent efforts to "hold those responsible for serious abuses accountable," as well as a fact-finding mission aimed at laying the groundwork for criminal investigations and prosecutions.
What worries the NGO most is the continued impunity — its primary recommendation is that the crimes be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.
Renewed fighting
There is no official casualty count for the multiple attacks of 25 April, but HRW offers a partial one: in the cities of Gao and Kidal alone, the clashes reportedly left 13 civilians dead and at least 25 injured.
The HRW report details the violence committed since then.
Between 6 and 21 May, JNIM torched more than 40 civilian vehicles bound for Bamako as part of a blockade imposed on the road to the capital — a conservative figure covering only that two-week period.
On 14 May, FLA spokesman Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadane told Human Rights Watch: "We took sufficient measures so that civilians are not collateral victims of the fighting. We wrote several times to communities located around the city [of Kidal] to tell them to leave and not to approach military sites."
The NGO also points to the public execution of a civilian in Tonka, in the Timbuktu region, on 21 May, and attacks on tanker trucks that since September 2025 have killed drivers, caused severe fuel and electricity shortages, disrupted education, and paralysed daily life. Changes of alliance
Successive governments in Mali have battled Islamist and separatist armed groups since 2012.
After coups in 2020 and 2021, General Assimi Goïta seized power, expelled French and UN forces, and strengthened ties with Russia. He also terminated a nine-year peace agreement with predominantly Tuareg armed groups.
In 2024, the al-Qaeda-linked coalition JNIM, seeking to expand Islamist rule across the Sahel, entered into an alliance with the FLA - the Tuareg separatist coalition seeking independence for northern Mali - espite their ideological differences. The two joined forces during the April 2026 offensive.
Meanwhile, the military regime sought the protection of the private Russian group Wagner, now rebranded as Africa Corps, a development analysts say has only deepened the cycle of violence.
"The Malian army has committed abuses against civilians even prior to the arrival of the Wagner fighters, now the Africa Corps," Allegrozzi said.
"But of course things are getting worse because Wagner came to Mali with a very heavy background and a very bad reputation in terms of respect for human rights, with examples in the Central African Republic, in Ukraine, in Libya."
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