SPACE/COSMOS

L3Harris finalises design of deep space power source

Friday, 15 May 2026

World Nuclear News

US technology company L3Harris Technologies announced it has finalised the design of a next-generation nuclear-based power source for future NASA deep space missions, marking a crucial advancement in spacecraft power technology.
 

Artist's concept of the L3Harris Next Gen RTG in flight configuration (Image: L3Harris)

The company's Next-Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (Next Gen RTG) cleared its critical design review (CDR) on 2 April, paving the way for a new era of outer solar system exploration.

The space community has relied mainly on photovoltaic power systems, a technology that was originally developed for the purpose of space applications and has found many terrestrial uses. However, these systems pose severe limitations for missions to places like the outer solar system. The available solar energy reduces with the square of the distance from the sun. For example, on Saturn the solar power density is a hundred times lower than on Earth.

Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) convert heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium-238 into electricity. They have been in use for 60 years. Early versions continue to supply power to NASA's twin Voyager probes, which were launched in 1977 and are now travelling in interstellar space.

The Next Gen RTG is an evolution of the general-purpose heat source RTGs that supplied power to NASA's Cassini Saturn orbiter and, more recently, New Horizons probe, which carried out a Pluto flyby in 2015 and is now exploring the Kuiper Belt, a distant, doughnut-shaped region of icy debris and dwarf planets that extends just beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Unlike the L3Harris-built Multi-Mission RTGs currently powering NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers, the Next Gen RTGs are optimised for spacecraft operating in the vacuum of space rather than on the surface of a planet. The vacuum-optimised design allows for more efficient heat rejection and power generation in the deep space environment where missions like the Uranus orbiter will operate. As a result, the Next Gen RTG offers a higher power output at about the same weight as the Multi-Mission RTG. With the capability to generate about 250 watts of power at the beginning of its life, each Next Gen RTG will provide reliable, long-duration power for spacecraft exploring the outer reaches of the solar system.

The US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory (INL) contracted L3Harris in 2021 to re-establish the key technologies from the heritage system and update the design in response to growing interest in new deep space missions. The contract is expected to end in 2027 with a production readiness review to verify that the next-generation system can be built using the materials and components that have been re-established.

"We are proving we can do it again," said Leo Gard, Space Propulsion & Power Systems Programme Manager at L3Harris. "While we didn't build the original generators, we've successfully reconstructed incomplete documentation and identified modern equivalents for obsolete components through creative problem-solving."

"Passing the CDR is an important milestone because it validates that our design meets all the technical requirements and can be manufactured," added Bill Sack, General Manager, RocketWorks and Power Systems at L3Harris. "It also demonstrates we've successfully re-established this critical capability after years of limited production."

He added: "The Next Gen RTG represents a significant leap forward in efficiency. We're delivering more power in the same mass envelope, which is critical when every kilogram matters for deep space missions."

As prime contractor on the Next Gen RTG programme, L3Harris is responsible for the main structure and overall system integration. Teledyne Energy Systems Inc of Hunt Valley, Maryland, makes the thermoelectric couples that convert heat to electricity, while BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems in Boulder, Colorado, is responsible for insulation.

Flight units could power NASA deep space probes starting in the early 2030s, including a proposed Uranus orbiter that would use two Next Gen RTGs for power and for keeping its temperature-sensitive components warm enough to operate in the frigid environment of the outer solar system. This dual-purpose capability makes RTGs indispensable for such missions.

L3Harris said that, beyond the Uranus orbiter, these power systems could enable: extended missions to Neptune and its moon, Triton; Kuiper Belt object explorers that can go beyond the range of the New Horizons spacecraft; long-duration missions to the outer planets' moons; and interstellar precursor missions that push even farther than the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.

The Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy In The Early Universe: Clues To The Mysterious Origins Of Ultra-Faint Dwarfs

(Background) An image of the massive galaxy cluster MACS J0416, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). (Inset) A three-color composite image of LAP1-B in "velocity space," created from JWST Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) data. Because this galaxy contains very few stars and is extremely faint, it is invisible in the standard background camera image (NIRCam). However, high-sensitivity spectroscopic observations successfully captured the faint light (emission lines) emitted by hydrogen and oxygen gas. In this inset, the horizontal axis represents the motion (velocity) of the gas, while the vertical axis shows its spatial extent, visualizing the distribution of different elements (Blue: Hydrogen Lyα; Green: Oxygen [OIII]; Red: Hydrogen Hα). For visual clarity in comparing the element distributions, the Lyα emission is shown with a velocity offset of 200 km/s.

 CREDIT © NASA, ESA, CSA & K. Nakajima et al., Nature.

May 16, 2026 
By Eurasia Review


An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima of Kanazawa University has captured a rare look at the early universe. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST *1) and the power of a gravitational lensing (* 2) in space, the team achieved a definitive characterization of LAP1-B, an ultra-faint galaxy from 13 billion years ago.

Expanding upon initial detections, this new study utilized deep JWST spectroscopy to reveal a record-breaking low oxygen abundance (* 3) — merely 1/240th that of the Sun. This chemically primitive state, coupled with an elevated carbon-to-oxygen ratio and a dominant dark matter halo, suggests that LAP1-B is the long-sought “ancestor” of the mysterious fossil galaxies found near our Milky Way today, providing a historic window into the earliest, most primitive stages of galaxy assembly.
The Quest for the Universe’s First Ingredients:

Just after the Big Bang, the universe was simple, containing only light elements like hydrogen and helium. The heavier elements necessary for life, such as oxygen and carbon, did not yet exist; they were forged much later inside the hearts of the very first stars. For decades, astronomers have tried to find the moment these “first-generation stars” (* 4) began scattering the seeds of life across the cosmos. However, the earliest galaxies hosting such young, primordial stars have remained so small and faint that seeing their chemical makeup was considered nearly impossible — until now.
A Record-Breaking Discovery:

The research team focused on a tiny, ultra-faint galaxy named LAP1-B. Its light was magnified 100 times by a phenomenon called “gravitational lensing,” where the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster acts like a giant telescope lens. By staring at this spot for over 30 hours with the JWST and conducted deep spectroscopy (* 5), the team determined that the galaxy’s oxygen abundance is roughly 1/240th that of the Sun.

“I was instantly thrilled by the extreme lack of oxygen revealed in the data,” says Associate Professor Nakajima, the research team leader. “Finding a galaxy in such a primitive state is astonishing. It’s a chemical signature that clearly indicates a primordial galaxy caught in the moments shortly after its formation.”

The Fingerprints of the First Stars:

Beyond its primitive nature, the galaxy exhibited a high carbon-to-oxygen abundance ratio (Figure 3). This unique chemical fingerprint — the specific ratio of elements — aligns closely with theoretical predictions for the material dispersed by the explosions of the universe’s first-generation stars.

“Usually, we act like ‘cosmic archaeologists,’ trying to guess the past by looking at old stars in our own neighborhood. But now, we can analyze the gas directly from the original scene 13 billion years ago,” emphasizes Nakajima. “We are witnessing the moment when a galaxy first inherited the chemical building blocks created by the universe’s earliest stars.”
Solving the Mystery of “Cosmic Fossils”:

The team also discovered that LAP1-B is incredibly lightweight — less than 3,300 times that of the Sun — implying that most of the galaxy consists of invisible dark matter (* 6). This feature, together with its unique chemical makeup (Figure 3), makes it a near-perfect match for the “Ultra-Faint Dwarf galaxies (UFDs)” (* 7) found near our Milky Way today.


“UFDs are not only the faintest galaxies; they are composed of ancient stars over 12 billion years old and are often described as ‘fossils of the universe,'” explains Professor Masami Ouchi (NAOJ/University of Tokyo), a member of the research team. “Astronomers suspected they might be the remains of the universe’s earliest galaxies because they lack heavy elements, but astronomers never had a direct link – until we found LAP1-B.”

Professor Ouchi continues: “It is a profound surprise to find that LAP1-B looks exactly like the ‘ancestor’ we had only imagined in theories. This helps us solve the mystery of why these cosmic fossils have survived in their current form to the present day.”
A Historic Step Forward:

This discovery establishes a new way to map the birth of elements and the formation of the universe’s oldest structures. Moving forward, the team will use the JWST to search for even more primitive objects, aiming to find the very first galaxies ever formed.

Associate Professor Nakajima concludes: “We hope this discovery marks a historic step in understanding how the elements that make up our own bodies were first born and accumulated across the Universe.”

 

World leader in Earth observation made in Europe: Small satellites from Finland see everything

Copyright Euronews

By Hans von der Brelie

Published on 15/05/2026 -

EU governments are eager to work with ICEYE. The Finnish space company sells mini satellites that help allied nations safeguard their sovereignty. That’s because when it comes to Earth observation and military reconnaissance, the high-resolution radar eyes in space are second to none.

Two young innovators from Poland and Finland have built one of the world’s best satellite systems. The radar sensors of ICEYE monitor oil spills, hurricanes and forest fires from an altitude of 600 km. The nanosatellites detect illegal loggers, collect data on flooding, and keep an eye on the movements of military equipment

Even through cloud cover and in the middle of the night, the small satellites deliver ultra-precise detailed images. They identify aircraft types at hostile airports. The eyes of ICEYE track suspicious ship movements across vast stretches of ocean.

The fourth generation of satellites currently in orbit (weight: 200 kg) improves the resolution from 25 cm to 16 cm. “And that's not the end of it”, says Damon Ollomon, one of the vice presidents of ICEYE, in an interview with Euronews.

The ICEYE team in Helsinki is particularly proud of its rapid response time. “We can deliver images within two hours, and we aim to reduce that to less than ten minutes”, said Ollomon.

ICEYE currently operates a constellation of more than 70 satellites in Earth orbit. “We produce 25 satellites a year and are now increasing this to 50 per year”, says Ollomon.

ICEYE was founded in 2014, and start-up capital was provided by the EU. The company has subsidiaries in Poland, Spain, Germany, and Greece, among others, and employs around 1,000 people from 70 countries. Last year, ICEYE achieved a turnover of EUR 250 million.

In an interview with Euronews, Pekka Laurila, one of the founders of ICEYE, offered a piece of advice to the EU: “Take risks and put ambitious plans into action immediately – not 10 years from now. Europe has resources. So at the very least, we should aim to become the best in the world. Take this seriously!”

Nuclear News

China Added 34 GW of Nuclear in a Decade

By Haley Zaremba - May 14, 2026

• China added 34 GW of nuclear capacity over the past decade versus a single new plant in the U.S., and is on track to overtake both the U.S. and France as the world's top nuclear producer within ten years.
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• Beijing's 15th Five-Year Plan prioritizes advanced reactor development, domestic nuclear fuel independence, and expanding China's nuclear footprint across emerging markets via the Belt and Road Initiative.
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• Both countries are racing toward next-gen nuclear tech -- SMRs and commercial fusion -- but China's state-backed spending and regulatory agility give it a structural edge Washington can't easily close.
• 
  

China and the United States are facing off for nuclear energy dominance on the world stage. The United States has the world’s largest nuclear energy production capacity, but China has the fastest-growing nuclear fleet. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (15FYP), released back in March, sets out a bold nuclear power strategy for Beijing, aiming to continue to build the nation’s own nuclear fleet while also intensifying China’s presence in international nuclear energy markets, particularly in emerging economies.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Trump administration is also rushing to loosen regulations on nuclear power development in order to revive the nation’s aging and slowing nuclear power sector. While the United States has added just one nuclear plant in the last decade, China added a staggering 34 gigawatts of capacity over the same time period. As a result, China is set to overtake the United States (and France) to become the world’s single biggest producer of nuclear energy within the next ten years based on current projections.

Beijing’s latest five year plan shows that China has no intentions of slowing down. “With innovation and security as its leading themes, the latest FYP illuminates how nuclear energy underpins multiple strategic priorities for China in the context of not only energy security but also technological innovation and global engagement,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonprofit policy research organization and bipartisan think tank recently reported.

The CSIS summarizes China’s recently unveiled nuclear power strategy for the years 2026 through 2030 and compares the rhetoric around nuclear power to previous five year plans. Based on this analysis, the report highlights seven key takeaways:

• China is investing heavily into nuclear energy as a part of an ultra-diverse energy portfolio in order to shore up domestic energy security and resilience.
• The Chinese government is propping up the nation’s nuclear sector in a big way, funding manufacturing as well as research and development of next-gen nuclear energy models like small modular reactors.
• While China is intent on expanding its nuclear energy influence on a global scale, its exports of nuclear reactors are struggling – the country has seemingly abandoned plans for exporting large-scale reactors, and is apparently delaying the rollout of modular models.
• While China’s desire to build up nuclear energy supply chains in other countries is central to its own interests in terms of energy security and (geo)political influence, Beijing is spinning this strategy as a contribution to energy security in poor countries in Global South under the banner of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a decadeslong development/soft-power-building infrastructural program.
• China is focused on developing advanced nuclear reactors as a key priority of the domestic nuclear program, with particular attention to new reactor models that use less water and rely on alternative fuels, thereby reducing the sector’s resource needs as well as its dependence on nuclear fuel imports.
• Speaking of those nuclear fuel imports, Beijing’s reliance on them means that China’s trade relationship with Russia remains critical to the country’s energy strategy – a dynamic that Beijing is eager to shift.
• Finally, we can expect a major research and development push toward unlocking commercial nuclear fusion, the ‘holy grail of clean energy’, building upon the long list of fusion breakthroughs that Chinese labs have already been stacking up.

The United States’ nuclear energy ambitions are extremely similar to those laid out by China in March. The Trump administration is eager to “produce lasting American dominance in the global nuclear energy market” and is taking a Chinese approach to this goal, by issuing executive orders to reshape the national nuclear energy regulatory framework. The Trump administration is likewise bullish on developing next-gen nuclear reactors and nuclear fusion technology on its own home turf in order to stay at the technological vanguard of the nascent sector. Finally, the United States is also fighting to free itself from international nuclear fuel supply chains by building up domestic uranium extraction and enrichment capacities.

However, despite similar goals and leadership styles, China is a clear frontrunner in the nuclear energy race over the next few decades. Beijing has simply been outspending Washington for decades, and has the authoritarian ability to continue to prop up the sector without the pesky inertia of checks and balances. But the result of the nuclear energy race between the world’s two biggest economies could end up being a boon for the entire planet, nuclear expansion represents a key tenant of global decarbonization pathways.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

Financial Strains and Mining Disputes Cloud Russia-Kazakhstan Nuclear Ties

By Eurasianet - May 14, 2026

• Kazatomprom alleges that Rosatom-linked SGCC failed to meet uranium production targets and contribute adequately to an environmental remediation fund.
• 
  
• Despite the dispute, the Budenovskoye uranium joint venture remains profitable and expects stable operations in 2026.
• 
  
• Financing uncertainty surrounding Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant reflects broader economic pressure on Russia following Western sanctions.

Kazakh officials are haggling with a Rosatom subsidiary, asserting that the Russian entity has failed to fulfill contractual obligations under a uranium mining agreement.

Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s nuclear energy entity, filed a complaint in early 2026, asserting that the Rosatom-associated company, identified as Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine (SGCC), violated an agreement covering the Budenovskoye joint venture, which is engaged in uranium mining in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan Region. 

SGCC was accused of various financial shortcomings, including failure to contribute to a “liquidation fund” established to remediate potential environmental damage caused by mining operations. The complaint also states that SGCC failed to meet its uranium extraction quota in 2024.

SGCC has disputed the Kazakh complaint, according to an annual report for 2025, which was published last February by the joint venture and quoted by the Kazakh news outlet, InBusiness.kz. “The issue is under consideration, the final decision of the competent authority has not been made,” the financial report states.

Despite the dispute, the annual report indicates that Budenovskoye JV is profitable and has manageable debt, although liabilities currently outweigh assets by almost 60 million tenge (about $127,000). Kazatomprom owns a 51 percent stake in the JV.

“The company expects positive flows from operating activities in 2026. In addition, the management received appropriate assurances from the company’s participants that they would provide financial and other support, if necessary,” the report states. “Accordingly, the management of the group does not expect that the company will have risks associated with the repayment of financial obligations and the execution of the company’s investment plans for 2026.”

The liquidation fund at the end of 2025 stood at 1.4 billion Kazakh tenge (almost $3 million), up from 666 million tenge (about $1.4 million) in 2024, according to the report.

Rosatom was long a financial rainmaker for the Russian government. But Western sanctions imposed because of the Kremlin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine in 2022 have caused Rosatom’s financial muscle to atrophy.

Kazakhstan awarded Rosatom the contract in 2025 to build the country’s first nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Balkhash, but financing woes have clouded the construction timetable. In April, Kazakh officials announced that the Russian government had pledged to provide 85 percent of the financing for the project, but an agreement has not been finalized. The overall cost of the nuclear project is estimated at $15 billion.

Russia’s economy is starting to show signs of severe strain, due to fiscal demands of the Ukraine war.

By Eurasianet

World Nuclear News

Italy prepares for return of nuclear power

Thursday, 14 May 2026

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said her government is preparing to launch a new framework in the coming months aimed at reintroducing nuclear energy into the country's energy mix.
 

Prime Minister Meloni addressing the Senate (image: governo.it)

Responding to a question on the establishment of a control board to address the country's strategic priorities, she told the Senate: "I believe your question raises a common ground, which is clearly the current situation we find ourselves in: the particularly complex international economic environment and the ongoing geopolitical tensions we are experiencing will impact, as they are already impacting, growth, energy costs, business competitiveness, and household purchasing power. And that, in these challenging times, there should be less room for controversy and more room for concrete discussion on the major strategic issues affecting Italy.

"Clearly, among these major issues, there's energy. You know that the government - whether you agree or not - has been working on this from the beginning, from the gas release to the nuclear measures. I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that the enabling law will be approved by the summer, and the implementing decrees will be adopted to create the legal framework necessary for the resumption of nuclear power in Italy."

In October last year, Italy's Council of Ministers, at a meeting chaired by Meloni, approved for final consideration a bill delegating responsibility for the reintroduction of nuclear energy in the country to the government. The bill empowers the government to comprehensively regulate the introduction of 'sustainable' nuclear power, within the framework of European decarbonisation policies by 2050 and energy security objectives. The mandate includes, among other things, the development of a National Programme for Sustainable Nuclear Power, the establishment of an independent Nuclear Safety Authority, the strengthening of scientific and industrial research, the development of new skills, and the implementation of information and awareness campaigns.

The implementing legislative decrees must be adopted within 12 months of the law's entry into force.

Italy operated a total of four nuclear power plants starting in the early 1960s but decided to phase out nuclear power in a referendum that followed the 1986 Chernobyl accident. It closed its last two operating plants, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, in 1990.

In late March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Italian government approved a moratorium of at least one year on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, which had been looking to restart its long-abandoned nuclear programme. In a poll held in June of that year, 94% of voters rejected the construction of any new nuclear reactors in Italy. However, a poll conducted in June 2021 showed that one-third of Italians were in favour of reconsidering the use of nuclear energy in the country, with more than half of respondents saying they would not exclude the future use of new advanced nuclear technologies.

In May 2023, the Italian Parliament approved a motion to urge the government to consider incorporating nuclear power into the country's energy mix. In the September of that year, the first meeting was held of the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear Power, set up by the government to define a time frame for the possible resumption of nuclear energy in Italy and identify opportunities for the country's industrial chain already operating in the sector.

US federal funds awarded to spur SMR deployment

Friday, 15 May 2026

The US Department of Energy has selected eight companies to collectively receive more than USD94 million in federal cost-shared funding to support the near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the USA by addressing key barriers in licensing, supply chain, and site readiness.
 

BWXT has been granted USD21.4 million to upgrade its Mount Vernon facility (Image: BWXT)

In October 2024, the US Department of Energy (DOE) - under the Joe Biden administration - opened applications for funding to support the initial domestic deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactor (SMR) technologies, with up to USD800 million to go to two "first-mover" teams, with an additional USD100 million to address so-called gaps that have hindered plant deployments. According to the solicitation documentation, a Gen III+ SMR is defined as a nuclear fission reactor that uses light water as a coolant and low-enriched uranium fuel, with a single-unit net electrical power output of 50-350 MWe, that maximises factory fabrication approaches, and the same or improved safety, security, and environmental benefits compared with current large nuclear power plant designs.

The solicitation was re-issued by the DOE in March 2025 to better align with President Donald Trump's agenda on unleashing American energy and AI dominance.

In December last year, the DOE selected Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Holtec Government Services to each receive USD400 million in federal cost-shared funding to support early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the USA. TVA's application was selected for funding to accelerate the deployment of a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 at its Clinch River site in East Tennessee. Holtec plans to deploy two SMR-300 reactors - named Pioneer 1 and 2 - at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan.

The DOE has now chosen eight further companies to receive funding from the Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Pathway to Deployment Program.

"Projects will bolster the supply chain needed to deliver new nuclear generation in the 2030s, strengthen the development of Gen III+ SMR orderbooks, and advance President Trump's Executive Orders to usher in a nuclear renaissance and expand America's Energy Dominance agenda," the department said.

Roughly half of the funding has been allocated to projects related to SMR site selection and preparation. Constellation SMR Development LLC will receive USD17.3 million to pursue a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Early Site Permit (ESP) for a location in New York to support the future deployment of Gen III+ SMRs, while Nebraska Public Power District will receive USD27.9 million to obtain an NRC approved ESP for a location in Nebraska to support the future deployment of Gen III+ SMRs.

In order to develop the US SMR supply chain, BWXT Nuclear Energy Inc has been allocated USD21.4 million to procure equipment for an existing facility in Mount Vernon, Indiana, that is required for final assembly of reactor pressure vessels and the manufacture of other large nuclear reactor components.

Container Technologies Industries LLC will receive USD547,900 to expand the company's nuclear quality assurance certifications for their facility in Helenwood, Tennessee, to enable it to produce steel for Gen III+ SMR deployments.

Meanwhile, Framatome US Government Solutions LLC has been awarded USD8.8 million to expand a fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Washington, by increasing the number of ceramic pellet production lines, adding about 200 tonnes of uranium of annual capacity.

Global Nuclear Fuel Americas LLC will receive USD3 million to establish a second production line for fuel rod fabrication for boiling water reactors, acquire capital equipment to automate the pellet inspection process, and implement automated storage and handling for pellets, for its facility in Wilmington, North Carolina.

American Forgemasters Company has been awarded USD2.9 million to procure a new furnace for its facility in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to facilitate the domestic production of large component forgings for Gen III+ SMRs, while Scot Forge Company will receive USD12.3 million to procure and install a large vertical turning lathe and gantry style milling machine for a facility in Spring Grove, Illinois, to facilitate the domestic production and manufacturing of large components for Gen III+ SMRs.

"President Trump has made clear that America is going to build more energy, not less, and nuclear is central to that mission," said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "Advanced light-water SMRs will give our nation the reliable, round-the-clock power we need to fuel the President's manufacturing boom, support data centres and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid. These awards ensure we can deploy these reactors as soon as possible."

FANCO and AtkinsRéalis form strategic alliance for SMR deployment

Thursday, 14 May 2026

The two companies will work together to establish a scalable framework for deploying First American Nuclear Co's (FANCO) EAGL-1 small modular reactor and associated fuel facilities, with AtkinsRéalis providing engineering services.

A stylised rendering of a FANCO Energy Park (Image: FANCO)

The partnership will combine the companies' technical, commercial, and organisational capabilities to develop, test, and license EAGL-1. AtkinsRéalis will serve as the exclusive engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) provider for EAGL-1 projects in North America, including the integrated EAGL-1 reactor, fuel fabrication, and recycling facilities. It will also support testing and licensing validation to enable EAGL-1 to begin delivering power at scale by 2033, FANCO said.

EAGL-1 is a lead-bismuth cooled fast-spectrum small modular reactor (SMR) which can operate in a closed-fuel cycle in which used fuel is continuously reprocessed and reused. FANCO submitted a regulatory engagement plan for the 240 MWe SMR to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April, marking the start of its pre-application engagement with the regulator.

"SMR technology is an important part of the energy mix needed to create stable, affordable, and reliable power grids that meet the energy needs of economies and communities worldwide," AtkinsRéalis President and CEO Ian Edwards said. "This partnership with FANCO marks an important step in delivering innovative and scalable nuclear technology precisely when the United States is embracing a new era of energy leadership."

The alliance agreement spans 20 years and contemplates services worth up to USD250 million over the first 5 years. Work has already begun on task orders, AtkinsRéalis said. Under the first task orders, it will prepare procedures and policies required to do design work, such as a quality programme and engineering procedures. It will also undertake the conceptual design for the balance of plant and review the design of the nuclear steam supply system. 

FANCO says its system will focus on mixed-oxide fuel and other transuranic fuels sourced from existing US Department of Energy stockpiles, although the EAGL-1 system is also capable of operating on high-assay low-enriched uranium. This "fuel-agnostic" approach means it can avoid major supply chain bottlenecks while helping reduce the nation's stockpile of long-term nuclear waste, the company says. Its BridgePower solution offers customers the ability to generate immediate power using off-the-shelf package boilers that feed steam turbines, and later seamlessly transitions to nuclear energy by replacing the boilers with the EAGL-1 reactor, using the same turbine infrastructure, with minimal equipment and modification costs. 

"AtkinsRéalis and First American Nuclear create the energy dream team the country needs right now," FANCO CEO Mike Reinboth said. "Together, we combine highly specialised expertise in advanced nuclear reactors and fuels with expansive operational scale and world-class engineering resources to bring affordable, reliable nuclear energy to the US as expeditiously as possible."

AtkinsRéalis has served as the architect-engineer on the Darlington New Nuclear Project team, which is working to deploy a BWRX-300 SMR in Ontario, since 2023 and has supported the Rolls Royce SMR program in the UK with design and engineering expertise since 2018, as well as acting as the Owner's Engineer for Energy Northwest's SMR project in Washington state since 2024.

Contest launched to name UK's first SMR plant

Friday, 15 May 2026

The people of Anglesey in North Wales are being asked to suggest a name which is "easy to pronounce and welcoming to a wide audience" for the small modular reactor plant which is to be built at the Wylfa site on the island.
 

The invitation to take part is in Welsh and English (Image: Screengrab from Great British Energy - Nuclear)

Great British Energy - Nuclear says the other qualities they are looking for in the name are it being "inspired by Anglesey, its heritage, landscape or language" and "respectful, inclusive and community-minded" while also being "unique and not already widely used for similar energy projects".

In their bilingual invitation to take part in the contest, the UK government's arms-length delivery agency for new nuclear capacity, said: "This project will be part of Anglesey's story for generations to come, and we believe that the name should come from the people who know the Island best. Children and young people are welcome to take part, including through schools. Your suggestions will be reviewed by a panel of local young people from Anglesey, alongside community and industry leaders."

An inspiring overhead view of the Wylfa site (Image: Arup)

CEO of Great British Energy - Nuclear, Simon Roddy, said: "Wylfa is a first‑of‑a‑kind project for the UK, with long‑term benefits both locally and nationally ... we are serious about delivering it safely, responsibly and with the community at its heart."

Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government's preferred technology for the country's first small modular reactor (SMR) project in June last year, and GBP2.6 billion was allocated in the 2025 Spending Review towards the project.

In November, the government announced that Wylfa on Anglesey would host an initial three Rolls-Royce small modular reactors. It said the site - where a Magnox plant is being decommissioned - could potentially host up to eight SMRs.

The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurised water reactor. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years. Ninety percent of the SMR - measuring about 16 metres by 4 metres - will be built in factory conditions, limiting activity on-site primarily to assembly of pre-fabricated, pre-tested, modules which significantly reduces project risk and has the potential to drastically shorten build schedules.

The orginal Wylfa nuclear power plant's two 490 MW units operated from 1971 to 2012 and 2015 respectively. In 2012, Hitachi bought the Wylfa site and proposed constructing a new power station, featuring UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactors, to be called ‘Wylfa Newydd’, on adjacent land. However Hitachi dropped these plans in 2020.

Nuclear power plants commonly adopt the name of the place they are located or the name of a nearby place. For instance, the Hinkley Point site is based in the Hinkley Point area of Somerset.

Anglesey residents have until 17:00 on 8 June to submit their suggested names.

'Point of no return': 36 countries join special tribunal to prosecute Vladimir Putin

By Jorge Liboreiro

Published on 15/05/2026  EURONEWS

The tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine marks "the point of no return" in the search for justice, the country's foreign minister said on Friday. But the court will face limitations in bringing Putin to justice.

Thirty-six countries, mainly from Europe, have signed up to a special tribunal to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, which will be headquartered in the Dutch city of The Hague.

The joint pledge was formalised on Friday during the annual meeting of foreign affairs ministers of the Council of Europe, a human rights organisation that has taken the lead in addressing the jurisdictional gap left by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ministers endorsed a resolution laying down the structure and functions of the management committee that will oversee the tribunal. Among its tasks, the committee will approve the annual budget, adopt internal rules and elect judges and prosecutors. The countries commit to respecting the independence of the judicial proceedings.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, who took part in the ceremony, hailed the moment as "the point of no return" in the years-long search for accountability.

"The Special Tribunal becomes a legal reality. Very few believed this day would come. But it did," Sybiha said on social media, evoking the spirit of the precedent-setting Nuremberg trials that brought to trial the surviving leaders of Nazi Germany.

"Putin always wanted to go down in history. And this tribunal will help him achieve this. He will go down in history. As a criminal," he added.

Friday's resolution was signed by Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Australia and Costa Rica were the only non-European signatories.

The European Union also endorsed the initiative, even if four of its member states, Bulgaria, Hungary, Malta and Slovakia, did not add their names to Friday's resolution.

The list remains open for other countries, European and otherwise, to join.

The meeting of the Council of Europe on Friday. Council of Europe, Strasbourg.

Alain Berset, the Council of Europe's secretary general, urged participants to complete their legislative procedures and allocate the necessary funding to ensure the tribunal can start working as soon as possible. The EU has already committed €10 million.

The lack of US engagement under President Donald Trump has previously raised concerns about budgetary shortfalls. Trump's push for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia has also cast doubt over the tribunal's core purpose: a controversial 28-point draft last year floated the idea of blanket amnesty for war crimes.

"The time for Russia to be held to account for its aggression is fast approaching. The path ahead of us is one of justice, and justice must prevail," Berset said at the meeting.

The tribunal will be complemented by the Register of Damages, which is collecting claims submitted by victims of Russia's aggression, and the International Claims Commission, which will review those claims and decide the appropriate payment

Bringing Putin to trial

Establishing a special tribunal has been a pressing priority for Ukraine and its allies since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The initiative was deemed necessary because the ICC can prosecute the crime of aggression only when it is attributed to a state party. Russia is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and can use its veto at the UN Security Council to block any changes.

Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, which apply to individuals who commit the atrocities, the crime of aggression is a leadership crime that falls on the people who are ultimately in charge of controlling the aggressor state.

In practice, this covers the so-called "troika" – the president, the prime minister and the foreign minister – together with high-ranking military commanders who have supervised the assault on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Putin, the mastermind behind the invasion and the prime promoter of its revisionist narrative, is the most wanted target. But he is unlikely to be judged any time soon.

Crucially, the "troika" will remain immune to trials in absentia – meaning without the defendant's physical presence – as long as they remain in office. The prosecutor might still file an indictment against Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, but the chamber will keep the proceedings suspended until the accused leave their posts.

Vladimir Putin is accused of the crime of aggression. Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik

By contrast, trials in absentia can be conducted against those outside the troika while they are still in office, such as Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces; Sergey Kobylash, the commander of the Russian Air Force; and Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of the Security Council. Those who are sentenced in this manner will have the right to a re-trial if they ever appear in person.

Top-ranking officers from Belarus and North Korea, two countries that have directly assisted in Russia's war, might also be prosecuted. Defendants are expected to be judged in groups, rather than one by one, except for Putin.

The tribunal will have the power to impose strong penalties on those found guilty, including life imprisonment, confiscation of personal properties and monetary fines, which will be channelled into the compensation fund for victim

As most, if not all, trials will be carried out in absentia, the budget will focus on IT tools and save the expenses related to building and maintaining prisons. The exact amount will be decided between the Council of Europe and the Dutch government.

"There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine without accountability for Russia and the perpetrators of the horrific crimes committed against the people of Ukraine," High Representative Kaja Kallas said in a statement.

"Russia chose to attack and invade a sovereign country, kill its people, deport Ukrainian children and steal Ukrainian land. Russia must face justice and pay for what it has done."

This article has been updated.