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)
Friday, March 21, 2025
Trump offers to take control of Ukraine's nuclear plants in call with Zelensky
President Donald Trump proposed that the United States take control of Ukrainian nuclear power plants to protect them from Russian attacks during a Tuesday call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky said Kyiv was "ready" to pause attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, a day after Moscow agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president said following their call that Kyiv was "ready" to pause attacks on Russia's energy network and infrastructure, a day after Vladimir Putin agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.
Zelensky also said he had discussed Trump's power plant takeover plan.
"We talked only about one power plant, which is under Russian occupation," Zelensky, who was on an official visit to Finland, said during an online briefing, referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.
He added that he had "not felt any pressure" from Trump to make concessions to Russia.
But a wider ceasefire remains elusive with the Kremlin leader insisting in his own call with Trump on Tuesday that the West first stop all military aid for Ukraine.
Republican Trump's tone was markedly more positive after the Zelensky call, with the White House describing it as "fantastic" – despite the fact that the two men had a blazing televised row in the Oval Office recently.
Trump "discussed Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants" and said Washington could be "very helpful" in running them," National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a joint statement.
"American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure," it said.
The US president earlier said on his Truth Social network that efforts to reach a full truce were "very much on track."
Zelensky said Ukrainian and US officials could meet in coming days for fresh talks in Saudi Arabia, where Russian and American teams are also due to meet early next week.
Kyiv and Moscow however accused each other of continuing attacks.
Ukraine's defense ministry said an overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones struck the war-battered nation, killing one person and damaging two hospitals.
Ukraine's national railway service said the barrage had hit railway energy infrastructure in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia's defense ministry reported a "deliberate" Ukrainian attack overnight on an oil depot in the south of the country, which they said was aimed at "derailing" Trump's attempts to broker an end to the fighting.
"These attacks are countering our common efforts," added Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, referring to the US-Russia talks.
'Don't believe Putin'
The major sticking point remains Putin's resistance to a full ceasefire – something that Kyiv and some Western allies say underscores how the Russian leader cannot be trusted.
Putin insisted during his call with Trump on Tuesday that a full ceasefire was only possible if the West agrees to Moscow's long-standing demand to halt its billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine.
The Kremlin chief also demanded Ukraine must not be allowed to rearm and must halt mandatory mobilisation.
Moscow and Washington were even at odds on the results of the call.
The Kremlin said they only discussed halting power plant attacks, but the White House insisted the talks covered both energy and other civilian infrastructure.
Trump's overtures to Putin, and indications Washington will no longer guarantee European security, have also spooked Kyiv and the United States's NATO allies.
"I don't believe Putin at all, not a single word. He only understands force," said Kyiv resident Lev Sholoudko, 32.
In Moscow, locals were more optimistic the talks could bring an end to the fighting – to Russia's advantage.
"Definitely this is in our favour," said Moscow resident Larisa, 46. "There is no other way. What happened in 1945 will happen now," she added, referring to the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
IAEA will support Zaporizhzhia, whatever agreement is reached
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi says they "stand ready" to support the implementation of any future agreement regarding Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, after its status was included in ceasefire talks.
IAEA staff have been at the plant since September 2022 (Image: IAEA)
The six-unit Zaporizhzhia plant - Ukraine and Europe's largest nuclear power site - has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. It is located very close to the current military frontline and has had teams of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts stationed at it since September 2022 as part of efforts to try to minimise risks to its safety and security.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks about a possible ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. It included an initial measure to agree to not target energy infrastructure.
The White House said that during a subsequent phone call between Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky: "President Trump also discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants. He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure."
The Ukrainian Presidential office's report on the call did not mention nuclear energy facilities and, at a press conference in Norway, Zelensky said there had been no discussion between the two about US ownership of Zaporizhzhia or Ukraine's other nuclear power plants. He said that the nuclear energy sector in Ukraine was state-owned and belonged to the Ukrainian people.
Ukraine's position since the start of the war has been that the only way to ensure the safety of the plant is for it to be returned to Ukraine. Russia says that it is meeting all security and safety requirements and has started the process of getting Russian regulatory approvals for possible restarting of units in the future (all six units are currently in cold shutdown).
In his latest update on the situation in Ukraine, Grossi said he welcomed “developments on restraint around energy infrastructure” and added: "Without interruption, the IAEA has been present at this major nuclear plant for two and a half years now, doing everything possible to help prevent a potentially disastrous nuclear accident. We all wish for this devastating war to end as soon as possible.
"With our in-depth knowledge and expertise about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, we stand ready to provide our technical contributions and support in the implementation of a future agreement regarding the plant. We will remain present for as long as it is needed to help ensure nuclear safety and security."
He added that staff at Zaporizhzhia had reported a quieter week in terms of hearing military activity from the plant, and various maintenance works had been taking place with progress made in bringing a 330 kV back-up external power line back into operation.
"For all nuclear power plants, regular maintenance of structures, systems and components is necessary to prevent degradation of these essential items that would increase the risks to nuclear safety and security," Grossi said. "This has been a particularly challenging issue during the past three years of war, when much of the focus has been on averting more immediate threats to nuclear safety and security and there has also been a lack of staff and other resources. That remains very much the case but it is positive that some maintenance is still being carried out."
UK Aims for 95 Percent Low Carbon Electricity by 2030
Ofgem is fast-tracking £4bn of investment into the UK's electricity transmission network to achieve 95% low-carbon electricity by 2030.
The Advanced Procurement Mechanism will allow approved projects to begin construction immediately after planning approval, aiming to speed up the process.
This initiative seeks to reduce reliance on international gas markets and stabilize energy prices by building a modern, clean, and secure energy system.
Ofgem has announced plans to fast-track around £4bn of investment into expanding the UK’s electricity transmission network as it looks to decarbonise the grid by 2030.
It is the latest move by officials to free up the UK’s planning system. The target is to produce 95 per cent of electricity from low-carbon sources by the end of the decade.
The UK’s energy transmission network is currently run by three transmission owners, known as TOs; National Grid ET, SSEN Transmission and SP Energy Networks.
“This fast-track measure means we can quickly get Britain building the infrastructure we need to deliver clean power by 2030 and an energy system that can bring down bills for households and businesses for good,” Energy Minister Michael Shanks said.
“Giving developers a head start in the global race to secure essential materials and equipment will help to avoid delays by putting shovels in the ground as soon as clean power projects secure planning permission, and protect billpayers by keeping costs down.
He added: “Giving developers a head start in the global race to secure essential materials and equipment will help to avoid delays by putting shovels in the ground as soon as clean power projects secure planning permission, and protect billpayers by keeping costs down.
Akshay Kaul, Ofgem’s director-general of infrastructure, said: “Building a modern, clean and secure energy system is the key to ending our reliance on international gas markets responsible for volatile prices, so we must do everything we can to clear the way for trailblazing projects to move forward.
“The Advanced Procurement Mechanism is an innovative model that could be extended in the future to develop other areas of the energy sector and possibly mirrored by other regulatory bodies supporting the delivery of national infrastructure.
He added: “It’s a significant step on the accelerator as we drive towards net zero and we are committed to working with government, GB Energy and the National Wealth Fund to maximize the economic opportunities of infrastructure investment.
By City AM
SCI-FI-TEK 70 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Economic impact of UK's STEP plant assessed
Friday, 21 March 2025
A report commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council outlines predicted economic benefits of the UK's prototype fusion energy power plant to be built at West Burton near Retford.
A cutaway of the STEP fusion plant (Image: UKAEA)
In October 2022, the West Burton coal-fired power plant site in Nottinghamshire, England, was selected to host the UK's Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). The demonstration plant is due to begin operating by 2040. The technical objectives of STEP are: to deliver predictable net electricity greater than 100 MW; to innovate to exploit fusion energy beyond electricity production; to ensure tritium self-sufficiency; to qualify materials and components under appropriate fusion conditions; and to develop a viable path to affordable lifecycle costs. As well as the STEP fusion facility, a skills centre and a business park are planned.
The report, written by economic and finance specialists Amion Consulting, covers a timeframe of more than 45 years, from when planning began in 2019, through to 2065. However, the majority of these benefits are expected to be from 2030 onwards.
Analysts created an economic model to predict the key economic benefits that will be generated by STEP. These benefits include the jobs linked directly to the project and the lucrative contracts for local and national supply chains. This research also takes into account the wider benefits to the local economy such as more disposable income for Nottinghamshire residents thanks to the creation of better-paid jobs.
The report identifies other key benefits for Nottinghamshire including a forecasted annual average of more than 1,000 new construction related jobs, which will boost the county's economy by GBP86 million (USD111 million) each year. Meanwhile, the number of operational jobs due to be created is predicted to be around 2760 each year, which will bring an average annual economic boost worth GBP210 million for Nottinghamshire.
For the East Midlands region as a whole, an average of 2,976 construction, planning and design-related jobs are due to be created each year, bringing an average GBP236 million annual boost for the region's economy. An average of 6,440 new operational jobs are set to boost the East Midland's economy by around GBP489 million annually.
Working closely with UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority that will deliver STEP - Nottinghamshire County Council commissioned the report on behalf of key partners, including Bassetlaw District Council, Lincolnshire County Council and West Lindsey District Council.
"This is the first examination of the positive economic impacts of the STEP programme across the region and beyond," said UKIFS CEO Paul Methven. "It gives a fascinating insight into the potential for STEP to deliver direct economic and social benefits and stimulate much wider opportunities across many sectors. We look forward to supporting regional leaders in driving these opportunities regionally and enabling economic growth nationally."
"We already knew this once-in-a-lifetime project would create massive growth, investment and skills, but now we know the full extent of it," added Keith Girling, Nottinghamshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management. "This is incredible news for our county and the region, particularly for our future generations who will really reap the benefits. This report now provides us with crucial insight and sets a benchmark to help partners plan for future investment as well as environmental and economic policies in that area."
Germany proposes accelerating search for repository site
Friday, 21 March 2025
The Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal and the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management have both submitted proposals to the government for speeding up the process of selecting a site to host Germany's planned high-level radioactive waste repository.
The three host rocks for the search for a final repository: clay, salt and crystalline (Image: BGE)
Last year, the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) published a study which determined timescales up to 2074 to find the site with the best possible safety for a million years.
The Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) - which is responsible for proposing a suitable site - notes that, in addition to permits, the exploration work requires a variety of rights of use and access to the land on which the exploration is to be carried out. This represents a bottleneck, and this entails considerable time-related risks, BGE said. In order to be able to carry out the exploration work in the designated siting regions promptly, specific legal adjustments are necessary to accelerate the process. BGE proposes applying regulations that have already proven successful in the expansion of renewable energies to the search for a final repository. It proposes structuring the exploration phase in a similar way to that used in the search for raw materials.
BGE proposes merging Phases II and III of the site selection process into a single phase with a phased exploration to gradually identify a maximum of three optimal sites, which will then be compared with each other. BGE intends to propose a small number of sites (between five and ten) for surface exploration to BASE by the end of 2027. The site-specific exploration programmes must also be submitted to BASE for review along with the site region proposal.
The Law on the Search and Selection of a Site for a Repository for High-Level Waste (the Site Selection Act - StandAG) stipulates a multi-phase search for a site with the best possible safety precautions and the full participation of the public, especially in the regions where the sites will be located.
BGE said if the potential for combining Phases II and III is to be utilised, the groundwork for amending the StandAG must be laid within the next two years to ensure that the exploration programmes are adapted to the new strategy in a timely manner.
"From a project perspective, BGE's proposals are essential for ultimately successfully and timely proposing the site with the best possible safety for the final repository for high-level radioactive waste," said BGE CEO Iris Graffunder. "If the current rules regarding rights of use and access remain in place, even the denial of access rights for a single piece of land where exploration measures are required could delay the site selection process by years.
"If the current regulations remain in place, BGE would have to submit identical applications in several federal states without knowing when the respective responsible states would grant their permits, or not. This also has a high potential for delays."
She added: "Site selection for the repository for high-level radioactive waste is a highly complex process. But it is still possible to have a site determined by the middle of this century."
BASE recommendations
BASE - which is responsible for ensuring people and the environment are protected from ionising radiation from radioactive waste - says that accelerating the search for a repository for high-level waste is necessary "in view of the aspects of intergenerational justice, the ultimate safety of people from high-level radioactive waste, and the trust of citizens in the process and the state institutions involved in the process".
It says its proposals include changes in the implementation of the site selection procedure as well as the StandAG itself, "but are compatible with its principles".
According to BASE, the aim of the acceleration proposals should be to develop a binding timetable, including milestones, for all parties involved in the search process, with which a safe site can be identified by around 2050.
BASE's recommendations include: limiting the number of location regions at the end of Phase I to a maximum of six; more closely linking preparatory work for mining approval procedures to the submission of the site region proposal; enabling exploration work all year round through legal adjustments; and using modern exploration methods and drilling techniques for underground exploration instead of digging entire exploratory mines as required by law.
"From BASE's perspective, these measures promise the greatest acceleration potential, ranging from several years to decades. At the same time, they are generally the most complex and, due to their long-term impact, should be implemented early in the process to ensure their full impact," it said.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) has announced that, after examining the proposals submitted, it will hold discussions with BASE and BGE to identify and implement ways to accelerate the process.
In September 2020, BGE published a list of potential storage sites in Germany for radioactive waste. It identified 90 areas covering 54% of the country's surface area as potentially geologically suitable. The report excluded a site at a former salt mine in Gorleben that was previously thought suitable. The selected site would store about 1900 containers of waste, which account for 5% of Germany's total nuclear waste but 99% of its radioactivity.
Reactor vessel assembled for El Dabaa's first unit
Friday, 21 March 2025
The 10-day process has been completed of welding the closing seam of the reactor vessel being manufactured for the first unit at Egypt's first nuclear power plant.
(Image: Rosatom)
According to Rosatom, there was continuous heating of the weld and workers used about two tonnes of flux and more than 1.5 tonnes of special wire during the work at the Izhora production site in St Petersburg.
"After welding, the reactor vessel will undergo a heat treatment process, and then a full range of control measures will be carried out in the weld seam areas: X-ray flaw detection, ultrasonic and capillary testing," Rosatom said. "This is necessary to ensure safe operation of the NPP for at least 60 years."
The completed reactor pressure vessel, measuring 11.45 metres in length and 5.7 metres in width, is expected to be delivered to the El Dabaa nuclear power plant site this year.
The El Dabaa nuclear power plant project - about 320 kilometres north-west of Cairo - is based on contracts that entered into force on 11 December 2017. The plant will comprise four VVER-1200 units, like those already in operation at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in Russia, and the Ostrovets plant in Belarus.
The contracts stipulate that Rosatom will not only build the plant, but will also supply Russian nuclear fuel for its entire life cycle. They will also assist Egyptian partners in training personnel and plant maintenance for the first 10 years of its operation. Rosatom is also contracted to build a special storage facility and supply containers for storing used nuclear fuel.
First concrete poured for Leningrad's eighth unit
Thursday, 20 March 2025
A ceremony has been held to mark first concrete being poured on Thursday for the foundation of the reactor building for unit 4 at the Leningrad II nuclear power plant in Russia.
(Image: Rosatom)
Leningrad units 1 and 2 - both 1000 MWe RBMK units - shut down in 2018 and 2020, respectively. As the first two of the plant's four RBMK-1000 units shut down, new VVER-1200 units started at the neighbouring Leningrad II plant. The 60-year service life of these fifth and sixth units (also known as Leningrad II-1 and Leningrad II-2) secures power supply until the 2080s. Units 7 and 8 will replace units 3 and 4 as they are shut in the coming years.
Fiirst concrete was poured for unit 7 in March 2024 and marked the start of the main phase of construction of the new power unit, which is expected to generate power for 60 years, with the possibility of a 20-year extension.
Unit 8 has now reached the same step a year later. Representatives from Rosatom's VVER-1200-powered plants in Belarus, Egypt and Bangladesh took part in the ceremony via videolink.
The completed foundation slab will consist of about 5500 cubic metres of concrete (Image: Rosatom)
Andrey Petrov, Rosatom's First Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy and president of its ASE JSC engineering division, said "this is another step towards the major national goal of increasing the share of peaceful nuclear energy in the national energy mix". He said that it was among a challenging number of projects for Rosatom, saying that "as early as this year we will start constructing replacement power generation facilities at the Smolensk and Kola NPPs and complete engineering surveys for a fourth-generation unit at Beloyarsk NPP in the Sverdlovsk region. Over the next two decades, Rosatom will work at new sites in Siberia, the Ural region, and the Far East. These new nuclear projects will provide more Russian citizens with access to clean energy".
Alexander Shutikov, director general of Rosenergoatom, said: "I would like to acknowledge the team working on the new Leningrad power units. Their expertise, teamwork, and commitment enabled us to begin laying the foundation for unit 4 ahead of schedule - a task of national importance. A similar milestone was also achieved ahead of schedule for unit 3 in 2024."
Leningrad units 7 and 8 (or Leningrad II-3 and Leningrad II-4) are planned to be commissioned in 2030 and 2032, respectively.
Finnish university to test safety of SMR designs
Thursday, 20 March 2025
Finland's Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology is to build two new test facilities at its nuclear engineering laboratory on its Lappeenranta campus for research into the safety of small modular reactors.
A multiple LDR-50 unit plant (Image: Steady Energy)
One of the facilities - to be built over the next two years - will model passive decay heat removal of the LDR-50 district heating reactor developed by the Finnish company Steady Energy. The other facility will test the functionality of the emergency core cooling tank of an undisclosed small modular reactor (SMR) based on French technology.
The tests will take place from 2026-2027 and the results will be reported in 2027–2028, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) said.
The test facilities are to be built at the university under the EASI-SMR work programme, which is largely inspired by the European SMR pre-Partnership R&D roadmap, with a particular focus on passive systems. The EUR24 million (USD26 million) four-year project - co-funded by the European Union - involves 38 partners in 16 countries. It will address the safety issues associated with major light-water SMR innovations. An experimental programme using nine test facilities in Europe will be performed to investigate key physical phenomena in passive safety systems under both design basis and beyond design basis conditions.
"The research project advances Finnish technology and shows that our European partners value our expertise. The project is significant for LUT because it represents the largest EU funding ever awarded to a single project at the university," said Joonas Telkkä, project researcher at LUT. "Experimental research plays an important role whenever the functionality of a new type of nuclear power plant safety system is verified. Our partners develop and validate their calculation models based on test results. There are hardly any other similar testing capabilities in Europe."
"The research kicking off at LUT University will significantly advance the development of nuclear technology and our ongoing district heating projects," said Lauri Muranen, head of public affairs at Steady Energy. "The commercial breakthrough of small modular reactors is closer in heating than in electricity production, because small nuclear power plants producing district heating do not need public financing."
Steady Energy was spun out of VTT in 2023 and is developing the LDR-50 SMR with a thermal output of 50 MW, designed to operate at around 150°C. Unlike most SMRs being developed around the world, it is not designed to generate electricity - or electricity and heat. Instead, it is designed to only produce heat and is focused on district heating, as well as industrial steam production and desalination projects.
The company has already signed agreements for 15 reactors in Finland, with its reactor design currently being assessed by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The aim is for construction of the first plant - to be the clean energy source for a district heating scheme - to begin in 2029. Steady Energy is also marketing its solution to other European countries, such as Poland.
KHNP pulls out of Dutch reactor project
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power is withdrawing from the technology selection process for two new reactors at the Borssele nuclear power plant site in the Netherlands. It follows the company's recent withdrawal from similar reactor selection processes in Sweden and Slovenia.
The Borssele plant (Image: EPZ)
In December 2021, the Netherlands' new coalition government placed nuclear power at the heart of its climate and energy policy. Based on preliminary plans, two new reactors will be completed around 2035 and each will have a capacity of 1000-1650 MWe. The two reactors would provide 9-13% of the Netherlands' electricity production in 2035. The cabinet announced in December 2022 that it currently sees Borssele as the most suitable location for the construction of the new reactors.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was contracted in December 2023 to conduct a feasibility study into the construction of two Korean-supplied reactors at Borssele. The contract came as the South Korean and Dutch governments signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on nuclear energy.
Similar contracts for feasibility studies were also signed with EDF of France and Westinghouse of the USA.
The studies were to consider whether their respective reactor designs comply with Dutch legislation and regulations, whether it can be fitted into the preferred location at Borssele, and to develop a more detailed estimate of the costs and time required to build the two new units. The possible impact on the environment was also highlighted in the studies. In November, Amentum of the USA was selected to review and advise on the studies submitted by the three potential reactor vendors.
"The studies have now been completed, final discussions have been held and the contracts have been concluded," Sophie Hermans, Minister of Climate and Green Growth told the Dutch House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, in a 17 March letter.
"During this discussion, KHNP unfortunately indicated that it had to take the decision not to be able to take on the role of technology supplier for the construction of new power stations in the Netherlands," Hermans said. "KHNP indicates that this is based on its own strategic considerations that fall outside the conditions and character of the Dutch project. This decision follows recent similar decisions by KHNP in other European countries, such as Sweden and Slovenia."
The ministers noted that KHNP's decision "has no consequences for the preparation of the competitive tender ... the preparations for the construction of the nuclear power plants will therefore continue expeditiously". She added that Westinghouse and EDF "have indicated that they would like to continue active and intensive discussions about the way in which their technology can be integrated in the Netherlands, both technically and economically".
Hermans said the government will inform the House of Representatives about the results of the technical feasibility studies and their third party reviews in a letter at the beginning of May. "In this letter, the government will also discuss the other work tracks of the new construction process, including financing, the project procedure and governance," she said. "In this letter, the government will finally provide an explanation of the design of the process to arrive at technology selection."
Last year Westinghouse, EDF and KHNP were the three bidders for new nuclear in the Czech Republic. KHNP was the winning bidder and an EPC contract is expected to be signed by the end of this month, despite EDF and Westinghouse appealing against the decision. Since then it has been announced that Westinghouse and KHNP and Korea Electric Power Cooperation have reached agreement on intellectual property issues - the subject of court cases in the USA - and while details regarding the terms of the settlement remain confidential the companies said "the agreement also sets the stage for future cooperation between the parties to advance new nuclear projects globally".
EDF may get state loan for six new reactors
Tuesday, 18 March 2025
France's Nuclear Policy Council - headed by President Emmanuel Macron - has agreed that a subsidised government loan should be issued to state-owned power utility EDF to cover at least half the construction costs of six EPR2 reactors.
The Penly site in Normandy, northern France, where the first pair of EPR2 reactors is planned (Image: EDF)
In February 2022, Macron announced that the time was right for a nuclear renaissance in France, saying the operation of all existing reactors should be extended without compromising safety and unveiling a proposed programme for six new EPR2 reactors, with an option for a further eight EPR2 reactors to follow. The first three pairs of EPR2 reactors are proposed to be built, in order, at the Penly, Gravelines and Bugey sites. Construction is expected to start in 2027. The cost was originally estimated at EUR51.7 billion (USD56.4 billion), but this was revised to EUR67.4 billion in 2023.
The EPR2 reactor is a pressurised water reactor project developed by EDF and Framatome. It meets the general safety objectives of the third generation of reactors. Its aim is to incorporate design, construction and commissioning experience feedback from the EPR reactor, as well as operating experience from the nuclear reactors currently in service.
At a 17 March meeting, the Nuclear Policy Council (CPN) "examined the main principles of the financing and regulatory framework" for the construction of the six EPR2s, the Elysee Palace (the official residence of the French president) said in a statement. "This framework is based on a subsidised government loan covering at least half of the construction costs and a Contract for Difference on nuclear production at a maximum price of EUR100 (USD109) per MWh in 2024 value."
A Contract for Difference is essentially where there is a future fixed price guaranteed for electricity generated, with the government either paying the difference between the market price and the agreed sale price, or receiving payment if the market price is higher.
Elysee said: "This important milestone will allow discussions between the government and EDF to be finalised in the coming weeks and allow for rapid initiation of discussions with the European Commission, with a view to EDF making a final investment decision in 2026."
The Council requested EDF "step up its cost and schedule control efforts" and to present a binding cost and timeframe estimate by the end of the year.
The CPN also validated the action plan aimed at securing the upstream part of the nuclear fuel cycle and "in particular the support that the State will provide to Orano for France's uranium supply in the medium and long term".
Regarding used fuel processing, the Council confirmed continued investment in Orano's programme of upgrades in downstream activities at its La Hague site. This programme includes the storage of used fuel in a new pool installed at La Hague, which should be commissioned by 2040 to meet the needs of the existing nuclear fleet and then the EPR2 reactors.
"These facilities will ensure the proper operation of the fleet, as well as the continued reprocessing of fuel under the best economic and safety conditions, reinforcing France's leadership in controlling all industrial stages of the uranium cycle," Elysee said. "The Council also approved the principle of funding this programme primarily led by EDF, as a future customer of these facilities, and of governance led by Orano, involving EDF, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and government services."
The CPN requested that industry (EDF, Framatome, Orano), the CEA, and all stakeholders involved in fast neutrons submit to the government a work programme and a proposal for industrial organisation by the end of 2025.
In addition, the Council mandated the General Secretariat for Investment to continue supporting the development of small modular reactors by "prioritising the projects most likely to lead to the commissioning of a demonstrator at the beginning of the 2030s". The CPN also asked the CEA to make the relevant site data from Marcoule and Cadarache available to companies that request it and to initiate discussions with a view to establishing the most advanced projects on these sites.
Set up by former President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, the CPN is a top-level ministerial council on nuclear energy policy. The council sets main policy features as well as their implementation in terms of export, international cooperation, industrial policy, energy policy, research, safety, security and environmental protection.
NRG-Pallas to test fuel and materials for Kairos SMR
Friday, 21 March 2025
NRG-Pallas - operator of the High Flux Reactor at Petten in the Netherlands - has been contracted by Kairos Power of the USA to perform irradiation demonstrations and qualifications of fuels and materials that will be used in its small modular reactor.
A rendering of the Hermes demonstration reactor plant (Image: Kairos Power)
Under the contract, NRG-Pallas will conduct fuel irradiation tests in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) to demonstrate the performance level required. Based on this, Kairos Power will be able to demonstrate to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) how the fuel meets the safety and performance requirements.
In addition, NRG-Pallas will perform irradiation tests that characterise the response of graphite to high levels of neutron exposure and demonstrate the safety limits of the graphite structures. The post-irradiation properties of the graphite are an important benchmark for NRC licensing and provide information on the safety of the reactor technology.
Irradiation tests will also be performed on the stainless-steel material used for the reactor vessel and structural components. The purpose of this testing is to demonstrate compliance with the safety and design requirements for licensing activities of the NRC.
NRG-Pallas said it has been conducting research into the use of graphite for Kairos Power for several years. "The new contracts are an important continuation of the long-term relationship with this innovative developer of advanced reactors," it said.
Kairos Power has adopted a rapid iterative development approach and vertical integration strategy to bring its Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR) technology to market. Site work and excavation for a low-power demonstration reactor version, Hermes, began at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, last year after the NRC issued a construction permit in 2023, targeted to be operational by 2027. The NRC has also completed the final environmental assessment for the construction of the next iteration - the two-unit power-producing Hermes 2 plant - which is also planned to be built at Oak Ridge.
The KP-FHR will use fully ceramic TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) pebble-type fuel. The Hermes and Hermes 2 demonstration plants will feature units with a thermal capacity of 35 MW each. The two 35 MWt units at Hermes 2 are intended to power a common turbine generator set to produce about 20 MW electric (MWe).
Kairos envisages its commercial KP-FHR offering as dual unit plants, with two 75 MWe units for a total of 150 MWe of power output.
A deal signed in October last year by Kairos and Google will support the first commercial deployment of Kairos Power's reactor by 2030, with multiple reactors supplying clean electricity to Google data centres through power purchase agreements.
"With the current digitalisation, the demand for electricity is increasing," said Arjan Vreeling, Manager R&D Nuclear Fuels and Materials at NRG-Pallas. "Companies like Google are looking ahead and are meeting their own future energy needs with SMRs. We are proud that Kairos Power, a leading company in the field of advanced reactors, has assigned this innovative research to us."
Micah Hackett, Vice President, Fuels and Materials at Kairos Power, added: "Kairos Power depends on accurate and reliable irradiation data to advance its reactor technology and support both design and permitting processes. With decades of expertise in generating high-quality irradiation data, NRG-Pallas is a trusted partner to help Kairos Power meet its cost and schedule obligations as it builds reactors for Google."
Oil Theft, Explosions, and Militants: Nigeria’s Energy Future at Risk
A recent explosion on the Trans-Niger Pipeline, responsible for 15% of export, highlights the country's security problem.
Oil infrastructure attacks, potentially linked to militant groups in the Niger Delta, have deterred Big Oil from investing in Nigeria.
Last year, one local oil company and the government estimated that Nigeria loses between 200,000 barrels and 400,000 barrels daily to oil theft.
Last November, Nigeria’s oil production hit the highest in 2024, at 1.7 million barrels daily. The country’s government has a stated ambition to boost that considerably, by some 1 million barrels daily within two years. But there is a problem it needs to solve first: pipeline sabotage.
Earlier this week, an explosion rocked the Trans-Niger Pipeline, one of the main conduits for crude pumped in the Niger Delta, which carries it to the Bonny export terminal. The explosion sparked a massive fire at a section of the pipeline and the flow of oil had to be rerouted, which was done promptly. The investigation on the blast is ongoing, but a spokesman for Renaissance Group, the owner of the pipeline, said there were suspicions of arson.
The Trans-Niger Pipeline has a capacity of 450,000 barrels daily. That’s 15% of Nigeria’s total oil export capacity—and that makes the explosion an even bigger deal than it might have seemed initially. Because successive Nigerian governments have been trying for years to stop the theft and sabotage of pipelines as a means of reviving the industry. Instead, Big Oil has shrunk its presence in Africa’s biggest producer, in large part because of the thefts and sabotage. And Nigeria needs fresh oil investments to make that production boost happen.
“This is a blow to the Tinubu government’s recent successes on oil output, gains driven in part by improved security measures,” Clementine Wallop, director for sub-Saharan Africa at political-risk consultant Horizon Engage, told Bloomberg. “It is also a very difficult investment signal during a period where the government seemed to be turning a corner on energy.”
The explosion comes barely a month after the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission declared that Nigeria was “more ready for business than ever,” adding that the federal government was committed to regulatory certainty, investment-friendly policies, and global competitiveness. Yet infrastructure security continues to be a problem, and that could very well derail the rest of the government efforts.
Last year, one local oil company and the government estimated that Nigeria loses between 200,000 barrels and 400,000 barrels daily to oil theft. These are dramatic figures because they translate into billions of lost income for the state—and into hesitancy among international oil operators to return to, or enter, Nigeria.
There are more dramatic figures, too. Back in 2022, the Trans-Niger Pipeline was literally perforated by illegal connections, with the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s chief reporting that in “less than 200 kilometres we had 295 illegal connections.” As a result, the country’s oil output at one point dipped below 1 million barrels daily – from as much as 1.8 million barrels daily.
Since then, efforts have been made to eliminate theft and they have been partially successful, with losses much lower than they were in 2022. Yet that may not be enough to bring in more investment—because that pipeline blast this week was not the work of oil thieves.
Nigerian daily Vanguard reported, following the explosion, that it could be the work of militant groups active in the Niger Delta. The militants have threatened to attack oil infrastructure in the Rivers state amid an ongoing political crisis between the state and the federal government over federal money allocation to Rivers, the report said.
The issue of federal oil money distribution to the communities in Nigeria’s oil heartland has long been a bone of contention between the central government and those same communities—and it has been linked to militant activity by radical groups such as the Niger Delta Avengers, who were active in the Delta area about a decade ago, targeting oil infrastructure as a means of sending their message about the injustice of oil money distribution. Disgruntlement among the Delta communities also led to the sprouting of other militant groups that also attacked pipelines and export terminals until the government cut a deal with them.
“The approach Renaissance takes will be crucial in setting the tone around how the above ground challenges in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector will be resolved by the indigenous operators,” the head of West African upstream research at Wood Mackenzie, Mansur Mohammed, told Bloomberg. Indeed, the company’s actions now will be watched closely by companies that may be willing to enter or boost their presence in Nigeria.
For now, the signs appear to be positive. Renaissance, which bought the Trans-Niger Pipeline from Shell, was quick in rerouting the flow of oil and has stopped short of declaring force majeure on exports from the Bonny terminal. Now, it’s up to the government to work with the industry and demonstrate that it can put an end to the sabotage and the theft. And they’d do well to keep an eye on gas infrastructure as well—criminals are targeting gas pipelines, too, now, as security gets boosted around oil infrastructure.
Chinese automakers are significantly increasing their presence in global markets, particularly in emerging economies, with competitively priced and feature-rich electric vehicles.
While the U.S., Canada, and the EU impose tariffs, markets like Bangkok, Johannesburg, and Sao Paulo are embracing Chinese EVs, leading to a surge in export numbers.
Traditional automakers like Ford are acknowledging the competitive threat, especially in regions like India and South America, as Chinese brands gain market share through strategic marketing and affordability.
Chinese EVs like Great Wall, BYD, Chery, and SAIC are flooding the streets in places other than the U.S., according to a new report from Bloomberg.
While the U.S., Canada, and the EU impose tariffs to protect domestic automakers, emerging markets are embracing Chinese vehicles, creating fresh competition for global carmakers.
Places like "Bangkok to Johannesburg to Sao Paulo" are being dominated by the new low cost, sleek EVs that China has been churning out en masse over the last half decade.
Bloomberg writes that China now leads global vehicle exports, shipping 4.9 million passenger cars in 2024—up from less than 1 million in 2020, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
“Chinese automakers have pushed into lots of global markets with high quality and competitively priced vehicles,” said Abby Chun Tu of S&P Global Mobility, comparing their strategy to past successes of South Korean and Japanese brands. Unlike their predecessors, they also offer advanced software and feature-rich models, even at lower price points.
Despite concerns in the U.S. and Europe over China’s EV dominance, most Chinese car exports remain gas-powered, as many developing nations lack EV infrastructure.
With a growing foothold, China’s global auto market share could rise from 3% today to 13% by 2030—hitting 39% in Africa and the Middle East, according to AlixPartners.
Ford CEO Jim Farley acknowledged the competitive threat, saying, “In emerging markets like India, especially South America, they’re being dominated by the Chinese.”
Ford has exited Brazil, where BYD took over its former plant, but aims to hold ground in South Africa and Thailand. “We have to think about future-proofing that,” Farley said.
The article concludes, stating GM and Stellantis see Chinese automakers as a threat but partner with them to stay competitive.
Chinese brands gain ground with marketing and low prices. In Brazil, BYD featured Pelé in ads, and Luiz Palladino compared his Haval H6 EV to BMW, saying, “It has everything I want.”
Tax breaks helped China’s foothold in Brazil, with BYD and Great Wall building plants. “The Chinese found a great opportunity,” said Ricardo Roa of KPMG.
In Thailand, Chinese brands now hold 13.3% of the market and 71% of EV sales. As Japanese automakers retreat, Chinese rivals take over.
At Bangkok’s Motor Expo, Wiyawit Petra, a longtime Toyota and Honda driver, considered a BYD hybrid. “I want to open my heart to something new now,” he said. “It’s also affordable, so it’s worth the risk.”
The freezing of the IRA and rollbacks on climate policies are forcing hedge funds and pension funds to rethink their strategies.
Green energy stocks have fallen to five-year lows, and a hedge fund founder declared the energy transition "dead for now.".
The growing divide in the investment world is forcing financial institutions to take sides.
Donald Trump’s second presidency has unquestionably upended the energy world—and the energy investment world. With the IRA in deep freeze and rollbacks of various climate change-related regulation, some of the biggest players in financial markets are feeling the heat. Hedge funds with a focus on energy have found themselves in a juggling act on a tightrope.
Bloomberg wrote this week that a lot of money managers were scrambling to strike the right balance between investors who were still insistent that emission-cutting commitments were priority number one and those who are accepting energy reality for what it is and seeking to replace those commitments with profits.
Some pension funds in northern Europe, for instance, were discussing a pullout from the United States because of the Trump administration’s dismissal of the climate change fight, which those pension funds’ managements see as ignoring a substantial future investment risk, Bloomberg reported. Interestingly, British funds are doing the opposite, riding the wave of reprioritization to keep those investors who are in the game to make money rather than save the planet.
Some specific examples provided by Bloomberg include a Dutch pension fund, DME, that is reviewing a $5-billion mandate with Blackrock because its management feels the U.S. financial giant has stopped taking its transition ambitions seriously, jeopardizing the Dutch pensioners’ money. As the fund put it, “BlackRock’s diminishing ambitions in responsible and sustainable investing” were threatening the $5 billion.
Interestingly, BlackRock is also the central character of another investment review noted by Bloomberg, this time for its too big of a focus on the energy transition, as perceived by the investment fund—the state pension fund of Indiana. Because of that perception, which is the exact opposite of DME’s perception of the same investment bank, the pension fund of Indiana pulled its money out of BlackRock and put it in State Street.
The Bloomberg report comes days after the founder of a hedge fund specifically set up to invest in the energy transition declared the transition dead, “for now.” Speaking to Bloomberg again, Nishant Gupta, founder of Kanou Capital, said that “The whole sector — solar, wind, hydrogen, fuel cells — anything clean is dead for now,” adding that the fundamentals in the energy transition space were “very poor.”
Another recent report, this time by the Financial Times, strengthens the perception that not all is well with the transition and maybe the investment entities shifting their focus have a point. In that report, the FT said that green energy stocks had slumped to the lowest in five years despite an improving interest rate environment and continued strong government support for all things transition.
“Companies that we hold in the decarbonization sector have seen strong growth and stable returns, but they have underperformed in terms of share price,” the FT cited the chief of sustainable equity at Ninety One, Deirdre Cooper, as saying. “I have never seen such bearishness in terms of the valuation for companies with structural growth . . . The market is assuming no growth for decarbonisation [ie the sector],” Cooper added.
In the latest sign that a shift is underway in the energy investment world, Aviva Investors, a division of French insurance giant Aviva, revised plans to divest from companies that are, according to Aviva, not doing enough to decarbonize. The investment arm of the insurer cited a “very different macro backdrop” and the fact that “Concerns over energy security and economic recovery have come to the fore, which in turn has had an impact on the regulatory environment and trajectory of national decarbonisation plans.”
The energy transition was supposed to be strong, unstoppable, and accelerating. Instead, it is slowing down, despite the massive government support, and returns, where there were any, are down, too. As one executive from a French climate NGO told Bloomberg, “Financial institutions will need to pick a side.” Indeed they will—the choice would be between the side that makes money and the side that loses it.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
U.S. Firm Backed by Gates and Bezos Seeks Congo Lithium Exploration
U.S. firm KoBold Metals, whose backers include billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, is seeking to develop a huge hard rock lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the African country, which also has large cobalt, gold, and cobalt resources, is seeking a minerals partnership with the United States.
KoBold Metals has set sights on taking over a mining license for an area, the Manono project, which promises large lithium deposits. The U.S. firm “would welcome the opportunity to develop the asset,” Sandy Alexander, the chief legal officer of KoBold Metals, wrote in a letter to Congo’s president seen by Bloomberg News.
The Roche Dure resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo “has the potential to become a large-scale, long-lived lithium mine,” KoBold’s Alexander wrote in the letter to the chief of staff of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi dated January 21.
Investment in the deposit has been impeded by a legal dispute between Australian firm AVZ Minerals Ltd, China’s Zijin Mining Group Co, and the government of the DRC.
Two years ago, the DRC canceled AVZ Minerals’ exploration license. It divided the exploration area into two separate areas and handed one of them to the Chinese firm Zijin.
AVZ Minerals earlier this month won a compensation case at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over the project.
AVZ Minerals also said that it is in discussions with several U.S.-based parties to raise funding for the lithium project.
KoBold says that it is using AI to explore for minerals. Currently, the company backed by U.S. entrepreneurs and billionaires is exploring more than 70 projects worldwide.
KoBold Metals could consider bringing in partners to fast-track the development of a new copper mine in another African country, Zambia, that could cost about $2 billion, the start-up’s co-founder and president Josh Goldman told Reuters last month.
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