Nuclear energy news covering power plants, reactor technology, nuclear policy, uranium markets, and the role of nuclear in clean energy.
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated the government is open to nuclear energy as data centres now consume nearly a quarter of the country's electricity. This shift follows a bill introduced by Fianna Fáil backbencher James O'Connor to lift the legislative veto on nuclear power, which has been in place since 1999.
India has officially opened its nuclear power sector to private companies, ending a long-standing state monopoly. New draft rules under the SHANTI Act facilitate this shift, with major players like NTPC and Adani targeting indigenous PHWR technology to meet ambitious capacity goals of 100 GWe by 2047.
California gubernatorial front-runner Xavier Becerra has declined to endorse nuclear power, contrasting with Republican opponent Steve Hilton who favors new plants. This stance maintains the state's 1976 moratorium on reactor construction despite rising AI-driven energy demand.
Indonesia is advancing plans to construct its first nuclear power plant on an uninhabited island, with Semesak Island in West Kalimantan and the Bangka Belitung province as leading candidates. The government aims to have the facility operational by 2032 to meet decarbonisation targets, despite public concerns about seismic risks.
Russia's state-owned atomic energy company Rosatom has deployed 42 specialists back to the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Chief Executive Officer Alexey Likhachev confirmed the deployment and indicated that staff numbers could rise to 100 by autumn, noting the site remains calm.
The French government has authorised state-owned energy producer EDF to commence preparatory construction work for two new EPR2 reactors at its Gravelines facility. While the decree permits initial earthworks and infrastructure adjustments, officials clarified that this step does not yet grant final permission to construct the actual nuclear units.
The article argues that a dormant $400 million nuclear test facility in Virginia offers a strategic advantage for startups aiming to build small modular reactors. It contends that leveraging existing infrastructure could help solve the urgent energy demands of AI data centers, despite historical skepticism regarding nuclear renaissance claims.
Centrus Energy Corp. has identified the US military as a primary new market for its enriched uranium products. Investor relations head Neal Nagarajan told Bloomberg that the firm remains the sole commercially viable supplier for national security requirements while awaiting a broader supply deal.
The U.S. nuclear industry is finalizing a comprehensive response to India's draft SHANTI Act rules, aiming to meet the September 4 deadline. Coordinated by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, the submission reflects recent discussions with Indian legal experts and the Nuclear Energy Institute regarding private participation in India's civil nuclear sector.
Ghana has acquired a nuclear power plant simulator to train personnel for its planned nuclear energy programme. Located at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, it is the only such facility in Africa and models a small modular reactor based on the NuScale design.