International

Today, the American Nuclear Society issued a press release joining the International Atomic Energy Agency’s calls for maximum military restraint around nuclear power plants and civilian research reactors.

This press release comes as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East primarily involving Iran, Israel, and the United States continues to rapidly evolve and intensify. As is the case with many armed conflicts, the confirmation of each reported update from multiple—and often contradictory—sources comes with significant difficulties. However, IAEA reporting sheds significant light on the current state of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Washington, D.C. — The American Nuclear Society (ANS) issued the following statement:

“The American Nuclear Society supports the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) calls for maximum military restraint around nuclear power plants and civilian research reactors, and for full adherence by all combatants to the IAEA's seven pillars for nuclear safety and security during armed conflict.”

Designed for 40 years but built to last far longer, Switzerland’s nuclear power plants have all entered long-term operation. Yet age alone says little about safety or performance. Through continuous upgrades, strict regulatory oversight, and extensive aging management, the country’s reactors are being prepared for decades of continued operation, in line with international practice.

Developers in Sweden have announced advancements for two reactor projects. Lead-cooled small modular reactor developer Blykalla is proceeding with the permitting process for its proposed SMR park in Norrsundet in the Gävle Municipality after conducting initial assessments to confirm that the site is suitable.

Meanwhile, SMR developer Kärnfull Next has submitted the first application under Sweden’s new Act on Government Approval of Nuclear Facilities, for a proposed SMR campus in the Valdemarsvik Municipality.

In an effort to revamp its nuclear sector and enable the build-out of new projects, the U.K. has unveiled a sweeping set of changes to project deployment. These changes, which are set to come into effect by the end of next year, will restructure the country’s regulatory and environmental approval framework and directly support new growth through various workforce efforts.

I work in the analytical labs at one of Europe’s oldest and largest nuclear sites: Sellafield, in northwestern England. I spend my days at the fume hood front, pipette in one hand and radiation probe in the other (and dosimeter pinned to my chest, of course). Outside the lab, I have a second job: I moonlight as a writer and public speaker. My new popular science book—Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World—came out last summer, and it feels like my life has been running at full power ever since.

In 1990, 30 percent of Europe’s electricity came from nuclear power plants. In 2026, it is closer to 15 percent.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lamented the decline of nuclear energy, calling it a “strategic mistake” when Europe turned its back on a “reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power.”

Jake Jurewicz

Nuclear technology is mature. It provides firm power at scale with minimal externalities and has done so for decades. The core problem isn’t about the technology—it is how the plants are built. Nuclear construction has a well-documented history of cost and schedule overruns. Previous nuclear plants often spent more than twice what was first budgeted, making nuclear among the power technologies with the largest average cost overruns worldwide.

Recent projects illustrate how severe the problem can be. In South Carolina, the V.C. Summer nuclear expansion saw projected costs rise from roughly $10 billion to more than $25 billion before the project was abandoned in 2017, by which time more than $9 billion had already been spent and customers were stuck paying for a site they have yet to benefit from.

Where do Japan and its nuclear energy ambitions stand 15 years after the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake of March 11, 2011, a destructive tsunami, and an accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant ground them to a halt?

A look at developments within the last year involving Japan’s political leadership, international relations, its fleet of nuclear plants, and the ongoing cleanup and decommissioning at Fukushima shows an island country pushing nuclear to the forefront of its energy plans.

The governments of Canada and India agreed to multiple long-term deals this month, extending a partnership that will impact sectors including energy and critical minerals, technology and AI, talent and culture, and defense.

One of the more significant deals is a long-term agreement that would supply nearly 22 million pounds of Canadian uranium concentrate (U₃O₈) to India’s burgeoning nuclear reactor fleet over the next decade.

The U.S. nuclear industry took a further step to solidify its influence in Central Europe on February 16, when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed the U.S.-Hungary Civil Nuclear Intergovernmental Agreement, potentially setting the stage for decades of cooperation in civilian nuclear energy between the two countries. This new agreement comes one month after the signing of a similar agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and the government of Slovakia.

On February 13 at the African Union (AU) Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the AU, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the support of nuclear science and technology development across Africa.

Westinghouse Electric Company’s plans to deploy its AP1000 reactor in Poland have taken an important step forward with a credit agreement between the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ). The agreement represents the first phase of financing to support the initial engineering and environmental site work needed before construction can begin on Poland’s first nuclear power plant, at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality of Pomerania.

Vice President J.D. Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the signing of the 123 Agreement. (Photo: Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia)

During his visit to Armenia on February 9, Vice President J.D. Vance signed an agreement with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector. The “Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United States of America in the Field of Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy” will reportedly open the door to $5 billion in initial U.S. nuclear-related exports to Armenia, in addition to $4 billion worth of longer-term fuel and maintenance contracts.

In a move that could lead to more U.S. nuclear companies gaining a foothold in the United Kingdom, the U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published a first-of-its-kind Advanced Nuclear Framework. Key provisions in this framework include the government’s intention to create a pipeline of “credible projects” to help unlock private investment and plans to accelerate the building of new reactors to power AI data centers.

The 45-page document is organized into two parts. Part One describes the application procedure for the new U.K. Advanced Nuclear Pipeline and explains the Project Readiness Assessment process. Part Two outlines enabling conditions, such as those involving regulation, planning, technical skills, supply chains, and fuel, to help ensure that private projects have the foundations to succeed.

Building Poland’s nuclear program from the ground up is progressing with the country's first nuclear power plant project: three AP1000 reactors at the Choczewo site in the voivodeship of Pomerania.

Polish state-owned utility Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe has announced some recent developments over the past few months, including turbine island procurement and strengthened engagement with domestic financial institutions, in addition to new data from the country’s Energy Ministry showing record‑high public acceptance, which demonstrates growing nuclear momentum in the country.

Update: Operation of Unit 6 at Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture was suspended Thursday morning after its initial restart on the evening of Wednesday, January 21. According to TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi, an alarm sounded “during reactor start-up procedures.” The cause is currently under investigation, but there is no danger inside or outside the plant. Plant chief Takeyuki Inagaki said at a news conference, “The equipment is essential to safe operation, and we will examine it inside-out.”

On January 16, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate on the development of Slovakia’s civil nuclear power program. This agreement spans a variety of civil nuclear activities, but especially notable is the inclusion of a plan to develop an American 1,200-MWe commercial power reactor at Bohunice nuclear power plant.

The United States Embassy and Consulate in Kazakhstan announced in December that the two countries are expanding their partnership in civil nuclear energy with a new educational initiative about small modular reactors.

Six universities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean now offer postgraduate courses in nuclear law with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency, expanding legal education in the nuclear community.