International

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog delivered emergency medical supplies to Ukraine last week as part of ongoing aid to the country since its conflict with Russia began in 2022.

Nuclear Energy Agency Director General William D. Magwood IV visited Mongolia recently for a series of meetings with government representatives and to participate in discussions on nuclear energy development in the country.

In 2022, El Salvador’s leadership decided to expand its modest, mostly hydro- and geothermal-based electricity system, which is supported by expensive imported natural gas and diesel generation. They chose to use advanced nuclear reactors, preferably fueled by thorium-based fuels, to power their civilian efforts. The choice of thorium was made to inform the world that the reactor program was for civilian purposes only, and so they chose a fuel that was plentiful, easy to source and work with, and not a proliferation risk.

Amid recent ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. should take control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants for long-term security, the Associated Press reported.

“American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure,” Trump suggested, according to a later statement.

Sellafield Ltd. and AtkinsRéalis have successfully operated a robotic dog from a remote location in what might be the first time such an operation has happened at a nuclear licensed site, according to the companies in a March 18 press release.

Since nuclear physics works the same in Ontario as it does in Tennessee, the industry has been trying to create a reactor that can be deployed on both sides of the border. Now, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission have decided that some of their rulings can cross the border too.

After 50 years of operation, Unit 1 at Belgium’s Doel nuclear power plant has been permanently shut down.

Just weeks ago, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever talked about trying to keep Doel-1, which was retired on February 14, in operation. He faced an uphill battle, however, given the decades the nation has spent arguing about nuclear energy. In 2003, Belgium enacted a law banning construction of new nuclear reactors and calling for eventual decommissioning of existing reactors, Belga News Agency reported.

It’s been less than two years since Germany shuttered its three remaining nuclear plants on April 15, 2023—the culmination of a decision reached during the backlash following the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan in 2011.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team has concluded that Spain has shown a strong commitment to nuclear and radiation safety, confirming that the country has successfully enhanced its regulatory framework, fully implementing IAEA recommendations made in 2018.

Germany’s NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH, in partnership with Uniper Nuclear Services GmbH (UNS), has successfully completed the dismantling of the fourth and final reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden. The work was done as part of the UNNU Consortium, which since 2020 has been dismantling Sweden’s four RPVs—two at the Oskarshamn site and two at the Barsebäck nuclear plant site.

An official ground breaking on Monday for Swedish nuclear company Blykalla’s advanced reactor testing site marked a pivotal step in putting decades of research into action.

The Canada-Poland Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement was signed this week by the prime ministers of the two countries, supporting plans for developing Poland’s first nuclear power plants to aid its transition away from coal.

A framework agreement to continue the work of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) will enter into force on March 1.

The International Energy Agency published a new report this month outlining how continued innovation, government support, and new business models can unleash nuclear power expansion worldwide.

The Path to a New Era for Nuclear Energy report “reviews the status of nuclear energy around the world and explores risks related to policies, construction, and financing.”

Find the full report at IEA.org.

Serbia’s National Assembly has approved legislation that overturns the nation’s decades-old moratorium on nuclear power plants as the nation looks to reduce pollution.

Minister of mining and energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović posted on social media after the November 27 vote, “History has been written today. Many will inherit what has been done today!”

The U.S. and South Korea have reached a provisional agreement and are working on a memorandum of understanding to advance the countries’ partnership on civil nuclear energy.

The 2024 edition of Climate Change and Nuclear Power has been released by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The 99-page report focuses on the need for a significant increase in investment to achieve goals for expanding nuclear power.

The report: According to the IAEA, the report delves into the financing of nuclear projects as ambitious climate targets draw nearer. It also explores the imperative for financial frameworks to help nuclear energy become a cornerstone of global decarbonization efforts and highlights the challenges and best practices in financing nuclear projects.

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), an organization comprised of the United Kingdom’s Low Level Waste Repository, Radioactive Waste Management, and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), has issued its Annual Review: 2023 to 2024. The report highlights the key areas of progress and achievements made by the government-affiliated organization during the past year.

A historic referendum in Kazakhstan this past weekend showed that its citizens strongly support adding nuclear generation to the nation’s energy supply.

During some of his first public remarks last week, Japan’s new economy minister Yoji Muto promoted the importance of nuclear energy for his nation.

Muto said the new administration—including newly appointed prime minister Shigeru Ishiba—plans to restart “as many reactors as possible so long as they are safe,” reported NucNet, a nuclear-centered news agency in Brussels.