Nuclear Power








Asia

North America

Mining

Trump refuses to proceed with nuclear agreement unless Saudis sign Abraham Accords

On Friday, President Donald 'Trump said he wouldn't go ahead with a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia unless?Saudi Arabia agreed?to a re-normalization of relations with Israel in accordance with the Abraham Accords. The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that Energy Sec. Chris Wright and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, his Saudi counterpart, had signed an accord on the development of commercial nuclear reactors in oil rich Saudi Arabia. It said that Congress would review it. Since his first term, Trump has worked on a deal to build a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia. Joe Biden, the former...

Power Markets

Trump conditions US-Saudi nuke deal on joining Abraham Accords

Donald Trump, President of the United States, said on Thursday that a deal between the U.S. Saudi Arabia's participation in the Abraham Accords is a condition for a deal with?Saudi Arabia. The material will not be enriched. The U.S. reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia on civil nuclear energy, which allows the kingdom to enrich uranium using U.S. technology and build nuclear reactors. The technology is available without the need for UN inspections, which Washington had previously demanded of Iran. The Civil Nuclear Deal (There won't be any enrichment !)...) The deal will only be approved for non-military uses, such...

Nuclear Power

Israelis are concerned that a Saudi nuclear deal may spark a Mideast arms race

Israel is worried about the'start of an arms race in the Middle East' after a deal between the United States & Saudi Arabia was announced on Wednesday. The agreement allows the kingdom to build nuclear power plants using American technology and enrich uranium. The?agreement announced on Wednesday, which needs Congressional approval to be implemented, is intended to allow Saudi Arabia to develop a civil nuclear programme. The Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defence and Foreign ministers, have not yet commented on this deal. Critics say that it compromises Israel's long-term interests. "The nuclear deal that's coming together between Israel and...

Energy Markets

US announces nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

The U.S. Energy Department announced on Wednesday that the U.S. has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia on civil nuclear energy. This deal allows the kingdom build nuclear reactors utilizing American technology, and enrich uranium. The Saudi nuclear deal has been in the making for many years, both during President Donald Trump's administration and that of?former President Joe Biden. The current deal, unlike the Biden plan does not include the so-called Additional Protocol that would allow the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct intrusive quick inspections. The agreement would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich nuclear waste and reprocess...

Energy Markets

Trump Administration considers nuclear power plants for US waters

The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it would consider putting nuclear energy projects in federal waters, as part of a broader?plan to increase domestic energy production and accelerate deployment of advanced 'nuclear technology. Marine Minerals Administration (MMA),?which oversees the development of the?U.S. The?Outer Continental Shelf's said that it had signed an agreement to coordinate the oversight of offshore nuclear projects with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Interior Department has been taking a series of steps to open federal waters for industrial activities. This includes space launches and mining. However, it has also tried to aggressively block the development of offshore...

Power Markets

Standard Nuclear, a nuclear fuel company, is valued at $2.17 Billion as its shares slide in the NYSE debut

Standard Nuclear's shares dropped 10% in their New York Stock Exchange debut on Thursday after the company reduced its?offering?size, as investors remain cautious about valuations. The Oak Ridge, Tennessee-based company opened its shares at $13.50 each, below the $15 offered price. This gives the nuclear fuel firm a value of $2.17 Billion. The market debut shows that investors are still cautious despite a renewed interest in nuclear power. This is fueled by the surge in electricity demand for artificial intelligence data centres and U.S. policies supporting it. Nuclear energy is gaining in popularity as technology giants and utilities seek carbon-free...

Nuclear Power

Nuclear fuel company Standard Nuclear raises 150 million dollars in US IPO

Standard Nuclear announced on Wednesday that it has raised $150m in its U.S. initial public offering, after cutting its offer size by more than half. Investors remained cautious over 'valuations. The Oak Ridge, Tennessee nuclear fuel company, which sold 10,000,000 shares at $15 per share, valued it at about $2.41 Billion. The shares will begin trading at the New York Stock Exchange under "STDN" on July 16. Originally, the company had planned to sell 18.25 million shares between $18 and $21 per share. The IPO market is gaining momentum despite the geopolitical uncertainties, as the resilient equity markets are encouraging...

Nuclear Power

US sanctions are aimed at disrupting Iran's weapons procurement

The US?government announced sanctions against individuals and entities that it claimed were a part of a network that helped Iran acquire weapons. In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that sanctions would be imposed on Iranians and Russians as well as entities with bases in Iran, Russia,?and Nigeria. The move coincides with heightened tensions, including hostilities between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury released a statement saying that Wednesday's targets "exemplify Iran’s use of foreign aviation, transport, and financial conduits as well as travel coordinators in order to conceal the IRGC’s role 'in illicit procurement' and...

Electric Utilities

Nuclear fuel company Standard Nuclear reduces US IPO size more than by half

Standard Nuclear has reduced the size of its proposed U.S. Initial Public Offering by more than 50 percent on Wednesday. It joins a'string' of companies who have lowered their valuation targets to match cautious investor sentiment this year. The company plans to sell 10,000,000 shares for $15 each. It originally intended to sell 18.25 million of its shares between $18-$21 each. Standard Nuclear's valuation would be $2.4 billion at $15, as opposed to its previous target of $3.55billion. Analysts claim that despite the strong resurgence of the U.S. IPO Market this year, investors remain cautious about valuations and prefer to...

Energy Markets

SoftBank's son dismisses bubble talks, saying AI will require $5 trillion annually by 2040.

SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi son said that the development of AI will require $5 trillion in investment each year by 2040. Any talk of a "bubble" forming around this technology is absurd, Son added. The technology investment group, SoftBank, has been investing heavily in OpenAI over the last two years. They have also invested in data centres, robotics companies, and financing. Son told SoftBank's annual conference in Tokyo that the cost of AI will be $5 trillion or 800 trillion yen per year. You might think this is a lie but I'm confident it's true. Son stated that the business...

Nuclear Power

Holtec Nuclear Corporation files for US IPO amid surging power demand

Holtec Nuclear Corporation, an energy company in the United States, filed for an initial public offer. Holtec Nuclear Corporation filed for an initial public offering in the United States on Friday. After a few years with muted issuances the U.S. IPO has experienced a resurgence. Larger deals and AI-linked listing have driven dollar volumes to record levels even though the number of offerings remain?far below previous boom-era peaks. The government's?drive to quadruple U.S. nucleonic capacity by 2050 in order to meet the rising demand for power from?data centres, electric vehicles, and cryptocurrency mining has also benefited energy sector IPOs. Holtec...

Energy Markets

US Nuclear Power Regulator proposes to narrow scope of environmental reviews

The U.S. nuclear power regulator on Wednesday proposed narrowing the scope of environmental?reviews required under federal law for licenses for new and renewed reactors. The?U.S. nuclear regulator proposed on Wednesday to narrow the scope of?environmental?reviews required by federal law for licenses to new and renewed reactors. The proposal is just one of many changes that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made to its rules. The U.S. President Donald Trump wants to quadruple the nuclear power capacity of the U.S. by 2050 in order to meet the power demand, which has risen due to data centers and electric vehicles. The NRC...

Europe

Crude Oil

Hungary's Paks Nuclear Plant will shut down one reactor due to a drop in the Danube water levels

Operator MVM announced that the Paks nuclear plant in Hungary will shut down one of the 'four reactors' at a time of?1300 GMT on Wednesday due to record low water levels along the Danube River, which provides cooling water for the facility. On Monday, the plant had already cut output by 254 Megawatts at another unit. The plant operates four Russian-built nuclear reactors with a combined 2 gigawatts of capacity. It produces almost?half of Hungary’s electricity. The shutdown on Wednesday will reduce production to?about 60 percent of its capacity. It follows?contingency steps taken in June, during a heatwave record. Authorities...

Environment

IAEA: Military activity affects water supply at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant and nearby town

The U.N. nuclear watchdog reported on Thursday that military activity had affected water supplies in parts of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station and nearby areas of southeast Ukraine. In the first few weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces captured the largest nuclear power station in Europe, with six reactors. Since then, both sides have accused each other of actions that compromise nuclear safety. Rafael Grossi said that there is no shortage of water to keep the fuel cool in reactors. The attacks on and around Enerhodar - where many plant staff live -...

Electric Utilities

Danube's water level is lowest in 30 years and has a negative impact on farming and shipping

The Danube River in Romania dropped to its 'lowest level since 1996 at the weekend. This led to a'restriction on irrigation for farmers and a partial disruption of shipping and tourism along the river banks. The 'Climate Monitor' shows that the waterways of Europe are being affected by the prolonged heatwaves this year. The Romanian state agency for water management said that the level of the second-longest European river at the Romanian entry point was 1,700 cubic metres of water per second, compared to a range of 4,700 cubic metres per second in July. The footage shows long stretches of...

Western Europe

North Asia

Energy Markets

Rosatom stops the return of Bushehr nuclear workers

Rosatom, the state-owned nuclear corporation of Russia, announced 'on Friday' that it has suspended 'the return of their first employees to a construction site for new units at Iran's Bushehr 'nuclear 'power 'plant' following recent strikes against Iran. On Thursday, an Iranian official said that a U.S. missile had hit the perimeter of the facility and hit a military base on the outskirts Bushehr. Alexei Likhachev was quoted as saying that the Russian state corporation chief had halted the progress of his team in Tehran after the attack last night. He said, "We will decide the next steps in the...

Electric Utilities

Russia and Uzbekistan begin construction of nuclear power plants

The Kremlin announced that Russia and Uzbekistan began building a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. It is the first one of its kind in post-Soviet Central Asia. This will help meet the growing demand for energy in the region. The Kremlin announced late Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek president Shavkat Miziyoyev and other officials had met in St Petersburg to discuss the annual economic forum of Putin. The project is situated in Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh Region (central-eastern region), which borders Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. The design of the plant combines two types?nuclear?reactors: two large units that can produce 1,000 megawatts...

Electric Utilities

Rosatom, a Russian company, says it will remain in Iran despite the war

Alexei Likhachev, the head of Rosatom's nuclear division, said that the company will remain in Iran despite the conflict in the Middle East. It is also committed to the agreement to build two more units at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. After the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Rosatom evacuated its staff, and suspended construction on the new units. Likhachev stated that around 450 Rosatom employees remain on the site after 150 returned via Armenia to Russia this week. "The construction and completion of the?second and?third units remain among the priorities for the?corporation. This is not...

Power Markets

Crews repair line at Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in Ukraine

The head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation announced on Thursday that repair crews had restored the external line of the Russian-controlled?Zaporizhzhia nucleopower plant in southeast Ukraine, nearly a month after the facility was shut down. In a public statement, Alexei Likhachev, the director general of Rosatom said that repairs were completed on the Ferosplavna-1 power line, which connects the plant with the grid, late Thursday afternoon. He said that the repair work was completed "one day earlier than scheduled" at Europe's biggest nuclear plant with its six reactors. The plant was taken over by Russia shortly after the invasion of...

Nuclear Power

Russia accuses the US and Israel of attempting to drag Arab nations into a wider Middle East Conflict

Russia accused the United States of Israel on Thursday of 'trying to drag the?Arab nations into a wider -Middle East conflict' by prodding Iran to strike targets in the region. It said that Washington and Tel Aviv were not showing any signs they would relent. Since the United States and Israel launched the 'air strikes' on Iran, Saturday, the 'Iranian missile and drone attacks have targeted Arab states in the Gulf. Some of these also have close ties to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Monday to the leaders of four Arab Gulf States, offering to use...

Power Markets

Due to the strikes against Iran, Russia has halted construction at Bushehr Nuclear Plant.

Alexei Likhachev, the chief of Rosatom, said that the U.S. and Israeli air attack on Iran has halted the construction of new 'units' of Iran's nuclear 'power plant' in the 'port city' of Bushehr. Likhachev warned earlier of the danger posed by'strikes near Iranian nucleus facilities. He said that explosions were heard 'just a few kilometres from the facility, even though the facility was not being targeted. He told journalists that the work has stopped on the sites of the second &?third units. He said that it was difficult to predict what would happen next, due to the military operations...

Energy Markets

After the Ukrainian attack, tens of thousands in Belgorod are without electricity

The regional governor reported that?about 50,000 people in the Russian city Belgorod were without electricity on Friday morning after Ukrainian missiles had struck the city overnight. Governor?Vyacheslav?Gladkov stated that about half of the affected people should be connected by Friday's end following the latest attack in a long series of attacks which have led to repeated blackouts. Belgorod is located about 40 km from the Ukrainian border. In the four years that Russia invaded its neighbor, it has been the target of many Ukrainian missile and drone strikes. Gladkov posted on Telegram that "serious damage" had occurred to the energy...

Power Markets

Russia declares local truce to allow repairs at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

A local ceasefire was declared near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeast Ukraine on Friday, to allow repairs of an external power line. The plant is the largest in Europe. Under Russian Control Since shortly after the beginning of the war, in 2022. The plant does not produce electricity and relies on outside power to maintain its nuclear material cool in order to avoid a catastrophic incident. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other frequently of putting the safety of the plant at risk by staging attacks near it. Last year, a similar 'local truce' was established when the power...

Nuclear Power

Rosatom denies that Siemens Energy was a contributor to the Hungarian Power Plant

The companies confirmed that Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear power company, has released Siemens Energy from its contract to?help build Paks II in Hungary. This confirms an earlier report on the news website Politico. Rosatom informed?that it had terminated the contract with the firm?at the?end of 2025 because its?inability? to meet its contractual obligations. Siemens Energy stated that there were no sanctions in place at the time of termination, and that it fulfilled its contractual obligations in compliance with all national and international laws. It said that "at the time when the fulfillment would have made sense, the customer had...

Power Markets

Ukraine boosts Kyiv's air defence in anticipation of possible Russian attacks

Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Energy in Ukraine, said that senior Ukrainian officials agreed on Wednesday to increase air defence capabilities around the capital Kyiv. This is to counter any possible future Russian air attacks against energy infrastructure. The 'fresh' preparations follow the attacks in Kyiv, where officials are scrambling to repair damages to heating and electricity networks that has left thousands of people in darkness and cold. "Most information will not be made public." In the context of?potential further Russian attacks?, we discussed strengthening Kyiv?s active air defense, especially for?energy facilities?, Shmyhal wrote after a military staff meeting on Telegram....

Energy Markets

Russia lacks equipment to safely restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine says

The head of Ukraine's nuclear power company said that the largest nuclear plant in Europe, which was seized by Russian forces during the initial days of the invasion of Ukraine, could only be restarted safely if the facility is returned to Ukrainian control. Since Russian forces seized the area, the six reactors of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant were shut down. Moscow announced in 2013 that it aimed to restart one reactor. The plant's Russian appointed boss stated it could start producing energy as early as 2027. Pavlo Kovtoniuk is the head of Ukrainian nuclear company Energoatom. He said that...

Power Markets

The first concrete pouring at Hungary's Russian built Paks 2 nuclear power plant

Hungarian Foreign Ministry Peter 'Szijjarto' said that the first concrete pour at Hungary’s Russian-built nuclear plant Paks 2 was on Thursday. This officially made it a.nuclear facility under construction. Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company, will build two new reactors under an agreement signed in 2014 between Budapest and Moscow. Hungary wants to expand Paks by adding two Russian VVER reactors. Each VVER has a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts. The 12.5 billion Euro project, which was awarded to Rosatom without a tender, is often cited as proof of the warm relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and?Hungarian Premier Viktor...