International

Polish company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) has authorized Westinghouse to start procuring long-lead reactor components for its first AP1000 reactor in Choczewo, Poland. According to Westinghouse’s Oct. 8 press release, this order would cover six of the plant’s reactor components, which include the reactor containment along with its related structural modules. PEJ and Westinghouse expect […]

NATO will proceed with its annual nuclear deterrence exercise this week despite recent Russian warnings that it could use nuclear weapons if its territory, including Kaliningrad, comes under threat. The 10-day, now declassified Steadfast Noon exercise is scheduled to begin Oct. 13 and will be hosted by Italy, with aircraft from 17 North Atlantic Treaty […]

The U.S. and China are discussing reciprocal visits to each other’s nuclear facilities, a potential transparency measure as Washington raises concerns about Beijing’s nuclear activities. The Donald Trump administration has held talks with Chinese officials about allowing each country to visit nuclear facilities operated by the other, the Washington Times reported Oct. 8, citing U.S. […]

BWX Technologies’ microreactor was selected by Prodigy Clean Energy and two Canadian Indigenous tribes to be the technology for the Transportable Nuclear Power Plant at Belledune in New Brunswick, Canada. The BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor – or BANR – is designed to be a high-temperature gas-cooled transportable microreactor with a generating capacity of 22 megawatts […]

The United States and South Korean governments reached a $120 billion investment agreement on Sept. 30, collaborating on building eight large-scale reactors in the United States. The initiative, named Project Power, involves efforts from both governments, Westinghouse, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. Under the project’s framework, the two countries will […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Oct. 1 that Russia could use nuclear weapons if NATO attacked Kaliningrad, renewing Moscow’s nuclear threats amid growing military tensions between Russia and the alliance. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said Russia would respond to an attack on its territory with “all weapons” available to it, according to […]

BWX Technologies’ microreactor was selected by Prodigy Clean Energy and two Canadian Indigenous tribes to be the technology for the Transportable Nuclear Power Plant at Belledune in New Brunswick, Canada. The BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor – or BANR – is designed to be a high-temperature gas-cooled transportable microreactor with a generating capacity of 22 megawatts […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Oct. 1 that Russia could use nuclear weapons if NATO attacked Kaliningrad, renewing Moscow’s nuclear threats amid growing military tensions between Russia and the alliance. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said Russia would respond to an attack on its territory with “all weapons” available to it, according to […]

The United States and South Korean governments reached a $120 billion investment agreement on Sept. 30, collaborating on building eight large-scale reactors in the United States. The initiative, named Project Power, involves efforts from both governments, Westinghouse, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. Under the project’s framework, the two countries will […]

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reaffirmed commitment to building the “constructive relationship of strategic stability” pledged in May, but the two countries have yet to establish its meaning for growing nuclear and strategic competition. The leaders agreed during Xi’s Sept. 23-25 visit to Washington to build a strategic-stability relationship based on […]

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reaffirmed commitment to building the “constructive relationship of strategic stability” pledged in May, but the two countries have yet to establish its meaning for growing nuclear and strategic competition. The leaders agreed during Xi’s Sept. 23-25 visit to Washington to build a strategic-stability relationship based on […]

Congressional Democrats have introduced a resolution seeking to block a U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, citing concerns about uranium enrichment and limits on international inspections. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and Don Beyer (D-Va.), introduced the joint resolution […]

An AtkinsRéalis company, in a joint venture with Aecon Group Inc, has won a three-year, $1.7 billion contract Monday for a refurbishment project at Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Pickering nuclear plant. Candu Energy, an AtkinsRéalis’ subsidiary that designs and builds Canada Deuterium Uranium – or CANDU – reactors, will start work on Unit 5 as […]

The consortium of Bechtel and Westinghouse and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) have agreed on major commercial terms of the engineering procurement and construction contract to use Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor technology at Poland’s first nuclear plant.  PEJ handed over the leading role of the project to Bechtel in August. The companies’ have now set the foundation […]

North Korea launched what are believed to be two short-range ballistic missiles from its eastern coast Sunday, with state media later describing the test as a demonstration of a new weapons system as Pyongyang continues to expand its missile and nuclear capabilities. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first missile was launched from […]

Congressional Democrats have introduced a resolution seeking to block a U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, citing concerns about uranium enrichment and limits on international inspections. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and Don Beyer (D-Va.), introduced the joint resolution […]

The consortium of Bechtel and Westinghouse and Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) have agreed on major commercial terms of the engineering procurement and construction contract to use Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor technology at Poland’s first nuclear plant.  PEJ handed over the leading role of the project to Bechtel in August. The companies’ have now set the foundation […]

North Korea launched what are believed to be two short-range ballistic missiles from its eastern coast Sunday, with state media later describing the test as a demonstration of a new weapons system as Pyongyang continues to expand its missile and nuclear capabilities. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first missile was launched from […]

Congressional Democrats have introduced a resolution seeking to block a U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, citing concerns about uranium enrichment and limits on international inspections. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and Don Beyer (D-Va.), introduced the joint resolution […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency has resolved outstanding safeguards questions concerning Syria’s past nuclear activities after Damascus provided the agency with access and information, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Sept. 14. Grossi told the IAEA’s General Conference in Vienna that the development resolves a safeguards matter that had remained open for nearly two decades […]

The United States would be willing to provide nuclear fuel to Iran if Tehran resolves concerns surrounding its nuclear program, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, potentially offering a path for civilian nuclear cooperation. Wright reportedly told Bloomberg that the U.S. could provide Iran with nuclear fuel from outside the country. He tied the proposal to […]

The United States would be willing to provide nuclear fuel to Iran if Tehran resolves concerns surrounding its nuclear program, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, potentially offering a path for civilian nuclear cooperation. Wright reportedly told Bloomberg that the U.S. could provide Iran with nuclear fuel from outside the country. He tied the proposal to […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency has resolved outstanding safeguards questions concerning Syria’s past nuclear activities after Damascus provided the agency with access and information, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Sept. 14. Grossi told the IAEA’s General Conference in Vienna that the development resolves a safeguards matter that had remained open for nearly two decades […]

James Biggins, a longtime senior manager at the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has started a new position as chief of staff and chief counsel at the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Biggins joined the Government Ethics office this month, he announced in a LinkedIn post. Biggins has held various key DNFSB posts, including […]

North Korea has built a new uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex capable of housing up to 28 centrifuge cascades, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an Aug. 28 report. The IAEA identified a new two-story building at Yongbyon as the site’s second uranium enrichment facility by comparing satellite imagery with […]

The United States and European allies are seeking an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution that would report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear safeguards obligations, news outlets said Friday Sept. 4.  The U.S., Britain, France and Germany are lobbying members of the IAEA Board of Governors ahead of its upcoming meeting, seeking […]

North Korea has built a new uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex capable of housing up to 28 centrifuge cascades, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an Aug. 28 report. The IAEA identified a new two-story building at Yongbyon as the site’s second uranium enrichment facility by comparing satellite imagery with […]

Borehole drilling is underway at Finland’s deep geological repository as Finnish nuclear waste management company Posiva Oy said last week it has begun drilling the first underground deposition hole. Posiva said in its Aug. 27 company update that the operation started the afternoon of Aug. 26, when the drill head of the Deposition Hole Boring […]

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant could face a station blackout within roughly 10 days if external power is not restored or additional diesel fuel is delivered, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week. The plant has been without off-site power since Aug. 20, when military activity damaged its connection to the 330-kilovolt Ferosplavna-1 […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Syria was constructing an undeclared nuclear reactor at Deir al-Zor under former President Bashar al-Assad, according to published reports.  The U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a report viewed by some news outlets such as Al Jazeera its inspectors verified that cooling infrastructure uncovered at the site is […]