Six major nuclear announcements for your week
A brief overview of the key developments so far this year
"I say build, baby, build. I say we're going to take on the blockers so that we can build" - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Earlier this year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that nuclear energy is set to reach a new record in 2025, and they weren’t wrong. Here’s an overview of the main nuclear news events so far this year.
#1 Belgium returns to nuclear
Since the 1990s, Belgium planned to phase out nuclear energy, passing a law in 2003 ensuring that new nuclear reactors couldn’t be built and existing reactors were to be decommissioned.
But Belgium has learned from Germany’s mistake. Now, Belgium's coalition government has announced aims to double Belgium's nuclear power output from 4 gigawatts (GW) to 8 GW by constructing new reactors and extending the operational lifespans of existing ones.
Last week, the government also announced plans to continue operating two of the country's reactors for an additional 10 years beyond the 10-year extension that was already agreed.
The Belgian government also plans to reverse Belgium's nuclear phase-out law, with intentions to build new reactors. Belgian Minister of Energy Mathieu Bihet stated: "Which technology we will use, we still have to evaluate. But it is clear that it will not only be SMRs. Only small reactors will not suffice."
#2 Estonia lays the groundwork for nuclear ambitions
It’s all go in the Republic of Estonia. In 2012, the government of Estonia approved the construction of a nuclear power plant, but progress stalled for myriad reasons. In recent years, Estonia has revisited nuclear ambitions, and in 2023, the Estonian parliament passed a resolution supporting the adoption of nuclear energy.
However, before reactors can be built, the country needs to establish a regulatory system. Working with the IAEA, Estonia is developing a new nuclear law and the legal framework required to move forward with building nuclear plants.
Meanwhile, other preparations are taking place. Last month, the Estonian company Fermi Energia submitted an application to Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications for the development of new reactors. Fermi has applied to start the state spatial planning process to build two 300 MW GE Hitachi (GEH) BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs).
#3 Netherlands goes big with plans to set up state-owned investment company
The Dutch government has shown strong support for the construction of at least four new large-scale nuclear reactors. To facilitate this growth, the government plans to increase funding for nuclear projects from €4.5 billion to €14 billion.
The Netherlands has partnered with Amentum, a global engineering firm, to explore opportunities for expanding its nuclear power capacity. This evaluation will assess the feasibility of installing two new pressurised water reactors by 2035, with a combined capacity of up to 1,650 MW, potentially providing up to 13% of the country’s electricity needs.
Also, Westinghouse Electric Company has been tasked with conducting a Technical Feasibility Study on the potential installation of two AP1000 reactors at the Borssele Nuclear Power Station.
Last year, the Netherlands received EU approval for €2 billion ($2.2 billion) to build a nuclear reactor to produce medical isotopes for cancer treatment. The country is a leading producer of medical isotopes, and is right to be concerned over potential medical isotope shortages after 2030. To ensure continued production, a newly established company, NewCo, will oversee the construction and operation of the reactor and the associated nuclear health centre.
My post on why we need to build more of these neutron factories:
#4 Vietnam joins the race to build new nuclear
In another heart-warming U-turn, Vietnam now plans to complete nuclear power plants by 2031 at the latest.
In 2016, Vietnam suspended its plans for new nuclear power plants, but this decision was reversed in 2022 to align with the country's decarbonisation goals. This week, it was announced that the Ministry of Industry and Trade will collaborate with state-owned companies Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and Petrovietnam (PVN) to prepare for the construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 power plants.
The Ministry has assessed the potential for developing nuclear power plants in Vietnam, identifying five localities as suitable sites for large-scale nuclear projects.
#5 India announces ambitious nuclear energy target
Nuclear energy accounts for about 3% of India's current installed generating capacity, but the country is looking to increase it. India’s new plan includes building at least five indigenous SMRs by 2033. The Indian government has committed over $2 billion for nuclear research and development to support these reactors. It also plans to amend its strict nuclear liability law, which holds operators responsible for accidents and has been cited as a cause of delays in previous nuclear projects.
This represents a notable shift for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which has traditionally taken a cautious stance on nuclear energy. India's previous goal of building the world's largest nuclear power plant was obstructed by the nuclear liability law.
Of course, no nuclear update would be complete without mentioning France. Following Modi's visit to France this week, the two countries revealed plans to work together on developing SMRs, signing a declaration to officially collaborate on developing the technology.
#6 Britain cuts red tape to fast-track new nuclear reactors
Saving the best to last - purely for personal reasons - last week, the UK government announced plans to overhaul the way the country approaches building nuclear power plants.
In the 1990s, nuclear power generated about 25% of the UK's electricity, but that figure has fallen to around 15%, with no new power stations completed since then and many of the country's ageing reactors due to be decommissioned over the next decade.
In a briefing last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a major shake-up to tackle the obstacles to building new nuclear in Britain.
The new changes include:
Reforming planning rules to make it easier to build new nuclear reactors
Including SMRs in the national planning guidance - this will allow them to be built in the UK for the first time
Allowing nuclear projects to be built outside the eight designated nuclear sites that are currently permitted - meaning that reactors can now be built anywhere in the country
Removing the expiry date on nuclear planning rules so projects don't get timed out
Establishing a new Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce to examine how to build nuclear plants quicker and cheaper
One of the biggest problems in Britain, stalling everything from new housing to 5G masts to new railways to new nuclear builds, is NIMBYs (people who oppose infrastructure: “Not in My Back Yard”). Starmer has addressed this as well, pointing out that “this is where we’ve gone wrong for so long in this country. Everybody puts their hand up for infrastructure, for change … and then puts their hand up again to object to it being in their area.”
A brief history of UK energy politics:
The UK government hopes that the new changes will entice major tech companies to set up operations in Britain, as a part of a strategy to ‘turbocharge AI’ at home. Since data centres consume large amounts of power and can be paired with SMRs, it’s a promising step in the right direction.
All I can say in response to that is: hear, hear.
Nice to see nations taking proactive steps towards future energy independence.
Still no announcement on a winner of the UK SMR competition, while other countries steam ahead. Without a contract for an SMR build, Starmer's announcement is just empty words.