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Rosatom Says Small Nuclear Power Development Requires Regulatory Reform

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said on July 5 that if Russia hopes to maintain its global leadership in the small nuclear power market, nuclear regulations and standards also need to keep pace with technological changes, particularly by revisiting the licensing and approval process for small nuclear power plants. In an article published in the Rosatom Corporate Newspaper, Likhachev stated that small nuclear power plants are expected to become a significant new form of energy in the coming decades, but their deployment still faces considerable regulatory challenges. Due to the relative novelty of such facilities to regulators, approval approaches tend to be cautious. He believes that accelerating the licensing and construction process while ensuring safety has become a task of national importance.

2026-07-06

World Nuclear Association expects global large-scale nuclear power construction spending to peak between 2041 and 2045

The World Nuclear Association (WNA) expects global nuclear power industry spending to reach a phased peak between 2041 and 2045. At 2025 prices, approximately $1 trillion will be directed toward the construction of large nuclear power plants during this period. Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, stated that investment interest in the nuclear energy sector has significantly increased, with 50 countries having formulated relatively specific nuclear energy development plans. She believes that implementing these plans will require substantial financial support, with the required investment scale far exceeding current levels. According to the Association's estimates, in addition to large nuclear power plant construction, approximately $450 billion will be allocated globally to small modular reactor projects between 2041 and 2045, along with $84 billion for extending the operational lifetimes of existing reactors.

2026-07-30

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority to Revise Seismic Review Guidelines for Nuclear Power Plants

Following the exposure of Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.'s alleged tampering with data related to earthquake assumptions at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has decided to revise certain seismic review guidelines for nuclear power plants to strengthen prevention of similar misconduct. At a regular meeting held on July 29, the NRA decided to proceed with revisions to the guidelines concerning seismic assumption reviews. Previously, the review process primarily focused on the calculation results submitted by nuclear power plant operators. The revision will extend the scope of verification to include the calculation process and the data used therein, in order to prevent companies from intentionally selecting, adjusting, or manipulating data.

2026-07-30

Two UK nuclear power plants approved for life extension until March 2030

EDF Energy and Centrica announced on July 22 that the operational lives of the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power stations in the UK will be extended by another two years, until March 2030.Located in northern England, the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nucl

2026-07-23