Sunday, 12 July 2026

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a 553-page rulemaking to rewrite core pieces of the regulatory framework governing commercial nuclear plants, according to Power Magazine.

The rule addresses how commercial nuclear plants are sited, licensed, built, modified, operated, renewed, fueled, and decommissioned, per Power Magazine.

The proposed rule was issued July 1, according to Power Magazine.

Centrus Energy has finalized a $900 million task order with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) tied to its high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) cascade in Piketon, Ohio, according to Power Magazine.

The task order allows Centrus to transition the HALEU cascade from a government-funded demonstration to private commercial operation, Power Magazine reported.

The firm, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, announced the contract on July 1, according to Power Magazine.

Unit 2 at the Taipingling nuclear power plant attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced. The 1,116 MWe (net) pressurised water reactor reached criticality for the first time at 00:22 on 25 June, according to World Nuclear News.

The milestone follows the loading of the reactor core. World Nuclear News reported that the first fuel loading involved inserting 177 fuel assemblies and was completed on 3 May.

China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a 40-year operating licence for Taipingling 2 on 30 April, according to World Nuclear News.

The first unit at the site is already generating. World Nuclear News reported that Unit 1 attained first criticality on 3 February this year, was connected to the grid on 13 February, and entered commercial operation on 19 April.

Taipingling will eventually have six Hualong One reactors, with total investment exceeding CNY120 billion (USD17 billion), according to World Nuclear News.

CGN said that once all six units are operational, annual generation will exceed 55 billion kilowatt-hours, cutting standard coal use by about 16.65 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by about 50.82 million tonnes each year.

The Williams Treaties First Nations is committing CAD700 million (USD492 million) to the Darlington New Nuclear Project, a BWRX-300 reactor being developed by Ontario Power Generation, with backing from federal and provincial loan guarantees, World Nuclear News reported.

The money enters as a loan to the equity partnership building and running the plant, financing the first of four small modular reactor (SMR) units planned for the site. That loan converts to equity after all four units reach completion.

GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 is rated at 300 MWe.

Ontario Power Generation cleared a regulatory step ahead of this financing, securing a Licence to Construct the first of four planned BWRX-300s in April 2025.

Construction has since reached the foundation stage. The Basemat module, the base of the reactor building at close to 953 tonnes, was set into an excavated shaft 35 metres underground, according to World Nuclear News.

Warsaw-based small modular reactor developer SGE has unveiled plans to deploy 14 GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 units across three UK sites, according to Power Magazine.

The plan was announced by SGE on July 2, Power Magazine reported.

According to Power Magazine, SGE says the 4.2-GW privately financed fleet could ultimately meet roughly 11% of UK power demand.