Monday, 26 October 2026

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon toured the TerraPower Natrium nuclear plant site in Kemmerer on Thursday, joined by the governors of Utah and Idaho and three U.S. senators, according to Wyoming News.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Idaho Gov. Brad Little accompanied Gordon on the visit, alongside Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Jim Risch of Idaho, and John Curtis of Utah.

TerraPower founder Bill Gates joined the elected delegation at the Kemmerer site, Wyoming News reported.

Slovakia's Mochovce 4 nuclear unit has been connected to the grid and started supplying its first electricity, according to World Nuclear News.

The VVER-440 unit was phased into the country's electricity system at 20:41 on Thursday 15 October with the reactor at 20% power output, Slovenske elektrárne said.

The unit has two turbogenerators and a total installed electrical capacity of 471 MW, according to TASR. Once fully operational, it is expected to generate about 3.5 million MWh annually, equivalent to around 13% of Slovakia's current electricity consumption.

The initial synchronisation does not complete the unit's commissioning, according to TASR. The process continues with the synchronisation of the second turbogenerator, followed by further prescribed tests conducted at progressively higher output levels.

U.S.-based Quantum Leap Energy and South Africa's state-owned Necsa signed a binding framework agreement on October 15 to develop a uranium enrichment facility at Pelindaba, near Pretoria, according to Ecofin Agency.

The proposed joint venture would be owned approximately 80% by Quantum Leap Energy and 20% by Necsa, Ecofin Agency reported.

The planned facility will produce high-assay low-enriched uranium for certain advanced nuclear reactors. Quantum Leap Energy already holds supply agreements with U.S.-based TerraPower for the advanced nuclear fuel.

A fuel assembly at the Palisades nuclear reactor in Covert, Michigan, tipped on August 30 as new fuel was being lowered into the reactor, putting the plant's planned restart on hold, according to The National.

The NRC said no radiation was released during the incident, The National reported.

Separately, the NRC found a chilled work environment in the plant's supply chain and quality assurance departments, where employees were hesitant to raise safety concerns using all available avenues without fear of retaliation, according to The National.

SGE has entered a shareholders' agreement with ZE PAK to establish PAK BWRX, a joint venture to develop small modular reactors, according to law firm Pinsent Masons, which advised SGE on the deal.

PAK BWRX will develop and operate six reactors using BWRX-300 technology, with a combined capacity of 1.8 GW, according to Pinsent Masons.

The development will be located in Pątnów, a district of Konin in Poland, on land owned by ZE PAK, Pinsent Masons said.

Constellation Energy's agreements with Google and Amazon will raise nuclear generating output by a cumulative 1,080 MW through uprates at 13 reactors across four states.

Google signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for 890 MW of new capacity from uprates at 11 Constellation-owned units in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Constellation plans to invest more than USD 4.3 billion in those uprates, with the first unit online in 2028 and all 890 MW available by the end of 2032.

Constellation and Amazon announced a 20-year power purchase agreement for 690 MW on September 30, which will directly lead to 190 MW of new generation through an uprate. The Amazon agreement will enable more than USD 3 billion in Maryland infrastructure investment, including improvements at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant, according to Constellation.