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ADVANCED REACTORS
ITALY-BASED NUCLEAR start-up Terra Innovatum (TI) reported that it has secured all key components of its SOLO reactor and has completed supply-chain alignment for both critical nuclear-grade and non-nuclear- grade components and systems. TI said this derisks manufacturing and construction timelines while ensuring future deployment readiness. All components have been aligned with vendors qualified to meet the strictest nuclear and industrial performance.
THE US DEPARTMENT OF Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has signed a $27m strategic partnership with Kairos Power to accelerate the technology needed to deploy a new generation of advanced nuclear reactors. ORNL will provide expertise and access to specialised facilities to review and evaluate various aspects of Kairos Power’s novel fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor design, which uses TRISO.
SMRS
THE FIRST CONCRETE HAS been poured for Finland’s first small nuclear heating pilot plant. The pilot facility, developed by the Finnish nuclear technology developer Steady Energy, is being built inside a decommissioned coal-fired power plant in Salmisaari, Helsinki city centre, owned by energy company Helen.
FUSION
RUSSIAN RESEARCHERS FROM the Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Fusion Research (TRINITI – part of Rosatom’s Scientific Division) and the National Research Nuclear University (NRNU MEPhI) have proposed an innovative way to reduce impurities in thermonuclear plasma to protect fusion reactor walls from erosion.
THE UNITED KINGDOM Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has awarded contracts worth £8.1m ($11m) from its Fusion Industry Programme to 14 organisations to develop shielding and fusion fuel technologies for future fusion power plants. Eleven organisations received 13 contracts worth a total of £3m to develop sustainable radiation shielding solutions. Three organisations were awarded a combined £5m to scale up existing projects on advanced production and handling of hydrogen isotopes.
CALIFORNIA-BASED START-UP Pacific Fusion has reported results from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) showing a simplified target design that eliminates the need for expensive external magnetic coils, potentially lowering reactor costs. The experiments were conducted at SNL’s Z Pulsed Power Facility under a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement.
12 | March 2026 |
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Russian Federation Kursk VVER-TOI begins pilot operation The first ever VVER-TOI reactor at unit 1 of Russia’s Kursk-II NPP has begun pilot industrial operation. Power will gradually be increased from 408 MWe to the nominal level of 1,250 MWe. The VVER-TOI (water-cooled power reactor –
standard optimised informatised) has improved technical and economic indicators: compared with previous generation VVER-1000 reactor. The capacity is increased by 25%, to 1250 MWe. The service life of the main equipment is doubled. The project involves the use of a combination of passive and active safety systems. Kursk-II will replace the currently operating
Kursk NPP, which comprises four ageing RBMK reactors (two of which are now closed) with four new units comprising Generation 3+ VVER-TOI reactors. Unit 2 is expected to begin operation in 2027 and the construction and commissioning of units 3&4 are planned for 2042. “Pilot operation is a decisive stage. It confirms
compliance with the design of power unit systems and equipment under different operating conditions,” said Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev. “At Kursk-II we are building the most powerful power units in Russia according to the VVER-TOI project. And with the transition to pilot operation, the first nuclear giant is already one step away from full commissioning. This is a great achievement of the entire team at Kursk NPP-II and [nuclear utility] Rosenergoatom, which, on a daily basis, brings the commissioning of the power unit closer to commercial operation.” Since connection of the unit to the grid in
December 2025, the station team has conducted a set of tests and received approval from regulator Rostechnadzor for transition to the pilot operation stage, confirming safety and compliance with international standards. Further tests and neutron physics studies will take place after which, the system operator will have to confirm its readiness to accept full power. Rostechnadzor will then have to certify the power unit’s compliance with the high standards required for modern nuclear power units..
South Korea KHNP to select sites for new reactors South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has opened a bidding process to select candidate sites for two new nuclear reactors planned for construction by 2038. KHNP began the bidding process just a few days after the government confirmed plans to build two large- scale nuclear reactors between 2037 and 2038 as outlined under the 11th Basic Power Supply Plan, ending months of uncertainty about the government’s nuclear plans. Since then, a number of cities and towns, including the southeastern cities of Busan and Ulsan, have reportedly shown interest in hosting the new nuclear reactors. KHNP plans to select sites for the new reactors by 2027. This will be followed by a site evaluation and selection process lasting about five to six months, with the goal of obtaining a construction permit in
the early 2030s. KHNP said it has also opened a bidding process to select the host site for a next- generation small modular reactor (SMR). Heads of local government have until 30
March to submit applications to host the planned reactors, which will have a combined generating capacity of 2.8 GWe. KHNP said it has “established a site selection committee comprised of external experts to ensure fair and objective site selection”. It added: “We plan to select a new nuclear power plant candidate site through a comprehensive evaluation.”
United Kingdom Contract awarded for Wylfa SMR Great British Energy - Nuclear (GBE-N) has appointed specialist consultancies WSP and Mott MacDonald to deliver the environmental services and permitting works for the small modular reactor (SMR) programme at Wylfa on Anglesey. The five-year environmental services and permitting appointments are valued at up to £25m ($34m) across the programme. The appointment will support a comprehensive
programme of environmental assessments, regulatory engagement, and permitting activities. These are essential steps in preparing the Wylfa site for construction and ensuring that planning can be secured for the site. Wylfa was selected by the UK Government in November 2025 as the lead site for the SMR fleet after years of uncertainty following the collapse of a bid to build a large-scale nuclear plant on the island. The development is expected to create thousands of jobs during the construction phase and a few hundred jobs once operational. “Ensuring that the Wylfa project progresses on a
strong environmental and regulatory foundation is essential,” said Kenny Douglas, DevCo Development Director at GBE-N. “This work is a major step forward in understanding the site, protecting the local environment and ensuring that our project is delivered responsibly and transparently.” He added: “GBE-N is committed to ensuring
that local voices continue to be heard as the programme evolves and that lasting economic and social benefits are delivered for the region. WSP and Mott MacDonald bring extensive expertise and will help us navigate the complex permissions landscape with confidence, pace and rigour.” Lucy Morton, Environment, Nature & Consents Development Director at Mott MacDonald, said: “By combining our significant technical excellence with a collaborative approach, we’ll help GBE-N secure the required consents and set a benchmark for responsible, low-carbon energy development.” Stuart McLaren, Nuclear & Energy Sector
Director at WSP, commented: “Moving from first- of-a-kind to fleet at pace, without compromising safety, quality or environmental standards, is critical to success. Our role is to help ensure the programme is consentable and constructable, enabling timely, well-evidenced permissions that de-risk the critical path and provide delivery certainty as the programme matures, helping GBE-N turn ambition into delivery.” ■
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