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round up
NEW BUILD A PREPARATORY MEETING HAS been held at the construction site of Russia’s Smolensk-II NPP under the chairmanship of the director of Smolensk NPP Director Ivan Sidorov. Smolensk-II is being built 6 km away from the existing Smolensk NPP which comprises three RBMK reactors, nearing the end of their design life. The first two units of the Smolensk-II NPP will feature VVER-TOI reactors scheduled for completion in 2032 and 2034.
FERMI AMERICA PLANS TO file an additional 5 GWe clean energy permit with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to upsize its private power campus (Project Matador) in Amarillo to 17 GWe. Fermi added that the planned 17 GWe will include 11 GWe from natural gas and 4.4 GWe from nuclear energy, with the remainder provided by solar and battery sources.
UNIT 1 AT RUSSIA’S KURSK-II NPP, the world’s first VVER-TOI reactor, has achieved full power during pilot operation. Design tests will now confirm that the parameters and performance characteristics of systems and equipment correspond to the design values, in the run up to commercial operation. Kursk- II will replace the currently operating Kursk NPP, which comprises four ageing RBMK reactors with four 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.
THE DOE HAS HELD TALKS with leaders from GE Hitachi and the South Korean government to explore alternatives to the AP1000, according to an analysis by Alexander C Kaufman in Canary Media. While the Trump administration is pushing to revive the US nuclear industry, slow-moving talks with Westinghouse have reportedly prompted officials to explore alternatives to the AP1000.
UNIT 1 OF CHINA’S SANAO NPP in Zhejiang province of has produced its first electricity after being connected to the grid, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced. The unit will now begin its trial operation phase, conducting planned power increase and performance tests, and is expected to officially begin commercial operation within the first half of 2026.
A THRUST TRUSS, A KEY structural element of the reactor shaft, designed to secure its body, has been installed at unit 4 of the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Türkiye. The installation operation, which lasted several hours, was preceded by the enlarged assembly and welding of the truss, which was delivered to the construction site in separate elements.
6 | April 2026 |
www.neimagazine.com
France confirms nuclear revival
The Penly NPP site in Petit-Caux, France, will be home to two new EPRs. Source: Eiffage Énergie Systèmes
France’s 5th Nuclear Policy Council (CPN – Conseil Politique Nucléaire) has confirmed the energy policy directions taken by previous councils, which have been held since 2022, to press ahead with a nuclear renaissance. The meeting, chaired by President Emmanuel Macron, was held at the construction site of the new EPR2 reactors at the Penly NPP in Petit-Caux. The site is ready, but construction is not due to start before 2029. The Council noted the progress made in implementing the EPR2 programme to build six new high-power reactors, two each at the Penly, Gravelines and Bugey NPPs. The CPN also took note of the conclusions of the audit of the EPR2 construction programme carried out at the beginning of 2026 by the Interministerial Delegation for New Nuclear Power (DINN – la Délégation Interministérielle au Nouveau Nucléaire). EDF is committed to meeting the construction cost target of €72.8bn ($84bn) and the programme schedule of the EPR2 programme, and DINN was commissioned to avoid the massive cost overruns and delays seen at Flamanville 3. EDF must provide quarterly reports on industrial progress to ensure the first reactor at Penly stays on track for its 2035-2037 commissioning window. By validating the €72.8bn price tag for the
first six EPR2 reactors, the French government is attempting to reassure investors and the public that the “serial production” model will be more efficient than previous one-off projects. In 2025, formal approval was given to begin the “main civil engineering” phase at Penly (the first pair of reactors) following completion of preparatory site work. Beyond the initial six reactors, the Council officially requested EDF to submit preliminary studies by the end of 2026 for an additional eight EPR2 units, bringing the potential total to 14. CPN also confirmed the main parameters of the financing and regulatory plan for the EPR2 programme. The subsidised state loan granted to the EPR 2 programme for 60% of the total amount of the programme will be financed by the savings fund of the Caisse des Dépôts. The financing
plan is structured around several core components designed to ensure the project’s financial viability: a subsidised state loan; a 40- year contract for difference (CfD) intended to guarantee a stable electricity price; and a formal risk sharing mechanism between the French State and EDF to manage potential construction delays or cost overruns. These state aid measures were submitted
for approval in November 2025 to the European Commission (EC) and remain under discussion to ensure compliance with EU competition rules. EDF is expected to reach a final investment decision by the end of 2026, once the financing framework is fully validated. The CPN asked all state services and EDF to take the measures necessary to finalise ongoing discussions with the EC within a timetable consistent with this objective. The Council also discussed the progress of the
Downstream of the Future (Post-2040) programme supported by Orano. This is a massive overhaul of the La Hague site in Normandy, designed to ensure France can continue recycling nuclear fuel for the next century. The programme focuses on building new units to replace ageing UP2-800 and UP3 plants starting in the 2040s. The new infrastructure is engineered to handle used fuel from the six (and potentially 14) planned EPR2s. Phase 1 (by 2040) addresses immediate
capacity and includes: two used fuel storage pools to prevent the “saturation” of existing pools at La Hague; enhanced security and capacity for storing plutonium extracted during reprocessing; and Melox 2, a next-generation plant to manufacture mixed oxide fuel enabling recycled plutonium to be reused in reactors. Phase 2 (Post-2040) includes La Hague 2, the
successor to the UP2-800 and UP3 plants. It is designed to be more automated and efficient at separating recyclable materials from waste. A third storage pool will provide long-term flexible capacity as the full fleet of 14 potential EPR2s comes online. By the end of 2026, Orano must present a more detailed technical and financial roadmap for the new installations to guarantee commissioning by 2040 of the first phase of the project. In addition, CPN confirmed the launch of an ambitious new programme to close the nuclear fuel cycle aimed at mobilising all stakeholders to tackle the long-term challenges of uranium supply, making it possible end natural uranium imports by 2100. This signals a return to fast breeder reactor (FBR) technology. ■
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