NEWS |
round up
SHIPPING THE US TRANSPORTATION Secretary Sean P Duffy and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) have launched an initiative to develop nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) for commercial shipping. As a first step, MARAD is calling on innovators and industry stakeholders to help develop an SMR model that revitalises US shipbuilding, cuts costs, and secures energy dominance.
THE UK NUCLEAR TRANSPORT Solutions (NTS) has adapted its shipping capability to transport a new nuclear flask, ensuring the safe and secure transportation of used mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (mox) fuel. NTS’s specialist ship, Pacific Grebe, is the first in the fleet to be adapted to accommodate the new flask. The engineering challenge of fitting the package, which is the largest ever transported by NTS, was undertaken by the organisation’s transport experts and specialist engineers.
FUSION CANADA-BASED STELLAREX Energy and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on stellarator fusion energy technology. The collaboration focuses on critical technical areas required to transition fusion from experimental science to industrial-scale engineering. Under the MOU, Stellarex and UKAEA will partner on several key initiatives, including plasma physics and confinement, high-temperature superconductors technology, operational systems, diagnostics, and fuel cycle.
CANADA-BASED GENERAL Fusion has announced that third-party analysis conducted by the US Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) supports the company’s approach to fusion fuel sustainability. The results of the study were published in the journal Fusion Science and Technology. The SRNL study, which was completed under DOE’s INFUSE programme, is available from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
US FUSION START-UP Type One Energy, UK-based Tokamak Energy, and US construction engineering firm AECOM have launched the UK Infinity Fusion Consortium (UKIFC) to pursue development of the first private-sector-led fusion power plant project in the UK. The companies intend to develop a fusion project that is commercially credible, deployable using existing enabling technologies, and capable of attracting private capital in line with the long-term goals of the government’s recently announced UK Fusion Strategy.
12 | June 2026 |
www.neimagazine.com
Venezuela HEU transferred to the US The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has assisted in a high-security mission to transport 13.5 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Venezuela to the US. This joint operation involved the governments of Venezuela, the US, and the UK. The material – in the form of nuclear fuel enriched to just above 20% of the fissile isotope uranium-235 – was removed from the RV-1 research reactor at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC – Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), which shut down in 1991. The reactor used nuclear fuel containing uranium both from the US and UK. In late April 2026, a nighttime convoy escorted
by the Venezuelan military moved the uranium some 100 miles (160 km) overland to the port of Puerto Cabello. The US provided specialised transportation containers and technical expertise through the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The UK provided a specialised high-security
nuclear transport vessel to carry the material from South America to the US. The HEU shipment was carried by the Pacific Egret, operated by the UK-based Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS). The Pacific Egret is an INF3-class ship, the highest rating under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) INF Code, allowing it to carry nuclear fuel and high-level waste without radioactivity limits. The IAEA provided nuclear safety and security
guidance, training, and technical expertise throughout the planning and execution. The shipment arrived at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, where it will be processed and down-blended for reuse in the civilian nuclear programme. “This has been an example of the strong will, effective coordination, dedication and professionalism of all the parties involved,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, commenting on the operation. The Venezuelan Government requested IAEA
assistance to transport the fuel, and the US Government provided a special transportation container for the shipment to SRS. Under its global verification mandate, the IAEA continued to apply safeguards to the nuclear material throughout the process. The IAEA has supported international efforts
to eliminate HEU from research reactor sites worldwide to reduce the proliferation risks associated with uranium enriched to higher levels. Most research reactors were built in the 1960s and 1970s with technology that required HEU to perform scientific experiments. Today much of this research can be carried out using low enriched uranium (LEU), in which the concentration of uranium-235 is below 20%. To date, 111 research reactors and medical
isotope production facilities have been converted from the use of HEU to LEU or confirmed as being shut down, and over 6,930 kilograms of HEU have been repatriated from dozens of countries to their country of origin or otherwise dispositioned.
Belgium Govt to take over nuclear assets The Belgian State, Power group Engie and Electrabel (an Engie subsidiary) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) setting out the framework for exclusive negotiations for the potential acquisition by the Belgian State of all of Engie’s and Electrabel’s nuclear activities. The LOI does not constitute a binding commitment to conclude the transaction, the completion of which remains subject to, “among other things, the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and the required third-party and regulatory approvals”, Engie said. The final transaction will still require regulatory approval, including from the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC). The transaction will comprise the full scope of the nuclear activities currently owned and operated by Engie and Electrabel and their affiliates, including the nuclear fleet of seven reactors, associated personnel, all nuclear subsidiaries, as well as all associated assets and liabilities, including decommissioning and dismantling obligations. This reflects the Belgian Government’s
strategic decision to assume direct ownership of nuclear assets, in support of plans to extend the operation of existing reactors and to develop new nuclear capacity. “By doing so, the Belgian Government is taking responsibility for Belgium’s long-term energy future, with the objective of building a financially and economically viable activity that supports security of supply, climate objectives, industrial resilience and socio-economic prosperity,” Engie said in a press release. According to the LOI, the Belgian State
will conduct a comprehensive due diligence review of the nuclear activities after which negotiations will take place with the objective of concluding heads of terms by 1 October. The contemplated transaction “should not unduly affect, neither adversely nor positively, the overall financial position of Engie and Electrabel,” Engie noted. Interim arrangements have been agreed to
preserve the value and integrity of the nuclear activities, including the suspension of ongoing decommissioning and dismantling works, to ensure that all options remain available. Engie reaffirmed its commitment to support employees concerned throughout the process. Belgium has seven nuclear power reactors
– three at Tihange near Liege and four at Doel near Antwerp. All seven are pressurised water reactors operated by Electrabel, part of Engie. Apart from Doel 1&2, which are 430 MWe plants, the others have a capacity of approximately 1000 MWe. The potential nationalisation of Belgium’s
entire nuclear fleet is a strategic pivot marking a significant reversal of Belgium’s decades-long nuclear phase-out policy in favour of long-term energy security. In May 2025, Belgium’s Chamber of
Representatives voted to repeal a 2003 law setting out plans to phase out nuclear power. ■
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