Weekly Updates: Nuclear Weapons
April 1, 2025 by Fiona Hu
This week, nuclear energy continues to expand in research, development, and funding. In Italy, the federal government is planning to invest in Newcleo (an innovative, France-based reactor developer). This increased investment comes after the country started to reintroduce nuclear energy. Newcleo plans to have its lead-cooled fast reactor ready by 2026 in Italy and the first reactor operational in France by the end of 2031.
In Russia, the government has plans to expand the Northern Sea Route trade, increasing the number of icebreakers from 10-11 to 15-17. Additionally, a nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Rossiya, is under construction, and it will be the first of the Project 10510 nuclear-powered icebreakers.
In Germany, funding for Marvel Fusion continues to rise, raising EUR113 million. The company is currently in the process of building two laser prototypes to approach fusion. There hope is that an ultrashort laser pulse would interact with small fuel pellets at a high intensity within a target structure, triggering the fusion of the fuel’s nuclei before the target structure can disassemble.
In Australia, debate over nuclear energy arises as the country seeks to go net zero by 2050. Last year, the Liberal-National Coalition leaders outlined their plans for seven nuclear energy plants around the country. The opposition, from the Australian Labor Party, called the coalition's plan a “nuclear fantasy.”
I am particularly interested in Russia’s increase in icebreakers, especially as the Trump Administration visited Greenland, claiming it is “key for national security” based on its geographical location. The Arctic continues to be a contentious piece of territory, as the Great Powers continue to scramble. However, I personally believe the fears of the US lagging in icebreakers are overblown, as Russia will always have more icebreakers due to its geographical location.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
The latest edition of the OECD/IAEA joint report was released, detailing that the declining uranium exploration and mine development has been reversed. Global nuclear capacity is expected to increase as energy demand grows, with East Asia expected to have the largest increase. Many countries are attempting to secure the supply, as uranium demand continues to rise. Tensions are also rising, causing countries to build up domestic supplies or prioritize imports from neutral or allied countries.
Personally, I think we should be worried about this rise of demand, as historically Indigenous people and lands were used for this production. Indigenous lands tend to have the most amount of uranium, and in the past, the United States government ignored federal rulings and placed high-level nuclear waste storage on these lands. Additionally, indigenous miners tend to die from cancer at higher rates compared to their counterparts due to their lands being poisoned by these high-level waste storage systems. Thus, I would be cautious on how we approach uranium mining.
Beyond reports, the UK government is providing 20 million GBP in funding for private fusion investment fund Starmaker One. This fund aids fusion businesses and start-ups to grow and commercialize. Additionally, US-based engineering company Amentum was selected by Czech utility ČEZ to deliver environmental impact assessment reports related to the Rolls-Royce SMRs proposals and Tušimice (a coal-fired power station due for decommissioning). Finally, in Canada, Ontario’s independent electricity system operator has approved Bruce Power’s unit 5 refurbishment.
April 8, 2025 by Fiona Hu