Historic, and encouraging news! Finland's regulator has granted an operating liscence for the ONKALO geological, final nuclear waste (spent fuel) repository. This is the world's first operating repository. Article link in reply. Finland is the first country to solve its "nuclear waste problem." Forgive the article picture which shows barrels (of low-level waste, probably). The repository is for spent fuel assemblies. Low level wastes are disposed elsewhere.

Famously anti-nuclear Vermont, which pressured the state's Vermont Yankee plant to close, is now considering building an SMR on the same site. The utility stresses that it will not build w/o local support. Article link in reply. Building new reactors at the site of a closed power plant (nuclear or fossil) can reduce cost, by making use of infrastructure that remains (grid connections, etc..). Political support for nuclear is growing in Vermont. The current governor is pro-nuclear.

The US Navy has selected Radiant's 1 MW high-temp. gas-cooled transportable microreactor (Kaleidos) for its Naval Weapons Station in Crane, Indiana. Article link in reply.

The NRC has finalized a rule that allows applicants to use relevant analyses, test data and other information from U.S. Department of Energy or U.S. Department of War reactor demonstration programs to support commercial reactor license applications. Article link in reply.

Dairyland Power Cooperative, a small utility that operated one of the first US reactors long ago, is considering a new 100 MW SMR at the same site. They may make a power purchase agreement with Applied Atomics, the reactor developer. Article linked in reply. The old reactor was a 50 MW BWR that operated at the LaCrosse site from 1967 to 1987.

Holtec has removed the fuel assembly that was bent during the reactor loading process. It's been moved the plant's spent fuel pool. They have not said when fuel assembly loading will resume. Article link in reply. One may ask why the fuel assembly was moved to the spent fuel pool. The Palisades reactor is not being entirely loaded with new fuel assemblies. Some of the fuel assemblies being loaded are used. They were in the reactor during the last few fuel cycles before the shut down years ago.

In case it wasn't clear, the EU does not treat nuclear the same as other clean sources, even though the EU classified nuclear as a green source, just like renewables. The EU nuclear industry is asking for tech neutrality. Article link in reply. The biggest example is that the EU has aggressive targets for renewable power generation, as opposed to clean power targets that include nuclear. Such policies not only don't help nuclear. They may force closure of nuclear plants, to make room for (mandated) renewable sources. Tech neutral, nuclear-inclusive policies/targets would meet climate goals at a much lower cost. Article quotes: "The [nuclear] executives called for an overarching clean energy target covering all homegrown sources, including nuclear and renewables, rather than separate technology-specific targets." "They also requested guaranteed access to support mechanisms for all net-zero technologies, with policies supporting nuclear and renewables equally."

The Rosatom project to expand Hungary's Paks nuclear plant has started construction (first conrete pour, etc.). Now Hungary's new government is likely to switch to another supplier. Article link in reply. The article doesn't say, but I doubt a new (Western) supplier could just continue the construction of Russian-designed reactors. They would have to start over. That would likely result in delays and higher costs (especially given that Western suppliers more expensive than Russia in terms of nuclear plant construction). The good news is that the new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, who was voted in with a landslide, is also strongly pro-nuclear. The new Economy and Energy Minister said: "Nuclear energy and the ⁠nuclear supply chain offer the greatest potential, including at the European level, to secure and strengthen our own capacities. We will continue to rely heavily ​on nuclear energy in the future." The decision is expected early next year.

Lots of nuclear fuel related activities planned for Gillette, WY. A 15,000 metric tons per year uranium conversion facility and a BWXT facility that will produce TRISO fuel for advanced reactors. Article links in reply. Uranium conversion turns uranium ore into UF6 gas, which is the input to uranium enrichment facilities. BWXT plans to start construction of the TRISO fuel facility in 2028, and to start operation in 2030 or 2031. Kairos is their first customer.

The Philippines is restarting their nuclear program. They plan to have 1.2 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032 and 4.8 GW by 2050 Article link in reply.