🎉 Biggest Nuclear Deal. Ever.

Amazon just signed a 1,920 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Talen Energy —nearly 2 GW of carbon-free baseload from the Susquehanna nuclear plant, running through 2042.

That makes this the largest nuclear PPA to date—even bigger than Facebook’s Clinton deal from last week.

Originally, Amazon planned a behind-the-meter setup to directly tap the Susquehanna plant, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) raised concerns. So now, Amazon’s electricity will flow through PJM’s grid under a front-of-the-meter arrangement—same electrons, new route.

📦 But this isn’t just a clean energy deal. It’s part of a $20 billion investment blitz: Amazon is building two massive data center campuses in Pennsylvania—one in Fairless Hills and another co-located with the Susquehanna nuclear plant in Berwick.

The Berwick site will tap into the plant’s power, while the Fairless Hills campus will draw from the broader grid.

The $20B investment is the largest private sector investment in state history.

The initiative is expected to create 1,250 high-skill, permanent jobs, generate millions in local tax revenue, and support thousands of union-led construction roles.

To meet the demand, Pennsylvania is also dedicating $10 million to workforce training programs through schools, colleges, and union halls.

⚡Amazon and Talen are also exploring new SMRs and plant uprates to increase capacity. Both initiatives aim to add "net-new" nuclear capacity to the grid and support long-term AI and cloud energy needs.

💡 TL;DR: Amazon is now going bigger on nuclear than anyone else: 2 GW, 17 years, SMRs in the pipeline—and a whole lot of electrons to feed the AI beast.

⚛️For the Nu-clearly Curious

📉Goldman Sachs forecasts Uranium Supply Crunch
Goldman Sachs is forecasting a uranium supply deficit of ~17.5k tons by 2030. “We anticipate this deficit to grow to ~100k tons by 2045 as new reactors come online . This structural deficit is likely to cause uranium prices to rise. This, in turn, could drive up the price of nuclear uranium mining stocks.”

🚀Sweden's lawmakers approve construction of 4 new Nuclear reactors
The country is planning to build 4 new nuclear reactors, with half of them up and working by 2035 and the whole plan completed by 2045. These reactors will join the six that Sweden already uses as part of its goal to stop relying on gas and natural gas for power.

📰Wall Street Journal: The Audacious Reboot of America’s Nuclear Energy Program
AI and competition with China are pushing startups to reinvent atomic energy, backed by unprecedented private capital and enthusiasm from the Trump administration.

🧉 Argentina aiming for SMR and uranium developments
Plans for the deployment of 4 ACR-300 SMRs and restarting uranium mining and enrichment were among the priorities outlined as Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission celebrated its 75th anniversary.

🏦World Bank Ends 65-Year Ban on Nuclear

The World Bank just lifted its decades-long ban on financing nuclear power projects.

Since 1959, it had refused to fund or even support nuclear—mostly due to political pressure (especially from anti-nuclear nations like Germany) and concerns about safety and proliferation.

Now, it’s back in the nuclear game.

Here’s what they’ll be doing:

• They’ll support extending the life of existing nuclear reactors in countries that already have them.

• They’ll help fund infrastructure upgrades (like grid improvements) related to nuclear energy.

• They're teaming up with the IAEA to ensure these projects stay safe and compliant.

• They're not yet funding new full-scale reactors directly—but they will explore support for SMRs in the future.

This is a signal to other development banks (like the Asian Development Bank or African Development Bank): nuclear is back on the table. The World Bank is extremely influential—if it embraces nuclear, others are more likely to follow.

It also gives developing countries a credible financing pathway for nuclear projects—critical when trying to compete with state-backed Russian and Chinese nuclear exports.

Why now? Surging electricity demand in the developing world—especially from AI and industrial growth—means renewables alone won’t cut it. The World Bank estimates the developing world will need $630B/year in power investments by 2035. Nuclear is back on the menu.

After 65 years on the sidelines the World Bank is starting slow, but the policy shift is a huge win for clean energy—and a clear sign that nuclear is essential to solving both climate and development challenges.

💙The Blue Light Inside a Reactor is Mesmerizing

That iconic blue glow you see inside nuclear reactors is called Cherenkov radiation—and it’s as cool as it looks.

When charged particles (like electrons) zoom through a medium—like water—faster than light can travel through that same medium, they create a shockwave of electromagnetic radiation. 

It’s the sonic boom, but for light!

🎥And it is absolutely beautiful, don’t you agree?

🏗️Rosatom’s 10-Reactor Blitz

Russia is playing nuclear Monopoly—and it’s buying up every square on the board.

In just the past week, Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned atomic energy giant, has made major moves across three countries:

🔹 Iran: Rosatom has signed a deal to build 8 new nuclear reactors, including four at the existing Bushehr site (home of Iran’s only current plant, built by Rosatom in 2011). Moscow is reportedly footing much of the bill through its credit line, with plans to help Iran reach 20 GW of nuclear capacity by 2041. That’s a 20x jump from today.

🔹 Kazakhstan: Rosatom and China’s CNNC are leading consortiums to build Kazakhstan’s first-ever nuclear plants. Rosatom’s project will feature 2 VVER-1200 Gen III+ reactors.

This shows how fast nuclear can go: public referendum was held in Kazakhstan in October 2024. June 2025 first reactor build suppliers chosen & plant site selection done!

🔹 India: Rosatom is in talks to supply 8 SMRs (55 MW each) to power Indian Railways’ mega projects. The idea is to use SMRs to bypass costly grid infrastructure and help India hit its 2030 net-zero target for rail.

While the West is still debating how many new reactors to permit by 2035, Rosatom is locking in long-term energy deals with emerging markets across Asia and the Middle East. These partnerships often come bundled with loans, political support, and turnkey execution—giving Russia a powerful edge in the global energy chess game.

🥳UK Greenlights Two Mega Projects

The UK just pulled off a double play for nuclear energy—and it’s a major moment for the country’s clean energy future.

🚀 SMR Milestone: Rolls-Royce Wins

After a two-year international competition, the British government selected Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred tech provider to build the country’s first small modular reactors. Their SMR design features a three‑loop Pressurized Water Reactor.

The government is putting $3.2 billion into the SMR program, aiming to install 3x 470 MW units by the mid-2030s. That’s enough to power 3 million homes, while supporting 3,000 high-skill jobs and boosting local supply chains.

This puts the UK in the front seat of Europe’s SMR race—just as the U.S., Canada, and Czech Republic ramp up their own plans.

Rolls-Royce’s design is also being considered by ČEZ in the Czech Republic (up to 3 GW of power) and is a finalist in Sweden’s SMR competition.

🏗️ Sizewell C Gets the Green Light

Meanwhile, the government dropped a $19.3 Billion bombshell to fund construction of Sizewell C, two large-scale European Pressurized Reactors (EPR) totaling 3.2 GW in Suffolk. The EPR is type of Gen III+ pressurized water reactor (PWR) developed by EDF and Framatome.

Once complete, mid-2030s, it’s expected to power 6 million homes, create 10,000 jobs, and run for 60 years.

The project will be government-owned, with EDF as a minority shareholder, and will follow Hinkley’s blueprint—hopefully avoiding the delays and budget overruns that plagued that plant.

Rolls-Royce SMRs + Sizewell C = a serious UK nuclear comeback. With over $22.5B in new nuclear investment, thousands of jobs, and a shot at reclaiming energy independence, the UK is officially back in the atomic game.

💵 Isotope Ink & Counterfeit Cash

Welcome back to Atomic Alternatives—where nuclear tech shows up in the weirdest corners of the real world. This week, we're pulling off spy-movie-level stunts in the real world. Tagging cash with radiation.

🕵️ The Trick:

Governments and agencies have explored using radioactive isotopes to invisibly mark high-value currency or critical assets. The idea? Embed a tiny amount of a harmless, traceable isotope into the ink or material itself.

☢️ Why it’s genius:

Each isotope gives off a unique radiation signature—kind of like a Geiger-counter QR code. That means you can scan a bill or bar of gold and confirm it’s legit without relying on watermarks or serial numbers alone.

🔍 How it works:

• The isotope is stable enough to avoid health risks

• It emits a detectable signal (usually low-energy gamma or beta)

• Specialized detectors can scan for the tag discreetly and non-destructively

Bonus: You can even encode time-based decay, making the tag expire or change with age

🎯 Used for:

• Authenticating high-denomination currency

• Tracing stolen goods (like diamonds or weapons-grade materials)

• Monitoring supply chains for smuggled or counterfeit items

🌍 TL;DR:

Radioactive tagging is nuclear science meets James Bond. Tiny isotopes, invisible to the naked eye—yet instantly traceable with the right tools. Nuclear tech is quietly keeping the real world… real.

😂Meme of The Week

Until next time—stay charged, stay critical, and keep glowing like Cherenkov blue. 😎

– Fredrik
📬[email protected]
🔗 nuclearupdate.com