🥳Japan Vows to Maximize Nuclear

🥳Japan Vows to Maximize Nuclear

Japan made a major policy shift this week, committing to ramp up nuclear power to tackle soaring electricity demand—especially from data centers.

The Japanese government updates its Basic Energy Plan every three years, and since Fukushima in 2014, the focus has been to reduce dependency on nuclear energy.

The new plan aims to restart idled reactors and bring nearly all of Japan’s 36 reactors online, including those still under construction.

Nuclear is expected to provide about 20% of the nation’s total electricity by 2040, up from 8.5% in 2023.

Just days later, a Japanese court supported the government’s decision by rejecting a petition from nearly 3,000 residents in Kagoshima Prefecture to suspend operations at the Sendai nuclear power plant.

Despite Sendai’s proximity—about 50 kilometers—from frequently erupting Mount Sakurajima and other active volcanoes, the court determined there was no specific risk of a severe accident due to natural disasters.

⚛️Cool Links

🚢Maritime Fusion - Fusion reactors for ships
Y Combinator, the legendary startup accelerator that kickstarted companies like Airbnb, Reddit, Stripe, Dropbox, DoorDash, and Instacart, now includes a nuclear fusion company called Maritime Fusion, which is developing fusion reactors for ships.

💲NRC Proposes Deep Fee Cuts for Advanced Nuclear
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) plans to cut fees for advanced nuclear reactor applicants by 50%. For context, NuScale—the SMR technology company—has spent over a billion dollars on NRC fees alone.

🎉South Korea plans two new large nuclear reactors, more renewables in energy mix
South Korea has finalised a new energy mix plan that envisages the construction of two new large-scale nuclear power plants and one small nuclear power reactor by 2038. Nuclear power generation is expected to grow to 35.2% of its energy mix.

👍Taiwan’s Opposition party KMT calls for extending lifespan of Taiwan’s Nuclear Reactors
The KMT has called for extending the lifespan of Taiwan’s existing nuclear reactors, citing a poll conducted by the party that found that 73.6% of the public supports such an extension.

📺Media Warns: Looming Uranium Supply Crunch

Zerohedge, with 2 million Twitter followers, recently warned of a looming uranium shortage for Western nuclear companies as China and Russia aggressively secure supplies from Africa and Kazakhstan.

With nations ramping up nuclear power to cut emissions and fuel AI and data centers, uranium demand is surging.

Cameco’s Cory Kos cautions, 'we’re on a depletion curve that many customers haven’t realized.'

Meanwhile, a CSIS report urges the U.S. to strengthen its supply chain through alliances, revised trade policies, and investments in domestic enrichment and overseas production.

Read the full post here: The West Faces Uranium Shortage Amid Competition From China And Russia

Similarly, CNBC ran a clip featuring Guy Keller from Tribeca, who discussed key themes in nuclear power—including the risk of a uranium supply crunch.

Watch the clip here:

💰UAE banknote features Nuclear Power Plant

The Emiratis are so proud of their Barakah Nuclear Power Plant that they even showcase it on the country's 1000 Dirham note!

🎉Polish Parliament Backs Nuclear 430 Votes to 1

In a resounding show of support, Poland’s Parliament Sejm approved a law to inject up to EUR 14.43 billion into the state-owned Polskie Elektrownie Jadrowe (PEJ) to finance the nation’s first nuclear power plant.

The proposal passed with 430 votes in favor and only 1 vote against, with 2 out of 3 Green party members—including the party leader—voting YES.

The law, now headed to the Senate, will allow PEJ to receive public support through a cash contribution or Treasury securities, ensuring the company can spearhead nuclear projects under Poland’s ambitious Nuclear Power Programme.

This plan envisions building two nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 6-9 GW, with the first reactor’s construction set to begin in 2028 and commercial operation targeted for 2036, marking a major leap in Poland’s energy future.

💧How Molten Salt Reactors Enable Desalination

This week in Atomic Alternatives, we're exploring how molten salt reactors can be used for water treatment.

These reactors generate excess heat that can be used for desalination—a process that removes salt and impurities from water to produce fresh drinking water.

This approach is especially promising for regions facing water shortages, as it enables the simultaneous production of clean energy and potable water. Moreover, because molten salt reactors don’t require water for cooling, there’s no need to have a large water supply for cooling the core.

The method is called Multi-Effect Distillation (MED). In MED, water is heated in a series of chambers that gradually decrease in temperature and pressure.

As the water turns to steam in the first chamber by the reactor’s waste heat, salt and impurities are left behind.

When the steam cools in the next chamber, it condenses back into clean water. This cascading process efficiently reuses waste heat to produce fresh water in a low-carbon way.

😂Meme of the Week

That’s it for this week’s Nuclear Update. As always, stay charged, stay curious, and if you see a molten salt reactor desalinating seawater, be sure to take a sip.

See you next time—until then, keep glowing!

Fredrik