⚛️Russia Plans 38 New Reactors

Rosatom just announced plans to build 38 new nuclear reactors, effectively doubling its current fleet of 36.

If delivered, the buildout would lift nuclear’s share of the country’s power mix from about 20% to 25%, and double its uranium requirements in the process.

The expansion won’t be one-size-fits-all. The lineup includes large VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors, advanced BN-1200 fast breeder reactors, and smaller units derived from the RITM series of SMRs (the same design Russia uses on its icebreakers). On top of that, design work continues on experimental molten salt reactors, with milestones targeted for 2027.

Timelines are still sketchy, but one of the more concrete projects is planned in Russia’s Far East, where first concrete is scheduled for 2027. The first unit there is expected online in 2033, followed by a second in 2035. Meanwhile, five large reactors are already under construction elsewhere across the country.

Putin wants to scale nuclear fast, and if even half of these projects move forward, Russia’s program would rank among the most ambitious nuclear expansions anywhere in the world.

🥇UK–US Kick Off a Golden Age of Nuclear

This week the US and UK signed a nuclear partnership that fast-track reactor approvals and unlock billions in private investment.

Under the deal, each country can lean on the other’s regulatory assessments, cutting licensing times from four years to two and a half. One review, two markets, and a lot less red tape.

The private sector wasted no time, rolling out a wave of new cross-Atlantic announcements this week.

X-Energy and Centrica will deploy up to 12 Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, the first step in a national 6 GW fleet. That’s enough to power 1.5 million homes, generate £40 billion in value, and deliver 2,500 jobs.

Holtec, EDF, and Tritax announced a partnership to transform an old coal station in Nottinghamshire into a clean-powered data hub worth £11 billion, supporting thousands of construction and operations jobs.

And Last Energy with DP World revealed one of the world’s first microreactor projects at London Gateway port, backed by £80 million in private investment.

Fuel supply is also being reshaped. Urenco and Radiant signed a deal to expand HALEU production, and Washington and London committed to eliminate Russian nuclear material by 2028, strengthening Western supply chains.

Fusion made the agenda too, with a joint UK–US program now in play and a Global Fusion Policy Summit scheduled for 2026.

The nuclear slowdown is over. Faster approvals, concrete projects, secure fuel, and even fusion, this Atlantic partnership is built to last.

⚡ The Uranium Market is Heating Up

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🦷 Nuclear Artifact of the Week: Radioactive Toothpaste

Yes, you read that right. Back in the early 20th century, a German brand called Doramad actually sold toothpaste laced with thorium and radium.

The pitch? That radioactive glow would “strengthen gums, whiten teeth, and disinfect your mouth.” Spoiler: it did none of that, unless you count slowly dosing yourself with radiation before breakfast.

It’s a perfect reminder of how far nuclear has come. From pseudoscience marketing gimmicks to powering grids, curing cancer, and exploring space, the atom’s reputation has been on quite the ride.

🚫 Russia Extends Uranium Ban, US Builds a Stockpile

Russia just extended its ban on enriched uranium exports to the West through December 2027. With Rosatom controlling about 40% of global enrichment capacity, that decision keeps the pressure on Western utilities that still rely on Russian fuel.

Washington’s response came quickly. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the IAEA that the US will expand its strategic uranium reserve to buffer against Moscow and to support the long-term growth of nuclear power.

Russia currently supplies about a quarter of the enriched uranium used by America’s 94 reactors, so cutting that tap too quickly could threaten 5% of the country’s electricity.

The first US uranium reserve plan was floated back in 2020, and DOE has already bought some hundreds thousand pounds from domestic producers. Still, inventories remain thin: US utilities hold an average of just 14 months of supply, compared to 2.5 years in Europe and 12 years in China.

Wright said the reserve will need to grow as new reactors, both large and SMRs, come online.

Geopolitics are heating up, demand for nuclear energy is rising, and the fuel behind it all is only getting more strategic.

🧨Isotopes in Explosives Research

Welcome back to Atomic Alternatives, where we dig into the stranger corners of nuclear science. This week’s twist: isotopes in explosives research.

Isotopes aren’t just powering reactors or treating cancer, they’ve also been used to study how things go boom.

Scientists use stable isotopes, non-radioactive versions of common elements, as tracers to watch what happens in the instant an explosive goes off.

By substituting atoms in the explosive molecule with heavier isotopes like carbon-13 or nitrogen-15, the reaction leaves behind a signature that shows up clearly in mass spectrometers.

That lets researchers map exactly which bonds broke, which fragments formed, and how the chemistry raced forward in a fraction of a second.

Think of it as giving the blast a chemical “name tag” so researchers can follow where every fragment goes in the microsecond chaos of an explosion.

The goal here isn’t bigger bangs. It’s safer handling, better storage stability, and smarter detection systems to stop explosives from slipping through airports. Even in civilian industries like mining and demolition, isotope-aided studies have helped fine-tune charges so they deliver the punch needed without unwanted side effects.

From tracing blasts to powering grids, isotopes never stay in one lane. Who knows where we’ll find them next week?

😂Meme of The Week

That’s all for this week’s honeymoon special.

Next week we’ll be back at full strength with more news, more reactors, and of course more memes.

Until then, stay charged, stay critical (like a reactor), and keep glowing 😎

– Fredrik
📬 [email protected]
🔗 nuclearupdate.com