Professor Tim Tinsley prefers not to use the label of nuclear waste, instead referring to "legacy material". And it's not hard to see why, given the projects currently taking place to extract radionuclides from the material for use in pioneering treatments for cancer. It is also providing a new source of power and heat for spacecraft. Tinsley, Professor of Space Nuclear Power at the University of Leicester and Account Director for Space and Radioisotopes at the National Nuclear Laboratory in...

The ambitious aim for NexGen Energy, is to be supplying 25% of the world's mined supply of uranium - and about 50% of the western world's mined supply - when its Rook 1 project in Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada starts production, says its CEO, President and founder, Leigh Curyer. He joins host Alex Hunt and Claire Maden to outline how he got into the industry and the decision to set up NexGen - and the good news that interrupted a Valentine's Day meal in 2014. As well as outlining...

The UK operations managing director of Newcleo, Andrew Murdoch, joins host Alex Hunt to discuss the prospects for the company's lead-cooled fast reactor. It has Italian roots and expanding operations in France, but he says the company has the ambitious target  of having 20 reactors in the UK by 2050. January saw EDF revise the schedule and projected budget for the Hinkley Point C project in the UK. Hear how Hinkley Point C managing director Stuart Crooks explained the revision in a message...

The UK has plans to quadruple its nuclear energy capacity to 24GW by 2050. The government released its plan to get to that figure with its Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050.  The arms-length delivery body established for new nuclear is Great British Nuclear, and in this episode, its Chairman Simon Bowen discusses the plans, and the changes proposed in how sites are chosen and in establishing other routes to market for new nuclear. Bowen also sets out the latest on the UK's on-going small...

A special report on nuclear's role at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, better known as COP28, in Dubai. It was the first time nuclear energy has been formally specified as one of the solutions to climate change in a COP agreement. Jonathan Cobb, senior communication manager at World Nuclear Association, was in the UAE for the event and he reports on declarations by governments, and by industry, backing a tripling of nuclear capacity by 2050 as part of the Net Zero...

Technology and function, ensuring their reliable and safe operation have long been the priorities when designing nuclear power plants. But why can't they look beautiful too?  Dutch architect and designer Erick van Egeraat says that part of the way to continue to build public support for nuclear energy is to make nuclear power plants look good, "to make people feel good" when they see them. The award-winning professor and director of Design Erick van Egeraat outlined his thinking at World...

With the projected growth of nuclear projects over the coming decades, how will the supply chain in different parts of the world cope? EDF's Laurent-Olivier Coudeyre is chairman of World Nuclear Association's Supply Chain and Long-Term Operation Working Group, he joins us to outline how the supply chain works, the focus on quality, localisation and how it can develop in the future. We also hear from Nathan Paterson, the staff director of the association's working group, about some of the key...

World Nuclear Symposium, held in London, brought together key figures from across the global industry, who took part in a variety of panel discussions on many of the current big issues in the sector. In this special edition of the podcast, World Nuclear News reports on those sessions: The topics covered, in order: The launch of the Net Zero Nuclear campaignPublication of World Nuclear Association's Nuclear Fuel ReportRecruitment and expanding the nuclear workforceHow nuclear can decarbonise...

It was in 2003 that World Nuclear University was founded by World Nuclear Association, the International Atomic Energy Agency, World Association of Nuclear Operators and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency,  with a mission to provide comprehensive leadership, communications and technical training to support the next generation of nuclear leaders. As it marks its 20th birthday, host Alex Hunt is joined by World Nuclear University (WNU)  director Isis Leslie to learn more about its work and also...

The annual World Nuclear Performance Report has all the statistics and numbers anyone interested in the nuclear energy sector could possibly want. It breaks down the performance of reactors across the world by type, by age and by country. The author behind it is World Nuclear Association's Jonathan Cobb, who joins us to discuss this year's findings. As well as explaining the reason why some parts of the world saw a small decline in nuclear energy output in 2022, he has a bundle of...

What is the current position with nuclear energy in the continent of Africa and what are the prospects for the future? Lassina Zerbo is the former head of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization and current chairman of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board - he joins us to discuss the situation at the moment and look ahead to the future. He talks about the history and considers why there is only one country in the continent with an operating nuclear power plant, and how changes in...

The World Nuclear Fuel Cycle international forum is co-organised by the Nuclear Energy Institute and World Nuclear Association. As the name suggests, this conference is very much focused on the commercial nuclear fuel cycle and the economic competitiveness of nuclear energy, so as you'd expect, the programme is firmly based around the issues that are of significance in the fuel marketplace - and that's certainly a complex and challenging place right now. Claire Maden has put together a...

The French nuclear giant EDF and its partners have been working on their Nuward small nuclear reactor and have now spun the operation into a subsidiary company.  Renaud Crassous, president of Nuward joins us to discuss its plans and timelines, and explains why the decision to set up a subsidiary company was taken. During a wide-ranging interview Crassous talks about the pioneering early design regulatory review being jointly carried out by regulators in three countries, and explains why the...

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency released a report in March which it described as the first publicly available international data on gender balance in the nuclear sector. Claire Maden reports on the report's key findings (that there's still a long way to go to boost female representation in the sector) and also on what NEA Director General William D Magwood IV and Fiona Rayment, chair of the NEA's Gender Balance Task Group had to say about the situation. The need to encourage more women into...

Brandon Munro, CEO of Bannerman Energy, joins us to consider the impact on the uranium and wider nuclear sector of the Russia-Ukraine war as it continues into a second year. Munro sees a bright future for the uranium sector and also talks about the prospects for an expansion of nuclear in Africa and why he sees the Cameco-Westinghouse deal as a good thing, and one which gives more backing for the idea of nuclear energy being part of green taxonomies. And what about those people who are...

What can be done to improve the process of getting approval for new nuclear in different countries? If a reactor, for example a small modular reactor, is approved in one country, can that help to speed up the process in a different country? Jay Wileman is president and CEO of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy so is well placed to outline what the issues are for companies such as his, which is currently in the process of  getting approvals from multiple countries for the BWRX-300 SMR. Wileman is a...

Uranium is a key part of the nuclear energy sector and there has been a growing focus on it, and the entire nuclear fuel cycle, following Russia's military action in Ukraine. Claire Maden sets out the fascinating history of uranium and John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, joins us to discuss the uranium market in 2022 and how that is linked to wider nuclear sector developments. As a new year begins, World Nuclear Association's director general Sama Bilbao y León reviews the main...

The World Association of Nuclear Operators generally keeps a low public profile, but its CEO Ingemar Engkvist joins us to explain why that low public profile is deliberate, and outlines how the organisation works and how its members support each other.  He also discusses the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war. Watch out for Engkvist's very unusual story about how he first became involved in the nuclear field, and as he comes to the end of his three-year term he talks about the exciting...

October saw the big news that a strategic partnership of Cameco Corporation and Brookfield Renewable Partners is to acquire Westinghouse Electric Company for a total enterprise value of approximately USD8 billion.  Brookfield Renewable, together with its institutional partners, will own a 51% interest in Westinghouse and Cameco will own 49%. Closing of the transaction is expected in the second half of 2023, subject to certain conditions, including approval from Brookfield Business Partners...

The global nuclear sector gathered in London in September for World Nuclear Symposium. Key figures from the industry took part in discussions on the challenges and opportunities for future growth. In this episode we bring you a selection of their views, as they outline the huge demand for small modular reactors, but also the regulatory harmonisation and financing changes needed if they are to meet this potential growth. During this episode we hear from, in order of appearance: Rafael Mariano...

The Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons took place at the United Nations in New York during August. Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen took time out during the talks to explain the issues with a special focus on how a key part of the NPT is the sharing of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. We also hear from Elizabeth Muller, CEO and co-founder of Deep Isolation, who explains how it is hoping to solve the nuclear waste disposal...

The European Parliament vote favouring nuclear being included as a sustainable investment in the EU taxonomy was bigger than expected - Nucleareurope’s Jessica Johnson explains why. Jonathan Cobb crunches the numbers on the nuclear industry and the IAEA’s Lisa Lande discusses leadership and why it is so important in the nuclear sector. Jessica Johnson is communications and advocacy director for Nucleareurope, the Brussels-based trade organisation for the nuclear industry in Europe and was a...

We are joined by Urenco CEO Boris Schucht, a lifelong supporter and advocate for the energy transition who describes how he went back to his roots at the globally active uranium enrichment company. He talks about the role nuclear can play in hitting climate targets, how players in the fuel cycle can respond to current world events as well as meeting the needs of advanced and small modular reactors.In focus is Sweden, with World Nuclear Association's John Lindberg outlining the history and...

The President of the Canadian Nuclear Association, John Gorman, joins us to talk about the prospects for nuclear energy in Canada, SMRs, green bonds, his experience switching from renewables to the nuclear sector, and how both can work together to tackle climate change. Our In Focus is on China, with World Nuclear Association's Francois Morin talking through the country's seven decades of nuclear history, the rapid expansion currently taking place and the plans for even more to come.Reviewing...