Topic
New Builds & SMRs
New builds and small modular reactors (SMRs) are where the nuclear buildout becomes concrete: construction permits, first-of-a-kind sites like Darlington and Kemmerer, and the serial-build programs testing whether factory repetition can finally cut nuclear costs. NNN tracks every project milestone with primary sources.
Start here: Small modular reactors: the complete guide — NNN's reference piece on this topic.
The 6 nuclear stories that mattered this week
TerraPower's guaranteed-price reactor fleet, Cernavoda's drought shutdown, Spain's phase-out retreat and Aalo's criticality push made a week about bankability.
Blue Energy and GVH advance 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear plant in Texas
Blue Energy and GVH advanced their 2.5 GW Texas gas-plus-nuclear plant: 1 GW of gas turbines by 2030, then up to five BWRX-300 SMRs from 2032. FID is 2027.
TerraPower names Hyundai E&C as EPC for up to eight Natrium reactors
TerraPower named Hyundai E&C as EPC for up to eight Natrium reactors with completion, price and performance guarantees, plus an SK Innovation Korea term sheet.
Aalo turns its July 4 criticality into a reactor mass-production push
Aalo Atomics says its July 4 zero-power criticality validated its supply chain and it is expanding into a one-million-sq-ft factory to mass-produce Aalo Pods.
Tianwan 7 begins loading its first nuclear fuel
China has begun loading fuel into Tianwan 7, the first of 163 assemblies for a Russian-designed VVER-1200 scheduled for commercial operation in 2026.
Tianwan 8 completes cold functional tests
China's Tianwan 8 has completed cold functional tests, moving its 1,100 MWe VVER-1200 unit into commissioning before fuel loading.
Slovakia’s Mochovce 4 Reaches First Criticality After 39 Years
Slovakia’s 471-MWe Mochovce 4 has reached first criticality after 39 years of construction, moving the delayed unit into testing before grid connection.
The 7 nuclear stories that mattered this week
From China's eight-reactor approval to Zaporizhzhia's power risk, this week's nuclear news was about turning plans, fuel and regulation into operating reality.
Oklo's Groves reactor reaches first criticality in Texas
Oklo says its Groves Isotope Test Reactor reached first criticality in Texas less than a year after groundbreaking under the DOE pilot program.
Top SMR developers in 2026, ranked by what they've actually built
Updated August 2026: SMR developers ranked on construction, licences and firm orders. GE Vernova Hitachi leads; TerraPower adds a fleet EPC deal.
NRC reactor licensing process, explained
The NRC licenses new reactors through staged safety, environmental and public reviews under Parts 50 and 52, with Part 53 still in development.
China approves eight reactors across four nuclear projects
China approved eight reactors at four sites, pairing Hualong One 2.0 demonstrations with the first batch-built Guohe One project at Laiyang.
How states procure new nuclear power
States buy new nuclear through a chain of planning, site readiness, competitive bids, financing, licensing and ratepayer review, not one approval.
DOE: four advanced reactors hit criticality in 2026
DOE says four advanced test reactors reached criticality in 2026, beating the July 4 Reactor Pilot Program target of three.
Oklo gets DOE startup authorization for Groves reactor
DOE authorized Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor to load fuel and move toward first criticality after a just-over-10-month private-land build in Texas.
Power NJ Act, explained
New Jersey's Power NJ Act creates a competitive procurement path for at least 1,100 MW of new nuclear, with deadlines running to July 2028.
Every Nuclear Plant Under Construction in the US in 2026
The NNN tracker shows one U.S. nuclear unit under construction in 2026: TerraPower's 345 MW Natrium at Kemmerer, Wyoming, with a 2031 completion estimate.
New Jersey keeps its 1,100 MW nuclear procurement moving
Governor Mikie Sherrill keeps New Jersey's Power NJ Act on a procurement clock, with at least 1,100 MW of new nuclear and deadlines to July 2028.
Mochovce 4 preparing for physical start-up tests
Slovenské elektrárne says Mochovce unit 4 has finished assembly and sealing and is moving into the physical tests that precede first criticality.
India turns Mahi Banswara into a 2.8 GW PHWR procurement
India's ASHVINI tender sets up 4 × 700 MW at Mahi Banswara, a ₹28,000 crore package that turns the country's PHWR plan into procurement.
New Jersey sets timeline for 1,100 MW nuclear procurement
New Jersey's Power NJ Act sets a 1,100 MW nuclear procurement clock with 180-day, 60-day, 90-day and 12-month milestones.
TerraPower begins excavation at Kemmerer Unit 1
TerraPower says crews have begun excavation at Kemmerer Unit 1, moving the 345-megawatt Natrium reactor and storage system toward foundation work.
New Jersey opens 1,100 MW nuclear procurement process
New Jersey launched a procurement program for at least 1,100 MW of new nuclear, giving the state its first competitive route to build.
Newcleo lays out NRC licensing path for 200 MWe reactor
Newcleo filed a Regulatory Engagement Plan with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its 200 MWe LFR-AS-200, opening pre-application talks.
China General Nuclear installs reactor vessel at Lufeng unit 1
China General Nuclear installed the reactor vessel at Lufeng unit 1, advancing a six-unit Guangdong buildout that could eventually supply 52 TWh a year.
TVA's 2026 IRP puts advanced nuclear in the grid plan
TVA's 2026 IRP models 1–5 GW of new nuclear capacity, signaling that SMRs are part of long-range load planning as demand grows.
The 5 nuclear stories that mattered this week
From AP1000 renewal to Chernobyl decommissioning, the week's five biggest nuclear stories all pointed at execution, not hype.
Core Analysis: The license path is the product now
The NRC's NEPA rewrite, Clinch River, and Poland's CfD request all point to the same shift: the licensing path is becoming part of the product.
BWRX-300 vs AP300 vs Natrium: which SMR is actually winning?
BWRX-300 leads on deployment, AP300 banks on AP1000 heritage, Natrium adds storage. How the three highest-profile Western SMR programs compare in 2026.
Natrium, explained: TerraPower's reactor with a built-in battery
Natrium pairs a 345 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor with molten-salt storage that boosts output to 500 MWe — and it's now under construction in Wyoming.
The BWRX-300, explained
GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe boiling-water SMR — the first Western small modular reactor to reach construction, at OPG's Darlington site.
Small modular reactors: the complete guide
Small modular reactors are nuclear plants of up to 300 MWe built from factory-made modules. Who's building them, where, and what's actually under construction.
Poland's Orlen Synthos seeks CfD backing for 14 BWRX-300 SMRs
Orlen Synthos Green Energy has asked Warsaw for Contract for Difference support covering a 14-unit BWRX-300 programme across three Polish sites.
OPG seeks licence to operate first G7 small modular reactor
Ontario Power Generation has applied for a 20-year licence to operate the first BWRX-300 at Darlington — set to be the first SMR running in a G7 nation.
