Future Energy Pathways

NEWCLEO advances with licensing of MOX fuel plant and Reactor in Europe. The design is of a 4th gen lead-cooled reactor.
History of this company is very interesting...
The founder (italian scientist Stefano Buono) worked at CERN with nobel-prize winner Rubbia and the chief Engineer was in the team that design France's Superphenix reactor in the 70s.
The company is helped by state-agency ENEA that worked on lead-tech for nuclear since the 90s, when they were able to buy documentation and technology from Russia after the fall of the USSR.

They are currently building a small electrical reactor in a former italian nuclear research site.

Fuel loading at Mochovce 4 reactor has been completed and start-up can now begin.
The reactor is expected to begin commercial operation in the next months.
A very interesting video with a close-up of the core is also available, not in english tho.

Mochovce 4 will be the fourth and last unit of Mochovce NPP to begin operation, the 121st operational nuclear reactor connected to the EU grid.

Some news on smaller nuclear power output in the attached link. DARPA's Rads to Watts program could offer small power cells that could last for years without recharging.
How DARPA plans to get nuclear power in the size of a 'AA battery' - Breaking Defense

Indonesia research agency shown their SMR design that aimed to produce both electricity and hydrogen. This design is their work collaborate with China Tsinghua University. The idea for nuclear power is now gaining momentum not only in Indonesia, but also throughout ASEAN Neighbourhood.

Rumour say this SMR design is also being evaluated by MinDef for naval purpose (SSN). The other design is SMR Molten Salt reactor from Thorcon.

Is India going to "follow" China in Energy transition?

Interesting article about uranium enrichment.

URENCO and ORANO (EU), CNNC (China) and ROSATOM (Russia) control approximately 99% of global enrichment market.

SolarisKenzo said:

URENCO and ORANO (EU), CNNC (China) and ROSATOM (Russia) control approximately 99% of global enrichment market.

Click to expand...

That's mostly because the USA as one of the largest nuclear powerplant operators doesn't have independent commercial enrichment at all.

The US sold off scrap enriched fuel on the side from its 1940s/50s military enrichment until decommissioning those plants 1992. From 1994 to 2013 US powerplant operators use watered-down Russian military uranium stocks for fuel for about half their needs, since 2013 they've been buying regular Russian enriched uranium from Tenex, the commercial front of ROSATOM. In both cases the reseller is a former US government agency (USEC) that was privatized in 1998 (as CENTRUS). Plans by USEC/CENTRUS to start their own commercial enrichment have been largely unsuccessful in the part.

URENCO operates the currently only commercial enrichment facility in the USA, which provides most of the rest.