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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 UK, joins host Alex Hunt to give details on the life-saving and space-exploring projects and  explains what value there is hidden within what has long just been seen as a problem.

With the promising early stage clinical trials, and the plans to provide power for a mission to Mars in 2028,  the newly discovered value in the legacy material is one of the factors which may be taken into account in plans for the safe longterm disposal of the material. There could yet be future discoveries that more of the material could become valuable in the years ahead, so, suggests Tinsley, being able to dispose of the material in a form that it is retrievable at minimal cost might be a good idea.

Also this month, there is a report on the gathering of leaders and senior government representatives at the first-of-its-kind Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, including snippets of what the IAEA's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and co-host Belgian PM Alexander de Croo had to say. Plus Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, French President Emmanuel Macron and COP29 host Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Leaders commit to 'unlock potential' of nuclear
Nuclear Energy Summit Declaration
National Nuclear Laboratory
University of Leicester
Nuclear Energy Summit
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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

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 plans and likely timeline for the Rook 1 project - and further exploration in the area - Leigh also gives his thoughts on the global uranium market, and prospects more broadly for the nuclear energy sector in the coming years, including signs of a change of mood in his native Australia.

The World Nuclear News reports this month are from Claire Maden, on India's growing nuclear energy plans, and Warwick Pipe, who covers the recent International Energy Agency's ministerial meeting communique recognising nuclear as one technology for achieving nergy security and decarbonisation.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
NexGen Energy
IEA Ministerial Meeting recognises role of nuclear
India to seek nuclear investors as Kakrapar units inaugurated
Ministerial approval for NexGen uranium project
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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

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 to staff, and also stressed the benefits likely to flow at the replica project at Sizewell C.

There is also a round-up from World Nuclear News's Claire Maden of the raft of encouraging news from the uranium sector, fuelled by soaring spot prices and a generally positive outlook for nuclear power.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Newcleo
EDF announces Hinkley Point C delay and rise in project cost
Mining to resume at McClean Lake
IAEA's Grossi's UN press conference on Ukraine
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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

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 modular reactor competition. At the moment there are six shortlisted - EDF, GE Hitachi, Holtec, NuScale, Rolls-Royce SMR and Westinghouse. The aim is to get the invitation to tender documents out very soon, he said, with contracts agreed later this year with up to four of them, which would take them through to a financial investment decision by 2029.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Great British Nuclear
Consultation on siting new nuclear
Consultation on alternative routes to market
UK SMR selection contest: Six companies into next stage
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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

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 Nuclear intiative, as well as the inclusion of nuclear in the final  text of the Global Stocktake. Henry Preston, external communication manager for the association, reports on the many side events featuring nuclear, including a focus on potential newcomer countries such as the Philippines and Australia.

As the new year gets under way Sama Bilbao y León, director general of World Nuclear Association, considers the significance of COP28  for nuclear and looks back at the sector's main achievements of 2023 as well as looking ahead to the coming year's main goals and key moments to watch out for.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Net Zero Nuclear
COP28 agreement recognises nuclear's role
Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge backed by 120 companies
Ministerial declaration puts nuclear at heart of climate action
COP28

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Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

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 Nuclear Symposium, explaining the background to the work he is doing at Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is being built in Turkey.

In the World Nuclear News monthly round-up Warwick Pipe reports on Sweden's plans for a "massive" expansion of nuclear energy and Claire Maden covers the end of NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems'  Carbon Free Power Project.

And David Hess looks at how the conversation about nuclear has evolved and changed  during his 14 years at World Nuclear Association, most recently as ESG programme lead.
Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant
Design Erick van Egeraat
NuScale CEO remains upbeat after CFPP cancellation
Sweden plans 'massive' expansion of nuclear energy

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Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production