"Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has told the U.S. energy secretary that Korea needs nuclear fuel reprocessing and enrichment for commercial purposes" koreatimes.co.kr/amp/foreignaff…

A somewhat confused piece in Politico re US plutonium by Zack Colman. These 25 tonnes of plutonium in pits is the material identified as surplus 30 years ago, no way it "plays a central role in the US nuclear weapons stockpile" (pits are not "highly radioactive" by the way) 1/

An interesting report by Inst for Science. A few quick points. One is that while the 2018 RU-CN agreement directly deals with only the first CFR-600 reactor, Russia will supply fuel fabrication technology, presumably to be used in the second. So, it will also be obligated. 1/

Enrichment plant in Rokkasho prepares to resume operations fissilematerials.org/blog/2025/10/e…

Russia withdraws from the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement fissilematerials.org/blog/2025/10/r… The commitment not to use PMDA plutonium for military purposes appears to remain in place

As long as we are on plutonium now, does this mean the U.S. now considers using WG-Pu in the civilian fuel cycle? "DOE is establishing a program for making surplus plutonium materials available to industry for advanced nuclear technologies." fedconnect.net/FedConnect/def…

The Government ordered suspension of key Energoatom managers and maintains communications with G7 (which is key for support). Prompt response gives some hope.

United States pledges support for enrichment, reprocessing, and naval reactors in South Korea fissilematerials.org/blog/2025/11/u…

US Department of Energy makes plutonium available to industry fissilematerials.org/blog/2025/10/u…

Rosatom begins deployment of new-generation centrifuges at Seversk fissilematerials.org/blog/2025/12/r…

US Department of Energy awards $2.7 billion to three companies to expand domestic enrichment capacity fissilematerials.org/blog/2026/01/u…

The talks are reportedly about "allowing Seoul to obtain uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing capabilities" - Korea's chief negotiator on nuclear cooperation visited US for talks on enrichment, reprocessing koreatimes.co.kr/amp/foreignaff…

Two companies, BWXT and Centrus, expand centrifuge development centers at Oak Ridge fissilematerials.org/blog/2026/01/t…

New provisional operation plan for Rokkasho fissilematerials.org/blog/2026/01/n… The plant is projected to begin operations in the second half of FY2027 by processing 70 MT of fuel and reach the 400 MT/y capacity in FY2030

Reality check for NRC "approval" of the TerraPower Natrium construction permit. Many difficult safety issues have been pushed off to the operating license phase. Case in point: the company just admitted that its fire hazards analysis and fire PRA are still in draft stage.

France can use its existing stock of fissile materials to produce new nuclear warheads fissilematerials.org/blog/2026/03/f…

Those states that worried about existing stocks in fissile material cut-off treaty definitely had a point. France has enough material to go to the Cold War levels, i.e. double its arsenal. In fact, it has enough to go beyond that. Doesn't mean it will but still.

Bellona Nuclear Digest January 2026. bellona.org/news/nuclear-i…