A robust supply chain is needed to enable new reactors to be built on time, on budget and at the scale needed to meet decarbonisation goals - and major players in the nuclear engineering, procurement and construction sector shared some of the experiences and lessons learned from projects both nuclear and non-nuclear at World Nuclear Symposium 2024.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has announced that the fourth unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has entered into commercial operation, with the company's CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi stressing the global nuclear industry's growth opportunity as demand soars for carbon-free energy, at World Nuclear Symposium.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed the presidential decree setting the date for a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. The referendum will take place on 6 October.

The Swiss government has said it will seek to lift the country's ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants, which has been in place since 1 January 2018. It said all clean energy sources will be needed to meet expected electricity demand while also meeting climate targets.

The landlocked African country's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has marked the launch of an initiative to achieve sustainable development by harnessing the power of nuclear technology in areas such as agriculture, health and energy planning.

Global nuclear electricity generation increased in 2023, despite a 1 GWe drop in overall capacity, to 392 GWe, of operable nuclear power plants, according to a new report from World Nuclear Association. Average capacity factors also rose during the year.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has appointed a new energy minister, saying there is "plenty of work ... particularly ... regarding our plans to build or not to build a new nuclear power plant".

The new version of the International Atomic Energy Agency Milestones Approach has been revised to address the deployment of small modular reactors. The Milestones Approach is a phased method which guides countries through the entire process of planning for, building, operating and decommissioning their first nuclear power plant.

A Swedish government study has proposed that state aid be given to companies for investments in new nuclear power following an application procedure. It says a new legislative act should regulate conditions for receiving the support, the support measures, and what an application must contain.