Hello. In this video, I will briefly talk about the events in the global nuclear industry in recent months. What new nuclear power plants were launched, where they began to be built, and what plans were announced in different countries.

On the first day of the year, January 1, the FUQING 6 unit in China with the Hualong One reactor was connected to the network. This is the second Hualong One launched in China. The first one has launched a year ago on the same site, on unit 5.

On March 2, another similar unit was connected to the greed, but already in Pakistan, at the 3rd unit of the Karachi nuclear power plant. And just like in China itself, it became the second such bloc in this country. The first Hualong One in Pakistan was also launched at the same nuclear power plant a year earlier. In total, 4 Chinese power units Hualong One have already been connected to the network in the world. And 10 more are under construction.

On March 12, the long-awaited Olkiluotto 3 unit in Finland with the French EPR-1600 reactor was connected to the network. This long-term construction has finally been completed and this is of course a huge event for the entire European nuclear industry. Well, now Finland itself will also need an extra energy source, especially against the backdrop of complications in relations with Russia and the abandonment of plans to build the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant with Rosatom. So, in a sense, everything coincided.

Well, the fourth launch since the beginning of the year took place on May 2 and again in China. This is the 6th unit of the HONGYANHE-6 NPP with the Chinese ACPR-1000 pressurized water reactor.

In total, since the beginning of the year, China has added two more power units to itself and brought its total number in the country to 55 units. This is only one less than in France. But I think by the end of the year they will overtake France and take second place in terms of the number of units after the United States.

So far, since the beginning of the year, two new nuclear power plant construction projects have been launched, both in China, and both are being built by Russia. In fact, these are not new starts. Exactly one year ago, the construction of four VVER-1200 units in China was solemnly launched at two sites, Tianwan NPP and Xudabu NPP. But last year, the first concrete was actually poured only on two of them, one at a time at each site. But this year they began to build the remaining two. On February 25, exactly on the second day of the war in Ukraine, concrete pouring began at Unit 8 of the Tianwan NPP. And on May 19, the first concrete was poured at Unit 4 of the Xudabu NPP.

Of the exciting plans, we can recall the announced plans for France and Great Britain, and South Korea.

In February, Macron, the President of France, announced plans to build 6 power units in the coming years and a total of 14 new units by the middle of the century.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also spoke about the new energy strategy in early April. By 2050, the UK will have to triple its nuclear capacity to 24 GW, about 25% of the country's energy mix. Now the share of the atom is about 15%. The nearest projects include up to 8 large units and, according to Johnson, the UK is going to speed up the introduction of new nuclear power plants by an order of magnitude in the future. Figuratively, he expressed that they would have to introduce a unit a year, not a decade. At the same time, they are going to bet not only on large units but also on small modular reactors, to support the development of which about 200 million pounds have already been allocated.

Now in the UK, the French company EDF is building two EPR-1600 units at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant and is counting on at least a similar two-unit plant project at the Sizewell C nuclear power plant. In addition to the French, the UK government is negotiating new nuclear power plants with South Korean companies. So they have a choice of suppliers. They are unlikely to let the Chinese in, and even more so Rosatom, which was not particularly allowed into Western Europe before, and even more so after February 24.
And a few more words about the news from South Korea. There, in March, a new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, was elected. He promised to abandon his predecessor's policy of phasing out nuclear power. The new president announced his intention to resume the construction of two frozen units of the Shin-Khanul nuclear power plant, extend the life of the existing plants and maintain the share of nuclear energy at about 30%. In addition to helping the country meet its emission reduction commitments, it will also help it develop its nuclear exports. The new president will strive to ensure that by 2030 the portfolio of orders for new Korean units abroad reaches at least 10 pieces.

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