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September 2, 2025
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US firm Aalo starts construction of its first extra-modular nuclear reactor

US-based nuclear power startup Aalo has begun construction on its first extra-modular reactor, a type of modular reactor, in Idaho. The company is among 11 developers of micro and small modular reactors selected by the US Department of Energy to participate in its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program.

Aalo stated that its reactor will mark a significant milestone, becoming the first new sodium-cooled test reactor in the United States to go critical in over forty years—an achievement that builds on its selection for the Department of Energy’s pilot program.

The company noted that the lessons learned from manufacturing, shipping, installing, and licensing Aalo‑X will influence whether advanced reactors like the Aalo Pods can truly be produced at scale.

DOE’s aims to reach criticality for at least three advanced nuclear reactor concepts by July 4, 2026

“Within months, we will have assembled the first XMR at our Idaho site; by July 4, 2026, we will reach criticality, and by July 2027, we will power a collocated datacenter, with next-generation AI chips. Once operational, Aalo‑X will be a tangible proof‑of‑concept that nuclear energy can power the AI revolution rapidly and cost‑effectively,” the firm said in a press release.

Photo: Aalo

DOE’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program aims to reach criticality for at least three advanced nuclear reactor concepts located outside of the national laboratories by July 4, 2026.

Groundbreaking in the desert beside Idaho National Laboratory (INL) ensures that Aalo‑X will meet that mandate, the firm said.

According to Aalo, traditional categories of microreactors (<10 MWe) and small modular reactors (SMRs, up to ~300 MWe) leave a gap between tiny reactors that can be delivered to remote sites and larger units that supply cities.

Introducing the first XMR

“We created the extra‑modular reactor (XMR) to fill that gap. It’s a category of modular reactors that is a crossover between microreactors and SMRs. Our product is an Aalo Pod that contains five 10 MWe Aalo‑1 reactors arranged around a single turbine; the resulting 50 MWe plant is purpose-built for power‑hungry data centers,” according to the press release.

The concept of SMR has been gaining traction worldwide for quite a while, as part of a nuclear energy renaissance. However, overall progress in the sector has been modest.

The world’s first SMR-based facility, Russia’s floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov, commissioned in Chukotka in 2020, remains the only one in commercial operation.

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September 2, 2025
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Japan inaugurates world’s second osmotic power plant

Japan’s first osmotic power plant began operations in early August. The facility in Fukuoka harnesses the natural process of osmosis.

Operated by the Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency, this is only the second such commercial plant in the world, according to Science Japan. The first plant, commissioned by Danish firm SaltPower in 2023, is located in Mariager, Denmark.

The agency estimates the plant will generate 880,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The electricity will be used to power a local desalination facility, providing a sustainable energy source for the region’s freshwater supply.

A next-generation renewable energy source unaffected by weather or time of day

It is “a next-generation renewable energy source that is not affected by weather or time of day and emits no carbon dioxide,” according to the Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency.

The facility utilizes the salinity difference between fresh and saltwater to generate energy. This difference causes water to move across a semipermeable membrane from freshwater to saltwater, balancing the concentration on both sides.

Electricity is produced by using a permeable membrane to separate concentrated seawater from treated freshwater sourced from a local sewage treatment facility. The membrane allows only water molecules to pass through it.

Expert: This successful implementation is a major achievement

The pressure created as freshwater moves through the membrane toward the saltwater side spins a turbine, which in turn powers a generator to produce electricity.

According to Akihiko Tanioka, an expert in the field, this successful implementation is a major achievement. He hopes it will be replicated globally.

Apart from the two osmotic power plants in Japan and Denmark, pilot-scale projects and prototypes are being implemented in Norway, South Korea, Australia, Spain, and Qatar, according to a report by the Guardian.

The Japanese plant marks an exciting moment for osmotic power, because it offers further proof that the technology can be used for large-scale energy production, according to the news outlet.

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September 1, 2025
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Reverse energy flows turn Slovenian distributors into power producers

On May 1 and 2 this year, for the first time ever, five Slovenian power distribution companies fed more electricity into the transmission network than they drew from it. This shift is creating challenges for distribution grid operators while also highlighting the core reality of the energy transition.

Indeed, the circumstances were extraordinary during the first two days of May, writes Slovenia’s Naš stik. The weather was clear, but not warm enough for people to use air conditioners, while solar power plants connected to the distribution grid were generating electricity at nearly full capacity.

Industrial plants were not working due to the holiday, and many people were away from home, so electricity consumption from the transmission network fell sharply, reaching only 150 MW between 12 and 1 p.m. In winter, peak hourly consumption reaches around 2,200 MW.

Pumped storage hydropower plant Avče was operating at full capacity

Pumped storage hydropower plant Avče was operating at full capacity, receiving 157 MW from the transmission network. All Slovenian power distribution companies supplied more electricity to the transmission network than they received from it.

Elektro Ljubljana and Elektro Primorska drew energy from the transmission grid, but Elektro Maribor, Elektro Celje, and Elektro Gorenjska delivered significant amounts, resulting in a negative overall balance.

For four hours, the distribution network was a net electricity producer

The distribution network as a whole was a net producer of electricity for four hours on May 1, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. On the same day last year, the minimum hourly load of the transmission network was 770 MW, and power distribution companies drew 450-500 MW from the grid. The same thing happened on May 2.

It is worth noting that the total capacity of solar power plants in Slovenia is 1.4 GW, half of which was installed in 2023 and 2024, with the largest part connected to the distribution grid. The overall electricity generation capacity in Slovenia is 7.47 GW.

Managing voltage profiles on the grid poses the greatest challenge

The most pronounced change in energy flows was recorded at Elektro Celje. Boštjan Turinek, director of operations and development, said that a reverse flow of energy from the distribution network to the transmission network was first recorded in July 2022. At that time, the amount was minimal, around 4 MW.

However, in 2023, the reverse flow reached 40 MW, and this year it has already hit 100 MW. The biggest challenge, he explains, is managing voltage profiles on the grid.

The distribution network was built for one-way “traffic” – toward the end user – with the highest voltage at substations and the lowest at end consumers. The mass integration of distributed energy sources has disrupted these voltage profiles, Turinek stressed.

Distributed power plants like emergency vehicles

Ordinary consumers usually don’t notice this – perhaps only a slightly shortened lifespan of their LED bulbs, he said. However, according to him, solar power plant owners often experience automatic inverter shutdowns caused by overvoltage.

Besides holidays, changes in energy flows also occur during collective shutdowns of Slovenian industrial plants during the summer and spring breaks. If the weather is sunny at that time, the output from distributed energy sources is very high.

Turinek recalls that distributed power plants have been granted the same rights as emergency vehicles, so their output always takes priority, regardless of the state of the grid.

If the power system is to be properly managed, he adds, these plants should be placed on an equal footing with all others.

The net metering system for prosumers has had many positive effects, but it has also created numerous problems, Turinek concluded.

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September 1, 2025
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Energy Traders Europe calls for clear rules before CBAM implementation

Energy Traders Europe has sent proposals to the European Commission on how to ensure that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism puts a fair price on carbon-intensive electricity imports and facilitates low-carbon flows.

On July 1, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union launched a public consultation on the potential downstream extension of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), as well as additional anti-circumvention measures and rules for electricity as a CBAM good.

Energy Traders Europe participated in the call for evidence, which was open until August 26. The organization pointed out that the CBAM application to electricity imports shouldn’t start without a thorough impact assessment and a clear legislative framework.

Clarity is urgently needed for contracts for the delivery year 2026

Contracts for the delivery year 2026 are already traded on electricity markets, so clarity about how these will be treated from a customs perspective is urgently needed, the trade association stressed.

In its reaction, Energy Traders Europe argued that the inclusion of electricity imports within the scope of CBAM should respect the principle of proportionality, ensuring that European businesses face no excessive costs or administrative burdens and that a proportionate carbon price is applied.

For the calculation of the carbon price, default emission factors should reflect the actual carbon intensity of the electricity mix imported from a third country, as accurately and as close to real-time as possible.

Therefore, Energy Traders Europe insists that:

  • All generation technologies are taken into account to calculate the emission factor of third countries from which electricity is imported
  • The carbon intensity of electricity imports should be measured with an hourly granularity.

The association also proposes improvements for the utilization of the actual embedded emissions of imported electricity, to reflect the reality of electricity trading:

  • Power purchase agreement (PPA) – The definition should recognise PPAs concluded via intermediaries, such as when a CBAM declarant is reporting via an indirect representative, as well as both physical and virtual PPAs
  • Physical network congestion – Once an importer can prove the hourly matching between electricity production and capacity nomination, and that guarantees of origin (GOs) eventually issued are immediately cancelled, this criterion becomes redundant and hence should be removed
  • Capacity nomination and electricity production – Imports should be reported (and accounted for) based on the hourly confirmed scheduled quantities provided by the TSOs to each market participant, to be linked back to the hourly data of the generation plant underpinning the PPA.

According to Energy Traders Europe, the listed improvements are crucial to ensure that CBAM is fit for purpose for electricity imports, leading to more efficient use of cross-border interconnections between the EU and third countries, preventing renewable curtailments, and promoting the uptake of low-carbon electricity production in third countries.

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September 1, 2025
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Google reveals Gemini AI’s energy and water consumption

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important in our daily lives, but its rapid expansion is raising concerns about how much energy it consumes. Google has become the first tech company to publish a report on the energy consumption, emissions, and water use of its AI software, Gemini.

Google estimates that the median Gemini text prompt uses 0.24 watt-hours (Wh) of energy, emits 0.03 grams of CO2 equivalent, and consumes 0.26 milliliters (or about five drops) of water. “The per-prompt energy impact is equivalent to watching TV for less than nine seconds,” according to a press release from the company.

When applying a non-comprehensive methodology, which only considers the consumption of active TPU and GPU chips, the median Gemini text prompt uses 0.10 Wh of energy, emits 0.02 gCO2e, and consumes 0.12 mL of water.

On the other hand, Google’s comprehensive methodology includes the energy and water consumption of the software itself, the operation of IT equipment in data centers, the energy used by chips while idle, as well as the amount of water used to cool the equipment.

It should be noted, however, that energy consumption depends on multiple factors, including prompt length, the number of users, and the model’s efficiency.

Google’s AI is becoming increasingly efficient thanks to innovations

Google claims that its consumption of energy and water for AI is “substantially lower than many public estimates.” It also stresses that its AI systems are becoming more efficient through research innovations and software and hardware efficiency improvements.

Over a recent 12-month period, the energy and total carbon footprint of the median Gemini Apps text prompt dropped by 33 times and 44 times, respectively, while delivering higher-quality responses, the company claims.

Google has announced that it will continue investing in technologies that reduce per-prompt energy and water use, as well as emissions associated with AI systems. By 2030, the company aims to achieve net-zero emissions and to replenish 120% of the freshwater consumed in its data centers and offices.

However, despite Google’s efforts to reduce emissions, they have soared 51% compared to 2019, driven by the expansion of data center capacities needed for training and running AI models.

By 2030, data centers could be consuming 4.5% of global electricity generation

Data centers are essential for the operation of AI systems, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that their total electricity consumption could double by 2026, reaching 1,000 TWh per year, equivalent to Japan’s entire annual electricity use.

According to research firm SemiAnalysis, the expansion of AI could lead to data centers using 4.5% of total global electricity generation by 2030.

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August 30, 2025
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Insa Oil building Bulgaria’s first bioethanol plant

Bulgarian oil company Insa Oil plans to finish its bioethanol plant by the end of 2026. The company claims the plant under construction will be the country’s first to produce renewable fuel from biomass.

The construction of the Insa Spirit plant began in June 2022 and is already in an advanced phase, according to an announcement by Insa Oil. Bioethanol is a renewable fuel produced primarily from grains and often blended with gasoline.

The plant, estimated to cost EUR 56 million, spans about 45,000 square meters. It includes production facilities and a high-tech laboratory.

The biorefinery will produce ethyl alcohol, part of which will be converted into bioethanol for the Bulgarian energy market.

The plant’s capacity is 41,000 liters of ethyl alcohol per day

The plant’s capacity is 41,000 liters of ethyl alcohol per day, the company said, adding that the facility is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026.

Bulgaria has set the minimum required amount of bioethanol to be added to gasoline at 9%. It is regulated by the European Directive on the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources and the Renewable Energy Law, which came into force in the first half of this year.

“Our ambition is to turn Bulgaria into a regional factor for bioethanol production. We believe that this investment will be important for our economy and will increase our energy independence, while also taking care of environmental protection,” said Insa Oil manager Georgi Samuilov.

The plant uses technology from India

Following the launch of Insa Spirit, the company plans to develop technologies for second-generation bioethanol produced from biomass.

The technology for the plant was developed by India-based PRAJ.

The equipment was supplied by leading producers such as Bühler Group (Germany), Alfa Laval (Sweden), Bosch (Germany), Siemens (Germany), Hydro-Thermal (USA), and Solar Turbines (USA), according to Insa Oil.

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