China‑Belgium MOX plant deal and Europe’s revived uranium mining push

China and Belgium have signed a framework agreement to construct a pilot mixed‑oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication plant in China. The plant will be built by the China National Nuclear Corporation with Belgian partners Belgonucleaire, SCK‑CEN and Tractebel, and a commercial agreement for technology transfer may follow.

Canada’s SNC‑Lavalin supplied 37 M natural uranium‑equivalent (NUE) fuel to the Qinshan Phase III CANDU reactors, marking the first commercial use of recovered uranium fuel outside Canada.

In Europe, exhibitions in Vienna have highlighted the history and potential return of uranium mining. Companies are exploring uranium in Belarus, while Bulgaria’s economy minister indicated mining could restart by year‑end, and Russian interest in Bulgarian uranium projects has been noted.