The new "state-of-the-art mineral processing plant" will be designed and constructed to recover uranium, vanadium and cobalt from ore from Western's mines and that produced by other miners.

In September, Westinghouse and Enusa announced their intention to collaborate on VVER-440 fuel fabrication with the aim of delivering a Western alternative to Russian fuel in the European market VVER-440s currently use fuel from Rosatom’s TVEL.

“The Russian nuclear industry stands out as a rare – indeed unique – case of a high-technology sector that has not only recovered from the end of the Soviet era and the chaos that followed, but has developed an effective export strategy that has allowed it to prosper today as never before.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also decided to invest $30bn in South Korea's industries, South Korea's presidential office said.

The aim of the energy strategy is for Bulgaria "to remain a leader in the production and export of electricity in the region".

The researchers say that, regardless of the purpose and scenario of the mission, a reliable source of energy is needed for successful exploration of the Moon.

As the world pushes towards net-zero emissions targets, and away from the war-influenced roller coaster of fossil fuel prices, many countries – including Canada – are putting the nuclear option back on the table.

The awards announced today are provided through the DOE Office of Science’s Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program, which was established in 2019 to accelerate fusion energy development through public-private research partnerships.

"Investment in new nuclear is a no-regrets option given expected increase in power demand and retirement of existing plants," the report said.

The two icebreakers, with a power capacity of 60 MWe each, are scheduled to be completed in 2028 and 2030.