A Washington-based nuclear energy company has achieved a key milestone for the UK deployment. TerraPower has begun the formal commencement of the UK regulatory review for its Natrium plant, and the launch of its subsidiary, TerraPower UK Ltd.

These regulatory and commercial activities mark the company’s most significant steps to date toward deploying a fleet of Natrium reactors in the United Kingdom, according to the company.

Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process begins

“TerraPower is entering the UK market with a long-term commitment to supporting the nation’s clean energy future and establishing ourselves as a serious and reliable deployment partner,” said Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower.

“Starting Step 1 of the GDA process and establishing TerraPower UK mark major advances in our mission to bring the Natrium technology to Britain. These milestones demonstrate TerraPower’s dedication to working alongside the UK to deploy safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy for decades to come.”

TerraPower has now begun Step 1 of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process. The company submitted its GDA application in October 2025, its first international regulatory filing for the Natrium technology and received formal acceptance by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in February 2026. The start of Step 1 of the GDA process marks a significant step toward Natrium advanced reactor deployment in the UK, supporting Britian’s ambition to accelerate innovative, sustainable and next-generation energy solutions, according to a press release.

‘Delivering a golden age of nuclear’

“TerraPower’s decision to establish a UK presence is an important vote of confidence in the UK as a leading destination for nuclear projects and investment,” said Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear.

“We are delivering a golden age of nuclear and recognise the role advanced nuclear technology could play, providing clean, reliable power and strengthening our energy security.”

Natrium technology is first mover in advanced reactor sector

The company revealed that the Natrium technology is the first mover in the advanced reactor sector and is well positioned to support rapidly increasing energy demand. The Natrium plant design features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a patented molten salt-based energy storage system.

The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed as it is designed to keep base output steady, ensuring constant reliability, and can quickly ramp up when demand peaks—it is the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature.

“Confirming arrangements is an important enabling step for ONR to engage with and assess TerraPower’s Natrium design,” said Diego Fernandez Lisbona, ONR’s Head of Regulation for the TerraPower Natrium GDA and Advanced Nuclear Technologies.

“Interactions in 2025, through our framework for Early Engagement, have provided early design familiarity and we will continue to engage closely with TerraPower and broader stakeholders as GDA progresses.”

TerraPower has been successfully working through the regulatory requirements in the United States, where the first Natrium plant is being constructed. This includes the recent construction approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin building the plant. The UK’s GDA process will expand on the company’s experience and efforts in the U.S. and will allow TerraPower to establish deployment timelines for Natrium sites in the country, as per the release.

“We welcome TerraPower’s entry into the UK’s Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process,” said Yeliz Marshall, NRW’s Radioactivity and Industry Policy Senior Specialist Advisor.

“It provides a valuable route to embed environmental protection early in the Natrium design and address key risks ahead of any future deployment. This GDA also creates scope to benefit from closer international regulatory working under the UK–U.S. Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy.”

Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar has unveiled a commercial-scale perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel that has set a new global benchmark for efficiency and power output, according to a report.

The newly developed module achieved a conversion efficiency of 29.2 percent and a power output of 907 watts, making it one of the most powerful solar panels ever produced for commercial applications. The achievement highlights the rapid progress being made in perovskite-based photovoltaic technology, which many experts consider the next major evolution in solar energy.

Record-setting module uses advanced tandem design

Traditional solar panels rely primarily on silicon cells to convert sunlight into electricity. While silicon technology has improved steadily over the years, it is approaching its practical efficiency limits. Perovskite materials offer a promising alternative because they can absorb different parts of the solar spectrum more effectively. By combining a perovskite layer with a silicon cell in a tandem structure, manufacturers can capture more sunlight and generate significantly more electricity from the same panel area.

The record-setting module uses an advanced tandem design that integrates a perovskite top cell with a silicon bottom cell. This configuration enables higher energy conversion rates than conventional silicon-only panels. Independent testing confirmed the panel’s performance, demonstrating that the technology is moving beyond laboratory experiments and toward large-scale commercial deployment.

Significant milestone in the global race for solar innovation

China’s latest achievement also represents a significant milestone in the global race for solar innovation. The breakthrough allows the country to reclaim a leading position in solar efficiency after strong competition from manufacturers in other regions. It further strengthens China’s role as the world’s largest producer of solar equipment and a major driver of renewable energy development.

Beyond higher efficiency, perovskite technology offers the potential for lower manufacturing costs. The materials can be produced using simpler processes and require less energy-intensive manufacturing compared to traditional silicon cells. If commercial production can be scaled successfully, the technology could reduce the cost of solar electricity while increasing energy output.

However, challenges remain before perovskite solar panels become mainstream. One of the industry’s biggest concerns is long-term durability. While silicon panels can operate efficiently for decades, perovskite materials are more sensitive to environmental factors such as heat, moisture, and ultraviolet radiation. Researchers and manufacturers are therefore focused on improving stability and ensuring that the new generation of panels can withstand real-world operating conditions over extended periods.

Despite these hurdles, the latest efficiency record demonstrates how quickly the technology is advancing. Industry analysts believe that tandem solar cells combining silicon and perovskite materials could become a key component of future renewable energy systems, helping countries generate more power from limited space while accelerating the transition to clean energy.

Trina’s solar cell isn’t just any solar cell. Its record was achieved using a perovskite-on-silicon tandem design, which stacks two different solar materials on top of each other to capture a broader range of sunlight. The perovskite layer absorbs higher-energy wavelengths while the silicon layer captures light that would otherwise pass through, allowing the cell to convert more of the sun’s energy into electricity, reported Oil Price.

A Swiss marine power company has achieved another critical milestone on the path to low-carbon shipping using ammonia as a marine fuel. WinGD completed successful testing of its X72DF-A engine in China.

The company has also completed the Factory Acceptance Test on the engine, which will be installed on a 210,000 dwt dry bulk carrier on order for CMB.TECH. 

“We’re proud to work closely with pioneering shipowners like CMB.TECH to build confidence in ammonia as a safe and efficient marine fuel for a zero-carbon future,” said Dominik Schneiter, CEO, WinGD Ltd.

Engine features high-pressure ammonia injection

WinGD also revealed that the testing of the X72DF-A engine was completed at CSSC Engine Co. (CSE), witnessed by Lloyd’s Register (LR) and representatives from classification societies American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS). The FAT certification joins the already received FIT and TAT approvals for the XDF-A platform, rounding out the robust test campaigns.

The 72-bore engine, built at CSE, with the fuel supply system manufactured by Sunrui Marine Environmental Engineering Co, is being installed on the first of ten bulkers on order for CMB.TECH. An order that demonstrates industry confidence that large-scale commercial vessels can operate safely and efficiently on ammonia, paving the way for widespread adoption across the global fleet. This recent testing, of the X52DF-A and X72DF-A, underscores that this confidence is well-placed, according to a press release.

“We started our journey on the development of the X72 DF-A with WinGD four years ago. Thanks to an excellent collaboration, we are able to deliver the first dual fuel ammonia engines to our large bulk carriers. This is a very important step in the decarbonisation journey of shipping,” said Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.TECH.

The X-DF-A engine features high-pressure ammonia injection supplemented by a low, targeted pilot fuel dose of around five per cent at full load. The engine delivers load handling, dynamic response and fuel efficiency on par with WinGD’s equivalent diesel-fuelled X Engines in both ammonia and diesel operating modes. Throughout a rigorous multi-year development and testing process, the X-DF-A platform has proven to achieve over 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in ammonia mode compared to diesel mode, as per the release.

New engine design into commercial operation

“Bringing a new engine design into commercial operation is aways the result of strong joint effort between engine and vessel designer, engine builder, shipyard and owner,” said CSE Chief Engineer, Zhang Guangwei.

“CSE is honoured to be the first engine builder in China to deliver ammonia-fuelled engines to the maritime market, and to take an early role in what will become a significant market as ammonia fuel is used more widely in shipping.”

WinGD has secured an early orderbook of 40 X-DF-A engines for a range of vessel types, underlining increasing market readiness for ammonia propulsion and giving shipowners choice as they navigate evolving regulatory and market demands on the path to net zero emissions, according to details available.