newcleo, a European nuclear technology company, announced that it has raised €75 million (about USD $88 million) in a new funding round. The cash will help the company build and develop advanced small nuclear reactors powered by recycled nuclear waste. The financing is a sign of growing investor interest in clean and low-carbon energy solutions.

Newcleo also said that it has now raised more than $124 million in total for 2025. The company was founded in September 2021 and is based in Paris, France. The nuclear energy developer also operates in Italy, the UK, Belgium, and Slovakia, with roughly 1,000 employees.

What newcleo’s Technology Does: Turning Nuclear Waste into Usable Fuel

newcleo develops a type of advanced nuclear technology known as lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs). These reactors are a form of small modular reactor (SMR).

Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that use fresh uranium fuel, newcleo’s design aims to use reprocessed nuclear waste as fuel. This means existing waste from older reactors could become a power source.

Using nuclear waste as fuel is intended to have two benefits:

• It could reduce long-term waste storage needs.
• It may help lower the carbon footprint of nuclear power.

Lead-cooled fast reactors also use liquid lead to transfer heat out of the core. The liquid lead acts as a coolant and enables the reactor to operate at high temperatures without high pressure.

This reactor type is still under development and not yet in wide commercial operation. But companies like newcleo believe it could play a role in future clean energy systems.

Heavy Industry and Investors Double Down

The €75 million funding round brought in both new and existing investors. New industrial backers included heavy industry groups such as:

• Danieli & C, a steel mill manufacturer
• Cementir Holding, a cement and concrete producer
• Orion Valves, an industrial valve maker
• NextChem, an energy engineering firm

Existing financial backers also participated. These included Kairos, Indaco Ventures, Azimut Investments, the CERN pension fund, and Walter Tosto (industrial engineering).

The mix of industrial and financial investors shows that newcleo’s technology draws interest from companies looking for reliable, low-carbon power and firms focused on clean energy investments.

Scaling from Design to Deployment

newcleo said the fresh funding will support several key parts of its business. The company highlighted progress in:

• Licensing and regulatory approval processes
• Research and development (R&D) of reactors and fuel systems
• Vertical integration of technology and manufacturing
• Geographic expansion in key markets like Europe and the United States

This means newcleo is working not just on reactor design, but on building the skills and facilities needed to support production, testing, and commercial deployment. The company also has partnerships and projects in multiple countries, including France, Italy, Slovakia, and the U.S. These collaborations relate to licensing and siting work, research facilities, and future commercial reactor projects.

Closing the Nuclear Fuel Loop

Nuclear power is often seen as a low-carbon energy source because it produces virtually no direct CO₂ emissions during operation. However, it leaves behind radioactive waste that can remain hazardous for thousands of years.

Traditional reactors use uranium fuel once and store the resulting waste. newcleo’s approach aims to reuse existing waste as reactor fuel. This could potentially reduce the volume and hazard of waste that needs long-term storage.

Lead-cooled fast reactors are one class of Generation IV nuclear technology. These designs are intended to be safer and more efficient than older reactors. They can run on fuels that traditional reactors cannot and may help make nuclear energy more sustainable in the long term.

Using recycled radioactive fuel helps close the nuclear fuel cycle. This means sourcing more energy from mined uranium, which leaves less waste behind.

• MUST READ: France Eyes Bitcoin Mining Powered by Surplus Nuclear Energy

Building a Cross-Border Nuclear Footprint

newcleo has stated that it plans to roll out its technology in several countries with active regulatory frameworks for advanced nuclear projects. The company has started licensing and planning partnerships in Europe and the U.S. These moves aim to make it a major supplier of advanced nuclear power systems.

In France, newcleo is preparing regulatory filings for both fuel and reactor projects. In Italy, it is building R&D infrastructure and test systems, while in Slovakia, it has formed a joint venture to deploy multiple reactors at a nuclear site. And in the U.S., it is engaging in collaborations to build fuel manufacturing and fabrication capabilities.

The company’s CEO, Stefano Buono, said investors view newcleo’s progress in licensing, R&D, and global expansion as a key advantage. He further added,

“Our ability to deliver impactful low-carbon energy solutions for energy-intensive firms is proving an attractive investment rationale for both industrial and financial investors. Our tangible progress in licensing, R&D, vertical integration, and geographic expansion is seen by investors as a key differentiator in the race to deliver clean, safe, and affordable nuclear energy.”

Small Modular Reactors Gain Global Traction

Interest in small modular reactors is rising as countries look for reliable, low-carbon power. Governments and industry groups also track SMRs more closely than before.

One sign is the growing number of designs in development. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) reported that its latest SMR Dashboard found 98 SMR technologies globally. It detailed 56 of these SMRs in its dashboard set.

A separate NEA summary shows a larger count of designs tracked over editions. This highlights how quickly the pipeline is expanding.

• Forecasts also show wider deployment in the coming decades. The International Energy Agency (IEA) publishes scenario data on global SMR capacity from 2025 to 2050.

In its analysis, SMR capacity rises from near-zero today to tens of gigawatts by 2050 in its main scenarios (39 GW), and it grows even higher in its “high SMR” case (190 GW). This suggests that SMRs could move from pilot projects to meaningful scale if costs fall and licensing speeds up.

International institutions also expect nuclear growth overall, with SMRs playing a bigger role. In September 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it raised its long-term nuclear outlook again.

In its best-case scenario, the IAEA predicts that global nuclear capacity could grow to 2.6 times the 2024 level by 2050. It also noted that SMRs will be key to this growth.

Policy signals further support this direction. The NEA reports that over 20 countries at COP28 pledged to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

These forecasts do not guarantee fast deployment. SMRs still face key hurdles such as licensing timelines, supply chains, fuel availability, and first-of-a-kind costs. 

SMRs are increasingly central to global nuclear talks. The NEA tracks more designs, and the IEA outlines new deployment pathways. And interest from investors and policymakers has grown as countries look for reliable low-carbon baseload power.

• SEE MORE: From Now to 2060: How Canada’s SMRs and Maritime Nuclear Power Will Drive a Net-Zero Future

The €75 million funding round adds to newcleo’s growing capital base. It boosts the company’s ability to advance its technology and work toward deployment. As of early 2026, newcleo has raised more than $124 million over the past year, with total funding since 2021 likely exceeding €645 million.

Private Capital Signals a Nuclear Comeback

The investment in newcleo highlights a broader trend: private capital is moving into advanced nuclear technologies.

Investors in heavy industry and finance are now seeing nuclear power as key to global decarbonization efforts. Some countries have recently updated their policies. This supports nuclear research and licensing. It shows a focus on energy security and climate goals.

Lead-cooled fast reactors and similar designs remain in early stages of testing and regulatory review. Newcleo and similar companies think their technologies can provide clean, reliable power. They also believe these systems create less waste over their life cycles compared to older reactors.

If successful, this approach could expand the role of nuclear power in the energy transition. But much work remains in testing, licensing, manufacturing, and cost reduction before commercial deployment at scale.

• READ MORE: Trump’s Davos Nuclear Endorsement Powers a Rally in Oklo, SMRs, and Atomic Stocks

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Nigeria is planning a large clean cooking program that aims to distribute 80 million efficient cookstoves to households. Project backers say the rollout could help reduce smoke from cooking, cut pressure on forests, and create a new stream of carbon credits.

Recent reporting in Nigeria says the project is also tied to a revenue target. A senior finance executive at project developer GreenPlinth Africa said the Federal Government could earn up to $5 billion each year from “verified carbon credit revenues” when the program reaches full scale.

Lagos State has also described itself as an early “anchor” for the program. Lagos State Government announced it will lead the way in providing 6 million free cookstoves. Distribution in the state has started in June 2025, beginning in Makoko.

Mr. Tunde Lemo, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, commented:

“This is not a pilot. It is not a promise. It is a nationally endorsed, structured, and scalable intervention…This is one of the most ambitious clean cooking and household energy transition programmes ever undertaken globally.”

An 80 Million Stove Rollout With National Ambitions

Lagos State’s climate office describes the initiative as a nationwide effort to deploy 80 million efficient cookstoves free of charge. It says the goal is to sharply reduce traditional firewood use for women and low-income households.

Large stove programs usually try to replace or improve traditional cooking methods that produce heavy smoke indoors. In many households, cooking uses wood, charcoal, or other solid fuels. These fuels can release fine particles and other pollutants, especially in kitchens with poor airflow.

The Clean Cooking Alliance’s Nigeria dashboard uses official sources like the World Bank. It estimates that over 167 million people, or 73.8%, in Nigeria did not have access to clean cooking in 2023.

That gap is wider outside cities. The same dashboard reports that 26.2% of Nigeria’s population had access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking in 2023. It also reports 48.7% access in urban areas versus 9.7% in rural areas in 2023.

Cooking Smoke as a Public Health Crisis

Global health agencies link household smoke from cooking to major health harms. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that household air pollution led to around 2.9 million deaths in 2021. This includes more than 309,000 children under age 5.

WHO also estimates that household air pollution caused about 95 million DALYs in 2021. This measure combines years lost to early death and disability. The organization notes that the health burden is tied to diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and lung disease.

Moreover, a WHO technical page shows how household air pollution causes deaths. Here’s the breakdown:

• Ischaemic heart disease: 32%
• Stroke: 23%
• Lower respiratory infections: 21%
• COPD: 19%
• Lung cancer: 6%

Global energy data also shows the scale of the challenge. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates 2.3 billion people worldwide still cook using open fires or basic stoves that create harmful smoke.

In Nigeria, a large stove program could affect health most in communities that rely heavily on fuelwood or charcoal. It could also change how much time families spend collecting fuel. It could lower daily smoke exposure for cooks and nearby children when stoves are used correctly and consistently.

From Kitchen Emissions to Carbon Markets

The project narrative links emissions cuts from cleaner cooking to carbon markets. Carbon crediting usually relies on measuring and verifying how much a project cuts greenhouse gas emissions compared to a baseline.

• RELATED: Verra’s Cookstove Credits Get ICVCM Green Light – Boosting Carbon Market Trust

International rules also matter if the project aims to generate credits for compliance uses under the Paris Agreement. Under Article 6, countries can cooperate to meet climate targets, including through carbon credits created from verified emission reductions.

Within Article 6, the Article 6.4 mechanism (also called the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism) has a UN-backed governance structure. UNFCCC explains that an Article 6.4 Supervisory Body develops and supervises requirements to run the mechanism. This includes approving methodologies, registering activities, accrediting verification bodies, and managing a registry.

This matters because cookstove projects often face scrutiny over real-world use. Carbon credit quality can depend on factors like whether households actually use the new stove, how long they keep using it, and whether old stoves stay in use at the same time. Credible monitoring and verification are central to project integrity under any crediting pathway.

The IEA predicts that clean cooking access will hit around 85% by 2030. This means over 350 million people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, will still lack safe cooking options. They will continue to rely on polluting open fires and basic stoves.

To achieve universal access by 2030, there’s a need to connect 160 million people each year. However, funding shortages and infrastructure issues make this unlikely. That requires about $2 billion a year just for Africa to make it happen.

The IEA believes full access by 2040 is more realistic. This will come from increased use of LPG, which will cover about 60% of new connections. It will also involve electric cooking, advanced biomass stoves, and various financing options such as carbon credits. And Nigeria is heading in that direction.

What a $5 Billion Carbon Claim Would Require

Nigeria already has experience with cookstove carbon projects on a smaller scale. The Clean Cooking Alliance’s Nigeria dashboard says the country has 18 registered cookstove projects that have generated 3.4 million carbon credits to date.

The credits from 9 developers are verified by Verra’s VCS and Gold Standard, as seen:

The proposed 80 million-stove rollout is far larger than typical programs. Supporters argue that scale could also mean large volumes of credited emission reductions, especially if adoption remains high over many years.

The $5 billion per year figure has drawn attention because it implies both a large credit volume and a strong credit price. The figure cited in Nigerian reporting was presented as a projection tied to “verified” carbon credit revenues once the project is fully deployed.

Still, projected revenue is not the same as guaranteed income. Real outcomes depend on several conditions, including:

• The number of stoves actually delivered and used,
• The verified emissions reductions per household,
• Approval under the chosen crediting pathway,
• Market demand, and
• The price and transaction costs for credits.

Lagos State’s official post highlights a key milestone: 6 million stoves in Lagos. However, it does not confirm future credit volumes or prices.

Delivery, Use, and Verification Will Decide the Outcome

Several signals will help observers judge the program’s progress and credibility.

First is delivery at scale. A plan for 80 million stoves requires large manufacturing or import capacity, distribution logistics, and after-sales support. Maintenance matters because stoves can fail or be abandoned if they do not meet cooking needs.

Second is sustained use. Clean cooking benefits and emissions cuts depend on households consistently using the new stove. Programs often track usage through surveys, sensors, or fuel consumption checks. Strong monitoring also supports more credible carbon claims.

Third is alignment with recognized rules. If the project aims to issue credits under Paris Agreement pathways, it must follow the requirements of Article 6.4 Supervisory Body. This includes using accepted methodologies and verification practices.

Finally, there is the public data baseline. Nigeria’s clean cooking access is still low overall. The Clean Cooking Alliance dashboard, using World Bank data, reported 26.2% access in 2023, with much lower access in rural areas. A well-run program could shift those numbers over time, but it will require steady funding and coordination across states.

For now, the story combines a large public health goal with a climate finance goal, and the scale is ambitious. The key question is whether implementation, monitoring, and market demand can match the size of the revenue promise.

• READ MORE: World Bank’s $200M Bond Links Carbon Credits and Clean Cookstoves in Ghana

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China’s CHANGAN Automobile and battery giant CATL have unveiled the world’s first mass-production passenger vehicle powered by sodium-ion batteries. The launch event took place in Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia, and the vehicle is scheduled to reach the market by mid-2026.

The press release explains that this milestone marks a shift from laboratory research and pilot projects to real-world consumer electric vehicles. It also signals the start of a dual-chemistry battery era, where sodium-ion and lithium-ion technologies work together to meet diverse electric mobility needs.

Why Sodium-Ion Batteries Are Gaining Momentum

Lithium-ion batteries have dominated electric vehicles for more than a decade. However, concerns over lithium supply, cost volatility, and environmental impacts have pushed researchers to explore alternatives. Sodium-ion batteries emerged as one of the most promising contenders.

Sodium is abundant, widely distributed, and inexpensive. Unlike lithium, it can be extracted from seawater and common salt deposits, reducing geopolitical risks and environmental strain. This makes sodium-ion batteries attractive for countries seeking greater energy independence.

Cold-weather performance is another major advantage. Lithium-ion batteries lose significant capacity in freezing temperatures, which limits EV adoption in colder regions. Sodium-ion batteries, by contrast, maintain strong performance even in extreme cold, opening new markets for electric mobility.

                          Lithium-ion batteries vs Sodium-ion batteries 

• According to Precedence Research, the global sodium-ion battery market could grow from $1.39 billion in 2025 to $6.83 billion by 2034.

Analysts see 2026 as a turning point, when sodium-ion technology begins large-scale commercialization in vehicles and energy storage.

CATL’s Naxtra Sets New Benchmarks for Sodium-Ion Performance

CATL began sodium-ion research in 2016 and invested nearly RMB 10 billion in the program. The company developed close to 300,000 test cells and assembled a dedicated team of more than 300 R&D engineers, including 20 PhDs.

Research focused on fast-ion transport pathways, composite low-temperature electrolytes, and high-safety electrolyte systems. CATL also leveraged its vast battery management data from millions of deployed units to improve range accuracy and reliability.

This long-term investment highlights how major battery breakthroughs require years of sustained research, testing, and industrial scaling.

Under the partnership, CATL will supply its Naxtra sodium-ion batteries across CHANGAN’s full brand lineup, including AVATR, Deepal, Qiyuan, and UNI. The collaboration positions both companies as early leaders in what could become one of the most disruptive battery technologies of the decade.

• MUST READ: China Now Controls 69% of the Global EV Battery Market as CATL and BYD Surge in 2025 

Urban and Suburban EVs Made Practical

CATL’s Naxtra sodium-ion battery achieves an energy density of up to 175 Wh/kg, which currently sets a benchmark for mass-produced sodium-ion cells. While this is still lower than leading lithium-ion batteries, it is high enough to support practical passenger vehicles.

Combined with CATL’s Cell-to-Pack (CTP) architecture and intelligent battery management system, the technology enables a pure-electric range exceeding 400 kilometers. As the supply chain matures and chemistry improves, CATL expects future sodium-ion EVs to reach 500–600 kilometers per charge. Range-extended and hybrid configurations could achieve 300–400 kilometers on electric power alone.

These figures cover more than half of the typical daily driving needs in the global new energy vehicle market. For many urban and suburban drivers, sodium-ion vehicles could provide sufficient range at a lower cost.

Cold-Climate Performance Could Transform EV Adoption

One of the biggest barriers to EV adoption is winter performance. Lithium-ion batteries often lose capacity and charging speed in cold conditions, which reduces driving range and convenience.

CATL claims:

• Its sodium-ion battery delivers nearly three times the discharge power of comparable LFP batteries at –30°C.
• Capacity retention remains above 90% at –40°C, and the system continues to provide stable power at –50°C.

This performance could make sodium-ion batteries particularly attractive in regions such as Northern Europe, Canada, Russia, and northern Japan. In these markets, winter range anxiety has slowed EV adoption despite strong policy support.

If sodium-ion batteries deliver on these claims, they could unlock electric mobility in some of the world’s most challenging climates.

Safety Advantages Strengthen Consumer Confidence

Battery safety remains a top concern for automakers and consumers. CATL subjected its Naxtra cells to extreme tests, including crushing, drilling, and sawing. The batteries reportedly showed no smoke, fire, or explosion and continued delivering power even after physical damage.

These results suggest sodium-ion batteries could offer inherent safety advantages over some lithium-ion chemistries. Reduced thermal runaway risk could lower insurance costs, simplify thermal management systems, and improve consumer confidence.

Safety improvements are also critical for regulatory approval and large-scale adoption, especially in densely populated cities.

A Dual-Chemistry Future for Electric Mobility

Both companies emphasized that sodium-ion batteries will not replace lithium-ion batteries. Instead, both chemistries will coexist and complement each other.

Lithium-ion batteries will remain dominant in high-energy applications such as long-range EVs, aviation, and premium vehicles. Sodium-ion batteries are likely to excel in cost-sensitive segments, cold-climate markets, entry-level EVs, and stationary energy storage.

This dual-chemistry ecosystem could accelerate electrification by offering tailored solutions for different use cases. It also diversifies supply chains and reduces reliance on critical minerals.

Choco-Swap Network Could Supercharge Sodium-Ion EV Growth

To support sodium-ion adoption, CATL plans to deploy more than 3,000 Choco-Swap battery swap stations across 140 Chinese cities by 2026. Over 600 of these stations will be located in colder northern regions.

Battery swapping could reduce charging times from hours to minutes, improving convenience for drivers and commercial fleets. It also allows centralized battery management, which can extend battery life and optimize grid integration.

If successful, this infrastructure could give China a major advantage in next-generation EV ecosystems.

Market Outlook: Rapid Growth Across Multiple Sectors

Gao Huan, CTO of CATL’s China E-car Business

“The arrival of sodium-ion technology marks the beginning of a dual-chemistry era.
CHANGAN’s vision shows both its responsibility for energy security and its strategic
foresight. Much as it embraced electric vehicles years ago, CHANGAN is once again
taking the lead with its sodium-ion roadmap. At CATL, we value the opportunity to
work alongside such an industry leader and fully support its strategy, combining our
expertise to bring safe, reliable, and high-performance sodium-ion technology to
market.” 

According to data released by SPIR:

• Global sodium-ion battery shipments reached 9 GWh in 2025, representing a 150% year-on-year increase.
• Analysts expect strong growth in energy storage, light-duty vehicles, and passenger EVs starting in 2026.
• By 2030, sodium-ion batteries could reach 580 GWh in energy storage and over 410 GWh in automotive applications. This would be enough to support around 10 million new energy users.

Energy storage is expected to be the largest early market, followed by entry-level EVs and commercial vehicles. Passenger cars are now entering the commercialization phase, signaling broader industry confidence.

Supply Chain Security and Geopolitical Implications

One of the most strategic benefits of sodium-ion batteries is supply chain resilience. Sodium is around 1,000 times more abundant in the Earth’s crust and roughly 60,000 times more abundant in oceans than lithium.

This abundance reduces the risk of supply shortages, price spikes, and geopolitical conflicts associated with lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Countries without lithium resources could still build domestic battery industries using sodium.

For governments, sodium-ion technology offers a pathway to greater energy independence and localized manufacturing.

Environmental and Lifecycle Benefits

Sodium-ion batteries also offer environmental advantages across their lifecycle. Sodium extraction is less water-intensive than lithium brine mining, which has raised concerns in South America’s lithium triangle. Production often uses less hazardous materials, such as iron and carbon-based cathodes.

Research suggests sodium-ion battery production could reduce carbon emissions by up to 60% per kWh compared with some lithium-ion chemistries. Recycling processes may also be simpler and more energy-efficient.

However, sodium-ion batteries currently require more material per kWh due to lower energy density, which could offset some emissions benefits. Continued improvements in chemistry and manufacturing are expected to close this gap.

China’s Strategic First-Mover Advantage

China is taking a lead in next-generation battery technologies by moving sodium-ion batteries from lab research to large-scale commercialization.

Mordor Intelligence report shows that lithium-ion dominated with a 75.5% share in 2025, while sodium-ion is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 18% between 2026 and 2031. Through advanced R&D, robust manufacturing, and supporting infrastructure, Chinese companies are turning experimental technology into market-ready solutions.

The CHANGAN–CATL partnership illustrates this shift. Their sodium-ion passenger car, launching in 2026, marks one of the first instances of mass-produced vehicles powered by this chemistry. The technology promises lower costs, enhanced safety, strong cold-weather performance, and more secure supply chains, making it a practical complement to lithium-ion batteries.

As the dual-chemistry era unfolds, sodium-ion batteries are set to expand the possibilities for electric mobility and energy storage. By combining affordability, reliability, and environmental advantages, they could play a central role in the global transition to clean energy and reshape the future of electric vehicles.

• MUST READ: China Adds Power 8x More Than the US in 2025, with $500B Energy Build-Out in a Single Year

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