In the first of a two-part special report from the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2025 conference held this month in Canada, Claire Maden reports on the opportunities and challenges facing players across the entire fuel sector.

James Scongack is chief operating officer of Canada's Bruce Power, and chairman of the Canadian Nuclear Isotopes Council. Here is an edited transcript of his World Nuclear News podcast interview about the importance of nuclear medicine and how it complements the industry's core energy business.

The nuclear fuel cycle is the series of industrial processes that turns uranium into electricity. Claire Maden takes a look at the steps that make up the cycle, the major players and the potential pinch-points.

Bruce Power's Chief Operating Officer James Scongack is also Chairman of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and, as he explains, the country is aiming to grow its leadership role in nuclear medicine.

As José Gago succeeds Tom Mitchell after a six-year term as chairman, the two talk to World Nuclear News about the role of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, its achievements and its future role with numbers of nuclear energy plants set to rise sharply in the years ahead.

India is planning to expand nuclear capacity from 7 GW to 100 GW by 2047, with legislative changes, international partnerships and development of indigenous technology all set to play their part.

As South Africa takes the helm of the G20 Presidency in 2025, there is widespread curiosity about the nation’s agenda and whether nuclear energy will feature prominently in these critical discussions, writes Princess Mthombeni. With the theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability", South Africa is poised to address global challenges, but the question remains: will nuclear energy’s potential to support sustainable development and energy transitions be part of the conversation?

The introduction of regulatory regimes focused on small modular reactors is something many countries are wrestling with. It is something that the SMR Regulators' Forum was set up to help with, as this World Nuclear News Briefing on its history and work explains.

An agreement has been concluded to renew the Generation IV International Forum, which aims to build on its first 25 years of sharing research and development on innovative nuclear reactor designs, as William D Magwood IV, Director-General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, explains.