Norway Funds Research and Development of Microreactors for Marine Nuclear Propulsion

Recently, the Research Council of Norway announced an early-stage grant of US$2 million to the Marine Nuclear Power Systems (MarNuPS) project to support the integration and testing of maritime nuclear propulsion technology. It is reported that the project is led by the Norwegian subsidiary of Emerald Nuclear, a U.S. microreactor startup, with a total first-phase research budget of approximately US$15 million. Emerald's GEM microreactor concept uses tristructural isotropic (TRISO) high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel, has a refueling cycle of 5 to 15 years, and plans to adopt a "reactor leasing" rather than direct sales...

2026-10-28

UK Public Accounts Committee Assesses Financial Risks of Sizewell C Project

Recently, the UK Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report warning that the government's planned Sizewell C nuclear reactor project in Suffolk is a bad deal for taxpayers and consumers, with total construction costs potentially soaring to between £40.5 billion and £47.7 billion, exposing the public to extremely high risk of cost overruns. It is understood that under the currently approved financing structure, the UK government holds a 44.9% stake, Électricité de France (EDF) holds 12.5%, and the remaining shares are held by private investors including Centrica (15%), La Caisse (20%) and Amber Infrastructure (7.6%).

2026-10-28

U.S. NRC Issues New Rule Allowing Use of Demonstration Data to Accelerate Commercial Licensing

Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) finalized a major new regulatory rule that explicitly allows applicants for commercial nuclear reactors to cite analyses, test data, and operating experience from reactor demonstration projects previously authorized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) or the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as technical support basis for commercial licensing applications. It is reported that the rule implements Executive Order 14300 and amends relevant provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50 (adding new Section 50.43(f)) and Part 53....

2026-10-27

First Small Modular Reactor in Uzbekistan Scheduled to Complete Base Slab Concrete Pouring by End of 2026

Recently, Rosatom announced that the concrete pouring of the foundation base slab for the first 55 MW small modular reactor (SMR) building of the Jizzakh nuclear power project in Uzbekistan is progressing steadily and is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2026. It is reported that 25 large construction machinery and equipment have been deployed at the project site, concentrating efforts on the continuous pouring of the reactor building foundation base slab. As Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant, the project adopts Rosatom's land-based small modular reactor design developed based on RITM-200N technology, marking a solid step forward for Uzbekistan in advancing its national energy transition and...

2026-10-27

UK-Canada-Poland Tripartite Plan to Deploy 14 Small Reactors in the UK

Recently, SGE SMR UK, the UK subsidiary of SGE, a nuclear developer under Polish industrial giant MS Galleon Group, and Origin Nuclear, a subsidiary of Canada's Ontario Power Generation (OPG), formally signed a letter of intent announcing the establishment of a joint venture to jointly build and operate a nuclear fleet of 14 small modular reactors (SMRs) in the UK, with a total installed capacity of 4.2 gigawatts (GW). It is reported that the project will fully adopt GE Vernova Hitachi (GVH)'s BWRX-300 reactor technology. SGE's UK deployment plan covers three multi-unit sites, with the first selected...

2026-10-27

Final Environmental Impact Statement Issued for U.S. Laser Enrichment Facility

Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officially released the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) of Global Laser Enrichment (GLE), recommending the formal issuance of a construction and operating license for the proposed plant. It is understood that the facility, located in Kentucky, will use the proprietary SILEX laser uranium enrichment technology of Silex Systems Ltd. to re-enrich depleted uranium tailings from previous gaseous diffusion enrichment plant operations of the U.S. Department of Energy. The project will not only produce conventional low...

2026-10-27

Holtec Successfully Recovers Tilted Fuel Assembly at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant

Recently, the engineering team of Holtec International has successfully used a specially manufactured device—conceived, designed, and delivered in just two weeks—to safely retrieve and recover a previously tilted fuel assembly from the Reactor Pressure Vessel at the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan. It is reported that the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, a single-unit Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) retired in 2022, officially commenced fuel loading operations in late August this year. However, on September 21, due to a fuel assembly...

2026-10-27

Vesta Engineering Deploys Industrial Television System for Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant

Recently, engineering equipment supplier Vesta Engineering is integrating the latest industrial television system into the infrastructure of Units 1 and 2 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant under construction in Turkey. The system complies with high safety class 3 and 4 standards, and is designed to provide comprehensive continuous monitoring of nuclear power plant processes, delivering real-time information support and emergency response assurance for operating personnel. It is reported that the industrial television system consists of plant-wide and unit-level process video monitoring subsystems, as well as a dedicated video recording subsystem for operating personnel behavior (VDOP). The hardware architecture integrates power supply and digital trans...

2026-10-26

World's Largest Stellarator W7-X Launches New Experimental Campaign to Pursue Long Pulses

Recently, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), the world's largest and most complex stellarator fusion device operated by the Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Germany, has officially launched its latest OP2.4 experimental campaign. This three-month experiment has attracted over one hundred top scientists from approximately 20 laboratories across Europe and around the world, jointly advancing stellarator technology toward longer pulses and higher performance. It is understood that the OP2.4 experiment will focus on three key research areas: high-performance plasmas, fast ions and turbulent transport, and long-pulse operation. Sci...

2026-10-26

Austrian Startup Introduces Containerized Thorium-Based Reactor

Recently, Austrian startup Emerald Horizon AG officially introduced its concept for a containerized accelerator-driven thorium-based subcritical micro modular reactor (SMRX). The company plans to adopt an "energy storage first" strategy, generating early revenue from batteries and molten salt energy storage before concurrently advancing the development and commercial deployment of its accelerator-driven thorium energy system (ADES). It is reported that the ADES system uses an external particle accelerator to drive a mixed fuel of thorium and fluoride salts, maintaining a subcritical operating state so that shutting down the accelerator immediately stops the reaction, with a rated electrical power of approximately 10 MW per module. To reduce heavy-asset manufacturing risks...

2026-10-26

Installation of key components of the core catcher for Unit 4 of Leningrad NPP Phase II completed

The under-construction Unit 4 of Leningrad NPP Phase II has recently reached a key engineering milestone: the engineering team of the general contractor TITAN-2 successfully positioned and secured the maintenance platform and cantilever truss of the core catcher (the core passive safety system molten core retention device) precisely in the reactor shaft. The two large components weigh 78 tonnes and 148 tonnes respectively. Following the installation of the first batch of components (the catcher vessel and internal filler materials) in the summer of this year, another breakthrough has been achieved in the assembly of large structures for this core safety facility. As the core barrier of the defense-in-depth system of the Generation III+ pressurized water reactor (VVER-1200), the core catcher is mainly used under severe accident conditions...

2026-10-25

Uzbekistan and Russia Discuss Establishing a Nuclear Power Plant Construction Joint Venture and Localized Production of Multiple Core Supporting Materials

At a dedicated industry matchmaking seminar held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, representatives of the Uzbekistan Atomic Energy Development Agency and Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, along with experts from leading industrial enterprises of both Uzbekistan and Russia, gathered to conduct in-depth consultations on establishing a joint venture in Uzbekistan to advance the comprehensive national nuclear power plant development project. The meeting focused on expanding the participation share of Uzbekistan's domestic industrial enterprises throughout the entire nuclear power plant construction process and deepening bilateral industrial chain and engineering collaboration. Participants discussed introducing advanced engineering technologies into modern nuclear power plant construction systems, optimizing construction methods, and establishing in Uzbekistan key engineering materials and...

2026-10-25

Uzbekistan's Atomic Energy Agency and Rosatom Jointly Inspect the Planning of the New Nuclear Power Support City in Farish District

The Atomic Energy Development Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan and a senior delegation from Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation recently conducted a joint on-site inspection of the nuclear power project construction site in Farish District, Jizzakh Region, systematically assessing the comprehensive construction progress of the main works of the proposed nuclear power plant and the large-scale supporting residential city. The supporting new city highlighted in this joint survey is specifically tailored for the engineering and technical experts, operational personnel, and their families of the future Farish Nuclear Power Plant. According to the master plan, the residential area covers a total land area of approximately 200 hectares and is planned to include about 10,000 modern residential apartments, which upon full completion will accommodate nearly 33,000 residents. The new city is simultaneously equipped with...

2026-10-25

Pakistan Calls for Removing Barriers to Civilian Nuclear Energy at UN General Assembly, Urges Depoliticization of Safeguards Disputes

At the plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly reviewing the annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Pakistan delegation explicitly called on the international community to guarantee the right of all countries to equal and non-discriminatory access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy technology, urged all parties to properly resolve outstanding safeguards disagreements through diplomatic and dialogue mechanisms, and firmly opposed the politicization of nuclear non-proliferation issues. This initiative echoes the IAEA's strategic assessment that global nuclear power installed capacity is expected to more than triple by 2060. Syed Atif Raza, Minister Counsellor of Pakistan, emphasized in his statement that the IAEA should balance the performance of its statutory functions, and while strictly supervising nuclear non-proliferation...

2026-10-25

Russia Launches Pilot Operation of Predictive Analytics System, Achieving Advance Unit Fault Warning Based on Digital Foundation

The Novovoronezh Phase II Nuclear Power Plant, Leningrad Phase II Nuclear Power Plant, and Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant under the Electric Power Division of Rosatom officially launched the pilot operation of a new-generation domestically developed industrial-grade predictive analytics system on October 22. The system is designed to identify potential anomalies in advance before substantive mechanical or electrical failures occur in equipment, marking Russia's entry into a stage of in-depth application of digital intelligent operation and maintenance for in-service nuclear power units. The system is built on the "AtomIntellect" industrial digital foundation independently developed by the Fuel Division of Rosatom, integrating cutting-edge machine learning algorithms and deep neural network modeling technologies, and possesses strong large-scale multi-dimensional operating condition...

2026-10-25

Pulsed Fusion Technology Race Drives U.S. High-Voltage Semiconductor R&D; Helion Secures $225 Million to Build Domestic Supply Chain

U.S. commercial fusion developer Helion Energy has recently reached a preliminary funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce to receive up to $175 million in federal funding support under the framework of the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS Act). Combined with $50 million in matching funds from private investors, the total joint investment of $225 million will be dedicated to establishing dedicated manufacturing bases and production lines in the United States, with a full-scale push to develop high-voltage, high-power pulsed semiconductor power devices and integrated modules required for commercial fusion reactor operation. Helion's technology pathway is fundamentally based on high-power pulsed power systems, a physical approach...

2026-10-24

Repair Completed on Damaged Power Supply Facilities Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Reducing Risk of External Grid Power Outage

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officially announced on October 23 local time that emergency repair work has been successfully completed on the previously damaged critical external power supply infrastructure near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The repair has significantly improved the operational stability of the plant's sole remaining external transmission line, alleviating to a certain extent the severe safety risk of the plant once again experiencing a complete station blackout. The power facility repaired in this operation is located in the switchyard area of the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, approximately two kilometers from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant site. This critical electrical hub was attacked and severely damaged during military conflict in September this year...

2026-10-24

Wolseong NPP Unit 2 in South Korea to Shut Down on November 1

Wolseong NPP Unit 2, located in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, will officially reach the end of its 30-year design operating lifetime and cease operation on November 1. Since entering commercial operation in November 1996, the unit has generated approximately 150 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity cumulatively. Subsequently, the design lifetimes of Wolseong Units 3 and 4 will also expire in December next year and February 2029, respectively. South Korea's Nuclear Safety Act stipulates that nuclear power units reaching the end of their design lifetime may, provided they meet statutory safety standards, extend their operating period by 10 years through an operating change license review. However, since Wolseong Units 2 through 4 submitted their Periodic Safety Review (PSR) reports in April 2024 and completed the public comment collection on the draft radiation environmental impact assessment in May last year, two years and six months have passed, yet Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has still not formally submitted the operating change license applications for these units.

2026-10-24

Rosatom States Respect for Hungary's Autonomy, Still Hopes to Continue Leading Paks NPP Expansion Project

Rosatom publicly stated on October 23 that it hopes the Hungarian government will continue to select it as the general contractor for the Paks NPP expansion project, but the Russian side also clearly emphasized that it fully respects the legitimate sovereignty of the Hungarian government to make the final decision based on its own interests. This statement comes at a critical juncture when the international community is widely watching the future direction of this flagship cross-border nuclear power project. It is understood that, as part of a comprehensive review of this major nuclear energy project, Hungary is currently assessing the possibility of replacing the general contractor Rosatom and has begun...

2026-10-24

Successful Removal of Toppled Fuel Assembly at Palisades Nuclear Reactor in the United States

Holtec International, the owner of the Palisades nuclear reactor located in Covert, Michigan, announced on Wednesday that it had successfully removed the nuclear fuel assembly that had previously toppled during refueling through technological innovation, and stated that it would continue to advance the restart of the nuclear unit. Fadi Diya, Chief Nuclear Safety Officer of Holtec International, said the team consistently upheld safety standards and technical rigor in addressing this challenge. The Palisades nuclear reactor was originally commissioned in 1971, was acquired by Holtec International after its retirement in 2022, and now...

2026-10-24

Finland's Posiva Authorized to Operate the World's First Deep Geological Repository for Spent Fuel

Finnish radioactive waste management company Posiva has officially received an operating license from the Finnish government to operate the spent fuel encapsulation and final disposal facility at Olkiluoto. The facility thus becomes the world's first spent nuclear fuel repository to receive such an operating license. On December 30, 2021, Posiva submitted an operating license application to the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment for the spent fuel encapsulation plant and the Onkalo final disposal facility, with the requested operating period running from March 2024 through the end of 2070. The encapsulation plant and final disposal facility...

2026-10-24