MIT Startup Develops "Desktop" Dual-Laser Fusion Device, Targeting Tritium Fuel Gap

Recently, Cambridge Heavy Industries, a startup based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) laboratory in the United States, has emerged from stealth, publicly disclosing for the first time its previously confidential micro "desktop" inertial confinement fusion (ICF) technology scheme. It is understood that, unlike the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which employs a massive third-generation spatial array of 192 laser beams, Cambridge Heavy Industries has developed a unique two-dimensional dual-laser ignition device. The first laser irradiates the fuel pellet in a concentric ring pattern to generate an inwardly propagating shock wave, while the second laser precisely irradiates the shock wave...

2026-10-19

NTPC Plans to Expand Nuclear Power Project Site Studies, Sprinting Toward 30 GW Target

Recently, senior officials of NTPC Limited (NTPC) revealed that, as part of its ambitious goal of achieving 30 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power installed capacity by 2047, the company plans to conduct feasibility studies for proposed nuclear power projects in more states including Uttar Pradesh. As India's largest energy producer, NTPC currently has a total installed capacity exceeding 91,000 megawatts (MW), meeting one quarter of the nation's electricity demand. Previously, the company has completed feasibility studies at Basai in Madhya Pradesh, Banka in Bihar, and Nabarangpur in Odisha.

2026-10-19

NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Accelerate Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Technologies

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) formally signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a summit hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), establishing a comprehensive framework for cooperation between the two parties in the fields of space nuclear power and nuclear propulsion systems, aimed at replacing and revising two previously reached related agreements. The memorandum is titled "Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion,"...

2026-10-18

Malaysia's Worldwide Holdings Bhd Plans Investment Decision on Nuclear Power Project Within Five Years

Worldwide Holdings Bhd, a state-owned conglomerate of Selangor, Malaysia, is actively planning to play a role in Malaysia's future nuclear power development, closely aligning its strategic planning with Selangor's needs for stable electricity supply, enhanced local industrial capabilities, and expanded investment opportunities. The group's Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Zaki Ahmad Zainuddin stated that the preparatory work covers nuclear power plant site assessment, technology selection, and financing scheme evaluation, while simultaneously building professional capabilities spanning the entire project lifecycle from planning and construction to operation. Ahmad Zaki, at the Selangor International Business...

2026-10-18

Vietnam and Canada Deepen Cooperation in Nuclear Energy Development; Canada Promotes CANDU Heavy Water Reactor Technology

Le Xuan Dinh, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Vietnam, met with Jim Nickel, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, on October 16 in Hanoi, and held bilateral working talks with a delegation from AtkinsRéalis Engineering Group led by Todd Smith, Vice President of Nuclear Power Business Development of Canada. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on key topics including the peaceful uses of atomic energy, research and development of clean and low-carbon technologies, and joint training of nuclear-related professionals, aiming to advance practical cooperation between the two countries in the civilian nuclear energy field. Le Xuan...

2026-10-18

Rosatom Joins Forces with Prosoft-Systems and Reglab to Deepen Cooperation, Boosting Gen IV Nuclear Power and Industrial Autonomous Automation

During the Russian Energy Week international forum held in Moscow, JSC Rusatom Automated Control Systems (RASU), the core management entity of Rosatom's Automation Control Systems and Electrical Engineering Division, formally signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Prosoft-Systems LLC and its controlled subsidiary Reglab LLC. The parties will deeply integrate their technological expertise in industrial-grade hardware development, software development, and turnkey control system engineering deployment...

2026-10-18

NRC Approves Holtec's Alternative Plan to Remove Tilted Fuel Assembly at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant

About two weeks after the fuel loading incident at the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert, Mich., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved Holtec International's emergency License Amendment Request (LAR), allowing the use of custom-designed specialized equipment to remove the tilted fuel assembly from the reactor pressure vessel. The NRC stated that because the incident has halted the plant's fuel loading operations and part of the restart work, this license amendment was reviewed and issued under emergency conditions...

2026-10-17

Pre-Project Geotechnical Investigation Launched for Units 5 and 6 of Kakrapar Nuclear Power Station in India

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) announced that geotechnical investigations have officially commenced at the site of Units 5 and 6 of the Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant in Gujarat, marking a key early-stage development milestone for these two indigenously designed 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) projects. Meanwhile, the Nuclear Fuels Complex is manufacturing steam generator tubes to support the fleet construction programme, and India's indigenous Small Modular Reactor programme has also reached an important...

2026-10-17

Rosatom and Indonesia Reach Historic Agreement to Implement First Floating Nuclear Power Plant Power Supply Export Project

Rosatom State Corporation and Indonesian state-owned enterprise PT Pembangkit Listrik Nuklir have reached an agreement to supply electricity generated by floating nuclear power units to electricity customers in North Maluku Province in eastern Indonesia. The agreement was signed on October 16, 2026, in Moscow during Russian Energy Week (REW), marking an important milestone in bilateral energy cooperation between Russia and Indonesia. Under the project plan, Rosatom State Corporation will deploy two FPU-...

2026-10-17

U.S. Plans Massive Funding to Restart Three Decommissioned Nuclear Power Plants to Meet AI Computing Demand

Recently, the United States is experiencing an unprecedented wave of nuclear power restarts, with plans to revive three commercial nuclear power plants that have been shut down, in order to meet surging electricity demand and the computing power needs of large data centers. The three nuclear power plants are the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, the Crane Clean Energy Center at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, and the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $4.4 billion in loan guarantees to restore a total of 2.25...

2026-10-17

Unit 1 of Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is planned to start criticality before the end of the year

Recently, Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, stated that the first reactor of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkey is expected to be officially loaded with fuel and achieve first criticality (i.e., the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction) in the second half of December this year, pushing the project to formally transition from the construction phase to the commissioning and startup phase. It is understood that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is Turkey's first nuclear power plant. The project plans to build 4 Russian VVER-1200 Generation III reactors, with a total investment exceeding US$20 billion, fully funded and constructed by Rosatom under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model....

2026-10-17

Norway and Sweden Sign Long-Term Agreement for Cross-Border Processing of Spent Fuel from Decommissioned Research Reactors

Recently, the Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) and the Swedish nuclear technical service provider Studsvik formally signed a landmark agreement in Halden valid until 2055, under which the latter will take full responsibility for the cross-border transport, inspection, oxidation treatment, and interim storage of spent nuclear fuel from the former research reactors at Halden and Kjeller in Norway. It is understood that Norway has accumulated approximately 16.5 tonnes of spent research reactor fuel over the past 60 years, including metallic uranium fuel, aluminum-clad fuel, and various experimental fuels, the vast majority of which cannot be directly subjected to long-term safe disposal. Under the agreement, Studsvik will transport this spent fuel to its licensed facility outside Nykoping, Sweden, for oxidation and other key processing, after which it will be temporarily stored in Sweden until it is returned to Norway in the future for final geological disposal.

2026-10-17

Sanmen Nuclear Power's Multiple Management Innovation Achievements Recognized, Supporting High-Quality Development of Nuclear Power

Recently, Sanmen Nuclear Power proudly received multiple management innovation achievement awards. Among them, "Construction and Efficiency Enhancement of a Data-Driven Nuclear Power Thermal Performance Supervision System" won the Second Prize of CNNC, and "Data-Driven Predictive Maintenance Management for Nuclear Power Enterprises" won the Third Prize. In addition, "Full Life-Cycle Health Management of Equipment Based on Multi-Source Data and System Collaboration for Nuclear Power Enterprises" and "Construction of a Reliability-Centered Full-Process Quality Supervision System for Nuclear Fuel Manufacturing" also won the Third Prize of China Nuclear Power Management Innovation. These achievements fully demonstrate Sanmen Nuclear Power's innovation strength in relying on digital transformation, deepening nuclear power operations, and improving quality and efficiency, injecting strong momentum into the year-end sprint...

2026-10-16

Construction of the Pallas research reactor in the Netherlands advances steadily, with commercial operation planned before 2032

Recently, the second-phase construction of the Pallas research reactor project in Petten, the Netherlands, has made significant progress, with construction of the underground walls and the Aircraft Protection Shell (APS) advancing steadily. As a key new-build project to replace the aging High Flux Reactor (HFR) currently in service, Pallas is scheduled to complete civil construction around 2030 and achieve full commercial operation before 2032. In terms of engineering and construction details, with the smooth completion of the floor slab on underground level -3, the construction team has fully launched segmented pouring operations for the walls on each underground level and the APS protective shell. On level -3, the APS protective wall is being concreted in 12 successive segments...

2026-10-16

Idaho State University to Build Microreactor, Empowering Nuclear Energy Talent Development

Recently, Idaho State University (ISU) announced that it will collaborate with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and local nuclear technology company NuCube to jointly build a new microreactor to fully support the state's only undergraduate nuclear engineering program. It is understood that the project will carry out a major expansion and upgrade of the existing teaching and research reactor that has been in continuous operation since 1965, providing a cutting-edge technology operating platform for the next generation of nuclear engineers. This collaboration relies on the relevant advancement programs of the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC), aiming to provide key resources and regulatory guidance for the research, development, and...

2026-10-16

EDF Strives to Complete EPR2 Nuclear Power Plant in 70 Months

Recently, Electricité de France (EDF) announced that the company is continuing to advance multiple optimization efforts, striving to significantly shorten the construction period of the next-generation EPR2 nuclear power plant to 70 months. According to the latest industry updates released by the Société Française d'Énergie Nucléaire (Sfen), EDF is currently concentrating resources on engineering and management optimization of key projects, aiming to comprehensively improve the construction efficiency of next-generation nuclear power projects through multiple dimensions including design standardization, supply chain coordination, and construction process restructuring. The setting of this acceleration target...

2026-10-16

Namibia Accelerates Its Path to Nuclear Energy, Formally Appoints First Nuclear Commissioner

Recently, the Office of the Prime Minister of Namibia announced the formal appointment of John Titus, Director of the Energy Directorate in the Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Energy, as Namibia's Nuclear Commissioner, tasked with comprehensively coordinating all preparatory work for the country's nuclear energy development and leading the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization (NEPIO) Secretariat. It is understood that Namibian Prime Minister Titunga Ilya Ngurare also established the NEPIO Management Committee, aimed at providing high-level policy coordination and strategic oversight for the long-term nuclear power programme. The committee is composed of executive directors from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Energy, the Ministry of International Relations and...

2026-10-16

Westinghouse Places First AP1000 Module Orders with Polish Companies

Recently, Westinghouse Electric Company announced during the 4th Nuclear Power Industry Congress held in Warsaw that it has formally placed conditional purchase orders for nuclear safety-related modules with four Polish domestic companies, marking a substantive step forward in the localization of the supply chain for Poland's first nuclear power plant. According to the plan, Poland intends to build three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in Choczewo, Pomerania, in northern Poland. After Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) approved the launch of long-lead component orders for the first unit last week...

2026-10-16

Bruce Unit 4 Refurbishment Sets Record, Schedule Significantly Ahead of Unit 3

Recently, Bruce Power of Canada announced that the Major Component Replacement (MCR) project at Bruce Unit 4 has reached a key milestone. The installation efficiency of the unit's 480 calandria tubes set a new record, with overall progress further accelerated compared to the previous Unit 3. As a core life extension project for the CANDU heavy water pressure tube reactor, the MCR project encompasses the systematic removal and replacement of key core components, representing a major infrastructure undertaking spanning multiple years and aimed at extending the reactor's operational life by 30 to 35 years. During this construction phase, a six-axis robotic tooling system jointly developed by Bruce Power...

2026-10-16

KhimMed to Build Large-Scale Electrolyte Plant for Rosatom, Securing Supply Chain for Gigafactories

Recently, the Fuel Division of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, signed a cooperation agreement with KhimMed, a diversified chemical holding company, announcing joint development of domestically produced key components for lithium-ion batteries and the construction of industrial-scale electrolyte production facilities at KhimMed's existing site. It is understood that the new facility has a potential annual production capacity of up to 10,000 tons of electrolyte, sufficient to support the production of lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 15 GWh to 20 GWh. By comparison, the two gigafactories planned by Rosatom's Fuel Division in Kaliningrad Oblast and Moscow Oblast have a combined planned capacity of 8 GWh, meaning that the electrolyte plant's output can not only fully meet Rosatom's own...

2026-10-16

IAEA and Uzatom Jointly Hold Workshop on SMR Deployment Modeling Tools

Recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Uzbekistan Agency for Atomic Energy (Uzatom) jointly held a national workshop on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment modeling tools at Uzatom headquarters. The event brought together key experts from Uzbek government agencies, research institutes, design organizations, and the energy sector. Dr. Hadid Subki, Technical Manager for SMR Technology Development at the IAEA, Senior Nuclear Energy Expert Vladimir Artisyuk...

2026-10-16