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Russian enterprise develops borated polyethylene material for neutron radiation protection

A neutron radiation protection material developed by Russian company NPO Gelar has obtained relevant certification. The material, named Polikeramoplast-PB, is a borated polyethylene that resembles ordinary gray or black plastic sheets in appearance, but its protective performance derives from the combination of hydrogen and boron. According to reports, the hydrogen in the material effectively moderates fast neutrons, reducing the likelihood of subsequent secondary reactions, while the boron helps absorb moderated neutrons. In contrast, traditional heavy metal materials used for gamma-ray shielding are not suitable for standalone neutron protection, as heavy atomic nuclei have limited attenuation effects on neutrons. The material can be used in radiation therapy room protection systems and combined with lead...

2026-08-19

General Fusion Announces Business Update: LM26 Plasma Heated to Approximately 0.72 keV

General Fusion released a business update on August 18, disclosing its latest progress in fusion energy technology validation, commercial partnerships, and financing arrangements. The company went public on Nasdaq in July 2026 under the ticker symbol GFUZ. General Fusion stated that it entered the public market with approximately $150 million in cash following the completion of its business combination with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. III. The funds include net transaction proceeds from private placement and trust capital, and are planned to support the Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) project and drive the completion of multiple...

2026-08-19

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Advances Radioisotope Nuclear Battery Development

On August 17, 2026, the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory stated that its nuclear battery program is advancing the development of radioisotope power systems to meet the demand for stable, long-life power sources in deep space exploration, long-term power supply in remote areas, and national security-related scenarios. NASA's Perseverance Mars rover poses with several of the 10 sample tubes it placed in a sample depot it established in a region of Jezero Crater called "Three Forks." The rover's radioisotope thermoelectric generator is powered by a nuclear battery. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Nuclear batteries generate electricity from the energy released by the decay of radioisotopes, making them suitable for environments such as the seafloor, remote deserts, and extraterrestrial surfaces where maintenance is difficult and continuous power supply is needed for years or even decades.

2026-08-19

Argonne National Laboratory's Nuclear Energy Operations Optimization Software Named Finalist for 2026 R&D 100 Awards

On August 18, 2026, multiple research projects from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory received recognition in the 2026 R&D 100 Awards. Among them, the open-source software FARM, directly related to nuclear energy system operations, was named a finalist, standing out as a noteworthy nuclear energy technology achievement among this year's winners and finalists. FARM stands for Feasible Actuator Range Modifier, jointly developed by Argonne National Laboratory and DOE's Idaho National Laboratory, with NuCube Energy Inc. as a collaborating partner. The software targets complex energy sy...

2026-08-19

Embalse Nuclear Power Plant Life Extension Experience Boosts Argentina's Nuclear Power Service Exports

Argentina's Embalse Nuclear Power Plant life extension project has become an important technical foundation for the country's nuclear power service exports. Between 2015 and 2019, the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant underwent a large-scale refurbishment, with core work including reactor tube replacement, fuel channel replacement, steam generator renewal, and upgrade of the plant's computer control system, enabling the unit to operate for another 30 years. Nuclear power plant life extension is one of the most technically challenging projects in the energy sector, requiring the dismantling, inspection, assessment, and refurbishment of key equipment that has been in operation for decades, with stringent requirements for engineering precision, quality control, and project management capability. Through the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant project, Argentina has for the first time fully implemented this complex process.

2026-08-19

Investigation into Automatic Shutdown of Unit 3 at Japan's Ohi Nuclear Power Plant: Damage Found in Exciter Rotating Rectifier

Kansai Electric Power reported on August 19 that Unit 3 of the Ohi Nuclear Power Plant experienced an automatic generator trip triggered by a generator loss-of-field alarm at 23:56 on August 8, followed by an automatic reactor shutdown. At the time of the event, the unit was operating stably at rated thermal power. The company stated that the event caused no radiological impact on the environment. The loss-of-field alarm is used to indicate an abnormal state in the magnetic field generated inside the generator. Following the incident, Kansai Electric conducted on-site inspections of equipment related to generator magnetic field establishment, including the generator, exciter, and automatic voltage regulator (AVR). Among these, the exciter is used to establish the magnetic field for the generator...

2026-08-19

Norway's Thor Medical AlphaOne High-Purity Alpha Radioisotope Facility to Be Officially Inaugurated

Thor Medical ASA announced on August 19 that its AlphaOne production facility at the Herøya industrial park in Norway will be officially inaugurated on September 9, 2026, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre attending the ceremony. According to reports, AlphaOne is Thor Medical's first industrial-scale production facility for high-purity α radioisotopes and the first of its kind globally. The facility is already in operation, primarily producing isotope products for next-generation targeted cancer therapies, supplying high-purity α emitters to the radiopharmaceutical industry. Thor Medical CEO Jasper Kurth stated that AlphaOn...

2026-08-19

Urenco USA Breaks Ground on National Enrichment Facility Expansion, Plans to Add 2.1 Million SWU Capacity

On August 18, local time, Urenco USA held a groundbreaking ceremony in Eunice, New Mexico, United States, to launch the future expansion of its commercial uranium enrichment facility. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Urenco Group Chief Executive Officer Boris Schucht, and company management attended the ceremony. Urenco USA is the only commercial-scale uranium enrichment producer in the United States, operating the National Enrichment Facility (NEF). The company announced in June this year that it would increase the facility's capacity by nearly 50%. This expansion is part of a multi-billion-dollar investment, with plans to build a new...

2026-08-19

UNESCO Expert Mission Inspects Environmental Remediation Project at Former Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill in Russia

On August 19, 2026, a monitoring mission for the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site, comprising experts from UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, inspected the cumulative environmental damage remediation work carried out by Federal Environmental Operator, a subsidiary of Rosatom, at the former Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill site. At the former plant area, the experts were briefed on progress in sludge treatment, alkaline wastewater treatment, and nature-based remediation technologies. The relevant projects primarily target historically accumulated pollution, with the goal of reducing the risk of pollutants entering Lake Baikal. During the visit, the infrastructure at the Babushinsky landfill and the former wastewater treatment plant had been completed and entered the commissioning phase. The...

2026-08-19

Malaysian Nuclear Agency Strengthens Scientific Writing Training to Promote Dissemination of Nuclear Technology Research Outcomes

On August 18, the Malaysian Nuclear Agency stated that it will continue to enhance the scientific writing and publishing capabilities of its professionals and technical staff, driving research outcomes out of the laboratory to serve society and national development in a broader manner. Dr. Muhamad Rawi Mohamed Zin, Director General of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, said at the opening of the 2026 Scientific Writing and Publishing Seminar and Workshop that scientific publications are a key indicator of whether research outcomes can promote knowledge advancement, solve practical problems, and create value for national development. High-quality publishing not only helps demonstrate research impact but also enables scientific outcomes to be shared, understood, and applied by a wider audience. This seminar...

2026-08-19

Indonesia Develops Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation Technology to Boost Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil

The Indonesian Nuclear Technology Polytechnic, under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), has recently successfully developed cobalt-60 (Co-60) gamma irradiation technology and applied it to increase biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. The study aims to explore more efficient pathways for renewable energy production while providing a new solution for the resource utilization of waste cooking oil. Dita Ariyanti, a lecturer at the Indonesian Nuclear Technology Polytechnic, stated that with continued growth in energy consumption and declining fossil fuel reserves, the need to develop alternative energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. For Indonesia, rising energy demand and dependence on fossil fuels also pose challenges to greenhouse gas emission reduction. Waste cooking oil was previously mostly treated as household waste, and improper disposal could pollute the environment; converting it into biodiesel can reduce waste while obtaining renewable energy.

2026-08-19

IAEA imPACT Assessment Recommends Namibia Expand Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Services

August 18, 2026, the results of the International Atomic Energy Agency's imPACT review show that Namibia has demonstrated a clear commitment to strengthening cancer treatment, while still needing to further expand service coverage, build the oncology workforce, and improve access to cancer diagnosis and treatment nationwide. Cancer is becoming an increasingly prominent public health challenge in Namibia. Data shows that the country records more than 4,200 new cancer cases annually. According to Globocan 2024 projections, this figure is expected to rise to 7,200 by 2040. Breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and Kaposi sarcoma currently account for nearly half of all confirmed cancer cases in Namibia...

2026-08-19

IAEA Lise Meitner Programme Concludes First Visit to Russia

The first visit to Russia under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Lise Meitner Programme recently concluded in Moscow. The two-week visit brought together 14 female nuclear industry professionals from 14 countries, focusing on Russia's nuclear technology, nuclear facilities, and research platform operations, along with training and exchanges on professional competence and leadership. During the visit, the delegation toured the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant, the Rosatom Technical Academy in Obninsk, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), and the Machine-Building Plant under Rosatom's fuel division. Participants also learned virtually about...

2026-08-19

Akkuyu NPP Unit 2 Completes Installation of Four Main Pump Sets

The four main pump sets of the technical water supply system at the onshore pumping station of Unit 2 at Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant have been installed. Specialists from TITAN-2 Holding completed the installation, marking new progress in the construction of the turbine island cooling system for this unit. These large centrifugal pumps will be used to deliver seawater to the condenser cooling system of the turbine units. Once the unit is in operation, the continuous and stable operation of the pump sets will directly affect the cooling efficiency of the turbine hall equipment and influence the operational stability of the turbine units. According to reports, these pump sets are among the larger pump equipment at the nuclear power plant, with each pump standing as tall as a five-story building. The equipment is arranged in a tiered layout, with the pump bodies...

2026-08-19

Rosatom masters 3D printing technology for copper and copper alloys

The additive manufacturing technology business division of Rosatom's Fuel Division recently announced that its experts have successfully manufactured products from copper and copper alloys using the RusMelt industrial 3D printer, marking progress in additive manufacturing with copper materials. According to reports, Rosatom had previously used selective laser melting (SLM) technology to produce metal 3D-printed equipment of various sizes, with commonly used materials including stainless steel, heat-resistant materials, and titanium. Due to copper's physical properties such as high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity, which also pose technical challenges for laser melting, its application in metal 3D printing has long been limited. The company's additive manufacturing technology center in Moscow...

2026-08-19