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South Korean University Team Files Patent for Fusion Reactor Optimization Design Method

Professor Hong Bong-geun of the Department of Quantum System Engineering at the College of Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, has recently filed a patent for a fusion reactor optimization design method. This method can determine device dimensions and key component structures while enabling customized performance design for fusion reactors based on different applications such as power generation, thermal energy utilization, and transmutation neutron sources. According to reports, this design technology targets the early-stage R&D phase of fusion devices and can be used to rapidly assess the technical and economic feasibility of proposals, thereby reducing trial-and-error, shortening development cycles, and lowering development costs, providing design support for fusion energy commercialization...

2026-07-31

IAEA Launches ATLAS Initiative: Building a New International Governance Framework for Maritime Nuclear Applications

As global shipping demand for alternative fuels continues to grow and small modular reactor technology matures, nuclear applications in the maritime sector are accelerating from concept to reality. However, offshore nuclear deployment involves a complex set of issues including safety, security, safeguards, legal liability, insurance, and jurisdiction. The existing international regulatory framework is fragmented and ill-suited to the deployment needs of modern reactor designs. Against this backdrop, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has officially launched the Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) initiative, aiming to establish an integrated framework encompassing nuclear saf...

2026-07-31

Kazakhstan's National Nuclear Center Experimental Base Supports Nuclear Power Safety and Advanced Energy Research

On July 30, Vyacheslav Gnyrya, Deputy Director of the Institute of Atomic Energy at the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC RK), presented the development of the center's experimental research base. He stated that Kazakhstan is leveraging existing research facilities to establish a scientific foundation for next-generation reactor technologies and controlled thermonuclear fusion energy research. According to the presentation, the NNC RK experimental base is a strategic scientific research infrastructure developed over decades in Kazakhstan, featuring research reactors, specialized test facilities, and materials science equipment capable of simulating conditions difficult to replicate in operating nuclear reactors, including the behavior of nuclear fuel, structural materials, and safety system components under high temperatures, intense irradiation, and transient conditions.

2026-07-31

Vietnam's Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant Phases 1 and 2 Accelerate: Resettlement and Land Clearance Take Priority

On July 31, 2026, the Vietnam News Agency reported that the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa Province is urgently implementing tasks assigned by the central government to advance Sub-projects No. 1 and No. 2 of the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant (Phuoc Dinh Commune) and the Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Plant (Vinh Hai Commune) — namely, resettlement and land clearance works. The Khanh Hoa Provincial Investment and Construction Project Management Board has been designated by the Provincial People's Committee as the investor for the two sub-projects. Regarding Sub-project No. 1 (resettlement and land clearance) of the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant, the Provincial Project Management Board has completed the approval of construction drawings and budgets and is currently selecting contractors for 6 construction and installation packages. Among them, Package No. 15 (technical infrastructure for the resettlement area) has completed contractor selection and signed the construction contract. The construction unit has received 34.7 hectares of land and coordinate markers out of the 65.12-hectare resettlement area, and the temporary camp and project headquarters have commenced construction. The remaining packages pending bidding include: Package No. 14 (water supply facilities for the resettlement area), Package No. 16 (social infrastructure for the resettlement area), Package No. 17 (fishing vessel berthing area and revetment embankment), Package No. 18 (cemetery facilities), and Package No. 33 (construction and renovation of medium-voltage power lines and substations).

2026-07-31

Polish cable manufacturer FPE secures PSE framework contract to support national grid infrastructure for nuclear power

Energy Cable Factory (FPE) in Będzin has signed a framework agreement with Polish Power Grid Company (PSE) for the supply of cables used in the construction and upgrade of high-voltage transmission lines. The contract is valued at PLN 362.1 million net, equivalent to PLN 445.4 million gross. Under the agreement, FPE plans to expand the production capacity of its Będzin plant. This cooperation is not merely a commercial contract but also a vote of confidence in and recognition of Poland's industrial capabilities, proving its ability to undertake the modernization of national strategic infrastructure. The company emphasizes that it can deliver not only cables but also ensure the secure transmission of tomorrow's energy. The agreement covers the supply of phase conductors from 2026 to 2031, with a total length of...

2026-07-31

Poland Accelerates Nuclear Power Construction, New Bill Approved by Senate

Poland's nuclear power construction has made new progress, with the Senate passing an amendment to a bill aimed at simplifying the preparation and implementation of nuclear energy investments. The amendment allows investors to initiate partial civil works and preparatory activities before obtaining a full construction permit, thereby accelerating the progress of nuclear power plant projects. The bill is currently awaiting the President's signature to take effect, and is expected to enter into force 14 days after its publication in the Journal of Laws. The core of this new regulation lies in introducing a new type of permit—a construction permit covering preliminary civil works. This means investors can begin partial construction preparation before completing the full permitting and investment documentation approval for the entire nuclear power plant. Previously...

2026-07-31

German state of Lower Saxony approves production of Russian-designed VVER nuclear fuel at Lingen plant under additional strict conditions

The government of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany has approved a nuclear project linked to Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The project, operated by French company Framatome, aims to produce Russian-designed nuclear fuel rods and fuel assemblies in the city of Lingen, with key components to be supplied by Rosatom's subsidiary TVEL. Nevertheless, to address potential security risks, particularly threats of espionage and sabotage from Russian participants, the approval was granted with strict conditions. Under the terms of the approval, employees of Rosatom and TVEL will be barred from entering the facility, except in exceptional circumstances and when accompanied by nuclear regulatory authorities. Additionally, all...

2026-07-31

UK's largest nuclear power station Sizewell B placed on standby due to nearby wildfire

On July 30, the UK's largest nuclear power station, Sizewell B, was placed on "standby" status due to a heathland fire at Dunwich Heath, less than 5 kilometers from the plant site. There is currently no risk of the fire spreading toward the facility given wind direction. EDF stated it is "continuously monitoring, with no threat to facility safety," but approximately 120 firefighters and 18 fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze in the Liston area. Suffolk Fire Service assessed the fire as "active and changing," warning it could last two days, with hundreds of homes evacuated. Suffolk Fire Service warned the fire is expected to last two days and described it as an active and evolving situation. Hundreds of properties have been evacuated as firefighters continue to battle the raging forest fire. Experts noted...

2026-07-31

LHAASO "Sees" for the First Time How Black Holes Produce the Highest-Energy Particles in the Universe

How do black holes accelerate particles to the highest energies in the universe? The latest research provides the answer. On July 31, it was learned from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences that the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO, "Lasso"), a major national scientific and technological infrastructure, has for the first time clearly observed the process by which a black hole, while devouring material from its companion star, regularly produces the highest-energy particles in the universe like a metronome, and has identified the first PeV gamma-ray variable source. The related research results were published in the *National Science Review*. Cygnus X-3 is a binary system located in the constellation Cygnus, consisting of a black hole and a massive companion star. The gravitational pull there is extremely strong, and the black hole frantically accretes the stellar wind blown off by its companion. LHAASO detected...

2026-07-31

Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant Faces Full Shutdown Due to Record Low Danube Water Level

Affected by persistent drought and high temperatures, the water level of the Danube River at the Budapest section dropped to 23 cm (fixed datum reading, a record low), restricting cooling water intake at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Starting Wednesday, July 29, Unit 3 was the first to be shut down; the operator, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd, subsequently stated on its official website that all four units would inevitably be disconnected within the next 24 to 72 hours, with power generation coming to a complete halt. MVM explained that the existing water volume of the Danube is still sufficient to cool the reactors, but the intake pumps can no longer draw water because the riverbed is exposed and the pump inlets are too far from the water surface—an equipment failure rather than an absolute shortfall in cooling water volume. To this end, the Hungarian side deployed 4 pumping barges and 2 floating cranes near the plant as an emergency measure, but with water levels expected to continue falling, a preventive full shutdown remains unavoidable.

2026-07-31

France's Golfech nuclear power plant shut down for third time this summer due to high temperatures

France's Golfech nuclear power plant has been shut down three times this summer. Located approximately 100 kilometers northwest of Toulouse, the plant is operated by Électricité de France (EDF). On the evening of July 29, one of its reactors was shut down again due to extreme heat. EDF had previously shut down the reactor twice, from June 23 to July 3 and from July 9 to 27, to prevent cooling water discharged into the Garonne River from exceeding the 28-degree Celsius limit set by a 2006 decree. The Golfech nuclear power plant is located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, and its cooling water is discharged into the Garonne River. Currently, another reactor at the plant is also shut down for maintenance and refueling. France has experienced its fourth heatwave since the start of summer...

2026-07-31

Russian researchers detect anomalous signs in bottomonium states using Belle II experiment data

The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences recently announced that Russian researchers have detected anomalous phenomena in the analysis of data from the international Belle II experiment, indicating that the structure of certain excited states of bottomonium may be more complex than predicted by traditional models. Bottomonium is a class of unstable heavy particles composed of a bottom quark and an anti-bottom quark. Yevgeny Kovalenko, a young researcher at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that analysis of Belle II experiment data suggests that certain excited states of bottomonium may contain lighter quark components. In other words, these particles in specific states may not simply be plain bottom quark–anti-bottom quark combinations.

2026-07-31

IAEA Training Course for Owner/Operator Organizations of New Nuclear Power Projects Concludes in Russia

On July 30, the Interregional Training Course on the Establishment of Owner/Operator Organizations for New Nuclear Power Projects, jointly organized by Rosatom and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), concluded at the Rosatom Technical Academy. Eighteen experts from 15 countries in Asia and Africa completed the five-day training. The participants were primarily from national nuclear energy institutions, regulatory bodies, and relevant competent authorities responsible for nuclear infrastructure development in their respective countries. The course focused on the establishment and capacity building of owner/operator organizations for new nuclear power projects, covering topics such as license applications, change management, feasibility study preparation, personnel competency development, organizational structure design, and contract management.

2026-07-31

Vietnam and Russia Join Forces to Accelerate Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center Project

On the afternoon of July 30, Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan received a delegation led by Ilja Vergizajev, General Director of Rosatom Construction Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), in Hanoi. During the meeting, the Vietnamese side put forward three specific requests: accelerating the construction of the Vietnam Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center (CNST); supporting Vietnam in gradually mastering small modular reactor (SMR) technologies; and training human resources for Vietnam in the fields of atomic energy, radiation, and nuclear safety. Both sides confirmed that nuclear cooperation holds strategic significance and has long been a focus of high-level attention between the two countries. The CNST has been defined by the Vietnamese side as a...

2026-07-31

Crusoe and Aalo Atomics Forge Strategic Partnership: First Nuclear-Powered AI Facility Planned

U.S.-based Crusoe and Aalo Atomics have reached a strategic partnership aimed at deploying the first nuclear-powered artificial intelligence facility. This commercial collaboration builds on Aalo's recent criticality achievement, underscoring U.S. leadership in AI and energy. Crusoe's Spark modular AI data centers will be co-located with Aalo Atomics' nuclear reactor buildings at Idaho National Laboratory. The project aims to validate the effectiveness of nuclear energy for AI workloads. Cully Cavness, co-founder, president, and chief strategy officer of Crusoe, stated that next-generation AI infrastructure requires reliable, abundant, clean, and scalable power, and Aalo's reactors are designed precisely for that purpose. Crusoe's core value is "bending the energy arc toward sustainability," guided by the principle of leveraging its market position to support and accelerate energy innovation...

2026-07-31