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U.S. and Paraguay Sign Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano signed a strategic civil nuclear energy cooperation memorandum of understanding in Washington on August 4. According to relevant information, the two sides signed what is commonly referred to as the "123 Agreement," which establishes the basic framework for bilateral cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. The 123 Agreement originates from Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, passed in 1954. This provision authorizes the United States to transfer civil nuclear technology for energy or scientific purposes to partner countries under specific conditions. As a prerequisite, the recipient country must comply with International Atomic Energy...

2026-08-05

NRC Preliminary Assessment Finds No Significant Environmental Impacts from Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant Restart

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a draft environmental assessment for the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, preliminarily concluding that the project would not result in significant environmental impacts. NextEra Energy plans to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Palo, Iowa, as early as 2029, and has made significant progress. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Advantage Financing participated as a cooperating agency in drafting the environmental assessment, as the department is considering providing financial support for the restart project. According to a notice in the Federal Register, NRC staff evaluated the potential impacts of restarting the 615-megawatt Duane Arnold nuclear power plant on land use, meteorology, air quality and...

2026-08-05

PowerChina Jiangsu Equipment Company's First Nuclear Power "Three Wastes" Project Officially Launched

On July 23, the kick-off meeting for PowerChina Jiangsu Equipment Company's first nuclear power "Three Wastes" new product project was successfully held at the company's headquarters. Client representatives from China General Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., Taishan No. 2 Nuclear Power, and Fangchenggang Nuclear Power jointly attended the meeting, marking the project's official entry into the full implementation stage. The meeting had clear objectives and was efficient and pragmatic. A flag-awarding ceremony for the "E-P Joint Task Force" was held on site, formally establishing an integrated collaborative working mechanism covering the entire chain of design, procurement, and manufacturing. During the meeting, client representatives provided systematic briefings on core project concerns, key technical disclosures, and lessons learned from similar projects; the company delivered special reports on project preparation, preliminary risk identification, and subsequent implementation plans. Both parties conducted thorough communication and reached consensus on core topics such as quality assurance requirements, implementation of nuclear safety culture, and integrity compliance standards, jointly signing the meeting minutes on site.

2026-08-05

Arkansas Advances New Nuclear Power Plant Project, Hyundai Motor Supports SMR Construction

Entergy, Holtec International, and Hyundai Motor Group signed an agreement on August 4, 2026, to jointly advance a nuclear power generation project in White County, Arkansas. The project will utilize Holtec's technology for the design, manufacturing, and maintenance of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), while Hyundai Motor will be responsible for providing key equipment and technical support for the plant. This collaboration involves the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Arkansas, which is expected to provide reliable and clean electricity to the local area. Entergy will serve as the operator of the project, responsible for the safe operation and management of the nuclear power plant, and will also work closely with H...

2026-08-05

Russia Plans to Complete Domestic MRI Scanner Development by 2027

On August 1, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stated that Russia should complete the development of a domestically produced MRI scanner by 2027. Mishustin learned about the relevant progress during his visit to the Consultative Diagnostic Center in the Republic of Tyva. While inspecting the MRI equipment installed at the center, he asked Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko about the development of domestic devices. Murashko stated that the research and development work is being carried out by Rosatom, and noted that the device is expected to be completed next year. Mishustin then expressed hope that Russia would have its own domestically developed MRI scanner next year. If the device is completed as planned, it will be used in the field of medical imaging diagnostics.

2026-08-05

Amazon Withdraws Data Center Plans Near Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

Amazon has withdrawn its plans to build data centers near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland. The decision comes after some local residents expressed concerns about the proposal, citing potential environmental and health impacts. Nevertheless, supporters argued that the move would bring new tax revenue to the region. Amazon had originally planned to establish seven facilities across three campuses on 2,000 acres of land near the nuclear plant. Calvert County Commission officials stated they would hold a public hearing on August 18 to consider a six-month temporary moratorium on any data center development projects. The proposed ordinance would establish a temporary pause...

2026-08-05

Oklahoma Strives to Build the Nation's First Nuclear Energy Innovation Hub

Oklahoma is actively competing to become the first nuclear energy innovation hub in the United States, having submitted a detailed 31-page proposal. The plan aims to cover the entire nuclear fuel lifecycle management, encompassing fuel fabrication, advanced reactor construction, spent fuel recycling, and permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Oklahoma's goal is to establish the first permanent waste disposal solution in the U.S., achieving this before commercial nuclear power deployment. In the proposal, deep borehole drilling for radioactive waste disposal emerges as a key component. This method involves drilling thousands of feet deep and placing radioactive waste sealed in specially designed containers into the subsurface, followed by sealing the borehole.

2026-08-05

Rostov NPP Completes Preparations for Summer Peak Load

Russia's Rostov NPP has completed a series of preparations for the summer peak load period to cope with abnormally high temperatures in southern Russia and the growth in summer electricity demand, ensuring stable power supply. Located on the shore of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir, Rostov NPP is one of Russia's southernmost nuclear power plants and is part of the power division of Rosatom. The plant operates four VVER-1000 pressurized water reactor units, with each unit generating approximately 25 million kWh of electricity per day. Nuclear power accounts for more than 70% of electricity production in Rostov Oblast and approximately 30% of the unified power system of southern Russia. To cope with the high temperatures...

2026-08-05

US Intermountain Health Opens New Outpatient Clinic in Las Vegas, Equipped with PET/CT and Linear Accelerator

Intermountain Health, headquartered in Salt Lake City, recently opened a new outpatient clinic in southwest Las Vegas. Named Badura Clinic, the facility spans approximately 90,000 square feet and is located in the Spring Valley area, marking the health system's first new construction project in Nevada. The three-story Badura Clinic officially opened following a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community open house on July 30. The clinic consolidates primary care and select specialty services previously dispersed across multiple locations in the Las Vegas Valley, offering more centralized medical care for children, adults, and senior patients. According to the introduction, the clinic's services include adult and...

2026-08-05

Kazakhstan's Uranium Output Up 9% Year-on-Year in First Half of 2026

Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan's largest uranium producer, reported on August 3 that the country's uranium output increased by 9% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. According to the report, on a 100% basis, uranium oxide (U3O8) production from entities in which the company holds stakes totaled 13,291 tonnes in the first half of this year, up from 12,242 tonnes in the same period of 2025. The 100% basis covers the full production of all entities in which Kazatomprom holds stakes, with a portion of that output potentially attributable to joint venture partners or other third-party shareholders. On an attributable basis, Kazatomprom's uranium production in the first half of 2026 stood at 7,054 tonnes, up 10% year-on-year. This basis only counts the portion of production attributable to Kazatomprom...

2026-08-05

U.S. Team Proposes New In-Situ Cleaning Method for Porous Tungsten Walls in Fusion Devices

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, and Pennsylvania State University have proposed an in-situ cleaning method for fusion system wall materials, which uses heating combined with neon plasma to remove contaminants from the surface of porous tungsten materials after components are installed and sealed within a vacuum chamber. The research findings have been published in *Nuclear Materials and Energy*. Image credit: Kyle Palmer / PPPL Communications Department. Fusion system walls must withstand extreme temperatures. Liquid lithium is considered a promising wall protection material, which can be retained within porous tungsten wall tile structures much like water absorbed by a sponge. However, this...

2026-08-05

Aternium to Build First U.S. Heavy Water and High-Purity Hydrogen Production Facility in Delaware

Aternium announced on August 4 that it has selected Dover, Delaware, as the site for its first commercial heavy water and electrolytic hydrogen production facility. The company has reached a definitive sales agreement for a parcel within Garrison Oak Technical Park, with the transaction expected to close by mid-Q4 2026. The project will serve as Aternium's flagship production initiative in the United States, planned to produce heavy water (deuterium oxide) and high-purity hydrogen. According to company disclosures, the project is expected to bring at least $226 million in capital investment to Dover, create dozens of direct and supporting jobs, and generate hundreds of construction jobs during the build-out phase...

2026-08-05

ASP Isotopes PET Lab Revenue Grows Over 50% in First Half of Year, Isotope Enrichment Facilities Advance Toward Commercial Production

ASP Isotopes Inc. recently released a letter to shareholders outlining operational progress across its business segments ahead of the company's second-quarter 2026 financial results announcement. The company stated that its PET lab segment achieved organic revenue growth of more than 50% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Based on current expectations, the segment's full-year 2026 revenue is projected to be approximately $14 million, up from $6 million in 2025. PET-related operations are typically closely associated with radiopharmaceutical preparation, molecular imaging, and nuclear medicine diagnostic applications. On the isotope front, ASP Isotopes stated that its silicon-28 and ytterbium-176 enrichment facilities have entered the final stage before commercial production, with first deliveries expected in the second half of 2026...

2026-08-05

UK Office for Nuclear Regulation contributes to IAEA regulatory cooperation toolkit for advanced reactors

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently published the Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) Regulatory Cooperation Toolkit. The UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) played a significant role in the development of this toolkit, which is designed to support cooperation among national nuclear regulators in the review of advanced reactor technologies. The toolkit is one of the key outputs of Phase 2 of the NHSI (2025–2026), developed jointly by multiple regulators participating in the NHSI Regulatory Track and the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Regulators' Forum. The toolkit provides practical guidance, templates, and methodologies to help regulators conduct collaborative reviews, leverage existing regulatory assessment outcomes, and address...

2026-08-05

France's drought lowers river water levels, EDF shuts down three nuclear reactors

Affected by drought weather, water flows in France's Meuse and Moselle rivers have declined, and Électricité de France (EDF) has shut down three nuclear reactors in northeastern France. As of the afternoon of August 3, Units 1 and 2 at the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant in the Ardennes department, as well as one unit at the Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant in the Moselle department, remained offline. EDF shut down Unit 1 at the Chooz plant on Saturday evening to comply with the Meuse River management agreement signed between France and Belgium in 1998. Under the same agreement, Unit 2 at the Chooz plant has been offline since July 11. EDF stated that the agreement allows for adjustments to power generation arrangements based on hydrological conditions to safeguard water usage for users along the Meuse River in both France and Belgium.

2026-08-05