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UK think tank calls for clear nuclear reactor technology roadmap to support nuclear expansion

On September 8, 2026, UK think tank Policy Exchange released a white paper stating that the UK government needs to more clearly articulate which nuclear reactor technologies it will rely on to advance the so-called nuclear golden age, and to strengthen the supply chain and achieve economies of scale through batch construction. Policy Exchange's Nuclear Enterprise Committee is composed of experts from government, industry, and academia. The committee believes that the UK's civil nuclear strategy is at a critical stage, and related decisions will affect the country's energy system for decades to come. The white paper points out that given that new small modular reactor technologies are still in the early stages of development, the UK government should retain the option of building another large-scale nuclear...

2026-09-09

Global nuclear power generation hits record high; World Nuclear Association says 2050 capacity target still requires project support

On September 8, 2026, the World Nuclear Association (WNA) stated in its newly released World Nuclear Outlook Report 2026 that global nuclear power generation reached 2,702 TWh in 2025, a record high. The Association said that if national nuclear expansion plans are implemented, global nuclear installed capacity could exceed the level corresponding to the nuclear tripling target by 2050. The report shows that global nuclear power generation in 2025 increased by 35 TWh compared with the previous record set in 2024. The average capacity factor of operating nuclear units worldwide was 83.7%, continuing the strong operational performance seen since 2000. The World Nuclear Association stated that with national targets achieved, identified...

2026-09-09

National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure Project "High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility" Passes Special Financial and Asset Acceptance

From September 6 to 7, the Bureau of Finance and Assets and the Bureau of Science and Technology Basic Capacity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized a financial expert group and an asset expert group to carry out special financial and asset acceptance work on the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure—the High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) project. The expert group consisted of 13 experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, research institutes, and universities. Figure: Acceptance meeting site. The expert group listened to reports on the project's construction, financial asset management, and investment completion. The financial acceptance expert group reviewed materials such as the financial summary report and the completion financial final accounts audit report, conducted on-site inspections of final account statements and account books, and spot-checked contracts and accounting vouchers, followed by on-site inquiries and discussions on the financial investment completion status. The asset acceptance expert group reviewed materials including the asset summary report and procurement ledgers, conducted on-site spot checks of process equipment for the High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator, experimental terminal systems, facility auxiliary equipment, and public supporting systems, and held on-site inquiries and discussions on asset delivery status.

2026-09-09

UK Rolls-Royce SMR Signs Memorandum of Understanding with ABB on Small Modular Reactors

On September 8, 2026, ABB and Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors (Rolls-Royce SMR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaboration on small modular reactor projects. Under the MoU, ABB will study how its automation, electrification, instrumentation, and communications solutions can be applied to the scaled deployment of related projects. Rolls-Royce SMR is developing standardized, factory-prefabricated small modular reactor technology aimed at reducing nuclear project risks, improving delivery certainty, and providing low-carbon electricity in global markets. The company plans to develop a fleet of units, each with an electrical output of 470 megawatts, capable of meeting the electricity needs of one million UK households...

2026-09-09

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant says restoring second external power line is critical to nuclear safety

On September 7, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant stated that restoring and commissioning the second external power transmission line—the 750 kV Dniprovska line—is critical to improving the reliability of the plant's power supply and enhancing nuclear and radiation safety levels. The plant also proposed that a systematic supply of fuel for backup diesel generators needs to be ensured. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant stated that after the 330 kV Ferrospravnaya-1 transmission line restored external power supply, the radiation conditions at the plant and surrounding areas remained stable, within the range of natural background levels. The plant also stated that following the restoration of external power supply, the backup diesel generators have been switched to standby mode. In its statement, the plant said that the Ferrospravnaya-1...

2026-09-09

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant to Remain Offline Until at Least September 18 Due to Low Danube River Levels

On September 8, Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant was expected to remain offline until at least September 18 due to low water levels in the Danube River. Emil Macovei, Technical Director of Nuclearelectrica, the operator of the Cernavoda plant, stated that over the next 10 days, the Danube's water volume would still be insufficient to support the restart of either of the plant's two units. Romania's Antena 3 television channel quoted him as saying that current hydrological conditions do not yet meet the requirements for unit operation. Cristian Busoi, Secretary of State at Romania's Ministry of Energy, said that predictions regarding the plant's restart timeline were "rather optimistic," and the ministry is currently unable to provide a definitive date for resuming operations. He confirmed that...

2026-09-09

GE HealthCare's StarGuide GX Digital 4D CZT SPECT/CT Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance in the U.S.

GE HealthCare recently announced that its new digital 4D CZT SPECT/CT system, StarGuide GX, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The system had previously obtained CE marking, and this U.S. clearance marks progress in the clinical adoption of its next-generation molecular imaging technology. Designed for theragnostics and precision medicine needs, StarGuide GX is a comprehensive SPECT/CT system. It supports imaging at multiple energy levels, enables general-purpose SPECT imaging, and is tailored for emerging tracer applications, including investigational α-emitters, aiming to provide imaging support for clinicians and researchers exploring new pathways in diagnosis, treatment planning, and therapeutic response monitoring.

2026-09-09

Alpha-9 Oncology Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Trial of GRPR-Targeted Radiotherapy, First Patient Dosed

Alpha-9 Oncology, a U.S. clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company, recently announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating two GRPR-targeted radiopharmaceuticals. The study involves the actinium-225-labeled compound 225Ac-A9-0642 and the lutetium-177-labeled compound 177Lu-A9-0631, primarily enrolling patients with breast cancer and other solid tumors, with data expected to be released by the end of 2027. According to the company, both 225Ac-A9-0642 and 177Lu-A9-0631 target the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR). GRPR is considered a solid tumor-associated target with potential clinical value in breast cancer and other solid tumors. 225Ac-A9-0642 is Alpha-9's first actinium-225 GRPR-targeted compound to enter clinical evaluation...

2026-09-09

BESIII Experiment Achieves High-Precision Measurement of Charm Meson Semileptonic Decays and First Constraint on "Scalar Current"

Recently, the BESIII international collaboration utilized the world's largest near-threshold charm meson data sample to perform a combined measurement of four semileptonic decay channels: D⁰→K⁻e⁺νₑ, D⁰→K⁻μ⁺νμ, D⁺→K̄⁰e⁺νₑ, and D⁺→K̄⁰μ⁺νμ. The research team extracted the quark mixing matrix element |Vcs| with a precision better than 0.5%, determined the form factor zero-point value f₊(0) with a precision better than 0.2%, and verified lepton universality in the above processes at the 0.5% precision level. Beyond these precise determinations of Standard Model parameters, what is particularly noteworthy is that this experiment has, for the first time...

2026-09-08

Jamaica Commissions Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiator to Support Sterile Insect Technique and Agricultural Research

A new gamma irradiator at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica has been commissioned, providing new technical capabilities for the country's research in vector-borne disease control, agricultural improvement, and nuclear technology applications. The equipment began operation in October 2024 and was officially inaugurated in August 2025, currently focusing primarily on sterile insect technique research, with the main objective of controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. John Antoine, head of the Nuclear Analysis Laboratory and senior research scientist at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, explained that the irradiator can deliver controlled, measurable doses of radiation to samples or products without making the samples or products themselves radioactive. He compared the...

2026-09-08

U.S. Research Team Discovers Strong Ultrafast Optical Response Induced by Ionizing Radiation, Potentially Advancing Medical Imaging and Sensing Technologies

September 3 news, Stanford University and the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory research team used ultrafast electron and laser pulses to observe a strong ultrafast optical response triggered by ionization processes in semiconductor materials. The related research has been published in Nature Photonics. The researchers believe this discovery could provide new insights for radiography and sensing technologies, and also offer experimental evidence for understanding the fundamental behavior of materials under high-energy particle interactions. Radiation detection is a key technology in particle accelerators, scientific instruments, medical imaging, and security screening equipment. Existing detectors typically face a trade-off between signal strength and response speed: processes with stronger signals tend to be slower, while those with faster response may produce weaker signals...

2026-09-08

Saudi Arabia to Expand IAEA Verification Authority

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on September 7 that Saudi Arabia is preparing to grant the IAEA additional verification and monitoring authority beyond its existing safeguards obligations. The arrangement is similar in some mechanisms to the Additional Protocol, but the proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement does not include provisions requiring Saudi Arabia to sign the Additional Protocol. In July, the United States and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation. According to available information, the agreement would allow Saudi Arabia to conduct uranium enrichment and build nuclear reactors using US technology. Some nonproliferation organizations have previously criticized that the proposed...

2026-09-08

IAEA Technical Meeting on Data Requirements for Ion Beam Analysis Explores Prospects for Nuclear Track Emulsion Applications

From 24 to 28 August 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency convened a Technical Meeting on Data Requirements for Ion Beam Analysis Experiments in Vienna, Austria, attended by scientists and experts from multiple nuclear physics research institutions. The meeting discussed the nuclear data requirements for current and future applications of ion beam analysis, with attention to new experimental methods and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in experiments and data processing. The meeting focused on assessing whether existing nuclear data can meet the needs of ion beam analysis applications, covering areas such as elastic recoil cross sections, nuclear reaction data, and gamma-ray spectrum analysis. Experts discussed the limitations that insufficient existing data impose on quantitative analysis and uncertainty assessment...

2026-09-08

Swiss Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Disposal Funds Both Show Surpluses

As of the end of 2025, the combined assets of Switzerland's nuclear facility decommissioning fund and nuclear power plant waste disposal fund approached CHF 10 billion, equivalent to approximately EUR 10.6 billion and USD 12.3 billion, up from CHF 9.65 billion at the end of 2024 and exceeding the established funding targets. According to Swissnuclear, the decommissioning fund stood at approximately CHF 3.03 billion, up from CHF 2.98 billion in 2024, while the waste disposal fund reached approximately CHF 6.96 billion, up from CHF 6.66 billion in 2024. Based on target calculations, the decommissioning fund target is CHF 2.76 billion and the waste disposal fund target is CHF 5.9 billion, with the two funds exceeding their targets by approximately 9.8% and 1...

2026-09-08

Global nuclear power generation hits record high in 2025

According to the World Nuclear Outlook Report released by the World Nuclear Association (WNA), global electricity generation from nuclear reactors reached 2,702 TWh in 2025, up from 2,667 TWh in 2024, setting a new historical record. The report estimates that if all countries' stated nuclear energy targets are fully achieved, global nuclear installed capacity could more than triple current levels by 2050. The report assesses the progress made by 38 countries toward the goal of tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, and puts forward policy recommendations for governments, industry, financial institutions, and regulators. In terms of operating nuclear units, the report notes that despite the increasing service life of individual units, global nuclear power plants...

2026-09-08