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US DOE Approves Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for Deep Fission Underground SMR

Deep Fission, a US advanced nuclear energy company, announced on August 6 that the US Department of Energy (DOE) has approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement (NSDA) for its Gravity reactor. The company stated that this milestone means its reactor design meets the requirements for continued advancement under the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program. Deep Fission is developing a small modular pressurized water reactor concept, with plans to place the reactor in a borehole approximately 1 mile, or about 1.6 kilometers, underground. The approved Nuclear Safety Design Agreement will serve as the safety framework for subsequent reactor development work. According to the company's plans, the project will proceed into the DOE authorization process...

2026-08-07

Drought Lowers Danube Water Levels, Romania Plans to Restrict Industrial Power Use if Necessary

Romania's Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said after a cabinet meeting on August 6 that the government has developed a comprehensive risk prevention plan covering multiple risk scenarios, including earthquakes, public health events, and the current drought, with corresponding response measures clearly defined. Under the plan, Romania will establish a national operations center in the energy sector. Bolojan stated that the government will approve on August 7 measures by Transelectrica to take action when necessary: with 24 hours' prior notice, certain industrial users may be disconnected from the national grid. He also emphasized that power supply to ordinary citizens, apartments, and residential users will not be...

2026-08-07

X-Energy and Centrus Sign HALEU Supply Agreement, Accelerating U.S. Advanced Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain

X-Energy and Centrus Energy have signed a low-enriched uranium and high-assay low-enriched uranium supply agreement, marking a more concrete commercialization phase in fuel assurance for U.S. advanced nuclear reactors. Under the agreement, Centrus will provide uranium enrichment services at its American Centrifuge Plant in Pike County, Ohio, with the HALEU to be supplied to X-Energy's fuel subsidiary TRISO-X for the production of TRISO-coated particle fuel at its Oak Ridge, Tennessee fuel fabrication facility, serving the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled small modular reactor. The significance of this agreement lies not only in the supply itself but also in its phased advance payment arrangement. X-Energy will support Centrus through advance payments...

2026-08-07

Türkiye plans to commission subsequent Akkuyu nuclear power plant units at one-year intervals

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on August 6 that Türkiye plans to commission subsequent units of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) at one-year intervals after the first unit goes into operation. Bayraktar stated that Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP is scheduled to begin generating electricity by the end of the year, with work on the first reactor's commissioning currently progressing at full speed. According to Türkiye's plan, after Unit 1 enters service, the remaining units will successively enter the commissioning phase. The Akkuyu NPP is Türkiye's first nuclear power plant, constructed by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom). The project plans four units, all using Russia-designed Generation III+...

2026-08-07

South Korea to Investigate Seawater Radioactivity Levels Along Maritime Transport Routes for Radioactive Waste

The Korea Atomic Energy Environment Corporation (KAEEC) will conduct an investigation this year into seawater radioactivity levels along the maritime transport routes for radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, in order to assess the radiological environmental impact during the transport of radioactive waste to the Gyeongju low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility. According to information released on August 6 by the Korea National Electronic Procurement System, KAEEC recently published a public notice regarding radiation analysis services for seawater samples collected along the maritime transport routes for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. Once the contractor is selected, the investigation is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Under the arrangement, KAEEC will conduct three maritime transport operations of radioactive waste this year, one each from the Gori, Hanul, and Hanbit nuclear power plants to the Gyeongju disposal facility...

2026-08-07

Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor Achieves First Criticality

Oklo, a U.S. advanced nuclear technology company, announced on August 6 that its Groves Isotope Test Reactor has achieved a controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at low power, reaching first criticality. This milestone comes less than a year after the project broke ground. Groves Isotope Test Reactor facility (Image: Groves) The Groves low-power test reactor, located in Lockhart, Texas, is the first reactor to achieve criticality on private land under the U.S. Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program. According to Oklo, the facility was built from undeveloped land, completing civil excavation, engineering construction, component fabrication or procurement, fuel configuration, and...

2026-08-07

Unit 2 of Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Resumes Grid Connection

According to the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 2 of the station was reconnected to the grid on August 4. The plant stated that after completing diagnostic testing of the electrical equipment of Unit 2, the unit was put into operation and reached rated operating parameters. Previously, Unit 2 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected from the grid at the end of July.

2026-08-07

Basic research cracks an application challenge that has persisted for nearly half a century: quantitative prediction of neutron irradiation swelling via ion irradiation

Whether advanced nuclear energy systems can operate safely over the long term depends on the ability of structural materials to resist neutron irradiation damage. Neutrons create numerous atomic-scale defects in materials, which gradually aggregate into nanoscale cavities, ultimately causing material swelling, dimensional instability, and performance degradation. However, obtaining high-dose neutron irradiation data often requires years or even more than a decade, with high costs and post-irradiation sample radioactivity; in contrast, ion irradiation can simulate years of accumulated damage within days and is therefore widely adopted (approximately 95% of irradiation experimental data in existing literature come from ion irradiation). But the dose rate of ion irradiation is typically 3—4 orders of magnitude higher than that of neutron irradiation, making direct conversion between the two results difficult. Recently, the research team of Wang Chenxu and Wang Yugang from the Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, and the State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Technology at Peking University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Tennessee and other institutions, established a quantitative relationship between material swelling and irradiation dose and dose rate at fixed temperatures based on cluster dynamics simulations, theoretical derivations, and ion irradiation experiments, achieving prediction of neutron irradiation swelling using rapid ion irradiation and providing a new tool for rapid screening and lifetime evaluation of nuclear materials.

2026-08-07

New Chair Takes Office for ASME BPV III China International Working Group

On August 4, the 2026 First Working Meeting and the Fourth Chairmanship Election Conference of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III (BPV III) China International Working Group (hereinafter referred to as the "Working Group") were held at Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI). Following a vote by attending committee members, Jiao Ming, Deputy General Manager of the company, was unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Working Group, while Zhou Zhou, Director of the Nuclear Equipment Safety and Reliability Center at China Productivity Center for Machinery, and Jiang Cailin, Vice President of Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group, were elected as Vice Chairs. Jiao Ming stated that the Working Group will continue to establish regular communication channels between the domestic industry and ASME, leverage key domestic nuclear power projects, and lead the industry in tackling cutting-edge technologies such as radiography testing of ultra-thick forgings, phased array ultrasonic testing, and additive manufacturing of nuclear equipment...

2026-08-07

Real-Time Perception, Full-Scope Visibility! CNNC Environmental Protection's "SMARP2.0" Leads a New Paradigm in Nuclear Power Radiation Protection

In nuclear power radiation work scenarios, the ability to pre-determine radiation dose levels in various areas has long been an aspiration of countless nuclear industry workers. Now, the SMARP2.0 system developed by the China Institute for Radiation Protection (CIRP), a subsidiary of CNNC Environmental Protection, has turned this vision into reality. Recently, the China Institute for Radiation Protection, under CNNC Environmental Protection, completed the iterative upgrade of the SMARP2.0 digital radiation protection technical support system. This system can pre-calculate radiation dose levels in various areas of nuclear power operations, effectively resolving the long-standing industry challenge where frontline nuclear workers could not grasp on-site radiation conditions in advance, providing robust technical support for optimizing radiation work plans and ensuring worker radiation safety. SMARP2.0...

2026-08-07

60th Anniversary of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre: Nuclear Techniques Continue to Serve Global Agriculture and Food Safety

In 2024, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture marks its 60th anniversary. Established in 1964 through a partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Centre primarily promotes the application of nuclear science and related technologies in food security, agricultural production, and sustainable environmental development. Over the past 60 years, the Joint Centre has carried out work in areas including pest control, plant breeding and genetics, soil and water management, animal production and health, and food safety and quality control. Its Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories have long undertaken tasks in technology development, capacity building, and technology transfer,...

2024-12-27

South Gyeongsang Province Completes 380 Food Radioactivity Tests in First Half of Year, All Meeting Standards

The Gyeongsangnam-do Institute of Health and Environment recently announced that in the first half of this year, it conducted radioactivity testing on agricultural products, aquatic products, and processed foods already in circulation, completing tests on 380 samples. Testing items included radioactive iodine, radioactive cesium, and tritium, with all results meeting food radiation-related standards. According to the institute, it continues to conduct radiation monitoring on foods with high market consumption to ensure the daily dietary safety of residents. Of the 380 tests completed in the first half of this year, 338 were for iodine and cesium, and 42 were for tritium, with no samples exceeding permissible levels. In terms of monitoring methods, the institute has established a...

2026-07-27

Nuclear science helps reduce global food spoilage and waste

On April 10, 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency introduced several applications of nuclear science in reducing food spoilage and food waste. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 1 billion tonnes of edible food are wasted globally each year, accounting for about one-fifth of the total food available to consumers. Of this, 13.2% of food is lost before reaching the retail stage, valued at approximately $400 billion; another 19% is wasted at the retail and consumption stages due to spoilage and other reasons. Food loss not only means wasted resource consumption but also exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The International Atomic Energy Agency, through the Food and Agriculture Organization...

2026-04-10

FAO and IAEA: Nuclear Technologies Are Enhancing Agricultural Production and Food Security

On March 30, 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency presented multiple applications of nuclear technologies in agriculture and food security. The two organizations have collaborated for over 50 years in knowledge sharing and capacity building, further strengthening their partnership through the establishment of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. In the field of animal health, nuclear technologies are used for the detection, control, and prevention of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses. Belize previously had to send animal disease testing samples to overseas laboratories; with support from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority established a molecular diagnostic laboratory for animal health and adopted real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing technology. This method can detect animal diseases within 24 hours, helping frontline personnel take rapid prevention and control measures. Recently, the laboratory has also been used to assist in human COVID-19 testing, reflecting the "One Health" concept that animal, human, plant, and environmental health are interconnected.

2021-03-30

China's First Industry Standard for LOCA BEPU Analysis, Led by CGN Research Institute, Officially Released

Recently, approved by the National Energy Administration, the energy industry standard "Technical Requirements for Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty Analysis of Loss of Coolant Accident in Pressurized Water Reactor Nuclear Power Plants" (NB/T 20751-2026), led by CGN Research Institute, was officially released. The standard was developed under the leadership of the Research Institute, in collaboration with the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute, Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute, Hualong Nuclear Power Technology Co., Ltd., and China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., among other organizations. It will come into effect on December 26, 2026. This standard is China's first BEPU analysis...

2026-08-06