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Japan's Helical Fusion Publishes Research Results on High-Temperature Superconducting Magnets

Helical Fusion recently announced that its joint research on high-temperature superconducting magnets with the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) has passed peer review and been published in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series. The results, previously disclosed in a preliminary report, primarily validate the performance of high-temperature superconducting conductors for fusion reactor applications under strong magnetic fields and high currents. This study tested the UROCOIC high-temperature superconducting conductor independently developed by Helical Fusion. The research team fabricated the conductor into a double-pancake coil sample and used existing test equipment to simulate, as closely as possible, the magnetic field and current environment expected in future fusion reactors.

2026-08-26

Phase II of China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan expected to be completed by 2029

On August 26, a media delegation from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area visited the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) in Dongguan to learn about the operation of this major scientific facility and the progress of its Phase II project. The CSNS is China's first and the world's fourth pulsed spallation neutron source, often referred to as a "super microscope" for exploring the microscopic world. Since its opening in 2018, the facility has been operating in areas including basic research, research addressing major national needs, industrial innovation, and the integration of Hong Kong and Macao in science and technology innovation, and has become one of the key scientific research platforms in the Greater Bay Area. Tong Xin, Deputy Director of the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, stated that the Phase II project of the CSNS is currently under construction, with a construction period from January 2024 to October 2029...

2026-08-26

Jamaica Launches Graduate Training Program in Radiation Protection and Safety, Poised to Become a Regional Center of Excellence in the Caribbean

Jamaica's newly established graduate training program in radiation protection and safety is being viewed as an important platform for enhancing nuclear technology safety capabilities in the Caribbean region. Chris Ardouin, an International Atomic Energy Agency expert and Senior Scientist and Technical Manager of Public Health and Forensic Science at the National Radiation Science Centre of New Zealand, stated that the program demonstrates Jamaica's potential to become a regional center of excellence for radiation protection and safety training. The six-month program, implemented as the first graduate education course in radiation protection and safety under the framework of the University of the West Indies' short-term academic resources, is currently training 12 professionals from seven CARICOM member states, with a focus on enhancing regional...

2026-08-26

Russian Research Team Proposes New Method for Studying Morphology of Flexible Crystals

Experts from the Siberian Circular Photon Source Collaboration Center and the Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have proposed a comprehensive method for studying the morphology of flexible organic crystals. The method combines computational algorithms, laboratory microscopy techniques, and experimental diffraction studies, and can be used to more reliably determine crystal geometry and facet arrangement. The results have been published in the Journal of Applied Crystallography. Flexible crystals are a relatively rare class of organic crystals that can bend under very small mechanical stress while maintaining lattice integrity. Researchers indicate that among compounds with determined crystal structures, the proportion exhibiting such properties is less than...

2026-08-26

U.S. NRIC Selects 13 Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) announced on August 24 that 13 new projects have been selected for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program. NRIC is based at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). NRIC Director Brad Tomer stated that this round of selections reflects developers' growing commitment to advancing related technologies. The program will provide companies with a priority pathway to DOE authorization, as well as access to expert resources, facility conditions, and targeted regulatory support to adv...

2026-08-26

Rare Germanium Isotope Infrared Spectral Signatures Elucidated in Detail for the First Time

The press service of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science reported on August 25 that scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University, in collaboration with an international research team, have for the first time conducted a detailed study of the infrared spectra of two rare germanium isotopes and identified characteristic spectral signatures that can be used to recognize the relevant isotopes in complex gas mixtures. The research team selected two highly enriched isotopes—germanium-72 and germanium-73—as the subjects of the study, recording their spectral information using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. This instrument is capable of resolving closely spaced spectral lines, providing the conditions for analyzing subtle spectral changes induced by isotopic substitution. The researchers stated that precise spectral data for different germanium isotopes remain relatively scarce in the scientific literature, and such data are of significant importance for identifying molecules in planetary atmospheres and for producing ultra-pure germanium isotopes for quantum technologies and modern electronics.

2026-08-26

Russia's Rostov NPP Releases Chlorella into Cooling Pond to Strengthen Ecological Control

Russia's Rostov NPP recently carried out its annual ecological control operation at the plant's technical reservoir, releasing 3.6 tonnes of a bioactivator based on the planktonic algae chlorella into the water to suppress the risk of algal blooms and maintain the ecological balance of the cooling pond. Rostov NPP is part of Rosenergoatom, the power generation division of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom). The operation is part of the plant's long-standing algae management measures, primarily aimed at stabilizing water conditions under climate change and abnormally high temperatures, ensuring the smooth operation of related equipment. Chlorella acts as a natural biofilter, capable of suppressing...

2026-08-26

IAEA Study: Five-Star Rating System Can Improve CT Imaging Safety and Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure

A new study led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, shows that a five-star rating system can help hospitals optimize image quality, reduce radiation dose, and decrease unnecessary patient radiation exposure in computed tomography (CT) examinations. The study has been published in the European Journal of Radiology. CT imaging uses X-rays to obtain detailed images of internal body structures and is an important tool in diagnosing a wide range of diseases. The study notes that CT image quality is closely related to radiation dose—higher doses typically reduce image noise and improve clarity, but do not always yield additional diagnostic value. How to minimize radiation exposure while ensuring diagnostic accuracy is key to optimizing CT examination protocols.

2026-08-26

South Korean Lawmaker Proposes Designating SMRs as National Strategic Technology

Kim Jung-jae, a lawmaker from South Korea's People Power Party, recently proposed an amendment to the Special Tax Limitation Act, calling for small modular reactors (SMRs) to be included in the category of national strategic technologies, thereby supporting related R&D, talent development, and facility investment through tax credits. Kim believes that SMRs are a next-generation nuclear technology that balances carbon neutrality goals with stable energy supply. As global technological and industrial competition in the SMR market intensifies, South Korea needs to further improve its institutional foundation to promote the development of the related industry. According to the proposal's explanation, the commercialization and export competitiveness of SMRs depend not only on R&D outcomes but also on the facility level of the manufacturing supply chain, workforce capabilities, and international quality standards and certification...

2026-08-26

U.S. Submits Civil Nuclear Agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for Review

U.S. government officials said on August 25 that President Donald Trump has submitted a proposed civil nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review. The agreement, reached in July this year, includes provisions allowing U.S. companies to export civil nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. Under the relevant procedures, Congress will have 90 session days to review the agreement. Two congressional sources said the agreement has been submitted to congressional leadership and is expected to be referred to relevant committees for consideration. If Congress raises no objections within the specified period, the agreement will enter into effect; if Congress rejects the agreement, Trump may still exercise his veto power, and Congress would need a two-thirds majority to override the presidential veto...

2026-08-26

TU Delft participates in innovative projects on compact reactors and molten salt reactors

The MOOI Kernenergie nuclear funding programme, operated by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), has recently selected four innovative projects to support research and development in reactor and fuel cycle technologies, radioactive waste storage, and geological disposal solutions. TU Delft is involved in three of these projects, with researchers from its Reactor Institute participating in the MARLIN and PRONTO projects. The MARLIN project focuses on compact modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) for industrial, maritime, and offshore applications. Based on measurement data and models, the project consortium will develop and validate a reactor prototype capable of simultaneously providing electricity and high-temperature process heat, with a focus on industrial clusters as well as maritime and offshore scenarios.

2026-08-26

South Korea Develops AI Model for Prioritizing Post-Earthquake Inspections at Nuclear Facilities

A joint research team from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has developed a deep learning model that can assist nuclear facilities in rapidly identifying priority inspection areas after an earthquake. The model uses seismic wave signals collected from a single seismometer to predict in real time the vibration responses at multiple locations within a nuclear power plant and quantitatively ranks potential risks. The research was jointly conducted by the team of Jae-Beom Lee, senior researcher at KRISS, and Young-Ju Lee, professor at UNIST. The researchers stated that this technology can, without installing sensors at every critical location...

2026-08-26

Japan's Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Receives Preliminary Approval for Operation Plan Beyond 50 Years

On August 25, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) gave preliminary approval to Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) for the long-term facility management plan for Unit 3 of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant. Located in Mihama Town, Fukui Prefecture, the unit will mark its 50th anniversary of commercial operation on December 1. In May of this year, the metal top cover of the high-pressure turbine at Mihama Unit 3 suffered damage, resulting in steam leakage. At the NRA meeting held that day, KEPCO explained that the cause of the incident was believed to be thinning of the inner wall of the top cover due to steam flow. The company stated that this phenomenon falls under previously anticipated aging and degradation management for turbine equipment, and that the existing plan already includes corresponding management measures. Visual inspection and other examination methods were also deemed applicable, thus no revision to the long-term facility management plan was required.

2026-08-26

Westinghouse eVinci Microreactor Completes Zero-Power Criticality Testing

Westinghouse Electric Company announced on August 25 that its eVinci microreactor has completed zero-power criticality testing, validating relevant models and key assumptions in the core design. The test was completed at 10:39 a.m. Pacific Time on August 24, 2026, at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The center is operated under the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The test was conducted by Westinghouse Electric in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Zero-power criticality is typically used to verify that a reactor core can achieve a self-sustaining chain fission state at extremely low power levels, serving as a critical step in reactor physics testing and design validation...

2026-08-26

US NuScale Deploys Nuclear-Specific AI to Advance Small Modular Reactor Projects

NuScale Power Corporation announced on August 25 that it is deploying nuclear-specific artificial intelligence tools to support its engineering and knowledge management efforts, accelerating the development of its advanced small modular reactor projects. The initiative combines NuScale's technical expertise in advanced reactors, Nuclearn's AtomAssist nuclear AI platform, and NPX's experience in nuclear project delivery and AI implementation, aiming to establish specialized tools tailored for nuclear scenarios that help engineering teams retrieve, understand, and apply critical technical information more efficiently. As advanced...

2026-08-26