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U.S. Army Plans to Deploy Over 20 Micro Nuclear Reactors at Military Bases

The U.S. Army has signed contracts with five companies to develop, build, and operate micro nuclear power plants at military bases, with a total contract value of up to $2.2 billion. According to relevant information, the U.S. Department of Defense requires the companies to construct, own, and operate more than 20 micro nuclear reactors at military installations by 2028. The plan is intended to enhance energy security for critical defense facilities and reduce dependence on the external power grid. The deployment is incorporated into the framework of the Janus Project, which the U.S. Army launched in 2025. The project aims to establish a power supply network composed of compact micro nuclear reactors at military bases, providing continuous and stable electricity to vital defense facilities....

2026-08-27

Hualong One Pressurizer Electric Heaters Achieve Coverage of Two Major Technical Routes

The pressurizer electric heater is an important safety-class component of the reactor coolant system (primary loop) in pressurized water reactor nuclear power plants, directly affecting unit pressure regulation and safe, stable operation. The localized pressurizer electric heater developed by Chuanyi Instrument Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SINOMACH Instrumentation Group under SINOMACH Group, has been applied to China's self-developed Generation III nuclear power units such as "Hualong One." The photo shows the qualification prototype of the Hualong One pressurizer electric heater. With the batch construction of Hualong One units advancing, units adopting different technical routes have imposed new customized operating condition requirements on pressurizer electric heaters. In October 2019, Chuanyi Instrument, together with China General Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., initiated the development of the CGN-version Hualong One pressurizer electric heater...

2026-08-27

Construction of Access Tunnels Commences for Phase III of Taipingling Nuclear Power Project

On August 26, 2026, CGN's Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant held a mobilization meeting for the construction of its Phase III project. At the meeting, the "Safety and Quality Responsibility Agreement for the Construction and Operation of CGN Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant Phase III Project" was unveiled, aiming to further consolidate safety and quality responsibilities in nuclear power engineering construction, strengthen project quality management, and ensure the safe and orderly progress of project construction. At the mobilization meeting, Zhang Guoqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., announced the official commencement of access tunnel construction for the Phase III project. Upon completion of the access tunnel construction, it will help improve the organizational efficiency of project construction in areas such as material transportation and module hoisting, and create conditions for the subsequent pouring of the first batch of nuclear island concrete.

2026-08-27

Symposium on Marine Radiation Monitoring and Emergency Response Technology Exchange Successfully Held

To further enhance the technical support capability for marine radiation environment monitoring and promote scientific research innovation and practical application in marine radiation monitoring and emergency response, the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center (hereinafter referred to as the Marine Center) recently conducted a technical exchange with the Jinan Zhongke Nuclear Technology Research Institute. The two sides engaged in comprehensive discussions on technology development, equipment application, data analysis, and standards development, focusing on the new situation and new requirements facing marine radiation environmental safety. The Marine Center systematically presented its operational system, technical capabilities, and practical experience in the field of marine radiation monitoring and emergency response. The Jinan Zhongke Nuclear Technology Research Institute highlighted its core...

2026-08-27

Fifth Mega Saltstone Disposal Unit Approved for Operation at U.S. Savannah River Site

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management announced on August 25 that it has approved the operation of the fifth mega saltstone disposal unit at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. Designated as SDU 10, the facility will receive purified material for final disposal, marking a new milestone in the site's cleanup program. According to reports, SDU 10 completed construction in June 2024, nearly 10 months ahead of schedule. Its leak-tightness testing was completed in December 2025, and the test results verified that the unit can safely store up to 33 million gallons of purified, solidified salt solution generated at the Savannah River Site. Saltstone disposal units are the end-stage facilities in the salt waste treatment process.

2026-08-26

U.S. STREAMLINE Project Advances Nuclear Quantum Many-Body Research with Artificial Intelligence

On August 25, 2026, a new project named STREAMLINE is combining artificial intelligence, machine learning, and supercomputing to address the nuclear quantum many-body problem in nuclear physics research, aiming to more accurately simulate the interactions between protons and neutrons within atomic nuclei and provide theoretical support for frontier topics such as neutron stars and fundamental interactions. The difficulty of the nuclear quantum many-body problem lies in the fact that as the number of particles increases, the possible interactions among them grow rapidly, and traditional computational methods quickly hit the ceiling of computing power. Even with high-performance supercomputers, only quantum systems of relatively limited scale can typically be handled. The STREAMLINE project hopes to...

2026-08-26

U.S. Research Reveals Diamond Melting Mechanism at High Pressure, Potentially Enhancing Inertial Confinement Fusion Performance

A research team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the U.S. recently published a study in Nature Physics reporting that the latest dynamic compression experiments have, for the first time, directly recorded atomic structural changes during diamond melting under extreme high pressure. The experiments showed that under high-pressure conditions, solid diamond can float in liquid metallic carbon, similar to ice floating on water. Diamond is not only a high-hardness carbon material but is also used as the fuel target capsule shell in inertial confinement fusion experiments. When intense lasers drive the capsule implosion, the compression and melting behavior of the diamond shell can affect whether the fusion fuel reaches the required high-temperature, high-pressure state. Meanwhile, the planetary science community has long focused on the high-pressure behavior of carbon in the deep interiors of ice giant planets...

2026-08-26

Bitumen Solidification Facility at Unit 2 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Normal

Shikoku Electric Power Co. reported on August 25, 2026, that the bitumen solidification facility at Unit 2 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, currently in a decommissioned state, had returned to normal operation at 10:45 a.m. that day. The gasket at the joint of the mixer top cover, where the earlier abnormality had been detected, had been replaced, and trial operation results showed no abnormalities. The incident occurred on April 28. On that day, when operators started the bitumen solidification facility in the controlled area of the reactor auxiliary building, they observed a steam-like phenomenon near the mixer thermometer, which subsequently disappeared on its own. Maintenance personnel later inspected and confirmed at 3:05 p.m. that the steam-like gas originated from inside the mixer and had escaped through the joint of the mixer top cover; at 5:06 p.m., the bitumen solidification facility was shut down.

2026-08-26

Tescan Launches MIRA XR Ultra-High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope for Materials Characterization and Failure Analysis Applications

Tescan recently launched the MIRA XR ultra-high-resolution scanning electron microscope system, targeting materials characterization needs in fields such as battery technology, metallurgy, and advanced materials science. Positioned between the Tescan MIRA and Tescan CLARA, the system aims to deliver higher resolution, enhanced surface sensitivity, and a more streamlined workflow, serving applications including R&D laboratories, industrial quality control, and failure analysis. According to reports, the MIRA XR employs BrightBeam™ technology and a single high-efficiency axial detector to improve surface signal acquisition under field-free imaging conditions, making it suitable for beam-sensitive materials and magnetic samples while reducing the need for sample preparation steps such as surface coating. The system also features an aperture-free column design that minimizes manual aperture selection and adjustment steps, allowing operators to focus more on sample observation and data analysis.

2026-08-26

Why Swedish Nuclear Power Plants Are Less Affected by European Heatwaves

This summer, persistent high temperatures across much of Europe forced some nuclear power plants to reduce output or even temporarily shut down due to rising cooling water temperatures and falling river levels. In comparison, Sweden's Vattenfall-operated nuclear plants at Forsmark and Ringhals were less affected, mainly because both facilities are located in coastal areas and use seawater for cooling. Many nuclear plants in continental Europe rely on river water as their cooling source. During heatwaves, river levels and water temperatures can change rapidly, easily impacting cooling efficiency. Anna Collin, Communications Officer at Ringhals, stated that Swedish nuclear plants use seawater cooling, which differs in operating conditions from many...

2026-08-26

Lancaster University in the UK receives EPSRC funding to study antimatter production in intense laser pulses

Christopher Arran, a lecturer at Lancaster University and the Cockcroft Institute in the UK, has recently been awarded a three-year New Investigator Award from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to study electron-positron pair production in the extremely intense electromagnetic fields of high-power lasers. The research focuses on matter-antimatter production processes under intense laser pulse conditions. Similar interactions are believed to exist in extreme cosmic environments, such as near pulsars and black hole accretion disks. Previously, such interactions had only been measured at large particle accelerator facilities such as Stanford University and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), but the electric and magnetic field strengths used in those experiments were far weaker than the strong-field conditions achievable with current high-power lasers.

2026-08-26

U.S. Develops Hybrid Process Combining Electroforming and 3D Printing for Critical Component Manufacturing in Advanced Nuclear Reactors

On August 24, local time, the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced that its scientists are collaborating with AJ Tuck Company (AJ Tuck) to develop a hybrid manufacturing process that combines 3D printing and electroforming to produce complex, leak-tight hot isostatic pressing canisters for powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing processes. The process targets the manufacturing of critical metal components for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy and defense applications, with the goal of shortening production workflows and reducing reliance on traditional large-scale forging and casting supply chains. A hot isostatic pressing canister is a type of sealed container used to compact metal powders into high-performance metal components under high temperature and high pressure. Traditional hot...

2026-08-26

Electron Beam Processing Can Reduce Poultry Pathogens, Study Shows Turkey Meat Quality Remains Well Preserved

A study on electron beam treatment of poultry meat products shows that electron beam irradiation has the potential to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens in poultry while preserving meat quality as much as possible. The paper, titled "Effects of Electron Beam (eBeam) Treatment on the Texture and Sensory Attributes of Chicken and Turkey Meat Batters," was published in the journal Poultry Science. Electron beam is a non-thermal processing technology that uses high-energy electrons to cause irreversible damage to pathogen DNA or RNA, making it difficult for bacteria to replicate. Like X-rays and gamma rays, electron beam has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cold pasteurization that does not rely on heating. The research team used the electron beam irradiation facility at Texas A&M University...

2026-08-26

DARPA Ships Insect Sterility Technique Irradiator to the United States with Panamanian Cooperation

An insect irradiator used for the sterile insect technique program was recently transshipped to the United States via Panama, where it will support U.S. efforts to address the New World screwworm threat. The equipment was acquired by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on July 8, 2026, and arrived in Panama, where it was subsequently transferred from the port to the airport with the assistance of Panamanian partners. The New World screwworm is a parasitic pest whose flies lay eggs in warm-blooded animals, with larvae burrowing into tissue and feeding, posing a threat to livestock production. Jon O’Rullian, president of the equipment manufacturer Foss Therapy Services, Incorporated, stated that threats of this kind are significant to all types of livestock producers.

2026-08-26

IAEA Director General Unveils Upcoming New Initiative on Maritime Nuclear Energy

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recently stated that the Agency is preparing to launch a new initiative to promote the application of civilian nuclear technology in maritime settings. The initiative, named Atomic Technology Licensing for Maritime Applications (ATLAS), will be officially unveiled at an IAEA ministerial event scheduled for August 26-27 in Washington, D.C., United States. The initiative aims to support the deployment of maritime civilian nuclear applications such as nuclear-powered ships and floating nuclear power plants, while facilitating alignment in licensing and regulatory efforts. Grossi stated that the ATLAS initiative could support global trade and help provide energy to remote communities and industrial users...

2026-08-26