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Rosatom masters 3D printing technology for copper and copper alloys

The additive manufacturing technology business division of Rosatom's Fuel Division recently announced that its experts have successfully manufactured products from copper and copper alloys using the RusMelt industrial 3D printer, marking progress in additive manufacturing with copper materials. According to reports, Rosatom had previously used selective laser melting (SLM) technology to produce metal 3D-printed equipment of various sizes, with commonly used materials including stainless steel, heat-resistant materials, and titanium. Due to copper's physical properties such as high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity, which also pose technical challenges for laser melting, its application in metal 3D printing has long been limited. The company's additive manufacturing technology center in Moscow...

2026-08-19

Unit 3 of Beloyarsk NPP begins scheduled maintenance and equipment modernization

Unit 3 of Russia's Beloyarsk NPP entered scheduled preventive maintenance on August 18. This outage maintenance will be used for fuel reloading, equipment maintenance, and preventive repairs, along with partial modernization efforts to maintain reliable unit operation and improve equipment performance. The unit features a BN-600 sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor. During the maintenance period, the plant will carry out major repairs on the BN-600 reactor facility and replace 9 guide tubes in the control and protection system. Such operations are uncommon and are typically performed approximately once every 10 years. According to the maintenance schedule, the plant will also repair the unloading lift device and conduct operational monitoring inspections of the reactor pressure vessel metal...

2026-08-19

RHIC Collision Data Provides New Evidence for the Existence of the "Baryon Bridge"

August 18 news, an international team of physicists, by analyzing nuclear collision data from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), has presented strong evidence that baryon number may not be carried directly by quarks, but rather transmitted by a baryon bridge formed by gluons inside protons. The related paper has been published in the journal Science. Valerie A. Lentz, Brookhaven National Laboratory Baryons, including protons and neutrons, are generally considered to be composed of three quarks. In the existing understanding, the baryon number is viewed as being uniformly distributed among the three quarks. Meanwhile, gluons also exist inside protons; they are the carriers of the strong interaction. According to the description of quantum chromodynamics, gluons may form a Y-shaped structure known as a "baryon junction" or "gluon bridge" within the proton, but this structure has long lacked direct experimental evidence.

2026-08-19

U.S. Laboratory Advances Nuclear Waste Cleanup Technology R&D with Artificial Intelligence

Researchers in South Carolina, U.S., are leveraging artificial intelligence to develop new tools for tackling complex tasks such as nuclear material disposal, waste management, and environmental cleanup. The relevant projects are being conducted at the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) in Aiken, a facility affiliated with the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), spanning approximately 63,000 square feet, with the project launched on August 7, 2025. The Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative brings together researchers, engineers, students, industry partners, and university teams, with a focus on advancing R&D in artificial intelligence, robotics, additive manufacturing, and advanced materials. Johnny Green, Director of the Savannah River National Laboratory, stated that...

2026-08-19

SHINE Advances Commercial Spent Fuel Recycling Facility Construction

U.S. electricity demand is growing at a rate rarely seen in decades, and nuclear energy is considered one of the key options to meet the incremental demand. Meanwhile, the current open nuclear fuel cycle still treats spent fuel primarily as single-use waste, failing to fully utilize most of the energy potential that remains within it. SHINE Technologies is developing spent fuel recycling technologies and plans to build a facility with spent fuel recycling capabilities. The company stated that multiple collaborations funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) CURIE program are advancing the work from validated laboratory-scale chemical processes toward commercial scale...

2026-08-19

SHINE Joins GE Vernova-Led Project to Modernize Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Materials Accountability

SHINE Technologies (SHINE) announced on August 18 that it has joined a nuclear fuel reprocessing materials management project led by GE Vernova (GE Vernova), with both parties collaborating on tracking, measurement, and nuclear materials accountability of spent fuel during the reprocessing process. The project is led by GE Vernova's Advanced Research Center and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), with the goal of introducing artificial intelligence technologies into reprocessing facilities to improve real-time monitoring of spent fuel flow and the efficiency of nuclear materials accounting. As a subcontractor to GE Vernova, SHINE will participate in improving sensor deployment schemes and developing an AI-supported materials tracking system, ensuring that nuclear materials control and accountability requirements are incorporated into the overall design at the early stages of reprocessing facility development.

2026-08-19

SHINE to Advance Spent Fuel Recycling Separation Technology with Argonne National Laboratory and Others

On August 18, fusion energy company SHINE announced that it will collaborate with the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Case Western Reserve University to apply high-throughput chemical separation technology to the nuclear fuel recycling process it is currently developing. The collaboration is carried out under the CURIE program of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), with additional funding led by Case Western Reserve University, and SHINE participates as a subcontractor. Spent fuel is often referred to as nuclear waste, but it retains approximately 90% of its energy potential while containing multiple reusable byproducts. In recent years, federal programs and private investment in the United States have driven renewed interest in spent fuel recycling. Argonne National Laboratory is developing a new chemical processing device called "Packed Centrifugal Equipment for Radiochemical Separation," abbreviated as PaCERS. The device generates centrifugal force exceeding normal gravity conditions through high-speed rotation to improve chemical separation efficiency, and reduces costs across multiple stages of nuclear fuel recycling through higher throughput and lower solvent usage.

2026-08-19

Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant Fully Shut Down Due to Falling Danube River Water Levels

Due to the continuous decline of the Danube River water level, the two units of Romania's only nuclear power plant, the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, have been successively shut down. To alleviate the pressure on electricity supply, Unit 4 of the Rovinari coal-fired cogeneration plant has been put into operation, adding approximately 330 megawatts of generating capacity to Romania's power system. Romania's nuclear power company (Nuclearelectrica) previously reported that due to the sharp decline in the Danube River water level, which affected the assurance of cooling water for the reactor, Unit 2 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant was shut down in a controlled manner on the morning of August 13. The company stated that the shutdown process was carried out in accordance with procedures. At the end of July this year, Unit 1 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant had already been shut down for the same reason...

2026-08-19

TerraPower Plans to Deepen South Korean Supply Chain Cooperation to Advance K-Sodium SMR Business Model

TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque recently stated that South Korea possesses strong nuclear supply chain capabilities, with both a foundation in small modular reactor (SMR) construction and familiarity with the stable power demands of AI data centers, semiconductors, and other industries. TerraPower plans to further strengthen cooperation with South Korean companies in supply chain and project manufacturing. Levesque stated that small modular reactors are not a technology intended to replace traditional large-scale nuclear power plants, but rather a new class of energy solution targeting incremental electricity demand in the AI era. He recently met with TerraPower Chairman Bill...

2026-08-19

South Korea Has Not Yet Decided Whether to Include New Nuclear Power in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand

South Korea's Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, Kim Sung-hwan, said during a meeting with reporters at the Sejong Government Complex on August 18 that the government has not yet reached a conclusion on whether to include new nuclear power plants in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand. Kim said that government policy cannot be determined solely by the personal will of the minister in charge, and it is not appropriate to make premature statements at this stage. He emphasized that related matters will be decided after going through the necessary deliberation process. Regarding whether nuclear power will be included in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, the government plans to clarify the direction of discussion as soon as possible, including how public opinions will be reflected, how the review procedures involving experts and public participation will be structured, and what methods will be used to conduct debates or public discussions before the plan is released...

2026-08-19

Amentum Joint Venture Selected as Capability Partner for Australia's Nuclear-Powered Submarine Shipyard Project

Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) has selected a joint venture between Amentum and Laing O'Rourke as the capability partner for the nuclear-powered submarine construction shipyard project in South Australia. The project is located at the new Osborne shipyard north of Adelaide, which will be used to build Australia's conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS trilateral agreement. Under a long-term contractual arrangement, Amentum and Laing O'Rourke will undertake key support roles during the development of the new shipyard. The work will be integrated into ANI's Integrated Delivery Office, focusing on providing specialized support in nuclear-related project management, construction management, and safety management.

2026-08-19

ASP Isotopes Subsidiary Evaluates Metal Hydrofluorination and Fluorination Project in Namibia

ASP Isotopes Inc. recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Quantum Leap Energy LLC, is evaluating metal conversion opportunities in Namibia, with work focusing on technologies and processes required for critical stages of the fission and fusion nuclear fuel cycles. According to the disclosure, the evaluation includes plans to construct a pilot-scale hydrofluorination and fluorination facility in the Walvis Bay area of Namibia. Public environmental and social impact assessments and consultation procedures for the project have already been initiated. The proposed facility will be used to develop, test, and demonstrate metal hydrofluorination and fluorination processes. In accordance with Namibian regulatory requirements, relevant public consultation notices have been published through customary local channels. The company...

2026-08-19

NANO Nuclear and QNI Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Domestic HALEU Fuel Supply Cooperation in the U.S.

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NANO Nuclear) and Quadrant Nuclear Industries, Inc. (QNI) announced on August 18 that the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a non-binding framework for future high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel supply cooperation. Under the MOU, the parties will engage in discussions regarding the supply of HALEU to be produced by QNI in the future and long-term offtake arrangements. The fuel in question is planned to come from QNI's proposed Vanguard facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). QNI stated that once the facility operates at full capacity, its annual HALEU production...

2026-08-19

CCTE Commissions Kinectrics for Independent Review of ANEEL Fuel Qualification Program

Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE) has commissioned Kinectrics Inc. (Kinectrics) to conduct an independent technical review of its ANEEL fuel qualification program, advancing the fuel's technical and regulatory qualification preparations ahead of demonstration in commercial reactors. Kinectrics is a subsidiary of BWX Technologies Inc. (BWXT). Photo: Front row, left to right: John D'Angelo, President of Kinectrics, and Milan Shah, Chief Operating Officer of CCTE; Back row, left to right: Sean Donnelly, Vice President of New Nuclear Construction, Paul...

2026-08-19

Kansai Electric says Rokkasho reprocessing plant delay does not change target of starting operation in fiscal 2027

On August 18, officials from Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) and Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) visited the Aomori Prefectural Government to explain the construction and operation schedule of the spent fuel reprocessing plant under construction in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture. The facility is a key project in Japan's nuclear fuel cycle system and is also listed as one of the receiving sites for spent fuel transported from nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture. Kansai Electric reiterated that even if the completion of the Rokkasho reprocessing plant is delayed from its original schedule within the current fiscal year, the target of starting operation within fiscal 2027 remains unchanged. The company stated that under the current spent fuel transport roadmap, the transport volume from fiscal 2028 onward is not expected to be significantly affected; if construction...

2026-08-19