Search Results

Initial Testing Completed for Nine Fuel Handling Gripping Devices for MBIR Project

On August 17, 2026, Russia's InterPolaris completed initial testing of nine gripping devices for the Multipurpose Fast Neutron Research Reactor (MBIR) project. These devices will be used for fuel transport and handling operations, primarily serving the handling and transfer of fuel assemblies and fuel rod storage within the OTT fuel complex. The key focus of the device development is to enhance safety and reliability during the gripping, transfer, and positioning of fuel assemblies. Each gripping device consists of components including an eyelet, body, cover plate, head, cam, locking sleeve, indicator light, battery, stepper motor with electrical connections, and a backup device. Among these, the locking sleeve is used to prevent accidental cam opening, and the backup device...

2026-08-18

U.S. FRIB Secures Contract from Naval Nuclear Laboratory to Develop Quantum-Classical Hybrid Nuclear Reaction Calculation Methods

A research project at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University, led by Dean Lee, Professor of Physics at FRIB, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University, and Head of the Theoretical Nuclear Science Department at FRIB, has received one-year contract support from the Naval Nuclear Laboratory. The laboratory is managed by Fluor Marine Propulsion. The project will study how to combine quantum computers with classical computers to improve the accuracy of predictions for neutron interactions with matter. This also represents the first phase of a five-year plan aimed at developing and evaluating new computational tools for nuclear science. In nuclear physics research, accurately predicting how neutrons interact with atomic nuclei...

2026-08-18

Argonne National Laboratory Launches Diamond Quantum Sensor Project to Serve High-Energy Physics Electromagnetic Field Measurements

The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory recently launched a new three-year, $1 million research project that plans to combine quantum information science with high-energy physics research to develop a new generation of quantum sensors based on diamond materials for higher-precision measurement and mapping of electromagnetic fields. Inside this plasma-filled vacuum chamber is the diamond substrate used to fabricate the diamond thin film (not shown in the image), within which the nitrogen-vacancy qubits are located. (Image courtesy of Nazar Delegan/Argonne National Laboratory.) In high-energy physics experiments, the precision of electromagnetic field measurements directly affects the reliability of experimental results. Whether analyzing the momentum of debris produced after particle collisions...

2026-08-18

Kazakhstan Signs Memorandum of Cooperation on Atomic Industry Development

The Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan, and the Atomic Industry Development Association (AIDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation, planning to jointly promote the development of the national atomic energy industry, expand industrial collaboration, and attract local enterprises to participate in major infrastructure projects. The memorandum was signed by Almasadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs...

2026-08-18

UK Atomic Energy Authority spins out Singular Machines

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has recently spun out Singular Machines, a UK engineering automation company. The company is commercializing artificial intelligence technologies originating from fusion engineering R&D scenarios and has secured strategic investment and new industry contracts. According to information released by UKAEA on August 17, Singular Machines has completed a round of strategic investment. The round was led by the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund and Oxford Science Enterprises, with participation from global engineering firm Arup and Japan's Miraiso...

2026-08-18

Egypt Clarifies Safety Concerns over Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant: Project Implemented in Accordance with International Nuclear Safety Standards

The Egyptian Cabinet Media Center recently issued a statement responding to questions regarding the application of safety standards during the implementation of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project. The statement said that the circulating content failed to accurately and balancedly reflect the actual situation of the project, and directly extrapolated certain engineering observations into issues of project safety and implementation efficiency, lacking the necessary technical and regulatory context. The Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority stated that the construction of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant is proceeding in accordance with international nuclear safety standards, with all civil, engineering, and installation works executed in compliance with international quality requirements and subject to continuous inspections by the Authority's monitoring and supervision teams. Relevant works may only proceed to the implementation phase after completing regulatory procedures and obtaining the necessary approvals from the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority...

2026-08-18

German research team achieves ultra-compact plasma photocathode injection

A research team from institutions including the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in Germany has demonstrated an ultra-compact plasma photocathode injection scheme integrated into a hybrid plasma wakefield accelerator on the DRACO laser facility. The study utilized a 150 TW-class laser system to drive a laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA), generating high-peak-current electron beams, which in turn drove a subsequent particle beam wakefield accelerator (PWFA), completing the generation and acceleration of witness electron beams within millimeter-scale plasma structures. Plasma wakefield accelerators can produce accelerating fields far exceeding those of conventional radiofrequency linear accelerators, but how to obtain high-quality, high-brightness electron beams in compact devices...

2026-08-18

Korea's COSMAX Partners with Pohang Accelerator Laboratory to Use Synchrotron Radiation Accelerator for Cosmetics R&D

COSMAX, a global cosmetics ODM company, announced on the 18th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) in Korea to conduct cosmetics R&D using advanced scientific and technological infrastructure such as the synchrotron radiation accelerator. At the MOU signing ceremony held at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, COSMAX Group Chairman Lee Kyung-soo (left) poses with PAL Director Kim Jae-young. / Photo provided by COSMAX. According to reports, the Pohang Synchrotron Radiation Accelerator (PLS-II) operated by the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory generates light more than 10 billion times brighter than sunlight, enabling atomic-scale analysis of nanoscale material structures. Currently, the facility has been used for microstructural research across multiple industrial fields, including new drugs, semiconductors, and new materials.

2026-08-18

Decoding the Clinical-Radiological Paradox: Brain Network Mechanisms in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 Revealed

On August 17, the team of Professor Liu Chen and Professor Wang Jian from the Department of Radiology at Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University, in collaboration with Professor Long Zhiliang's team from the Faculty of Psychology at Southwest University, systematically revealed for the first time the micro-level molecular pathological mechanisms underlying macroscopic brain network decoupling in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) by integrating multimodal magnetic resonance imaging technology with high-resolution micro-biological atlases. This provides a novel perspective and objective imaging targets for resolving the clinical-radiological dissociation challenge in clinical diagnosis and treatment. The findings were published in the internationally leading journal in the field of movement disorders under the title "Putaminal Structure-Function Decoupling as an Early Candidate Imaging Biomarker for Motor Severity in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3."

2026-08-18

World's first laser plasma accelerator-driven high-resolution muon imaging experiment to launch in Romania

Ideon Technologies, a global subsurface detection muon tomography company, is participating in an international research consortium to conduct the world's first high-resolution muon imaging experiment driven entirely by a laser plasma accelerator. The experiment aims to use a compact accelerator to produce muon beams on demand for non-destructive high-resolution imaging, with applications targeting mineral production, critical infrastructure, cargo inspection, medical imaging, semiconductors, nuclear security, and space radiation testing. Consortium members include the University of Texas at Austin, the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility team, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, ELI-Beamlines, and Tau Systems.

2026-08-18

Fuel Loading Completed for Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7, Entering Commissioning Phase with Nuclear Fuel

On August 18, with the completion of core loading correctness verification and the commencement of protective tube assembly reinstallation, the first nuclear fuel loading work for Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, was successfully concluded, marking the entry into the commissioning phase with nuclear fuel. This laid a solid foundation for subsequent reactor criticality, grid connection, and commercial operation of the unit. Fuel loading is a key milestone in the entire lifecycle of nuclear power plant construction and a critical starting point for the unit's operation with nuclear fuel. Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is the first VVER-1200 Generation III nuclear power unit to be constructed in China, and this fuel loading also marks the first-ever fuel loading for a VVER-1200 type nuclear power unit in China. The loading process commenced on the 12th and was fully completed by the 18th, with a total of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies loaded.

2026-08-18

South Korea's Gyeongbuk East Coast Nuclear Power Belt Proposed as National AI Training Center

On August 17, the Gyeongbuk Research Institute proposed developing the nuclear power-concentrated region on the east coast of North Gyeongsang Province into a national artificial intelligence (AI) training center to accommodate high-energy computing demands such as large-scale model training and retraining. The research suggests that if the South Korean government expands AI data centers to 18.4 gigawatts in the long term, power supply and grid connection capacity in the capital area and metropolitan regions could approach their limits. To alleviate power and network load pressures, real-time inference and user-facing services could be deployed in the capital area and major cities, while large-scale training and retraining facilities could be located in developing regions with access to power sources. The east coast of North Gyeongsang Province is home to Hanul...

2026-08-18

South Korea's Nuclear Expansion Faces Fuel Supply Pressure as Enriched Uranium Costs Surge Nearly Sixfold in Seven Years

Against the backdrop of accelerating global nuclear power construction and surging electricity demand from AI data centers, the nuclear fuel supply chain is facing new tensions. Due to limited uranium enrichment capacity and sanctions affecting Russian-related supplies, international uranium enrichment prices have risen sharply over the past seven years. South Korea's nuclear expansion plans are consequently facing fuel procurement pressure, with industry experts concerned that if mid- to long-term nuclear fuel security proves insufficient, newly built nuclear units could face operational risks in the future. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently disclosed that South Korea's domestic annual enriched uranium consumption is expected to increase from approximately 460 tons currently to about 540 tons next year. The rising demand mainly stems from the overlap between life-extension operations of some older nuclear units and the commissioning of new units...

2026-08-18

China National Nuclear Power Deeply Studies and Practices the Ecological Environment Code, Undertaking the Historic Mission of Green and Low-Carbon Energy Transition

The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Ecological Environment Code) officially came into effect on August 15, 2026. The Ecological Environment Code is an important achievement in implementing Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law. It is the second law in China named after a "Code" following the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, providing solid legal safeguards and fundamental legal guidance for the construction of a Beautiful China. China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as China National Nuclear Power), as a main force in China's nuclear energy development and an important force in achieving the "dual carbon" goals, deeply implements the Ecological Environment Code, practices the concept of green development, contributes safe and clean energy, and empowers the construction of a Beautiful China...

2026-08-18

Japan's Nuclear Power Revival Enters Supply Chain Rebuilding Phase, with Spent Fuel and Engineering Capacity as Key Constraints

As Japan advances energy security, reduces dependence on fossil fuel imports, and expands low-carbon electricity supply, the focus of the country's nuclear power market is shifting from mere reactor restarts to a comprehensive supply chain rebuild covering manufacturing, operations and maintenance, life extension, fuel cycle, and waste management. GlobalData estimates Japan's nuclear power generation at 101.0 TWh in 2025 and projects it to increase to 123.3 TWh by 2035. Japan's policy target is to maintain nuclear power at approximately 20% to 22% of the electricity generation mix. Based on total annual electricity demand of approximately 1,050 TWh, a 20% nuclear share corresponds to about 210 TWh, while a 22% share corresponds to about 231 TWh. Compared with the 2025 nuclear generation figure of 101.0 TWh, the estimated gap is approximately 109 TWh to 130 TWh.

2026-08-18