Search Results

X-energy and SGL Carbon to Expand Nuclear-Grade Graphite Production Capacity

X-Energy and SGL Carbon announced on August 3 that they have signed a binding agreement to expand production capacity for NBG-18 medium-grained isotropic nuclear-grade graphite. NBG-18 is a critical specialty material for X-Energy's Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, supporting the company's subsequent commercial project deployments. Under the agreement, X-Energy will invest up to $8 million in phases to support the construction of new facilities and equipment upgrades at SGL Carbon's plant in Chedde, France. Upon completion of the expansion, the plant will be capable of producing graphite billets annually sufficient for up to eight Xe-100 reactors. SGL Carbon has also agreed to expand its graphite billet processing capacity in the United States to enhance the stability of this safety-critical material supply chain.

2026-08-04

Dominion Energy Renews Early Site Permit for North Anna Nuclear Plant

Dominion Energy Virginia is taking steps to renew the early site permit for its North Anna nuclear power plant, originally issued in 2007. Located in Louisa County, the North Anna plant currently operates two reactors. The company submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on July 14, seeking to extend the early site permit for a period of 20 years, or 20 years from the date of issuance, whichever is later. The NRC has formally acknowledged receipt of the request and is reviewing it for docketing acceptance. An early site permit is an optional process through which the NRC can confirm whether a site is suitable for a new nuclear power plant; obtaining such a permit can reduce risks of delays during the licensing and construction process...

2026-08-04

Russia Says Balkhash NPP Construction Will Boost Kazakhstan's Nuclear Energy Industry

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin recently stated that the construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, the Balkhash NPP, will help the country establish a modern nuclear energy industry. Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation, is participating in the project as the lead party. Speaking at the plenary session of the Third Russia-Kazakhstan Media Forum, Galuzin said that Russia and Kazakhstan cooperate in multiple areas, with the Balkhash NPP being one of the recent collaborative projects. He noted that the plant will be built to a Russian design and, once completed, will provide a foundation for the development of Kazakhstan's nuclear energy industry. According to current plans, the Balkhash NPP project is scheduled to begin construction in 2027...

2026-08-04

Valar Atomics Completes $1 Billion Equity Financing, Sequoia Capital Partner Joins Board

Nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics confirmed on August 3 that it has completed a $1 billion equity financing round led by Sequoia Capital. Company founder and CEO Isaiah Taylor stated that Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire has joined the company's board of directors. In addition to the equity financing, Valar Atomics also secured a $200 million credit facility from Erebor and other banks. Valar Atomics did not disclose its post-financing valuation. Reports indicate the company is valued at approximately $6 billion. Valar Atomics primarily...

2026-08-04

OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Director-General Attends Civil Nuclear Energy Workshop in London

William D. Magwood IV, Director-General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), attended the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Civil Nuclear Energy Workshop held in London, United Kingdom, on July 15-16. Themed "Collaborative Advancement of Implementation," the workshop brought together government officials, industry representatives, and international stakeholders from Europe, Eurasia, and beyond to discuss how international cooperation can support the delivery of nuclear energy projects. Magwood delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony and subsequently engaged in a conversation with Maria Korsnick, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)...

2026-08-04

Study Shows Sustained Deuterium Fusion in Palladium and Titanium Metal Foils at Ultra-Low Energies

U.S. researchers have observed a low-energy deuterium fusion phenomenon in thin palladium and titanium metal foils: when the incident deuteron energy drops to levels where fusion reactions are generally expected to weaken significantly or even nearly cease, the reactions continue to occur. Experiments show that as incident energy decreases, the fusion rate does not continue to decline exponentially but instead enters a plateau region below approximately 2 keV. At the lowest detectable energy, the measured low-energy fusion rate exceeds predictions from isolated-nucleus models by more than 10^18 times. Image courtesy of Marina Light/University of California, Davis. The related research was conducted by teams at the University of California, Davis and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory...

2026-08-04

East China University of Technology Establishes School of Excellence in Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Technology Engineering

On August 1, East China University of Technology held the inauguration ceremony of the School of Excellence in Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Technology Engineering and the first meeting of its inaugural council at Guanglan Campus. Xiao Qian, member of the Party Committee of the Education and Work Commission of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee and Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Education, Zhang Fuqing, Secretary of the Party Committee of East China University of Technology, Xia Fei, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee, and Li Mangen, member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President, attended the ceremony. The meeting specially invited Zhao Zhongsheng, Associate Researcher at Tsinghua University and Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Academic Degrees and Graduate Education, and Li Binghong, Researcher and Executive Dean of the School of Excellence in Engineering at Shenyang University of Technology, to deliver special reports. In his speech, Xiao Qian extended congratulations on the establishment of the School of Excellence in Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Technology Engineering at East China University of Technology. He pointed...

2026-08-04

Zhangzhou Energy Chemistry Laboratory Receives CNAS Accreditation

Recently, the Zhangzhou Energy Chemistry Laboratory received the laboratory accreditation certificate issued by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS). CNAS is the national accreditation body designated by the State Administration for Market Regulation in accordance with the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Certification and Accreditation and the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Accreditation Bodies, and its accreditation results can achieve international mutual recognition under the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Accreditation Forum. The company's chemistry laboratory strictly benchmarked against CNAS-CL01:2018 "Accreditation Criteria for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories," and solidly advanced various foundational tasks including the preparation of system documents, implementation of quality control, enhancement of personnel skills, and metrological traceability of equipment. After trial operation, internal audit...

2026-08-04

IAEA Inspects Ukrainian Energy Company Substations

On August 3, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) completed its latest inspection of key substations belonging to a Ukrainian energy company. The inspection aimed to assess energy infrastructure, particularly critical facilities affecting the safe operation of Ukraine's nuclear power plants. The Ukrainian side granted the IAEA delegation access to critical high-voltage substation systems for comprehensive monitoring. This comprehensive monitoring of substations was made possible by the expansion of the IAEA's mandate in September 2024. Under the new mandate, international inspectors can monitor not only the safety status of nuclear power plants but also the critical transmission system facilities that ensure their stable operation. Notably...

2026-08-04

IIT Hyderabad launches nuclear technology training programme

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad), in collaboration with Pune-based technology company Crimson Energy Experts Pvt. Ltd. (CEEPL), has launched a three-month full-time residential training programme to train engineers and industry professionals for India's expanding civil nuclear energy sector. The programme, named Anugyan-Nuclear Technology Orientation Programme (NTOP), is described as India's first industry-academia collaborative initiative dedicated specifically to engineering talent development in the nuclear energy sector, with a focus on bridging the gap between academic curricula and nuclear industry engineering practice.

2026-08-04

Greece to Set Up Cross-Ministerial Group to Study Nuclear Energy Deployment, with Focus on Small Modular Reactors

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece will establish a cross-ministerial group to study the scientific basis and legal framework required for the potential deployment of nuclear energy. The Greek government has approved the establishment of the relevant cross-ministerial body, laying the institutional foundation for subsequent assessment work. At a cabinet meeting held on July 30, Mitsotakis stated that an increasing number of countries are considering generating electricity using small modular reactors, and Greece cannot ignore this trend. He said Greece should at least conduct research and obtain complete data before making any decisions. The effort aims to keep Greece abreast of international nuclear technology developments and build a professional...

2026-08-04

Bulgarian Energy Minister to Inspect Unit Operations at Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant

Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy announced on August 3 that Energy Minister Iva Petrova will visit the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant on August 4. Experts from the Ministry of Energy, along with representatives of the management of Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) and the Electricity System Operator (ESO), will accompany her. According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy, the visit will focus on understanding the current operational status of Units 5 and 6 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, assessing the impact of the abnormally low Danube River water level on plant operations, and reviewing measures taken by the Ministry to ensure the security of Bulgaria's electricity system. On August 2, the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy stated that despite the Danube River water level dropping to a historic low, the two nuclear units at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant...

2026-08-04

Syntec Optics Secures Fusion Energy Orders, AI Data Center-Related Orders Exceed $4 Million

Syntec Optics Holdings, a U.S. custom manufacturer of high-precision optics and photonics, announced on August 3 that it has recently secured a new batch of fusion energy-related orders, with order volume reaching 7 times the amount of similar orders at the end of last year. According to the company, this round of renewed orders involves special optical components for fusion reactors. These components will serve compact high-performance fusion reactors, helping related equipment conduct observation and control in extreme high-temperature environments. Fusion reactor operating environments feature extremely high temperatures, imposing stringent requirements on the precision, stability, and reliability of optical devices. Syntec Optics stated that since entering...

2026-08-04

Key Breakthroughs Achieved in Development of Core Equipment for BEST Compact Fusion Energy Test Facility

Recently, at a critical juncture in the all-out sprint toward the "double-half" goals, the development of two core components of the compact fusion energy test facility (BEST) main machine equipment—the vacuum vessel and the mid-plane thermal shield—undertaken by Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group and manufactured by No.1 Machine Tool Plant, has achieved successive milestone results. Multiple key manufacturing tasks have been successfully completed and delivered upon acceptance, marking that the development of BEST main machine core equipment has fully entered the critical stage of tackling difficulties and accelerating the sprint, laying a solid foundation for high-quality project delivery. As the core key equipment of the compact fusion energy test facility, the BEST vacuum vessel and mid-plane thermal shield feature complex structures, extremely high precision requirements, and difficult manufacturing processes...

2026-08-03

Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission: Toward Innovation and Green Development, Empowering All Industries with Nuclear Energy

Important DiscourseThe nuclear industry is a high-tech strategic industry and a crucial cornerstone of national security. We must adhere to safe development and innovative development, persist in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, comprehensively enhance the core competitiveness of the nuclear industry, and write a new glorious chapter for China's nuclear industry. Empowering All Industries with Nuclear Energy: A Visit to the World's Largest Large-Scale Coupling Demonstration Base of Nuclear Energy and Petrochemical Industry. Panoramic view of the nuclear island of Unit 1 of CNNC Suneng Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant. Interior view of the nuclear island of Unit 1 of CNNC Suneng Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant. Rendering of CNNC Suneng Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant. Night view of Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base (All photos provided by CNNC). On the coast of the Yellow Sea, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province...

2026-08-03