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Purdue University Completes the First Remote Real-Time Autonomous Power Control Experiment on a Nuclear Reactor in the United States, Building a Cross-State Digital Twin Closed Loop

Purdue University, in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), has for the first time in the United States achieved remote, automatic, and real-time experimental regulation of nuclear reactor power. The demonstration validated a three-site control closed loop spanning Indiana, Idaho, and Virginia, providing a cutting-edge engineering paradigm for future centralized remote monitoring and automated scheduling of advanced reactors from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. The experiment relied on Purdue University's 64-year-old Reactor Number One (Purdue University Reactor Num...

2026-09-24

Polish Nuclear Power Company and U.S. Consortium Reach Agreement on Key Commercial Terms for EPC Contract of First Commercial Nuclear Power Plant

Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), the Polish state-owned nuclear power engineering company responsible for the construction and operation of Poland's first nuclear power plant, announced that it has reached agreement with the nuclear power consortium (Bechtel-Westinghouse Consortium) formed by Westinghouse Electric Company and Bechtel on the core commercial and legal terms of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for Poland's first commercial nuclear power plant. Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe stated that the core terms finalized by both parties cover the key commercial rules and legal...

2026-09-24

Rosatom's Podolsk Machine-Building Plant Completes Manufacture of the Second RITM-200S Reactor for the First PEB-106 Floating Nuclear Power Plant

The Moscow Region enterprise Podolsk Machine-Building Plant (PAO ZiO-Podolsk), part of the mechanical engineering division of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (Госкорпорация «Росатом» / Rosatom), has successfully manufactured the second RITM-200S (РИТМ-200С) reactor unit. This reactor will be installed on the PEB-106 (ПЭБ-106) floating nuclear power unit, designed specifically to ensure power supply for the large copper mining industrial cluster in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (Чукотский автономный округ / Chukotka Autonomous Okrug). The equipment has successfully passed hydraulic tests (Гидравлические испытания) confirming its structural strength, and a full-scale trial assembly (Контрольная сборка) verified absolute conformity of components with the design drawings.

2026-09-24

Rwanda Plans to Achieve Its First 110 MW Nuclear Power Generation Target by 2033

Rwanda's Minister of Infrastructure, Damien Murwanashyaka, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 22, while attending a meeting of the Senate Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs to discuss the government's initiatives to increase electricity access. Committee Chairperson Fulgence Nsengiyumva said the committee inspected electricity consumers and project sites to assess government planning, power capacity, efforts to promote off-grid energy, and the role of the private sector in increasing electricity access. Murwanashyaka said Rwanda is advancing the various procedures needed to build nuclear power facilities, including obtaining international certification and identifying suitable sites. As the Rwandan government works to expand national power generation capacity, Rwanda is expected to begin using nuclear energy to generate 110 megawatts of electricity between 2030 and 2033.

2026-09-23

Framatome of France Secures First U.S. High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Nuclear Fuel Contract

French nuclear company Framatome announced that it has signed a commercial contract to supply one operating nuclear reactor in the United States with the world's first nuclear fuel with uranium-235 concentration higher than the industry standard of 5%, for use in replacing reactor fuel. Under the agreement, as part of the Advanced Fuel Management (AFM) program, Framatome will use AFM technology to supply higher-concentration fuel in batches starting in early 2028. The agreement includes the supply of a range of fuels to support long-term use of AFM fuel in the reactor, and includes additional fuel supply options for the future. The company did not disclose the name of the reactor that will use the fuel. Uranium-235...

2026-09-23

Weilan Stellar Completes China's First Stellarator Magnet Cryogenic Comprehensive Test Platform in Three Months, First Round of Magnet Testing Launched

Weilan Stellar recently completed the construction of China's first stellarator magnet cryogenic comprehensive test platform, and the first round of magnet testing has been launched. Qiu Lilong, a review expert for the cryogenic system, stated that from independent design and system integration to domestically sourced supporting equipment, Weilan Stellar took only three and a half months to integrate vacuum, cryogenics, power supply, measurement, and protection into a comprehensive test platform. The test platform fully demonstrates the team's outstanding capabilities in scientific research, engineering, and project management. As the foundation for stable operation of a stellarator, the cryogenic system's vacuum level, sealing performance, and cooling capacity are all crucial. Unlike conventional paced R&D models, Weilan Stellar has always adhered to a pragmatic,...

2026-09-23

The first international severe accident melt pool standard problem led by China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. has been officially approved

Recently, the annual meeting of the Working Group on Accident Analysis and Management (WGAMA) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) reviewed and approved the International Standard Problem (ISP) in the field of severe accident research, which was led and submitted by China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. This approval marks the 54th International Standard Problem since the OECD established the ISP program half a century ago, the first International Standard Problem in the field of in-vessel melt pool research for reactor severe accidents, and the second International Standard Problem led by China. The project entered the international promotion stage in 2024. The project team collaborated with multiple top research...

2026-09-21

ARC and Idaho National Laboratory Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance First Reactor Deployment

ARC Clean Technology announced earlier this week that it has signed a Strategic Partnership Project agreement with Battelle Energy Alliance, the operating and management contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The agreement establishes a multi-year collaboration framework aimed at advancing in-depth cooperation between ARC and INL on the design, demonstration, and first project deployment of the ARC-100, a 100 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor. Among the many emerging nuclear reactor startups, Washington, D.C.-based ARC stands as one of the oldest members. The company was founded in 2006, even earlier than well-known industry players such as TerraPower (...

2026-09-20

X-energy and Centrica Partner to Launch the UK's First Xe-100 Advanced Modular Nuclear Power Plant Project

The UK government has approved the regulatory assessment phase for advanced reactors, marking an important step forward for the construction of a new generation of nuclear power plants. X-energy and Centrica are collaborating to build a new generation of nuclear power plants in the UK using the Xe-100 advanced modular reactor, with the first project sited at Hartlepool. This collaboration is of great significance, marking substantial progress on the UK's nuclear energy development path and laying the foundation for broader nuclear power plant construction in the future. Alistair Black, Vice President and UK Market Lead at X-energy, emphasized that since signing the cooperation agreement with Centrica, both parties have been working together on the first project at Hartlepool...

2026-09-18

First Batch of Radioactive Waste Transported from New Chernobyl Waste Processing Facility

The Industrial Complex for Solid Radwaste Management (ICSRM) at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has officially shipped out seven containers of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste after completing waste processing. This batch of waste has been transferred to the specially equipped Near-Surface Disposal Facility for Solid Radioactive Waste (ENDSF) for final disposal. The Industrial Complex for Solid Radwaste Management officially began operations in May this year after obtaining a license from the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine. The new complex is primarily used to process solid radioactive waste accumulated during the operation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which has been stored in the solid radioactive waste storage facility since 1978. Chernobyl...

2026-09-18

Hainan Free Trade Port's first "Hualong One", Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Unit 3 is about to be officially put into operation

The first Hualong One nuclear power unit in the Hainan Free Trade Port, Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Unit 3, is about to officially enter commercial operation. Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II is equipped with China's independently developed third-generation Hualong One nuclear power technology and adopts the country's first fully independently controllable group-level nuclear power production management system. It can deliver more than 9 billion kWh of clean electricity to the Hainan power grid each year. The Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II project plans to build Unit 3 and Unit 4, two units with a single-unit capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts. After the two units are fully completed, the annual power generation can reach 18 billion kWh, enough to meet the electricity demand of one-third of Hainan Province's population. Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Unit 3 is about to be officially put...

2026-09-17

U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA): Promoting U.S. Civil Nuclear Energy Technology, Supporting Thailand's First Nuclear Power Project

On September 14, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced the promotion of U.S. civil nuclear energy technology to support Thailand in assessing the feasibility of building its first nuclear power project. USTDA signed a feasibility study agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) aimed at conducting a technical analysis of U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The project is planned to have a generating capacity of approximately 600 megawatts (600 MW), sufficient to meet the electricity needs of hundreds of thousands of households. As Thailand's economy grows, demand for reliable power is increasing to support broader economic development. For the United States, this cooperation advances our commitment to innovation and leadership in advanced civil nuclear energy. This is part of the U.S. 'nuclear...

2026-09-16

U.S. Army Deploys First Commercial Microreactor at Crane Base

The U.S. Army announced that it has ordered the first commercial microreactor for Naval Support Activity Crane in Indiana, marking a significant step in the United States' application of advanced nuclear energy technology. This micro-modular reactor (MMR), owned and operated by a commercial entity, will be installed at the base, becoming the U.S. Navy's first land-based advanced micro-modular reactor and Indiana's first power reactor. Naval Support Activity Crane is positioned by the U.S. Army as one of the leading centers in operational innovation and capability development. The deployment of the microreactor aims to provide reliable, 24-hour uninterrupted power, reducing dependence on the commercial power grid, thereby supporting critical missions in various...

2026-09-16

Rosatom Completes First Stage of Concrete Pouring for BREST Reactor Core Cavity

TVEL Fuel Company, a subsidiary of Rosatom, has announced that the future innovative nuclear power unit BREST-OD-300, located in Seversk, Tomsk Oblast, has successfully completed the first stage of concrete pouring for the reactor core inner cavity. The reactor is located at the site of the Generation IV Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex (ODEK) within the Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC) area, and is a core component of Russia's national strategic industry project Proryv (Breakthrough). The report noted that concrete pouring for the reactor body will proceed in multiple stages, with full completion expected in the winter of 2027, by which time the total amount of heat-resistant concrete used will exceed 7,000 cubic meters...

2026-09-14

Lower Saxony, Germany Plans to Build Europe's First Large-Scale Fusion-Grade High-Temperature Superconducting Tape Plant

Proxima Fusion and the Lower Saxony state government of Germany signed a memorandum of understanding in Hanover on September 9, planning to build Europe's first large-scale fusion-grade high-temperature superconducting tape production facility in the state, laying the foundation for large-scale industrial production of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape. According to the plan, the first two phases of the project involve an investment of approximately 140 million euros, with public funds and private capital each covering about half. Of this, Lower Saxony plans to contribute 21 million euros, accounting for nearly 30% of the public funding portion. The first two phases of construction are expected to be completed by the end of 2029. High-temperature superconducting tape is a type of metal tape that exhibits superconducting properties at relatively higher temperatures. In the superconducting state, it can transmit current with nearly zero resistive loss and is used to manufacture high-power, compact electromagnets. For stellarator fusion devices, magnets made from high-temperature superconducting tape can generate the magnetic fields needed to confine and control high-temperature plasma, making them an important foundational material for achieving compact fusion devices and future fusion power plants.

2026-09-12