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U.S. Company Proposes Americium-241 Radioisotope Heating Solution for Spacesuits, Receives Early NASA Research Support

U.S.-based Zeno Power Systems has proposed a radioisotope heating concept for lunar extravehicular activities, planning to use Americium-241 (Am-241) to provide continuous passive warmth for astronauts during lunar nights and in permanently shadowed regions. The proposal has been selected for this year's NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, with the potential to receive up to $175,000 in early-stage research funding. The lunar surface environment is one of the key challenges for long-duration crewed missions. Data shows that lunar nights can last approximately two weeks, and extreme low temperatures will limit the duration of astronaut extravehicular activities in shadowed areas and at night. Even with new-generation spacesuits, their cold resistance remains limited...

2026-08-13

Russian Scholars Discuss Prospects and Limitations of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation in Agriculture

Russian researchers have recently proposed a rapid bacterial detection method for determining optimal doses of ionizing radiation for animals. Related studies suggest that low-dose radiation in the range of tens to hundreds of milligrays (mGy) may activate physiological processes such as metabolism, growth, and biomass accumulation, offering new technical approaches for livestock farming, veterinary medicine, and related fields. The ionizing radiation food processing center at the L.Ya. Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry in Obninsk. Photo: Kaluga Region State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. In response to this direction, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)...

2026-08-13

Cameco says it can ramp up core uranium asset production when demand recovers

Canadian uranium producer Cameco has said it is well positioned to respond to rising market demand, and will prioritize increasing output from its core assets if demand becomes clearer. Grant Isaac, Cameco's President and Chief Operating Officer, said on a company podcast discussing long-term strategy that Cameco remains committed to supply discipline, focusing on meeting customers' actual needs rather than setting overly ambitious growth expectations in the absence of confirmed demand. Isaac said the company is prepared to increase production from Tier 1 assets such as the McArthur River uranium mine and the Key Lake mill when market demand rises, lifting output from the current approximately 10 million to 11.5 million pounds of U3O8 to 25 million pounds.

2026-08-13

Azerbaijan Says It Can Supply Electricity to Armenia, Focus on Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Replacement

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on August 12 that Azerbaijan could supply electricity to Armenia. He also stated that Armenia cannot indefinitely extend the operating lifetime of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The Armenian government has not yet responded to this proposal, nor has it indicated whether it would consider importing electricity from Azerbaijan. As signs of easing relations between the two countries emerge, the possibility of cross-border transportation and energy infrastructure development is being revisited. Armenia has long relied on Russia and Iran for its energy security. Currently, the country is studying proposals from companies in the United States, Russia, China...

2026-08-13

Aegis to Develop Digital Twin Control Platform for Marine Nuclear Hybrid Energy with Ontario Tech University

Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. announced on August 12 that it will undertake a multi-year research collaboration with Ontario Tech University through the Mitacs Accelerate program. The project, valued at CAD 480,000, aims to develop and test a digital twin-based control platform to support the safe, reliable, and robust operation of small modular reactor and micro modular reactor (SMR/MMR) hybrid energy systems in marine environments. Under the project arrangement, the research team will simulate changing loads, system faults, and...

2026-08-13

Full-Process Commissioning of Major Marine Isotope Separation Pilot Facility

Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Changxing Ocean Laboratory is dedicated to building a quasi-industrial research platform for high-end marine equipment. The Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center, focusing on the industrial context of isotope production, separation, and application, and supported by the ministerial-level Isotope Separation Science and Technology Center, conducts research and development of key isotope separation technologies and engineering equipment for Generation III reactors, Generation IV reactors, and fusion reactors, establishing an innovative platform integrating R&D, testing, validation, data, and technical services. Major research facility: Recently, the construction of the hundred-ton-per-year light water hydrogen isotope separation pilot platform has achieved phased results, with the system facility undergoing full-process commissioning. The platform adopts a self-developed water distillation coupled with cryogenic hydrogen isotope separation process, achieving large-scale efficient separation and enrichment of hydrogen isotopes from light water. The platform's outcomes hold broad engineering application value in fields such as pressurized water reactor wastewater treatment, deuterium-tritium isotope separation, fusion tritium plant operation, and heavy water/heavy hydrogen production. At 18:00 on August 4, 2026, at the Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center of Changxing Ocean Laboratory, the hundred-ton-per-year light water hydrogen isotope separation pilot facility was commissioned through its full process! The commissioning and operation of this pilot facility was undertaken by the Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center, with all departments coordinating collaboratively, making meticulous arrangements, and dedicating full efforts. During the operation, the team successively overcame multiple challenges including tight schedules, heavy workloads, and persistent high temperatures. This achievement not only fully validated the stability and reliability of the process platform but also demonstrated the researchers' responsibility and commitment in rising to challenges and persevering diligently. In the next phase, the project technical team will continue to deepen process optimization based on existing achievements, focus on advancing continuous and stable facility operation, accelerate engineering application, and provide strong support for breakthroughs in key core technologies in China's hydrogen isotope separation field.

2026-08-13

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant to Shut Down Due to Falling Danube River Levels

Romania's Ministry of Energy announced on the 12th local time that, due to current hydrological conditions, Unit 2 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant will undergo a controlled shutdown starting on the 13th. Cernavoda is Romania's only nuclear power plant, and this shutdown will mark the first time the plant has been completely taken offline since 2003. The Cernavoda plant has two units, with Unit 1 already shut down at the end of last month. The plant accounts for approximately one-fifth of Romania's electricity generation. Romanian authorities had previously taken engineering measures to delay the shutdown of Unit 2, including dredging relevant sections of the Danube River, blasting and removing underwater rock obstacles, clearing the riverbed, and sinking barges loaded with crushed stone into the river channel to adjust water flow conditions. These operations involved an investment of over 2 million euros.

2026-08-13

Shimane Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 completes containment vessel-related repairs, scheduled to resume commercial operation on the 16th of next month

The Shimane Nuclear Power Station Unit 2, located in Matsue City, Japan, is scheduled to resume commercial operation next month. Recently, part of the reactor containment vessel repair work at the unit was opened to the public, showcasing key construction steps before the resumption of operation. Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Station resumed operation in December two years ago. Since February this year, the unit has been shut down for routine operational inspections. In accordance with relevant legal requirements, nuclear power units must undergo equipment disassembly inspections and replacement of related components within 13 months after the previous inspection is completed. On August 3, a dedicated crane was used on site to lift a cover weighing approximately 60 tons to the top of the reactor containment vessel. Workers completed the tightening of 120 bolts that day...

2026-08-13

TEPCO and JAPC invite eight power companies to participate in spent fuel transport

August 12 news, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) invited eight other Japanese power companies that own nuclear power plants on the 10th to consider participating in the transport of spent fuel to the Mutsu City interim storage facility in Aomori Prefecture. Mutsu City has agreed to expand the scope of operating entities involved in the transport. The interim storage facility is operated by Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company (RFS), jointly established by TEPCO and JAPC, and is primarily used for temporary storage of spent fuel generated from nuclear power plants before reprocessing. The eight invited companies are Hokkaido Electric Power Company (Hokkai...

2026-08-13

South Korea's Two Ministries Sign MOU to Promote Regulatory Cooperation for Nuclear Power Exports

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) signed a memorandum of understanding on the successful overseas expansion of Korean-style nuclear power plants at the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation in Jongno-gu, Seoul on August 13, planning to strengthen regulatory coordination in the nuclear power export process and provide more systematic nuclear safety regulatory cooperation support to countries hosting potential projects. Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly support export target countries in establishing nuclear safety regulatory frameworks, improving licensing procedures and technical standards, and enhancing the professional capabilities of regulatory bodies, based on the regulatory cooperation needs raised by these countries. The South Korean government is promoting nuclear power plant exports with a focus on potential markets in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, and the relevant countries are in the process of planning and...

2026-08-13

Polar Crane of Unit 1 of Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Expansion Phase I Project Officially Available

On August 12, the load test of the polar crane for Unit 1 of the Expansion Phase I Project was successfully completed, with all performance indicators fully meeting design requirements, marking that the polar crane is officially ready for use and creating favorable conditions for subsequent key tasks such as the introduction and positioning of main equipment in the nuclear island. The polar crane is the core lifting equipment in the reactor building, undertaking critical lifting and handling tasks throughout the entire lifecycle, including heavy equipment hoisting during the construction phase, refueling during shutdown and equipment maintenance during the operation phase, and equipment dismantling during the decommissioning phase. Its operational stability and reliability are directly related to the safety and quality of nuclear island installation. The success of this load test fully verified that all performance indicators of the equipment completely meet the standards for safe and reliable use...

2026-08-13

CGN Hezhi® Proton Therapy System Clinical Performance Successfully Passes Expert Review

On July 31, the expert review meeting for the clinical performance evaluation of the CGN Hezhi® Proton Therapy System was held at the CGN Proton Therapy Equipment Manufacturing Base. Clinical experts from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Shenzhen Hospital, and Shandong First Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital attended the review meeting.▲Expert review of CGN Hezhi® Proton Therapy System clinical performanceAt the review meeting, the relevant person in charge of CGN Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company") introduced that the comprehensive verification platform for the proton therapy system has achieved full-process independent controllability from design, procurement, production,...

2026-08-12

First Fuel Loading Officially Begins at Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7

On August 12, as the first fuel assembly was precisely and safely loaded into its designated position in the reactor core, the first fuel loading officially began at Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, which is invested and controlled by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)'s China Nuclear Power. This marks a solid foundation for subsequent reactor criticality and commercial operation. First fuel loading is the core procedure of implanting the "energy heart" into a nuclear reactor. As a key milestone in the full lifecycle of nuclear power construction, it not only serves as a comprehensive test of the unit's years of engineering construction quality, system commissioning level, and safety management capability, but also represents the critical starting point for the unit's nuclear-powered operation. It is understood that this fuel loading is the first-ever loading for a VVER-1200 unit in China, requiring a total of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies to be loaded...

2026-08-12

Two Units of Kozloduy NPP Operating at Full Capacity as Scheduled

As of 13:00 on August 11, 2026, the two units of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant continue to operate at full capacity in accordance with the power generation schedule. The plant's operating team maintains continuous watch to ensure the safe and stable operation of the relevant facilities. To guarantee the water volume required for the circulating pump station and the technical water cooling system, the plant has implemented technical and organizational measures under existing conditions to maintain the operation of the shore pump station. The technical condition of the relevant facilities requires ongoing attention, and operational parameters are being continuously monitored on site. To optimize water intake conditions, the plant needs to clean the riverbed between the Danube River and the shore pump station. The operation of the shore pumps is being monitored, with flow regulated by adjusting the blade angles; if necessary, further...

2026-08-12

TRISO-X and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extend Advanced Nuclear Fuel R&D Collaboration

TRISO-X announced on August 11 that it has extended its Collaborative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The newly signed agreement has a term of 30 months and will continue to advance commercial-scale development of TRISO fuel, manufacturing process optimization, and technology transfer, building on the collaboration established since 2016. TRISO-X is a wholly-owned subsidiary of X-energy, primarily engaged in advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing. Under the agreement, TRISO-X will continue to operate its existing pilot-scale facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with a focus on transitioning TRISO fuel from laboratory R&D to commercial-scale manufacturing. The collaboration includes optimizing fuel...

2026-08-12