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U.S. Completes Mechanical Property Measurements of Irradiated HALEU TRISO Fuel Particles

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have completed mechanical property measurements of irradiated high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) TRISO fuel particles, providing new experimental data for the development and qualification of next-generation nuclear fuels. This is an optical cross-sectional image of an irradiated AGR-2 TRISO fuel particle in the Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy. TRISO fuel, or tri-structural isotropic fuel, features particles coated with multiple protective layers, typically including pyrolytic carbon layers and a silicon carbide layer. This structure provides strong fission product retention capability and is considered one of the key fuel options for advanced reactors, particularly high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Understanding the property changes of these coatings after irradiation is a critical step in predicting fuel performance under reactor operating conditions.

2026-09-04

Danzhou in Hainan Advances "Nuclear Power to Yangpu" and "Nuclear Steam to Yangpu" to Support Zero-Carbon Industrial Park Development

On September 2, the series of themed press conferences for the "15th Five-Year Plan" kickoff (fifth session at the city and county level) — the Danzhou special session was held. A relevant official from Danzhou stated that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Danzhou will focus on building a new-type power system, a new-type energy system, and zero-carbon industrial parks and low-carbon city development, promoting deep integration of clean energy with port-adjacent industries, and striving to become a national demonstration area for new-type power systems. According to the released content, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Hainan Power Grid plans to invest 5 billion yuan in Danzhou to build a coordinated "transmission-distribution-microgrid" three-tier power grid. By 2030, Danzhou will fully establish a layered, zoned, and independently operated grid framework, promote "nuclear power to Yangpu" to achieve local consumption of green electricity with full-chain traceability and verifiability, reducing the regional power carbon emission factor across the entire area to below 0.05 kgCO₂/kWh.

2026-09-04

Sweden's First New Nuclear Reactor Could Be Operational by Mid-2030s

Sweden's Minister for Energy and Industry, Ebba Busch, who also leads the Christian Democrats (KD), stated at a public hearing on September 3 that the country's first newly built nuclear reactor could be operational by the mid-2030s. When asked when the new nuclear unit could be connected to the grid, Busch indicated the mid-2030s. She also noted that the new nuclear project would not rely on direct state funding. However, the Swedish government has previously prepared a support framework for new nuclear construction. The arrangements could involve financial support amounting to hundreds of billions of Swedish kronor, including loans and electricity price guarantees totaling approximately 400 billion Swedish kronor. Busch stated that this is indeed a substantial sum, but its nature is that of loans and price hedging arrangements targeting critical infrastructure.

2026-09-04

Iowa Releases Final Report of Nuclear Energy Task Force

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced on September 3 that the Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force has completed its final report. The task force was established in January of this year under Executive Order No. 17, with the mission of assessing opportunities for advancing nuclear energy technology and related infrastructure development in Iowa. The task force is composed of representatives from utility companies, power generators, local governments, academia, the Iowa Utilities Commission, industry associations, national laboratories, and the state legislature, and is supported by the Iowa Economic Develop...

2026-09-04

Site Construction Officially Launched for Phase I of Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power Project

On September 1, the pre-work meeting and construction mobilization meeting for the main plant area site leveling of Phase I of the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power Project was held at the project site, marking a key step forward in the construction of the Laiyang Nuclear Power Project and the full launch of site leveling works for Phase I. Before the meeting, the construction crew organized a pre-work briefing, during which responsible persons from all participating construction parties inspected the site on location, verified the operating conditions of construction machinery and equipment one by one, and conducted inspections and evaluations of pre-work preparations, solidifying the foundational conditions for construction commencement from the source. At the construction site, engineering machinery stood in orderly formation, and the construction teams were in high spirits. The responsible person of SPIC Laiyang stated that the Laiyang Nuclear Power Project will strictly implement the "four strictest" work requirements, coordinate all aspects of safety, quality, and schedule, and that all participating construction units will work in synergy, strive for excellence, and promote high-quality project development throughout the full lifecycle, injecting strong momentum into the Group's nuclear energy business for greater strength, optimization, and expansion.

2026-09-04

Pre-commissioning WANO Peer Review Launched at Türkiye's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant

The planning phase of the pre-commissioning peer review by the World Association of Nuclear Operators Moscow Centre (WANO-MC) has been launched at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) site in Türkiye. The plant, being constructed by Rosatom, is the first nuclear power plant under construction in Türkiye. This mission focuses primarily on Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP. Upon completion of the review, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) will conduct an independent assessment of the operational readiness of the unit's systems, equipment, and operating personnel, providing a reference for the subsequent safe operation of the unit. The review is led by Wang Tingkui, head of the WANO-MC Crew Performance Observation (CPO) and peer review team. According to...

2026-09-04

Seoul National University of Science and Technology and Doosan Enerbility Deepen Nuclear Design Cooperation

Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) and Doosan Enerbility recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct industry-academia cooperation in next-generation nuclear power plants, small modular reactors (SMRs), and core nuclear equipment technologies, aiming to enhance competitiveness in nuclear design technology and jointly cultivate specialized research talent. The signing ceremony was held on September 2 at SeoulTech. Attendees included Seo Young-bin, Senior Vice President of Nuclear Design at Doosan Enerbility, Kim Jong-in, Department Head, along with relevant university officials. Under the MOU, the two parties will integrate the university's research capabilities with the company's expertise in nuclear power...

2026-09-04

Russia Plans to Build Floating Nuclear Power Plant Production Facility Near Murmansk

Rosatom is considering building its own production facility near Murmansk to complete the construction of floating nuclear power plants. The company believes that as related orders increase, the capacity of existing partners may struggle to meet future demand. Baltic Shipyard is one of Rosatom's key partners. The Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant and four Project 22220 Arktika-class nuclear-powered icebreakers were all built at this shipyard. Currently, the two sides continue to maintain close cooperation, with a significant portion of Baltic Shipyard's orders related to Rosatom projects. Russia...

2026-09-04

Key steam turbine components for UK Rolls-Royce SMRs to be produced in Newcastle

Key steam turbine components for the first three small modular reactors planned by Rolls-Royce SMR for the Wylfa project on Anglesey, North Wales, will be manufactured in the UK. Siemens Energy's Newcastle facility will undertake the production of components including high-pressure turbines and valve casings. This marks the first time in Europe that such components have been produced domestically for small modular reactors. Under the arrangement, the Siemens Energy Newcastle facility is also planned to become the company's key component service centre for the Rolls-Royce SMR UK project fleet. The facility is located on the historic...

2026-09-04

UK and US Ports and Shipping Organizations Study Nuclear-Powered Container Ship Deployment Across the Atlantic

UK classification society and professional consultancy Lloyd's Register, Danish shipping company Maersk, the Port of Charleston in the United States, and the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom are collaborating on the "Pink Corridor" project to study the safety and security requirements involved in deploying nuclear-powered container ships on transatlantic routes. (Image credit: Lloyd's Register) The project uses a conceptual nuclear-powered container ship as its research subject, focusing on analyzing the port access conditions and regulatory requirements it may face when operating on a commercial route between the Port of Charleston in South Carolina and the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, UK.

2026-09-04

South Korea Exports Molten Salt Reactor R&D Technology to Denmark

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) announced on September 4 that it has signed a two-year contract worth USD 2.26 million (approximately KRW 3 billion) with Danish nuclear energy company Saltforce to provide molten salt reactor-related R&D services, covering areas such as nuclear fuel manufacturing, molten salt testing, and material corrosion assessment. Molten salt reactors are a class of next-generation reactors that typically use high-temperature molten salt as a fuel carrier or coolant medium. Based on the molten salt chemical system, this type of technology is mainly divided into fluoride-based and chloride-based systems. Under the contract arrangement, KAERI will provide support for the fluoride-based...

2026-09-04

India's Private Fusion Tokamak PRAGYA Achieves Plasma Operation

Bengaluru-based deep-tech energy startup Pranos Fusion has produced plasma in its experimental device PRAGYA. The company states that PRAGYA is India's first compact tokamak developed by a private enterprise, marking a transition in India's private fusion research and development from the design and manufacturing phase to experimental operation. PRAGYA adopts a compact, low-aspect-ratio tokamak design, primarily used to generate, confine, and control plasma. Tokamaks use strong magnetic fields to confine high-temperature plasma within a toroidal vacuum vessel, creating conditions for future fusion of light atomic nuclei. The fundamental process of fusion reactions is the same mechanism by which the Sun releases energy, but engineering implementation still faces multiple challenges in plasma confinement, magnets, materials, and control systems.

2026-09-04

Taiwan, China plans to restart Ma'anshan Nuclear Power Plant in 2028

Taiwan, China previously pursued a nuclear phase-out policy, but the direction is now showing signs of adjustment. The Taiwan Nuclear Safety Commission recently initiated the final administrative procedures for the Ma'anshan Nuclear Power Plant restart plan submitted by Taiwan Power Company, and the plan is expected to enter the formal review stage. Based on the current progress, the relevant units could resume operation as early as 2028. The Ma'anshan Nuclear Power Plant, also known as Taiwan's Third Nuclear Power Plant, is located in Hengchun Township, Pingtung County. The plant's commercial operating license has expired, and it previously ceased commercial operation. Data shows that the Ma'anshan Nuclear Power Plant once supplied approximately 5% of Taiwan's electricity, making it one of the key power sources in the local power system. Taiwan had previously proposed ceasing nuclear power operations by 2025...

2026-09-04

Russia's Primorsky Krai Nuclear Power Plant Planned to Connect to Grid by 2031

Rosatom plans to connect the Primorsky Krai Nuclear Power Plant to the power grid by 2031. The company's CEO, Alexey Likhachev, stated on September 3 during the Eastern Economic Forum that the project is progressing according to established targets. Likhachev said Rosatom is working to ensure the first concrete pour for the plant's first unit is completed by the end of 2027. Under current plans, the project aims to achieve grid connection and power generation by 2031, with full commercial operation in 2032. He also noted that the Far East region, particularly Primorsky Krai, still lacks sufficient experience in nuclear energy utilization...

2026-09-04

Progress on Contract Work for Vietnam's Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant

Alexey Likhachev, President of Rosatom, stated on September 3 during the Eastern Economic Forum that contract work for the construction and operation of Vietnam's first nuclear power plant, Ninh Thuan 1, is progressing. Likhachev said that relevant contract documents are being expedited, with the goal of reaching legally binding agreements on the project timeline and configuration options. He noted that the VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactor has been selected as the technical solution for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant. Meanwhile, both sides are also conducting preliminary research work on a research reactor. Vietnam's National Assembly decided in December 2024 to restart the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant project. The project was previously suspended in 2016. According to an intergovernmental agreement signed during the Vietnamese Prime Minister's visit to Russia in March this year, the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant will be built using advanced Russian technology and financed through a special loan provided by the Russian Federation.

2026-09-04