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Drone Attack on Cooling Tower at Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Friday that it has confirmed a drone attack on a cooling tower at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in western Russia. The incident occurred on September 18, when the reactor was operating, but no fire broke out and the operational status was unaffected. Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, stated in a statement that the attack caused minor damage to the plant's Reactor No. 1, but operations were not affected. The IAEA has received relevant information and is investigating the incident. Based on the investigation results, the agency will take necessary measures to ensure the safe operation of the nuclear power plant....

2026-09-20

US Delivers Cold War-Era Reactor Molten Salt Coolant to Texas Nuclear Innovation Project

The U.S. nuclear energy sector has recently seen a landmark cross-generational collaboration. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has formally delivered over 2 metric tons of FLiBe molten salt to Natura Resources, a nuclear startup headquartered in Abilene, Texas. This batch of molten salt once served as the coolant for the historic Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) during the Cold War, and after decades in storage, it has been reactivated to support the research, development, and deployment of fourth-generation nuclear reactor technology. The delivered FLiBe molten salt is a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, and its distinctive feature is that the lithium-7 (Li-7) isotope abundance within it reaches as high as 99.99%...

2026-09-20

ACRA Rating Agency Confirms Rosatom's ESG Rating at ESG-2 (AA+) Level

On September 18, 2026, according to the latest assessment results, ACRA Rating Agency confirmed that the ESG rating of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) remains at the ESG-2 (AA+) level, which represents the company's exceptionally high evaluation in the areas of environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance. This also marks the fourth consecutive year that the agency has confirmed this exceptionally high rating for Rosatom. At the same time, the rating agency assigned a stable outlook to the group, meaning that its ESG rating is highly likely to remain stable over the next 12 to 18 months. To carry out the data collection work for this ESG rating, six core divisions under Rosatom actively participated, including the mining division, the power division, ...

2026-09-20

Russia's Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 begins scheduled comprehensive overhaul, equipment upgrades to be carried out

On September 19, 2026, Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 officially entered a period of scheduled maintenance according to plan. The unit belongs to Rosenergoatom, a branch of the Electric Power Division of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. The maintenance will involve nuclear fuel replacement, routine inspection and repair of the reactor and turbine generator set, as well as a comprehensive assessment of the technical condition of the metal materials of core equipment. During the maintenance period, technical personnel from the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant will work closely with experts from Atomenergoremont Company. While carrying out routine maintenance, they will also implement nine upgrade and modification projects on some key nodes and process systems of Unit 2. The entire overhaul process requires...

2026-09-20

Uzbekistan and the United States Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Radiation and Nuclear Safety Cooperation

Uzbekistan and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two sides in the field of radiation and nuclear safety. The Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of Uzbekistan disclosed this in a statement released. According to relevant information, the memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which the Uzbek delegation is currently attending. The agreement was signed jointly by A. Rafigov, Chairman of the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of Uzbekistan, and Ho Nieh, Chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The memorandum provides a framework for cooperation between the nuclear and radiation regulatory bodies of the two countries in multiple...

2026-09-20

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

Uzbekistan and Turkey to Strengthen Cooperation in the Field of Radiation and Nuclear Safety

Uzbekistan and Turkey reached an important agreement at the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the field of radiation and nuclear safety. The Scientific and Technical Center for Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of Uzbekistan and the Turkish Nuclear Technical Support Joint Stock Company (NÜTED) signed the relevant documents, marking concrete steps forward in information exchange and technical collaboration between the two sides. The focus of cooperation lies in effectively utilizing their respective scientific and technological resources, sharing valuable experience, and applying modern safety methods in practical operations. Both sides recognize that in the field of nuclear safety, the exchange of experience and tech...

2026-09-18

Ukraine and Sweden Extend Nuclear and Radiation Safety Cooperation Agreement

On September 17, 2026, during the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held in Vienna, Ukraine and Sweden officially extended their cooperation agreement in the field of nuclear and radiation safety for five years. The heads of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority jointly signed the extension document. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine confirmed this outcome in an official statement, noting that the heads of the two countries' national nuclear regulatory bodies had reached agreement on continued cooperation for the next five years, laying the foundation for further deepening bilateral nuclear safety technical collaboration. During the meeting, representatives of Ukraine and Sweden held in-depth discussions on the specific implementation of joint projects. The two sides' future cooperation...

2026-09-18

Romania and Argentina Nuclear Power Companies Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Deepen CANDU 6 Heavy Water Reactor Technology Cooperation

Romania's National Nuclear Power Company (SNN) and Argentina's Nuclear Power Company (NASA) signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding on Thursday. According to a press release issued by the Romanian company, the two parties will engage in in-depth cooperation in the operation and development of CANDU 6 heavy water reactor technology. Both companies possess strong technical strength and rich practical experience in the engineering design, daily operation, equipment maintenance, large-scale project management, life extension, nuclear safety analysis, and reactor operation of CANDU 6 technology nuclear reactors. Argentina's Nuclear Power Company had previously successfully completed the refurbishment and upgrade of the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant, which uses CANDU technology...

2026-09-18

ORNL Develops Duct Radiation Monitoring System to Enhance Fuel Cycle Facility Safety and Protection

Recently, a research team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), led by embedded systems hardware and software engineer Brett Witherspoon, successfully developed a new type of radiation monitoring system. The system can continuously assess the accumulation of radioactive materials inside ventilation ducts at facilities that manufacture nuclear fuel or process nuclear waste. The system can be powered by battery or Ethernet, with a core cylindrical device approximately 12 inches tall. The device is installed inside the duct, and ORNL states that it can provide unprecedented monitoring frequency and accuracy at a lower cost than existing detection systems, thereby effectively protecting people...

2026-09-18

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

Planning permission granted for tunnel component production facility for Sizewell C nuclear power station in the UK

The Sizewell C nuclear power station project in the UK has successfully obtained planning permission to build a dedicated tunnel component production facility at Avonmouth in Bristol. The factory will be responsible for producing 38,000 precast concrete segments as well as tunnel head pieces for the three subsea tunnels of Sizewell C. All finished components will be transported by rail and water to the Sizewell C construction site in Suffolk, which directly supports the project's environmental commitment that at least 60% of construction materials will be transported by rail and sea. Subject to the relevant preconditions being met, the facility is expected to officially begin production in 2028....

2026-09-18

Rosatom Establishes New Laboratory to Test Molten Salt Reactor Spent Fuel Reprocessing Technology

The first production site of the Khlopin Radium Institute, part of Rosatom's research division, is completing the construction of a new laboratory that will be dedicated to testing the processing and reprocessing technology for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from molten salt reactors (JSR/MSR). In the first phase of facility testing, it is planned to synthesize simulated fuel compositions based on lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, with added simulants of fission products and plutonium; subsequently, the technology will be validated on models, and ultimately practical application will be carried out on the basis of the research molten salt reactor (IZHSR) being built in Zheleznogorsk. The related construction, installation, and commissioning work is planned for completion by the end of 2026, and to prepare for...

2026-09-18

Centrus Energy to Supply HALEU Fuel to Antares Nuclear, Enabling Micro Nuclear Reactor Applications for Military and Space

U.S. nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy has signed a multi-year contract with advanced microreactor developer Antares Nuclear, under which Centrus will supply high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to Antares. This agreement is expected to expand the application scenarios of micro nuclear reactors to locations where traditional power sources are difficult to use, such as military facilities and space environments. As part of the agreement, Antares Nuclear will make advance payments to support Centrus in expanding HALEU production capacity in the United States. Compared with conventional low-enriched uranium, HALEU contains more uranium-235, with an enrichment level above 5% but below 20%. This new type of fuel can support smaller, higher-energy-density reac...

2026-09-18

Ningde Nuclear Power adopts AR maintenance solution, greatly boosting the efficiency of frontline operation and maintenance personnel

On September 9, at the production command center of Ningde Nuclear Power Plant, staff members only need to put on lightweight AR smart helmets and can obtain the required work information through voice commands. Equipment temperature and vibration data are automatically entered into the system, greatly shortening the time for inspection data entry. This AR smart helmet is an important benchmark project of Ningde Nuclear Power as a pilot enterprise for digital transformation under SASAC. It integrates information such as operation data, equipment drawings, work packages, and training materials, changing the traditional model in which nuclear power personnel rely on paper documents for on-site operations. This AR maintenance platform relies on technologies such as diffractive optical waveguides, 5G real-time transmission, and cross-system data interoperability, and integrates temperature measurement, vibration measurement...

2026-09-18