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Westinghouse eVinci Microreactor Completes Zero-Power Criticality Testing

Westinghouse Electric Company announced on August 25 that its eVinci microreactor has completed zero-power criticality testing, validating relevant models and key assumptions in the core design. The test was completed at 10:39 a.m. Pacific Time on August 24, 2026, at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The center is operated under the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The test was conducted by Westinghouse Electric in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Zero-power criticality is typically used to verify that a reactor core can achieve a self-sustaining chain fission state at extremely low power levels, serving as a critical step in reactor physics testing and design validation...

2026-08-26

NuCube Energy and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Launch Microreactor R&D Collaboration

NuCube Energy, Inc. announced on August 25 that it has initiated research and development activities under an agreement signed with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). The two parties will conduct research on the NuCube reactor design, focusing on advancing data identification, modeling, and analysis efforts to support the validation of its microreactor technology. Under this R&D program, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories will validate existing experimental data and benchmark computational models used to predict heat pipe performance in high-temperature environments exceeding 900 degrees Celsius. The qualified experimental data provided by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories will be used to expand the NuCube computational mo...

2026-08-26

FSG to Provide Electrical and Control Systems Support for Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor Project

American Facility Solutions Group, LLC (FSG) announced on August 25 that it will support Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor project, providing electrical, instrumentation, control, testing, and verification-related work. According to reports, the Groves Isotope Test Reactor achieved first criticality on August 5, 2026, reaching a controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. The reactor is the fifth reactor to achieve this milestone among projects authorized under the U.S. Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program, and the first to reach criticality on private land under the program. The low-power test reactor is designed to lay the foundation for domestic commercial isotope production...

2026-08-26

South Korea's Ulju County Seeks to Streamline Procedures for Support Projects Around Nuclear Power Plants

Ulju County, Ulsan Metropolitan City, South Korea, announced on August 26 that it will propose simplifying the procedures for implementing support projects in areas around power plants at the administrative meeting of local governments hosting nuclear power plants to be held next month, and will push for institutional adjustments to expand the scope of support for electricity bill subsidy projects. According to the Enforcement Decree of South Korea's Act on Support for Areas Around Power Plants, basic support projects for areas around power plants include profit-generating projects, public and social welfare projects, education projects, resident welfare support projects, investment attraction support projects, electricity bill subsidy projects, and other support projects. The first institutional improvement proposal put forward by Ulju County this time is to simplify the procedures for using basic support funds generated during the construction of small-capacity power plants.

2026-08-26

Korea's Shin-Kori Unit 1 Reaches Full Power After Scheduled Maintenance

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced that Shin-Kori Unit 1 reached 100% rated power at approximately 3:07 a.m. on the 26th. The unit is a 1,400 MW-class pressurized water reactor. Shin-Kori Unit 1 began its sixth scheduled preventive maintenance on July 2 and resumed power generation on July 23. During the maintenance period, the unit underwent statutory inspections as required by Korea's Nuclear Safety Act. Shin-Kori nuclear power plant stated that this maintenance included nuclear fuel replacement, as well as maintenance and inspection of major equipment and facilities to enhance the safety and reliability of the power generation facility....

2026-08-26

Main Piping and Surge Lines for Unit 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Arrived at Site

On August 22, the main piping and surge lines for Unit 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant were successfully delivered to the site, laying a solid foundation for the commencement of main piping welding, a Level-1 milestone. The main piping serves as the aorta of the reactor coolant system. Together with the reactor pressure vessel, steam generators, and reactor coolant pumps, it forms a closed loop and pressure boundary. It is not only the core pipeline carrying the circulation and transfer of the reactor coolant but also a critical safety barrier for the nuclear island, making it an essential component of the nuclear island's core equipment. To ensure high-quality and on-time delivery of the equipment, Liaoning Nuclear Power took the lead in coordinating with the general contractor, procurement party, and equipment manufacturers, establishing a three-tier coordination mechanism of "daily reports + weekly meetings + monthly executive meetings" to fully streamline the information chain. Through measures such as optimizing production processes, mobilizing superior production capacity, and implementing continuous operations, all tasks were completed on schedule, ensuring the equipment was shipped and delivered to the site as planned.

2026-08-26

Guohe Series Nuclear Power Engineering Modular Quarterly Meeting and Construction Technology Innovation Application Exchange Conference Successfully Held in Qidong

On August 21, the Guohe Series Nuclear Power Engineering Modular Quarterly Meeting and Construction Technology Innovation Application Exchange Conference, hosted by Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI) and organized by China Nuclear Industry Fifth Construction Co., Ltd. (CNF), was successfully held in Qidong, Jiangsu Province. Zhang Shoulong, Deputy General Manager and Safety Director of SNERDI, Li Jun, Deputy General Manager of China Nuclear Engineering Corporation (CNEC), and Liu Weihua, Chief Engineer of CNF, attended the meeting. More than 50 representatives from various nuclear power construction participating units gathered to discuss the innovation and practical application of nuclear power modular construction technology. At the meeting, the implementation of action items from the previous quarter was first reviewed, followed by progress reports on key work items including dry construction, plugging modularization, module design guidance manual, and multi-discipline shared rack design optimization. Each nuclear power project department then reported on quarterly work progress and subsequent work plans in turn; participating construction units including China Nuclear Industry 22nd Construction Co., Ltd., China Nuclear Industry 23rd Construction Co., Ltd., and CNF conducted thematic exchanges on modular construction, automatic welding technology, implementation of innovative technologies, and the "7050" plan (70% of all plant welding joints as prefabricated joints, and 50% of all plant prefabricated joints welded by automatic welding). Departments of SNERDI and participating partner units conducted in-depth discussions, exchanging views on key challenges in nuclear power modular construction and building consensus on technical breakthroughs. During the meeting, all attending representatives visited the Jiangsu Heneng Qidong Intelligent Manufacturing Base for on-site inspection, observing the intelligent manufacturing production line construction and gaining direct insight into the practical achievements of modular prefabrication and intelligent manufacturing processes. The meeting fully affirmed the phased achievements made by all participating units in the field of Guohe series nuclear power modular construction, pointed out that modular construction is a key driver for improving quality and efficiency in nuclear power engineering, and made arrangements for the next phase of work, emphasizing that all participating units should continue to deepen EC (Engineering-Construction) collaboration and integrated construction-installation development, and strengthen collaborative coordination to fully guarantee the high-quality construction of Guohe series nuclear power projects.

2026-08-26

South Korea's SEC Joins National R&D Project for Active Dose Distribution Control Radiotherapy Equipment

South Korean electron beam source technology company SEC announced on August 25 that it has been selected as a joint research institution for the world's best active dose distribution control radiotherapy machine R&D project, and will participate in the development of core technologies related to next-generation radiotherapy equipment. The project is a newly established task under the Global Flagship Medical Device R&D Program of the South Korean government's medical device R&D fund, with a duration of 6 years and 6 months, starting from July this year and planned to continue until December 2032. The total project budget is 35.2 billion KRW, of which 28 billion KRW is government funding. Radexel serves as the lead institution, with SEC participating as a joint research institution. Other participating organizations include the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea Testing Laboratory...

2026-08-25

Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power Enters Construction Preparation Phase, Expected to Complete 2 Billion Yuan in Project Investment by Year-End

On August 22, 85 heavy and light engineering machinery units entered the site simultaneously to carry out topsoil clearing work on 179,000 square meters of land, marking the official entry of the Liaoning Zhuanghe nuclear power project into the construction preparation phase. Rendering of the Liaoning Zhuanghe nuclear power project. The Liaoning Zhuanghe nuclear power project is the first nuclear power project in Northeast China to adopt the Hualong One, China's self-developed third-generation nuclear power technology. The project plans to build six million-kilowatt-class nuclear power units in three phases, with a total investment of approximately 125 billion yuan. The first phase will construct two units with a total investment of approximately 44.56 billion yuan. It was approved at the executive meeting of the State Council on July 31, received formal approval from the National Development and Reform Commission on August 13, and obtained the advance land use approval from the Liaoning Provincial Department of Natural Resources on August 20, meeting the legal conditions for land construction.

2026-08-25

US Study Shows Inertial Fusion Implosions Can Tolerate Certain Asymmetries

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the US have recently found that implosion designs for inertial fusion energy (IFE) can withstand considerable imperfections before performance degrades sharply. This result aids in the design of fuel targets for future fusion power plants, particularly in assessing the tolerance of target capsules to errors under high-frequency injection and laser-driven conditions. The study's simulation results show the density (top) and temperature (bottom) at the instant just before fusion reactions peak in an asymmetric implosion. The hottest spot coincides with the point of highest fuel density, indicating direct ignition of high-density fuel jets driven by asymmetry. The image was recently selected for the cover of Physics of Plasmas...

2026-08-25

U.S. Department of Energy Extends Princeton University Contract to Operate PPPL

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Princeton University have extended the contract under which Princeton University manages and operates the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). The laboratory is located on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Under the new extension, the contract will be renewed for five years starting April 1, 2027. Princeton University expects to strengthen collaboration with faculty and research teams on campus during the contract period, explore next-generation fusion energy research facilities, and enhance laboratory infrastructure and safety to support ongoing operational needs. Princeton University's office for research affairs...

2026-08-25

US Advanced Light Source Upgrade Advances, Soft X-ray Brightness to Increase at Least 100-Fold

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US is advancing the Advanced Light Source (ALS) synchrotron upgrade project, planning to enhance soft X-ray experimental capabilities through next-generation light source technology, providing higher-precision data support for quantum materials, microelectronics, energy technologies, biological structure research, and AI-assisted scientific research. The project team is working toward the 2029 target. Since the Advanced Light Source began operation in 1993, it has long served research across soft X-ray, ultraviolet, infrared, and hard X-ray wavelength ranges. Researchers worldwide have used the facility's focused beams to observe molecular and material structures at the atomic scale, with results cited in over 18,000 papers...

2026-08-25

China's Nuclear Power Installed Capacity Up 8.5% Year-on-Year by End of July

On August 25, the National Energy Administration released national electricity statistics for January-July. By the end of July, the country's cumulative installed power generation capacity reached 4.08 billion kilowatts, up 11.0% year-on-year. Among this, nuclear power installed capacity stood at 66.14 million kilowatts, up 8.5% year-on-year. During January-July, the country added 3.62 million kilowatts of new nuclear power installed capacity. In the same period, the cumulative average utilization hours of power generation equipment nationwide were 1,671 hours, down 135 hours from the same period last year. The data also showed that by the end of July, thermal power installed capacity was 1.58 billion kilowatts, up 6.3% year-on-year; hydropower installed capacity was 456 million kilowatts, up 3.4% year-on-year; wind power installed capacity was 687 million kilowatts, up 19.5% year-on-year; solar power installed capacity was 1.288 billion kilowatts, up year-on-year...

2026-08-25

Angolan Delegation Attends U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit in Ghana

An Angolan delegation participated in the 2026 U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit (USANES 2026), held from August 19 to 21 in Accra, Ghana. The summit focused on discussions regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy on the African continent, with key topics including nuclear workforce development, nuclear safety, regulatory frameworks, institutional capacity building, technological innovation, and international cooperation. According to a statement from the Angolan diplomatic mission in Ghana, the summit theme was "Building and Sustaining the African Nuclear Workforce," with participants including government representatives, experts, and international partners. The Angolan delegation was led by Angola's Ambassador to Ghana, Rui Orlando Xavier, along with representatives from the Americas Department at Angola's Ministry of Foreign Affairs...

2026-08-25

Russia and Algeria Advance Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

August 22 news, Russian Ambassador to Algeria Alexey Solomatin said in an interview that Russia and Algeria are advancing cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, with direct working contacts established between the relevant agencies of the two countries. Solomatin stated that cooperation between the two countries in this field is expanding. The basis for bilateral cooperation is the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy signed in 2014. In addition, Russia and Algeria signed the Roadmap for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy during the 2024 International Atomic Energy Expo (Atomexpo), outlining the main directions of bilateral cooperation. He noted that the practical implementation of the agreements will begin in 2...

2026-08-25