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Russia's MEPhI Electrospray Ionization Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Listed in Russia's Key Scientific Instrumentation Projects

According to the 2025 activity report recently released by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization developed by the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) has been listed as one of the 8 successful projects under the federal program "Development of Domestic Civil Instrumentation for Scientific Research." The mass spectrometer, developed under the guidance of MEPhI Professor Alexey Sysoev, is primarily used for quantitative analysis and identification of chemical substances, particularly suitable for identifying relevant components in complex mixtures. Previously, all such instruments on the Russian market were imported. This independently developed chromatography-mass spectrometry system can handle...

2026-08-01

Leidos Australia to Design Floating Dry Dock for Nuclear Submarines

Leidos Australia will design a floating dry dock for nuclear-powered submarines to support the maintenance and operational readiness of Australia's future fleet. This project is a key component of the optimal pathway under the AUKUS Pillar One, aimed at ensuring mission readiness, continuity, and resilience, leveraging Leidos' decades of expertise in submarine and maritime engineering. Under the oversight of the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), this floating dry dock will become a vital part of the nation's naval infrastructure for nuclear submarines, enabling underwater system inspection, maintenance, and repair. The design is highly complex due to its involvement with specialized nuclear safety and security requirements. Leidos Gibbs & Cox...

2026-08-01

"Nuclear-Solar Complementarity"! CGN Ningde 200MW Offshore Solar Project Achieves Full-Capacity Grid Connection

According to China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), on July 31, the CGN Ningde 200MW offshore solar project achieved full-capacity grid connection and power generation. This project is one of the mobilized offshore solar projects in Fujian Province and also CGN's first "nuclear-solar co-siting" offshore solar project, holding significant demonstration value for promoting the green transformation of the local energy structure, building a new energy system, and driving the region to create a zero-carbon demonstration park. Located within the water area of the Ningde nuclear site in Tailaoshan Bay Village, Fuding City, the project utilizes the marine resources surrounding the nuclear power base to achieve three-dimensional development combining nuclear and solar energy. The total site area is approximately 3,020 mu, with an installed capacity of 200MW, supported by a 20MW/40MWh backup system. The project's operational period is 25 years...

2026-08-01

Illinois Restarts Nuclear Power in Bid to Address Energy Challenges

Illinois is actively exploring nuclear energy to address potential electricity shortages. Governor Pritzker signed an executive order requiring agencies to study adding at least 2 gigawatts of energy supply, enough to power 2 million homes or 20 large data centers. Earlier, in January of this year, the state passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordable Act, lifting a nearly four-decade ban on building new large-scale nuclear plants. This move aims to ensure stability of power supply and affordability of prices, especially amid growing energy demand. Illinois's nuclear development is not without challenges. For a long time, the United States has lacked a solution for safely storing nuclear waste...

2026-08-02

Romania Stands by NuScale SMR Project Amid Growing Controversy

The Romanian government and state-owned nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica have been progressively advancing plans since 2021 to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) developed by the U.S. company NuScale, with the site located at Doicesti. Following the failure of NuScale's first U.S. project and an increase in cost estimates for the Doicesti project, doubts have emerged over Romania's choice, which would involve six 77 MW SMRs. Earlier this month, Romania's Ministry of Energy—the largest shareholder of Nuclearelectrica—reaffirmed its partnership with NuScale and rejected Nuclearelectrica's request to reassess the supplier selection. Nevertheless, the project still...

2026-08-02

Russian State Expert Review Authority Approves Design Changes for Ufa Radionuclide Therapy Center

Russia approves design changes for the Ufa Radionuclide Therapy Center, which will employ the latest technologies and equipment. The new center, located in the Republic of Bashkortostan, is expected to become a significant force in the local fight against cancer. With a floor area exceeding 6,000 square meters, the facility is a G-shaped three-story building with a basement. Its internal framework uses monolithic reinforced concrete to ensure stability and safety. The project's design strictly adheres to medical technology standards, aiming to create a modern and innovative treatment institution. At the core of the center is the radionuclide therapy department, which includes 24-hour inpatient wards, featuring a radionuclide supply area, a 20-bed "active" ward, and common areas. Additionally, it includes service and administrative zones to support the center's daily operations...

2026-08-01

Thor Medical Launches Commercial Production of Lead-212 at AlphaOne Facility

Thor Medical ASA announced on July 31 that commercial production has commenced at its industrial-scale AlphaOne production facility located in the Herøya industrial park. The facility will produce lead-212 (Pb-212) and its precursors thorium-228 (Th-228) and radium-224 (Ra-224) to support demand related to radiopharmaceuticals and targeted cancer radiotherapy. According to the company, Thor Medical has signed supply agreements with multiple types of customers across the radiopharmaceutical value chain, including startup biotechnology companies, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), and global pharmaceutical companies. The company expects the AlphaOne facility to deliver its first products to customers in August 2026. AlphaOn...

2026-08-01

Brazilian research team uses stable isotope analysis to trace Amazon timber origins

Brazilian researchers are developing a timber traceability tool based on stable isotope analysis to help identify the origins of illegally logged wood in the Amazon region. Illegal logging is reported to be one of the major causes of deforestation in the Amazon. Local environmental and law enforcement agencies currently typically determine timber origins through plant anatomical characteristics, tree species distribution, and official records such as forest origin documents, but these methods are not always sufficient to prove that timber comes from legal areas. A research team at the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo (CENA-USP) is mapping the isotopic distribution of Amazon trees. The method analyzes the ratios of different isotopes of elements such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and strontium in wood cellulose to narrow down the potential harvesting areas of timber. Team leader Luiz Antonio Martinelli stated that stable isotopes are difficult to forge artificially, offering the potential to provide federal police with a more tamper-resistant technical tool.

2026-08-02

NEA Advances SFCOMPO Database Upgrade to Support Spent Nuclear Fuel Nuclide Inventory and Decay Heat Validation

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) held the ninth annual meeting of the Technical Review Group (TRG) for the International Spent Nuclear Fuel Analysis Data Database (SFCOMPO) on July 9 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Thirty-three experts from research institutions, regulatory bodies, waste management organizations, and industry across 12 countries attended the meeting. The experimental and evaluated data contained in SFCOMPO are primarily used to validate computational tools related to nuclear safety and the nuclear fuel cycle, with applications including reactor physics, criticality safety, radiation shielding, and radioactive waste management. Accurate characterization of spent nuclear fuel is an essential foundation for supporting decisions on storage, transportation, reprocessing, and disposal, and is also relevant to...

2026-08-01

Romania Declares National State of Emergency for August Amid Decline in Power Generation

Romania's Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on July 31 after a cabinet meeting that Romania would enter a national state of emergency in August due to a decline in power generation caused by drought. Bolojan stated that the drought has reduced water levels in rivers, with a notable decrease in the flow of the Danube River. The flow has dropped from over 4,000 cubic meters per second to 1,600 cubic meters per second. He said that as a result, the water level in the intake basin of the Cernavodă NPP has fallen, and Unit 1 of the plant had to be shut down recently. He also noted that Unit 2 of the Cernavodă NPP faces a high risk of shutdown. Should Unit 2 go offline, Romania's total...

2026-08-01

South Korea Plans to Establish Radioisotope Commercialization Company, Targeting Trial Production in 2028

According to sources inside and outside the South Korean government on July 31, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and relevant departments including the Ministry of Economy and Finance plan to discuss the establishment of a special purpose company (SPC) for radioisotope commercialization. The company is proposed to be set up as a subsidiary of KHNP, with domestic private enterprises, including pharmaceutical companies, expected to participate in investment. Under the current plan, the South Korean government will determine the specific investment structure and business plan through inter-departmental consultations this year, and strive to complete the company's establishment by 2027. Subsequently, the relevant parties will push forward facility construction to produce radioisotopes using nuclear power plants, with the goal of commencing trial production in 2028. Radioisot...

2026-08-01

Japan's Chugoku Electric Power swings to loss in FY2026 Q1 as nuclear shutdown raises costs

Japan's Chugoku Electric Power Co. announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter (April-June) of fiscal year 2026 on July 31. During the reporting period, the company's sales increased 4.4% year-on-year to 343.9 billion yen, up 14.3 billion yen from the same period last year, mainly driven by growth in electricity sales volume. Profit performance, however, came under significant pressure. The company posted an operating loss of 5.3 billion yen, an ordinary loss of 3.2 billion yen, and a net loss of 3.7 billion yen for the first quarter, compared with a net profit of 26.8 billion yen in the same period last year, a year-on-year decrease of 30.5 billion yen. This marks the first time since the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 that the company has recorded simultaneous losses in operating profit, ordinary profit, and net profit over a four-year period. The company stated...

2026-08-02

Danube water levels continue to decline, Unit 4 of Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant reduces power output

Affected by persistent drought, water levels of the Danube in Hungary have dropped to low levels, impacting the operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which relies on Danube water for cooling. The plant's operator announced on July 31 that, due to a further drop in the water level at the Paks section to -126 cm, experts would reduce the power output of Unit 4 by 50% starting from 22:45 local time on July 31. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is Hungary's only operating nuclear power plant, generating approximately half of the country's total electricity. Earlier announcements had mentioned that, due to the extremely low Danube water level, shutdowns of some units at the plant had become difficult to avoid. Peter Magyar stated on social media on July 30...

2026-08-01

U.S. Navy Awards General Dynamics Electric Boat Contract for Construction of 14 Nuclear Submarines

General Dynamics Electric Boat announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded it a contract package for the construction of 14 nuclear submarines, with a total contract value of $76.6 billion. According to information released by the company, under this announced U.S. Navy contract framework, General Dynamics Electric Boat will receive $29.5 billion for the construction of five Columbia-class submarines, and an additional $42.1 billion for the construction of nine Virginia-class submarines. The contract also includes funding to support shipyard infrastructure construction. General Dynamics Electric Boat serves as the prime contractor for the program. A portion of the construction work will be subcontracted to Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. ...

2026-08-01

Canadian nuclear fuel supplier Cameco announces Westinghouse Electric IPO plan

Canadian nuclear fuel supplier Cameco Corporation has announced that its joint venture, Westinghouse Electric Company, has confidentially submitted a preliminary registration statement for a proposed initial public offering. The IPO aims to further advance Westinghouse's business development in the nuclear power sector and bring new sources of funding to the company. Currently, Cameco holds a 49% stake in Westinghouse, with Brookfield Renewable Partners owning the remaining 51%. Westinghouse is one of the world's largest nuclear services companies and the supplier of the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Its technology platform covers the entire nuclear power value chain, with 41 of the...

2026-08-01