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French Nuclear Heating Project Receives €40 Million Support: Can Small Reactors Enter the Urban Energy Ledger?

When a city enters the heating season, energy dispatch first faces heat demand: heating must be increased when temperatures drop in the morning and evening, and adjusted promptly when the weather warms. How much electricity a power plant generates and how much heat residential buildings actually receive are not the same question. If nuclear energy is to enter this urban energy network, it must become a heat source that can be delivered on schedule and maintained through outages. French nuclear company Calogena announced on November 5 that it has received €40 million in support from the EU Innovation Fund to advance a potential first commercial heating reactor project in Pierrelatte, southern France. The press release attached by the company is dated November 2. This funding is aimed at project deployment, indicating that support is shifting...

2026-11-07

Canada's Federal Budget Earmarks Dedicated Funding to Advance Nuclear Energy Strategy

Recently, the Government of Canada officially released the 2026 federal budget, committing more than CAD 518.5 million (approximately EUR 329 million, USD 536 million) to the national nuclear energy strategy, establishing nuclear technology as a core cornerstone for achieving the nationwide clean electricity plan. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada is committed to consolidating its position as a global clean energy superpower through comprehensive support for reactor deployment and supply chain development. This newly announced nuclear development plan builds upon the national nuclear energy strategy released by the government in June this year and is part of the overall capital expenditure of up to CAD 8 billion for electricity-related projects over the next five years...

2026-11-07

US X-energy Partners with Fluor to Advance Second Reactor Project

Recently, US advanced nuclear technology developer X-energy has officially selected Fluor Corporation to provide design and engineering services for its second Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor commercial project. The project is the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility that Energy Northwest plans to build near Richland, Washington. Under the plan, the Cascade facility will deploy 4 Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors developed by X-energy, each with a capacity of 80 megawatts electric (MWe), for a total installed capacity of 320 megawatts, with the potential for future...

2026-11-07

US NAC to Provide Spent Fuel Container Solutions for Norway

Recently, NAC International (NAC) of the United States formally signed a contract with the Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) to provide advanced dry storage containers and transport solutions for spent nuclear fuel from the former research reactors at Halden and Kjeller in Norway, marking substantive progress in the decommissioning of Norway's legacy nuclear facilities. Over the past sixty years of operation, Norway has accumulated approximately 16.5 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from research reactors, covering various types including metallic uranium fuel, aluminum-clad fuel, and experimental fuel. Following an international tendering process and comprehensive evaluation...

2026-11-07

France's Calogena Receives EU Funding to Build First SMR

Recently, French small modular reactor developer Calogena has secured €40 million (US$44.6 million) in funding through the European Commission's Innovation Fund to support the construction of its first commercial nuclear reactor in Pierrelatte, southern France. As a subsidiary of France's Gorgé Group, Calogena has been committed since its founding in 2021 to developing the CAL30 water-cooled small modular reactor, designed specifically to provide carbon-free energy for urban district heating networks. The reactor has a thermal power of 30 MWth and adopts a simple design based on a low-temperature, low-pressure pool-type reactor, offering extremely high safety and the ability to be reliably deployed near district heating networks...

2026-11-07

Philippines Explores Restarting Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Project

Recently, as the new Philippine government incorporates nuclear energy into the national development strategy agenda, whether the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which has been in storage for decades, can be restarted has attracted widespread attention in the international nuclear energy community. The plant is located in Nagbalayong Village, Morong Town, Bataan Province, Philippines. Having experienced a troubled history and been in storage for nearly forty years, it is now undergoing a new round of in-depth assessment of its technical condition and economic feasibility. Construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in July 1976, decided by the then Ferdinand Marcos government, which ultimately selected the import of a 621 MW pressurized water reactor unit from Westinghouse Electric Company...

2026-11-07

China-ASEAN Nuclear Technology Forum Expands Irradiation and Isotope Cooperation

Recently, the Fourth China-ASEAN Forum on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with more than 170 representatives from 10 countries exchanging views on civil nuclear energy and nuclear technology applications. Under the theme "Nuclear Beauty for Our Home," the forum was hosted by the China Atomic Energy Authority, co-organized by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia, and undertaken by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). For the first time, representatives from member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council were invited to attend, further expanding the scope of regional exchanges. Industrial application was an important topic of this forum. The forum featured four thematic roundtable discussions on civil nuclear energy development, nuclear technology empowering industry and modern agriculture, nuclear technology empowering healthcare, and nuclear science and technology education and joint training of local talent...

2026-11-07

Environmental impact assessment for operation of two units at China's Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant enters pre-approval public notice

Recently, the ecological environmental impact report for the operation phase of Units 3 and 4 of the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant in Liaoning has entered the pre-approval public notice stage, making the environmental protection arrangements related to unit operation available to the public. The project is located in Xingcheng City, Liaoning Province, and is being constructed by CNNC Liaoning Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., with China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. undertaking the environmental impact assessment work. This public notice focuses on the environmental impacts and supporting protection measures during the operation of the two units. The two units adopt VVER-1200 technology, with each unit having an electrical power of 1,274.38 MW, totaling approximately 2,548.76 MW. The total project investment is 52.35 billion yuan, of which environmental protection investment is approximately 1.46 billion yuan, accounting for 2.79% of the total project investment. The related investment is used to configure...

2026-11-07

Environmental Impact Assessment for Site Selection of Haiyang Xin'an Nuclear Power Project in China Enters Pre-Approval Public Notice

Recently, the Environmental Impact Report for the Site Selection Phase of Units 1 and 2 of the Shandong Haiyang Xin'an Nuclear Power Project has entered the pre-approval public notice period. The project is located in Haiyang City, Shandong Province, and is being constructed by CNNC (Shandong) Second Nuclear Energy Co., Ltd. It plans to adopt two Hualong One Version 2.0 pressurized water reactor nuclear power units with a single-unit capacity of 1,220 megawatts, with a planned total installed capacity of 2,440 megawatts. This public notice centers on the environmental impact assessment at the site selection phase, disclosing the project overview, environmental protection measures, and public participation. The total project investment is approximately 44.5 billion yuan, of which environmental protection facility investment is approximately 1.236 billion yuan, accounting for 2.77% of the total investment. Environmental protection arrangements cover both construction and operation phases: during construction, measures such as water spraying for dust suppression...

2026-11-07

China's Qinshan Nuclear Power Expands Isotope Production and Medical Application Industry Chain

Recently, the commercial heavy water reactors at Qinshan Nuclear Power have been producing isotopes such as cobalt-60, carbon-14, lutetium-177, and yttrium-90 while continuing to supply electricity, expanding the comprehensive utilization pathways of nuclear power units. Qinshan possesses the only two commercial heavy water reactor units in China, with an annual power generation of approximately 12 billion kWh, and their reactor irradiation capability also provides production conditions for isotope preparation. Isotope production utilizes neutrons within the reactor to irradiate specially designed targets, forming target nuclides through nuclear reactions and subsequent decay. Different nuclides require different target materials, irradiation conditions, and processing procedures. After irradiation is completed, targets must undergo corresponding processing and quality inspection before entering subsequent product manufacturing...

2026-11-07

South China Supervision Station and CGN Research Institute Conduct Equipment Supervision Exchange

Recently, the South China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspection Station of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the South China Supervision Station) and CGN Research Institute Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Research Institute) conducted an in-depth work exchange on nuclear safety equipment supervision matters, aiming to further strengthen equipment supervision communication and smoothly take over nuclear safety equipment supervision responsibilities. As an important licensed unit for nuclear safety equipment design and manufacturing in South China and a Class 1 radioactive material transport container design unit, CGN Research Institute detailed at the exchange its nuclear equipment...

2026-11-07

Radiant Microreactor Safety Analysis Report Approved by U.S. Department of Energy

Recently, U.S. microreactor developer Radiant Industries (Radiant) announced that the Safety Analysis Report (DSA) for its Kaleidos microreactor has been formally approved by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), granting permission for full-power operation. This important milestone marks the company's formal entry into the operational maturity review phase and its move to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for comprehensive verification testing. This approval enables Radiant to successfully transition from theoretical design to a comprehensive multi-phase testing stage. Unlike conventional criticality tests that merely verify whether a controlled chain reaction can be maintained, this...

2026-11-07

Poured! "Chilong One"!

On November 6, the world's first large-scale coupling project between nuclear energy and the petrochemical industry achieved another important milestone: the first batch of concrete was poured for the nuclear island of the world's first commercial "Chilong One" high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. This is a major breakthrough in China's comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy, and an important practice of CNNC working with all parties to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's new energy security strategy of "Four Revolutions and One Cooperation," promote energy transition with new quality productive forces, and create a new calling card for China's nuclear energy. The Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant is the world's first large-scale coupling project between nuclear energy and the petrochemical industry, the world's first coupling project between a pressurized water reactor and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, and the world's first application project of the "reactor-turbine-heat" coordinated control mode...

2026-11-06

US Salem Nuclear Power Plant Plans 200 MW Capacity Uprate

Recently, Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) disclosed in its third-quarter earnings report and related regulatory filings that the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, located in Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey, plans to add approximately 200 MW of generating capacity through technological upgrades. As the 57% co-owner and operator of the dual-unit pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear plant, PSEG will receive approximately 112 MW of incremental generating share from the 200 MW capacity uprate, with the remaining share held by Constellation Ener...

2026-11-06

Singapore's Nuclear Energy Preparations Enter a New Phase: No Decision Yet to Build a Plant, Why Build Judgment Capacity First

When a country prepares to develop nuclear power, the first thing to appear may not be a reactor order. It may instead first establish a research team to analyze technical options, train regulatory personnel, and study how to handle spent fuel decades from now. This work is far from the construction site, yet it determines whether the country can understand the proposals put forward by suppliers in the future and whether it has the capacity to bear the corresponding responsibilities. On October 30, the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) under the National University of Singapore announced a five-year cooperation arrangement covering reactor technology assessment, safety analysis, radioactive waste and spent fuel management, and other areas.

2026-11-06