ZiaCore Microreactor Achieves Criticality in High-Temperature Zero-Power Experiment
Los Alamos National Laboratory announced on July 30 that its ZiaCore microreactor design has completed a high-temperature zero-power criticality proof-of-principle experiment at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada, successfully achieving initial criticality. ZiaCore is an advanced nuclear energy microreactor design that uses low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel. The experiment lasted approximately four weeks from April to May this year, advancing the ZiaCore system to zero-power criticality under high-temperature conditions. According to the reactor design and verification process, zero-power criticality experiments can be used to validate the effectiveness of reactor physics designs, providing key benchmark data for subsequent engineering development.
2026-07-31

Mangoceuticals to Merge with Nuclea to Advance Morpheus Microreactor to Market
Mangoceuticals announced on July 30 that it has signed a definitive business combination agreement with advanced nuclear technology company Nuclea Energy Inc., aiming to bring the latter's Morpheus microreactor to the public capital markets. Nuclea was founded in August 2023 and is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, focusing on the development of lead-cooled, factory-fabricated micro-modular reactors. Under the agreement, a newly formed subsidiary of Mangoceuticals will merge with Nuclea, and the combined company will operate as an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Mangoceuticals. Upon completion of the transaction, holders of Nuclea common shares will receive...
2026-07-31

South Korea launches design of 250 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor Helios
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), in collaboration with Hyundai Engineering & Construction and KEPCO E&C, has initiated the design of the next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor Helios. The reactor is planned to have an electrical output of 250 MWe, based on the existing 100 MWe-class sodium-cooled fast reactor Salus-100 design, targeting large-scale power consumption applications such as AI data centers and industrial parks. Lee Je-hwan, head of the Fourth Generation Reactor Technology Development Department at KAERI, stated that future demand for large-scale carbon-free electricity around AI data centers and industrial parks...
2026-07-30