Kazakhstan Delivers National Statement at the 70th IAEA General Conference, Outlining Nuclear Energy Development Strategy

On September 15, 2026, during the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held in Vienna, Gumar Sergazin, Head of the Kazakh Delegation and Vice Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, delivered an official national statement on behalf of the country. In his remarks, Gumar Sergazin highlighted Kazakhstan's core priorities in the nuclear industry, including advancing nuclear energy and nuclear industry development, promoting nuclear science and nuclear medicine research, and deepening international cooperation, among other key topics. The statement particularly emphasized the important historical significance of the 35th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. Kazakhstan reaffirmed its commitment to disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation...

2026-09-16

Eagle Nuclear Energy Corp. Expands Government Affairs and Uranium Advisory Capabilities to Support the U.S. Domestic Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain

On September 9, Eagle Nuclear Energy Corp., a next-generation nuclear energy company that owns one of the largest measured and indicated conventional uranium deposits in the United States, announced in Reno, Nevada, that it has engaged LSN Partners (LSN) to provide government affairs, strategic advisory, and stakeholder communications services. The company also announced the appointment of Blake Steele as a strategic advisor. As a government affairs consulting firm, LSN will assist Eagle in advancing its public-sector development objectives at the federal and state levels. The collaboration will focus on U.S. domestic uranium production, advanced nuclear technology, critical minerals policy, energy...

2026-09-16

Slovenské elektrárne launches extended outage of Unit 2 at Mochovce

Slovenské elektrárne will disconnect the last turbogenerator from the grid at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 12, officially launching the extended outage of Unit 2 at the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant. This will be the last scheduled outage of a Slovak nuclear unit this year. Over the coming weeks, nuclear professionals will carry out an extensive program of work covering inspections, repairs, and upgrades, aimed at ensuring the long-term safe and reliable operation of the nuclear power plant. One of the most critical items of this outage is a detailed inspection of the reactor pressure vessel. This work requires the complete unloading of nuclear fuel from the reactor...

2026-09-16

Terrestrial Energy Submits Graphite Topical Report to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Advancing Integrated Molten Salt Reactor Licensing Process

Terrestrial Energy, a leading company in fourth-generation molten salt reactor technology, announced on September 10 that it has submitted the Graphite Topical Report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The submission of this report is intended to establish a solid regulatory certification basis for the application of nuclear-grade graphite—a core component of the IMSR core unit—in commercial power plants, marking an important step in the company's commercialization process. The IMSR reactor is a graphite-moderated molten salt reactor. Although graphite has a relatively long history of application in the nuclear power field, regulators require independent performance verification for each specific reactor design to ensure safety and reliability. This submission...

2026-09-16

Syria Places 73 Tonnes of Uranium Under IAEA Safeguards

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani recently announced that Damascus has placed 73 tonnes of natural uranium under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision, marking the closure of Syria's 15-year nuclear non-compliance file and the beginning of renewed cooperation with the watchdog. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, al-Shaibani told the IAEA General Conference via video that the Board of Governors unanimously decided on September 9 to close Syria's nuclear file. The file had remained open since 2011. He noted that Damascus sent an official letter to the IAEA on July 17 disclosing that it possessed nuclear material at an undeclared location, and subsequently on July...

2026-09-16

South Korea and Kazakhstan Sign Nuclear Energy Agreement, Deepening Cooperation on Critical Minerals and Strategic Industries

South Korea and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the peaceful use of nuclear energy on Tuesday (September 15). The leaders of the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and other strategic industries. During the state visit of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to South Korea, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Tokayev held talks at the Blue House in Seoul. According to The Korea Times, South Korea and Kazakhstan signed a total of 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding. Lee Jae-myung and Tokayev also agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a future-oriented comprehensive strategic...

2026-09-16

Armenia and the IAEA discuss the extension of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant and the selection of the reactor type for a new nuclear power plant

On September 15, Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi held talks in Vienna, during which the two sides held in-depth discussions on the progress of the life extension project for Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) and the selection of the reactor type for a new nuclear power plant. According to a message posted by Khudatyan on social media, the talks were held during the 70th IAEA General Conference. We discussed with Rafael Grossi the ongoing and planned projects under the framework of industry cooperation with the IAEA...

2026-09-16

Fire breaks out at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Japan

On Tuesday, September 15, Chubu Electric Power Company of Japan stated that a fire broke out that day at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, which is currently out of operation. Chubu Electric Power said the fire caused no casualties and had no impact on the safety of the nuclear power plant. At around 10:40 a.m., a worker inspecting the power cut-off and connection control building discovered a small fire in a control cabinet. The worker was inspecting anti-electric shock equipment in the central control room of Unit 3, which had failed to operate properly after installation work. The local fire department confirmed about 30 minutes later that the fire had been completely extinguished.

2026-09-16

U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA): Promoting U.S. Civil Nuclear Energy Technology, Supporting Thailand's First Nuclear Power Project

On September 14, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced the promotion of U.S. civil nuclear energy technology to support Thailand in assessing the feasibility of building its first nuclear power project. USTDA signed a feasibility study agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) aimed at conducting a technical analysis of U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The project is planned to have a generating capacity of approximately 600 megawatts (600 MW), sufficient to meet the electricity needs of hundreds of thousands of households. As Thailand's economy grows, demand for reliable power is increasing to support broader economic development. For the United States, this cooperation advances our commitment to innovation and leadership in advanced civil nuclear energy. This is part of the U.S. 'nuclear...

2026-09-16

Sweden's Blykalla Partners with Microsoft to Use AI to Advance Licensing Review of Lead-Cooled Advanced Nuclear Reactor

Swedish advanced nuclear technology developer Blykalla recently announced a partnership with Microsoft to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology to one of the most challenging bottlenecks in the nuclear power industry——project licensing and regulatory review. Blykalla has begun deploying Microsoft's GenAI for Energy Permitting Solution Accelerator and Agentic AI tools in its regulatory business processes, aiming to significantly shorten the licensing approval cycle for its Swedish Advanced Lead-cooled Reactor (SEALER) in Sweden and the United States. Microsoft's solution demonstrates how generative AI and AI agent...

2026-09-16

Uzbekistan Presents Its Nuclear Energy Development Strategy in London

At the 51st World Nuclear Association (WNA) World Nuclear Symposium held in London, a delegation from the Uzbekistan Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom) presented the country's strategic plans and initiatives for developing nuclear energy. At the special seminar on new approaches to nuclear energy, the Uzbek side highlighted the integrated nuclear power plant (AES) project that combines large VVER-1000 units with small Ritm-200N reactors, and stated that Uzbekistan is actively committed to expanding international cooperation and experience exchange in the nuclear energy field.. During the event, the Uzbek delegation also held talks with French nuclear fuel giant Orano, the World Nuclear Association, the World Nuclear University, Canadian engineering giant AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin)...

2026-09-16

US and UK Join Forces to Accelerate Commercialization of Fusion Energy

At the Global Fusion Policy Summit held in London on Monday, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), which operates under the US Department of Energy, signed a joint statement of intent. The two sides plan to establish a partnership called the SUNRISE–STELLAR-AI Federation, integrating the UK's first supercomputer dedicated to fusion research, SUNRISE (funded by the UK government with £45 million), with PPPL's STELLAR-AI supercomputing platform (costing $13 million), to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate fusion energy R&D. The collaboration builds on a memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in June this year and will utilize the UKAEA...

2026-09-16

Westinghouse eVinci Microreactor Achieves Significant Breakthrough in Zero-Power High-Temperature Criticality Test

Westinghouse Electric Company recently announced that its eVinci microreactor achieved a significant breakthrough in a zero-power high-temperature criticality test, successfully achieving criticality at a temperature of 663 degrees Celsius, marking an important milestone in the project's development. This test is an important practice of the build-test-learn development model, providing key data for accelerating subsequent prototype design. The test was conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)'s National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada, with active cooperation and support from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The selection of the test site has sign...

2026-09-16

Bangladesh Reaffirms Commitment to Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology

Minister of Science and Technology Fakir Mahbub Anam recently attended the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on behalf of Bangladesh, where he reaffirmed Bangladesh's firm commitment to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and its dedication to the highest safety standards and strengthened international cooperation. This statement highlights Bangladesh's increasingly important position and sense of responsibility in the field of nuclear technology. In a statement by the delegation in Vienna, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed congratulations to the President of the IAEA General Conference, and also expressed gratitude to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi for his outstanding role in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and international cooperation...

2026-09-16

Uzbekistan Delegation Attends the 70th IAEA General Conference

The 70th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference is being held in Vienna. This anniversary conference will continue until September 18, with representatives from IAEA member states, international organizations, and industry experts in attendance. The conference reviewed the agency's recent work achievements and set future priority development directions in nuclear energy, nuclear safety, safeguards, and humanitarian programs. The Uzbekistan delegation attended this conference. Azim Akhmedkhodjayev, Director of the Uzbekistan Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom) and head of the delegation, presented the latest progress in Uzbekistan's cooperation with the IAEA, with a focus on Uzbekistan's...

2026-09-16

BlueCore Energy showcases small modular nuclear reactor port deployment plan

Recently, people from various sectors gathered at the Port of Long Beach in southern California, USA, to discuss the application prospects of nuclear energy. The event was hosted by BlueCore Energy and aimed to present to potential investors, partners, and local government the company's plan to deploy small modular nuclear reactors at the Port of Long Beach. Kofi Asante, founder and CEO of BlueCore Energy, provided a detailed introduction to the project's feasibility and safety during a one-hour symposium. He emphasized that the company is committed to advancing the project in a safe, pragmatic, and inclusive manner. The Port of Long Beach is located in southern California, USA...

2026-09-16

Germany to provide an additional 1 million euros to help address nuclear safety issues at the Zaporizhzhia NPP

Germany will provide an additional 1 million euros to help address nuclear safety issues at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Recently, according to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the German government will provide an additional 1 million euros in aid to improve the safety level of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, is expected to formally announce this additional 1 million euros in funding on Tuesday at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. Previously, Germany had cumulatively provided 7.3 million euros in financial support to the IAEA's nuclear safety and security work in Ukraine. Since...

2026-09-16

European Investment Bank to invest €40 million in Finnish small modular reactor company Steady Energy

The European Investment Bank will invest up to €40 million (about $46 million) in Finnish small modular reactor company Steady Energy. The company's LDR-50 reactor is specifically designed for district heating networks, and this is also the European Investment Bank's first investment in small modular reactor technology. The European Investment Bank is jointly owned by the 27 EU member states, and these member states do not have a consistent attitude toward nuclear energy. In the past, the bank usually avoided new nuclear power projects and invested only in projects related to nuclear safety, such as Chernobyl-related projects. However, over the past year or so, the European Investment Bank has provided loans for the refurbishment project of a reactor in Romania, as well as for the Tricastin...

2026-09-16

UK Regulator Initiates Design Assessment of Xe-100 Reactor

The UK regulator has formally initiated the assessment of the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor design proposed by X-energy, marking an important step for the UK in developing advanced nuclear technology. This decision follows the completion of a review by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero of the application from X-energy UK Holdings Limited. In the same period last year, Centrica signed a joint development agreement with an X-energy subsidiary, planning to deploy Xe-100 reactors in the UK and selecting Hartlepool in northeast England as the preferred site, with the potential to build up to 6 million kilowatts of nuclear power plant capacity in the future. The Generic Design Assessment (GDA) is a comprehensive assessment conducted by the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales of new reactor designs proposed for deployment in the UK, aimed at ensuring their safety, reliability, and environmental impact meet strict standards. This assessment is independent of site-specific construction applications, and only after passing all stages of assessment can the relevant permits and approvals be obtained.

2026-09-16

Pakistan Signs Safeguards Agreement with IAEA for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5

On Tuesday, September 15, during the 70th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the IAEA formally signed the Safeguards Agreement for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5) at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. The agreement had been unanimously approved at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March 2026. The signing of this agreement marks an important step forward in the safeguards work for the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 project, and also reflects the international community's continued confidence in Pakistan's commitment to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and its fulfillment of international non-proliferation and safeguards obligations. According to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission...

2026-09-16

U.S. Army Deploys First Commercial Microreactor at Crane Base

The U.S. Army announced that it has ordered the first commercial microreactor for Naval Support Activity Crane in Indiana, marking a significant step in the United States' application of advanced nuclear energy technology. This micro-modular reactor (MMR), owned and operated by a commercial entity, will be installed at the base, becoming the U.S. Navy's first land-based advanced micro-modular reactor and Indiana's first power reactor. Naval Support Activity Crane is positioned by the U.S. Army as one of the leading centers in operational innovation and capability development. The deployment of the microreactor aims to provide reliable, 24-hour uninterrupted power, reducing dependence on the commercial power grid, thereby supporting critical missions in various...

2026-09-16