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US Delivers Cold War-Era Reactor Molten Salt Coolant to Texas Nuclear Innovation Project

The U.S. nuclear energy sector has recently seen a landmark cross-generational collaboration. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has formally delivered over 2 metric tons of FLiBe molten salt to Natura Resources, a nuclear startup headquartered in Abilene, Texas. This batch of molten salt once served as the coolant for the historic Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) during the Cold War, and after decades in storage, it has been reactivated to support the research, development, and deployment of fourth-generation nuclear reactor technology. The delivered FLiBe molten salt is a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, and its distinctive feature is that the lithium-7 (Li-7) isotope abundance within it reaches as high as 99.99%...

2026-09-20

ACRA Rating Agency Confirms Rosatom's ESG Rating at ESG-2 (AA+) Level

On September 18, 2026, according to the latest assessment results, ACRA Rating Agency confirmed that the ESG rating of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) remains at the ESG-2 (AA+) level, which represents the company's exceptionally high evaluation in the areas of environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance. This also marks the fourth consecutive year that the agency has confirmed this exceptionally high rating for Rosatom. At the same time, the rating agency assigned a stable outlook to the group, meaning that its ESG rating is highly likely to remain stable over the next 12 to 18 months. To carry out the data collection work for this ESG rating, six core divisions under Rosatom actively participated, including the mining division, the power division, ...

2026-09-20

Uzbekistan and Turkey to Strengthen Cooperation in the Field of Radiation and Nuclear Safety

Uzbekistan and Turkey reached an important agreement at the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the field of radiation and nuclear safety. The Scientific and Technical Center for Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of Uzbekistan and the Turkish Nuclear Technical Support Joint Stock Company (NÜTED) signed the relevant documents, marking concrete steps forward in information exchange and technical collaboration between the two sides. The focus of cooperation lies in effectively utilizing their respective scientific and technological resources, sharing valuable experience, and applying modern safety methods in practical operations. Both sides recognize that in the field of nuclear safety, the exchange of experience and tech...

2026-09-18

ORNL Develops Duct Radiation Monitoring System to Enhance Fuel Cycle Facility Safety and Protection

Recently, a research team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), led by embedded systems hardware and software engineer Brett Witherspoon, successfully developed a new type of radiation monitoring system. The system can continuously assess the accumulation of radioactive materials inside ventilation ducts at facilities that manufacture nuclear fuel or process nuclear waste. The system can be powered by battery or Ethernet, with a core cylindrical device approximately 12 inches tall. The device is installed inside the duct, and ORNL states that it can provide unprecedented monitoring frequency and accuracy at a lower cost than existing detection systems, thereby effectively protecting people...

2026-09-18

Planning permission granted for tunnel component production facility for Sizewell C nuclear power station in the UK

The Sizewell C nuclear power station project in the UK has successfully obtained planning permission to build a dedicated tunnel component production facility at Avonmouth in Bristol. The factory will be responsible for producing 38,000 precast concrete segments as well as tunnel head pieces for the three subsea tunnels of Sizewell C. All finished components will be transported by rail and water to the Sizewell C construction site in Suffolk, which directly supports the project's environmental commitment that at least 60% of construction materials will be transported by rail and sea. Subject to the relevant preconditions being met, the facility is expected to officially begin production in 2028....

2026-09-18

Rosatom Establishes New Laboratory to Test Molten Salt Reactor Spent Fuel Reprocessing Technology

The first production site of the Khlopin Radium Institute, part of Rosatom's research division, is completing the construction of a new laboratory that will be dedicated to testing the processing and reprocessing technology for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from molten salt reactors (JSR/MSR). In the first phase of facility testing, it is planned to synthesize simulated fuel compositions based on lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, with added simulants of fission products and plutonium; subsequently, the technology will be validated on models, and ultimately practical application will be carried out on the basis of the research molten salt reactor (IZHSR) being built in Zheleznogorsk. The related construction, installation, and commissioning work is planned for completion by the end of 2026, and to prepare for...

2026-09-18

Centrus Energy to Supply HALEU Fuel to Antares Nuclear, Enabling Micro Nuclear Reactor Applications for Military and Space

U.S. nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy has signed a multi-year contract with advanced microreactor developer Antares Nuclear, under which Centrus will supply high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to Antares. This agreement is expected to expand the application scenarios of micro nuclear reactors to locations where traditional power sources are difficult to use, such as military facilities and space environments. As part of the agreement, Antares Nuclear will make advance payments to support Centrus in expanding HALEU production capacity in the United States. Compared with conventional low-enriched uranium, HALEU contains more uranium-235, with an enrichment level above 5% but below 20%. This new type of fuel can support smaller, higher-energy-density reac...

2026-09-18

Ningde Nuclear Power adopts AR maintenance solution, greatly boosting the efficiency of frontline operation and maintenance personnel

On September 9, at the production command center of Ningde Nuclear Power Plant, staff members only need to put on lightweight AR smart helmets and can obtain the required work information through voice commands. Equipment temperature and vibration data are automatically entered into the system, greatly shortening the time for inspection data entry. This AR smart helmet is an important benchmark project of Ningde Nuclear Power as a pilot enterprise for digital transformation under SASAC. It integrates information such as operation data, equipment drawings, work packages, and training materials, changing the traditional model in which nuclear power personnel rely on paper documents for on-site operations. This AR maintenance platform relies on technologies such as diffractive optical waveguides, 5G real-time transmission, and cross-system data interoperability, and integrates temperature measurement, vibration measurement...

2026-09-18

Announcement of South Korea's U.S. investment plan delayed due to need to clarify related procedural issues

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Thursday that the announcement of South Korea's U.S. investment plan under the South Korea-U.S. trade agreement has been delayed due to the need to clarify related procedural issues, but he did not disclose further specific details. Cho made the remarks at the airport before departing for the United States, where he is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday. According to officials familiar with the matter and media reports, the South Korean government this week postponed the briefing on the investment plan originally scheduled to be submitted to a congressional committee, and tentatively rescheduled it to September 22. South Korean lawmakers said that a dedicated briefing to the National Assembly is a core step before the two countries finalize the details of South Korea's massive investment commitment to the United States...

2026-09-18

US and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Call for Unified Regulatory Standards to Break the Vicious Cycle of Cost Overruns and Delays in New Nuclear Power Plants

The U.S. Department of Energy stated that it is engaged in close communication with partner countries, aiming to promote the unification of global nuclear power regulatory standards, thereby accelerating nuclear power capacity expansion and reducing construction costs. During the New Nuclear Roadmap conference organized by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris, U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary James Danly emphasized to the media that countries should establish a unified regulatory mechanism. He pointed out that many countries have decades of mature experience in nuclear power regulation, and it would be very regrettable if unnecessary obstacles were placed on nuclear power development due to a lack of consistency in regulatory systems. The United States is currently actively promoting greater regulatory consensus among countries. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency...

2026-09-18

Two UK nuclear companies sign memorandum of understanding to jointly develop nuclear microreactor

Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE) and Cambridge Atomworks have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the two companies will engage in deep collaboration on a UK-built nuclear microreactor. Cambridge Atomworks is an ambitious and vibrant nuclear engineering startup whose core goal is to build a nuclear microreactor in the UK for off-grid applications. The signing of this memorandum of understanding marks that the two companies will jointly explore how to maximize CVE's deep expertise in electron beam welding, including the company's Ebflow technology, which has been proven to significantly accelerate the production process of key nuclear power components such as reactor vessels...

2026-09-18

The SM-1 Nuclear Power Plant at Fort Belvoir, United States, Has Completed All On-Site Decommissioning and Dismantlement Work

The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that the SM-1 nuclear power plant at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, has completed all on-site decommissioning and dismantlement work. On September 9, 2026, at the closing ceremony of the SM-1 nuclear power plant decommissioning and dismantlement project held at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, leaders from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Fort Belvoir Garrison, and the project contractor posed for a photo with the original 1957 building sign of the SM-1 nuclear power plant. The ceremony marked the successful completion of all on-site work related to the decommissioning and dismantlement of the nuclear power plant. The U.S. Army's SM-1 (Stationary Medium Power Reactor Prototype No. 1) is a 2-megawatt experimental small...

2026-09-17

Indonesia is accelerating its nuclear energy development plan

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that, with the support of the IAEA, Indonesia is accelerating its nuclear energy development plan, including small modular reactors (SMRs). Grossi met with Arif Satria, Head of Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), during the 70th IAEA General Conference in Vienna. The two sides reviewed existing cooperation projects and discussed the agency's technical support following Indonesia's recent earthquake, including the application of non-destructive testing technology and isotope hydrology technology...

2026-09-17

The "Weaponized" Nuclear Power Plant: Dual Narratives and Governance Dilemmas in the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Crisis

The "Weaponized" Nuclear Power Plant: Dual Narratives and Governance Dilemmas in the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Crisis

2026-09-17

Canada's Cameco Signs Exclusive Offtake Agreement to Lock Up All Future Output from U.S. Paducah Laser Enrichment Plant

Canadian nuclear fuel giant Cameco has signed a new exclusive offtake agreement with Global Laser Enrichment (GLE), under which Cameco will purchase all nuclear fuel products from the future production of the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) that GLE plans to build in Kentucky, United States. This major agreement was formally announced by Australia's Silex Systems. GLE was founded in 2007 to develop and commercialize laser-based uranium enrichment technology in the United States. The company is currently 51% owned by Silex Systems, the developer of SILEX laser enrichment technology, and 49% by Cameco. Silex Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mike...

2026-09-17