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Received — 31 May 2026 Nuclear Power Daily

DOME test bed opens at Idaho lab to host privately built advanced reactors

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 30, 2026
The National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory has declared the Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments test bed, known as DOME, open for business, marking a milestone for the U.S. advanced nuclear sector. DOME is described as the world's first test bed purpose-built to host and demonstrate microreactors developed by private companies, giving industry partners access

Safety panel flags seismic risks at Nevada nuclear weapons lab

4 May 2026 at 14:33
London, United Kingdom (SPX) Apr 30, 2026
The underground Principal Underground Laboratory for Subcritical Experimentation, or PULSE, at the Nevada National Security Site contains numerous mapped faults whose seismic behavior remains poorly constrained. Members of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board told the 2026 Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting that extensive faulting and associated rock displacement have b

Quantum Tunneling Drives Hydrogen Transport in Lanthanum Trihydride Near Practical Temperatures

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Apr 29, 2026
For decades, ion transport in solids has been described as a classical barrier-climbing process, in which an ion must acquire sufficient activation energy to surmount an energy barrier before it can migrate. For hydrogen - the lightest element in the periodic table - that classical picture can break down entirely. Researchers from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Scienc

US and Europe Lock In Decade-Long Stellarator Fusion Research Deal

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 29, 2026
A new 10-year project agreement will advance research on the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator, an experimental fusion energy system, paving the way for continued collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Germany. The collaboration between DOE and IPP is also the first project established under a new model project fr

DOE and NRIC Name First Companies Selected for Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Program

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 29, 2026
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) have announced the first developers selected for the newly established Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, an initiative designed to help private nuclear companies advance their technologies from concept to commercial deployment. Four companies were competitively chosen from the initial pool o

Ion beam method to speed nuclear core material qualification

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 30, 2026
An ion beam based method for qualifying materials for use in the cores of advanced nuclear reactors is moving into industry standards this year, offering a path that is about a thousand times faster and far cheaper than conventional test reactor approaches. The methodology is advancing through stages of approval by the standards organization ASTM and will be presented at a special Electric Power

Two step reactive sintering boosts zirconium carbide ceramic performance

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Mar 29, 2026
With the growing demands on materials used in extreme environments such as hypersonic flight, advanced propulsion systems, and next generation nuclear energy, ultra high temperature ceramics are attracting increasing interest. Among these materials, zirconium carbide is a leading candidate because it combines an exceptionally high melting point with excellent solid state stability at very high t

US fusion report urges new diagnostics for commercial plasma power

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 29, 2026
To operate fusion systems safely and reliably, scientists must monitor plasma fuel conditions and measure properties such as temperature and density that influence fusion reactions. This work depends on specialized sensors known as diagnostics, which can track how plasmas behave under the extreme conditions needed to produce energy. A new national report sponsored by the U.S. Department of

US opposes UN nuclear watchdog resolution on Ukraine power grid strikes

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Vienna (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
The UN nuclear watchdog's governing body passed a resolution on Thursday - overcoming US opposition - expressing concern over "repeated and intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure" posing a "threat to nuclear safety", according to diplomatic sources. Russia, which invaded Ukraine four years ago, has launched deadly strikes on its neighbour's power grid, repeatedly cutting su

Japan eyes remote Pacific island for nuclear waste

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Tokyo (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
Japan is looking into using a remote deserted Pacific island nearly 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from Tokyo as a site for burying nuclear waste, officials said. Nuclear power is making a comeback worldwide, but finding permanent storage sites for spent fuel - which can be hazardous for many thousands of years - is a huge challenge. Japan is no exception as it pivots back towards "max

US labs map liquid metal path to future fusion power plants

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 27, 2026
A national strategy for research on liquid metals in fusion energy systems is taking shape in the United States following a two day meeting at the Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The gathering on Jan. 22 brought together more than 75 participants from national laboratories, universities, the Department of Energy and private fusion companies to identify the infrastruct

ORNL and Kairos Power expand molten salt reactor partnership

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 25, 2026
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Kairos Power have launched a 27 million dollar strategic partnership to speed development of a new generation of advanced nuclear reactors and help meet U.S. nuclear energy goals. Under the agreement, ORNL will provide technical expertise and access to specialized facilities to review and evaluate key aspects of Kairos Power's fl

INL and NVIDIA align AI platform to speed advanced nuclear rollout

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 23, 2026
Idaho National Laboratory has entered a new collaboration with NVIDIA to apply artificial intelligence and accelerated computing to the full life cycle of advanced nuclear reactors, from early design through long term operation. The partners aim to shorten deployment timelines for commercial scale nuclear units and cut operating costs while maintaining high safety margins. The work sits un

GENUSA to supply GNF2 reload fuel for Vattenfall Forsmark plant

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 23, 2026
Global Nuclear Fuel and ENUSA have secured a new contract to supply reload fuel for Vattenfall's Forsmark nuclear power plant in Sweden through their joint venture GENUSA. The agreement, which begins in 2028, covers several reloads of GNF2 fuel assemblies designed to deliver higher power output and lower operating costs for boiling water reactors at the site. GENUSA is jointly owned by Glo

INL launches molten salt examination hub for next gen reactors

4 May 2026 at 14:33
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 23, 2026
The National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory is preparing to bring a new molten salt research capability online in March, marking a key step in the development of advanced reactor and fuel cycle technologies. The Molten Salt Thermophysical Examination Capability, or MSTEC, is a shielded argon glove box designed to handle irradiated and nonirradiated actinide material
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