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Europe Completes Delivery of Final ITER Vacuum Vessel Sector, Marking Conclusion of 16 Years of Manufacturing

Recently, Fusion for Energy (F4E), in collaboration with Ansaldo Nucleare, Westinghouse, and Walter Tosto, has completed the manufacturing of Europe's final vacuum vessel sector for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and delivered it to the ITER project site at Cadarache in southeastern France. It is understood that the ITER vacuum vessel has an internal volume of 1,400 cubic meters and is composed of nine wedge-shaped steel sectors, each over 14 meters tall and weighing up to 440 tonnes. Once assembled, the vacuum vessel will have an outer diameter of 19.4 meters, a height of 11.4 meters, and weigh approximately 520...

2026-10-06

Dongfang Electric Signs Low-Pressure Diaphragm Supply Agreement with Électricité de France, Supporting the Upgrade and Retrofit of European Pressurized Water Reactor Nuclear Power Units

Recently, Dongfang Electric International Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Dongfang International"), a subsidiary of China Dongfang Electric Group Co., Ltd., and Arabelle, a subsidiary of Électricité de France (EDF), officially signed a nuclear power steam turbine low-pressure diaphragm supply agreement. According to the agreement, Dongfang Electric will serve as a key equipment supplier, providing core steam turbine low-pressure diaphragm components for the life extension and modernization technical retrofit projects of pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power units under Électricité de France. For more than three decades, Dongfang Electric Group and Électricité de France have consistently maintained close strategic collaboration in the field of civil nuclear energy, from...

2026-09-28

Samsung C&T Teams Up with GE, Hitachi and Synthos to Enter Europe's Small Modular Reactor Market

Samsung C&T's construction division has partnered with GE Vernova, Hitachi and Synthos Green Energy (SGE) to expand into Europe's small modular reactor (SMR) market. By integrating technology, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and business development capabilities, the parties aim to establish a business model for the repeat deployment of standardized small modular reactors across European countries. Samsung C&T announced on the 23rd that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the 22nd (local time) with GE Vernova, Hitachi and SGE to pursue market development and commercial...

2026-09-23

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

Lower Saxony, Germany Plans to Build Europe's First Large-Scale Fusion-Grade High-Temperature Superconducting Tape Plant

Proxima Fusion and the Lower Saxony state government of Germany signed a memorandum of understanding in Hanover on September 9, planning to build Europe's first large-scale fusion-grade high-temperature superconducting tape production facility in the state, laying the foundation for large-scale industrial production of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape. According to the plan, the first two phases of the project involve an investment of approximately 140 million euros, with public funds and private capital each covering about half. Of this, Lower Saxony plans to contribute 21 million euros, accounting for nearly 30% of the public funding portion. The first two phases of construction are expected to be completed by the end of 2029. High-temperature superconducting tape is a type of metal tape that exhibits superconducting properties at relatively higher temperatures. In the superconducting state, it can transmit current with nearly zero resistive loss and is used to manufacture high-power, compact electromagnets. For stellarator fusion devices, magnets made from high-temperature superconducting tape can generate the magnetic fields needed to confine and control high-temperature plasma, making them an important foundational material for achieving compact fusion devices and future fusion power plants.

2026-09-12

Europe and Central Asia Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Radioactive Waste Management

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently stated that over the past two years it has trained more than 200 experts in Europe and Central Asia, supporting relevant countries in enhancing their safe radioactive waste management capabilities and developing long-term management strategies tailored to their national circumstances. IAEA representatives visited storage and disposal facilities in Lithuania to observe successful radioactive waste management practices firsthand. (F. Dragolici/IAEA) Radioactive waste originates from the application of nuclear technology in energy, medicine, industry, research, and other fields. Under safety management requirements, countries are responsible for the full lifecycle of radioactive waste, covering generation, characterization, treatment, conditioning, storage, and final disposal in licensed disposal facilities.

2026-09-09

CERN Accelerator Control Systems to Migrate to Debian 13

Representatives from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) stated at the MiniDebConf conference that they plan to migrate over 2,200 industrial and embedded computers used to control their accelerator complex from RHEL to Debian 13 by the end of 2026. The systems involved include control computers for the Large Hadron Collider as well as several independent experimental facilities. CERN also clarified that this migration applies only to accelerator control-related equipment and will not affect data centers or experimental systems. Those data centers and experimental systems will continue to use RHEL/AlmaLinux. According to reports, CERN engineers had previously considered migrating the relevant systems to CentOS Stream, but...

2026-09-08

South Korean Companies Advance Nuclear Hydrogen Demonstration Project in Czech Republic

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on September 8 that it has completed a joint research review with the Czech Hydrogen Association (HYTEP) on the legal, institutional, and policy environment for nuclear hydrogen production in the Czech Republic and the European Union, and exchanged views on advancing a clean hydrogen production demonstration project in the Czech Republic. The two sides held a results-sharing meeting on September 7 at Hwangnyongwon in Gyeongju, South Korea, to review the final outcomes of the research. The study, launched in September 2025 and spanning approximately 11 months, primarily examined policy directions, laws and regulations, certification requirements, and market access conditions in the nuclear and hydrogen sectors in the Czech Republic and the EU, providing an institutional basis for the implementation of nuclear hydrogen production projects. Based on the research findings, KHNP plans to promote a clean hydrogen production demonstration project integrated with nuclear power in the Czech Republic.

2026-09-08

U.S. Think Tank Recommends European Nuclear Power Adjust Cooling Configurations to Address High Temperatures and Drought

The U.S. Boston-based think tank Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recently stated that extreme heat and drought are placing new pressure on Europe's energy infrastructure, with nuclear power plant operations also affected. The organization believes the nuclear industry needs to place greater emphasis on climate resilience in energy planning and assess the impact of different cooling configurations on long-term plant operations. CATF noted that for nuclear power plants, temperature changes, water resource availability, environmental conditions, and related regulatory requirements over the coming decades could all affect unit operations. The selection of cooling schemes for nuclear power plants should be determined based on site-specific conditions, including local water resource availability, environmental regulations, geographical conditions...

2026-09-03

Europe Advances Space Nuclear Power Research, Targeting Lunar and Mars Missions

The European Space Agency (ESA) is accelerating its assessment of nuclear energy applications in deep-space missions, focusing on using small nuclear reactors to power spacecraft electric propulsion systems, as well as providing stable energy for future fixed lunar surface facilities and subsequent Mars missions. Existing space missions primarily rely on chemical fuels and solar panels. The former is limited by the amount of propellant that can be carried, while the latter suffers from declining power generation efficiency as spacecraft move farther from the Sun. ESA believes that nuclear power systems could compensate for the shortcomings of both approaches, particularly in long-duration lunar operations and deeper space exploration. ESA completed a nuclear thermal propulsion study last year. In March this year, the agency...

2026-08-27

South Korea's KSTAR to Conduct Long-Pulse Fusion Research in Tungsten Environment with European Institutions

The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) announced on August 27 that it has signed implementation agreements with multiple fusion research institutions in France, Italy, Germany, and Finland to conduct joint research on long-duration plasma operation in a tungsten environment using the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device. Partner institutions include the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Germany, and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The institutions will focus on key technologies required for long-pulse operation of future fusion reactors...

2026-08-27

UK's InHealth Deploys Europe's First Mobile Biograph Trinion PET/CT System

InHealth, a UK independent diagnostic service provider, has recently completed the first patient scan using Europe's first mobile Biograph Trinion PET/CT system. The system, supplied by Siemens Healthineers, is now in clinical use at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in northeast Wales to support cancer-related molecular imaging examinations. PET/CT is an important imaging technology in oncology diagnosis and treatment, applicable to the diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and therapy response monitoring of various cancer types. Deploying the Biograph Trinion PET/CT system on a mobile platform means that advanced molecular imaging services can be delivered into clinical settings with greater flexibility, helping to improve patient access to...

2026-08-26

Why Swedish Nuclear Power Plants Are Less Affected by European Heatwaves

This summer, persistent high temperatures across much of Europe forced some nuclear power plants to reduce output or even temporarily shut down due to rising cooling water temperatures and falling river levels. In comparison, Sweden's Vattenfall-operated nuclear plants at Forsmark and Ringhals were less affected, mainly because both facilities are located in coastal areas and use seawater for cooling. Many nuclear plants in continental Europe rely on river water as their cooling source. During heatwaves, river levels and water temperatures can change rapidly, easily impacting cooling efficiency. Anna Collin, Communications Officer at Ringhals, stated that Swedish nuclear plants use seawater cooling, which differs in operating conditions from many...

2026-08-26

IAEA Study: Five-Star Rating System Can Improve CT Imaging Safety and Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure

A new study led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, shows that a five-star rating system can help hospitals optimize image quality, reduce radiation dose, and decrease unnecessary patient radiation exposure in computed tomography (CT) examinations. The study has been published in the European Journal of Radiology. CT imaging uses X-rays to obtain detailed images of internal body structures and is an important tool in diagnosing a wide range of diseases. The study notes that CT image quality is closely related to radiation dose—higher doses typically reduce image noise and improve clarity, but do not always yield additional diagnostic value. How to minimize radiation exposure while ensuring diagnostic accuracy is key to optimizing CT examination protocols.

2026-08-26

Italy's Eni Plans to Build Commercial Nuclear Fusion Power Plant in Europe by Early 2040s

Italian energy company Eni plans to build a commercial nuclear fusion power plant in Europe by the early 2040s or sooner. Francesca Ferrazza, head of Eni's magnetic confinement fusion project, stated that nuclear fusion technology has seen significant progress in recent years, and competition in the field is accelerating. Ferrazza said that nuclear fusion, which was previously confined mainly to the research stage, has now begun to meet the conditions for industrial application. She noted that Eni's goal is to promote the deployment of a commercial nuclear fusion power plant in Europe by the early 2040s, or even earlier. Eni has also shown interest in the extraction, purification, and recycling of spent fusion fuel back into reactors. Recently, Eni has...

2026-08-24