nuclear reactor

Italy has approved a law that will once again allow the country to produce nuclear energy, reversing a ban in place for nearly four decades. The move marks a major shift in Italian energy policy and opens the door to reintroducing nuclear power as part of the country's energy mix, decades after reactors were shut down following a public referendum.

Southeast Asia is turning to small modular reactors as demand for reliable electricity surges alongside its growing semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries. Thailand is among the countries weighing the technology, with chip manufacturing requiring stable power supplies that renewable sources alone have struggled to guarantee, prompting a regional rethink on nuclear energy.

Politico examines whether the fast-moving, iterative development approach that made SpaceX dominant in rockets could be applied to nuclear power, an industry long slowed by regulation and cost overruns. The piece weighs SpaceX-style rapid prototyping against the safety demands of reactors, as new nuclear startups and government support for advanced reactors draw renewed attention in the United States.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed its environmental review for the proposed restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania, the former Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor. The review is a key step toward restarting the plant, which is being pursued to supply power to Microsoft under an agreement with owner Constellation Energy.

The first commercial nuclear-powered satellite has been launched aboard a SpaceX mission, according to the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Newswire. The milestone marks the first time a nuclear-powered spacecraft has flown on a commercial basis, combining private spaceflight with nuclear energy technology in orbit. Details about the satellite's operator, reactor design and mission goals remain limited in the available reporting.

Federal nuclear regulators are investigating a mishap during fuel assembly installation at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. The facility, which recently returned to service, is under scrutiny after the installation error, though regulators have not reported any radiation release or injuries. Details about the cause and severity of the incident remain limited as the probe continues.

The Nuclear Strategic Initiative (NSI) is arguing that direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel is the quickest path to scaling nuclear power. Writing in the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Newswire, the group contends that avoiding lengthy interim storage steps would accelerate new reactor deployment. The argument feeds into ongoing debate over waste management as interest in expanding nuclear energy grows.

Scientists have deployed a system of 18 neutrino detectors near a nuclear reactor to study rare neutrino interactions with unprecedented sensitivity. Reactors produce vast numbers of antineutrinos, making them ideal sources for studying coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and hunting for physics beyond the Standard Model. The multi-detector design helps reduce background noise and systematic errors. Physics observers are following the results closely, as any deviation from expectations could hint at new particles or forces.

A research team has used quantum computing to perform FLiBe chemistry calculations, according to the American Nuclear Society. FLiBe, a molten fluoride salt mixture of lithium and beryllium, is a leading coolant and fuel carrier for molten salt reactor designs. Accurate predictions of its chemical behavior are difficult for classical computers, making the work a notable step toward applying quantum methods to nuclear reactor design and simulation.

Jaguar Uranium announced it will take part in Roth Capital Partners' Emerging Nuclear Technology Conference in New York. The event brings together companies and investors focused on nuclear energy and advanced reactor technology. Interest in uranium and nuclear-related firms has been growing as governments and markets look for low-carbon baseload power and as nuclear power regains policy support in several countries.

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are evaluating gravity-driven passive safety systems for advanced nuclear reactors. These systems rely on natural forces like gravity rather than powered components, meaning a reactor can shut down and cool itself even during a total loss of electricity. The work aims to make next-generation reactor designs safer by ensuring decay heat removal without operator action or external power.