🍩 newcleo (EU) and NAAREA (FR) announce a strategic partnership dedicated to the design and deployment of Gen-IV fast neutron reactors. The main point of attention appears to be the fuel cycle and the financing of the associated infrastructure. Depsite different technologies (i.e. lead vs molten salt) both solutions enable the use of spent fuel from conventional reactors. Both companies were selected a few months ago for the first step of the France 2030 call for projects for innovative nuclear reactors. The partnership is open to all relevant players.
🏋♂️ Milestone reached in the construction of Russia's BREST-OD-300 lead-cooled fast neutron reactor. The 165-tonne reactor base plate, which was delivered in two pieces, has been assembled and installed. The reactor is expected to start operation in 2026, as part of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex at the Siberian Chemical Combine site. The complex will demonstrate on-site closed nuclear fuel cycle operations, including fuel fabrication, reprocessing, and a used fuel reprocessing facility.
📡 EX-Fusion (Japan) plans to use its diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser to shoot down space junk. The laser was initially built to trigger a fusion reaction by blasting a hydrogen fuel pellet. However, the same technology could be employed to slow down orbital debris (<10 cm) until their they reenter the Earth's atmosphere, without having to send any hardware into space. This approach addresses the increasing issue of space debris, which poses risks to satellites and space activities.
👨🎓 Paper of the week: "Investigating the Functional Mock-up Interface as a Coupling Framework for the multi-fidelity analysis of nuclear reactors", Progress in Nuclear Energy (2024).
👉 Standard for simulation code coupling succesfully applied to nuclear energy.
👇 Did you spot anything else? Let me me know!