Akademik Lomonosov, which Rosatom describes as the world's first floating nuclear power plant and the world's northernmost nuclear power installation, today set sail from Murmansk for its final destination of Pevek.

The US Department of Energy has launched the National Reactor Innovation Center. The facility will provide private sector developers access to US national laboratory assets and infrastructure to support the testing and demonstration of reactor concepts and assess their performance, helping accelerate licensing and commercialisation.

Indonesia's National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with utility PT Indonesia Power to cooperate in the use of nuclear technology in the energy sector. One area of cooperation will be a feasibility study on the use of nuclear power plants.

Canadian and US nuclear regulators have signed a first-of-a-kind Memorandum of Cooperation that will see them collaborate on the technical reviews of advanced reactor and small modular reactor technologies. Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy has awarded funds to build SMR simulators at three US universities.

The US Department of Energy has formally announced the preparation of an environmental impact statement for the construction of a Versatile Test Reactor to test fuels and materials for use in advanced civilian nuclear power reactors.

The Urenco-led U-Battery consortium has completed the first stage of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' invitation to site a first-of-a-kind small modular reactor at the Chalk River site. It is the fourth reactor design to do so.
 

South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction yesterday signed the 'business collaboration agreement' with US small modular reactor developer NuScale Power for supply of NuScale Power Modules and other equipment. Doosan also signed the 'unit purchase agreement' through which it will make a cash equity investment in NuScale with Korean financial investors.

Rolls-Royce has today welcomed the UK government's decision to advance its small modular reactor programme. The government says it will commit GBP18.0 million (USD22.4 million) of initial funds to support the development of the power plant as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, subject to final confirmation in the early autumn.

China National Nuclear Corporation has announced the launch of a project to construct an ACP100 small modular reactor at Changjiang in Hainan province. Construction of the demonstration unit - also referred to as the Linglong One design - is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has launched a new research and development programme to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors in Canada. The Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative will provide reactor vendors access to world-class research facilities, it said.

The Canadian government has issued the notice of commencement of an environmental assessment for a small modular reactor project proposed by Global First Power with support from Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and Ontario Power Generation. The companies described the move as a significant "first" for the Canadian nuclear industry.

A bill supporting advanced nuclear reactors was among 22 pieces of energy-related legislation approved by the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday.