A new radioactive version of the element scandium has been produced in Australia's OPAL reactor for the first time. Scandium-47 has the potential for theranostic use, that is, both as a therapeutic drug and a diagnostic agent, and has similar properties to lutetium-177, which is already being used in clinical trials.

Almost 3500 kg of highly enriched uranium has been removed from research reactor sites around the world over the past few decades, thanks to efforts supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Seventy-one research reactors have been converted to use low-enriched uranium fuel since 1978. Conversion of such reactors to use LEU reduces the proliferation risk presented by HEU.

A campaign to move used highly enriched uranium fuel from Canada to the USA, which began in 2015, has been completed a year ahead of schedule, the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited have announced.

The US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded an initial USD3.6 million contract to BWXT Nuclear Operations Group as the manufacturer of a uranium-molybdenum alloy high assay low-enriched uranium fuel to facilitate the conversion of US research reactors that currently use high-enriched uranium.
 

The Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning agency has signed cooperation agreements with Finland's AINS Group and France's Orano on building a repository for the disposal of used fuel and waste from the decommissioning of Norway's two shutdown research reactors.

Spanish manufacturer Equipos Nucleares SA has completed the installation of three heat exchangers for the primary circuit of the Jules Horowitz Reactor, under construction at Cadarache in southern France. Once in operation, the reactor will be used for testing of materials and fuels for current and future nuclear reactor designs.

The structure of the medical radioisotope supply chain is impeding the provision of technetium-99m, a new report by an OECD Nuclear Energy Agency high-level group has found. Supplies of the world's most widely used medical radioisotope remain fragile.

China has approved the decommissioning plan for its first nuclear reactor - the Heavy Water Research Reactor, which will be undertaken by the China Institute of Atomic Energy. CIAE received government approval of the plan on 4 November.

Belgian Tractebel and Spanish Empresarios Agrupados yesterday signed a EUR7.6 million (USD8.4 million) contract for the design of buildings and utilities for the Myrhha accelerator-driven research reactor at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre's site in Mol, Belgium.

The Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group's plans for the processing and disposal of radioactive wastes from the Petten research reactor in the Netherlands over the next three years have been approved by the country's nuclear regulator. However, NRG must submit for approval an updated plan by mid-2022.

Russia and Serbia have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science, Technology and Innovation in Serbia.

China's first lead-bismuth alloy zero-power reactor - Qixing (Venus) III - achieved first criticality on 9 October, the China Institute of Atomic Energy has announced. The milestone marks the start of China's core physics experiments into liquid metal cooled fast reactors.