French engineering group Assystem and micro-reactor developer Naarea have announced the creation of a joint laboratory, dedicated to exploring emerging and advanced digital technologies and integrating them into Naarea's digital twin.

Construction of the SMART tokamak is under way at the University of Seville in Spain, aimed at exploring negative versus positive triangularity prospects in spherical tokamaks. Meanwhile, New Zealand startup OpenStar Technologies has successfully powered its core component utilising onboard charging of the floating magnet.

Orano has created two specific 'sharing groups' which bring together the main designers of innovative fast neutron reactors in France. These groups, it says, are open to all designers of these types of reactors who wish to join.

Core Power announced it has signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Research Institute to study market conditions for a maritime civil nuclear programme in Japan. The UK-based company is also nearing completion of its Series B funding round of USD500 million.

A range of future nuclear fuel developments, such as 24-month fuel campaigns with fuel enriched beyond 5%, will help Russia to hit its nuclear capacity targets, a conference has heard.

Romania's nuclear power plant operator Nuclearelectrica and France's Framatome are aiming to launch a full-scale commercial irradiation service for medical isotopes in 2028.

Fusion power developer Zap Energy, based near Seattle, has begun operations of Century, its first fully-integrated demonstration of three major plant-relevant technologies operating at up to 100 kilowatts of input power.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has agreed to cooperate with Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP) on the development and exchange of information on the production of hydrogen, including through the use of nuclear technology.

Moltex Energy Canada says new research demonstrates "the unique capability" of its Stable Salt Reactor - Wasteburner (SSR-W) to consume used nuclear fuel, supporting its ongoing development of a reactor that can "significantly reduce nuclear waste while producing clean energy".

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced it has completed preliminary development of four individual performance models in support of its SiGA silicon carbide composite nuclear fuel cladding technology.

France's Naarea has entered into a strategic partnership with EO Concept to explore the use of Naarea's XAMR molten salt fast neutron microreactor for the production of hydrogen and/or low-carbon electrofuels, particularly for heavy maritime applications.

Dutch nuclear energy development and consultancy company ULC-Energy BV has completed a study - supported by C-Job Naval Architects - analysing the design and economic implications of using civil nuclear reactor technology to power a Newcastlemax bulk carrier.