The bridge of the polar crane for unit 1 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province has been raised into position near the top of the Hualong One reactor building. For the first time in China, the components of the bridge were lifted as a whole rather than individually. Sitting on a circular rail, the crane can rotate 360 degrees and will be used to lift reactor components and main pump components.

In order to help the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission evaluate the safety of the next generation of nuclear power reactors, fuel cycle facilities and fuel technologies, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have been expanding their severe accident modelling computer code, called Melcor, to work with different reactor geometries, fuel types and coolant systems.

A mobile laser system developed by a research subsidiary of Russia's Rosatom has been used to remotely cut large metal plant components during a non-nuclear decommissioning process. The laser "can be used to cut metal structures up to 250mm thick, both on land and under water, in the temperature range from -50 to 40 degrees Celsius," said Azamat Bedanokov, deputy director general of the developers, the State Research Centre of the Russian Federation Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Thermonuclear Research.

A containerised Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyser is to be installed at Exelon Generation's Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant in New York State as part of a hydrogen production demonstration project. The unit will supply hydrogen for the plant's turbine cooling and chemistry control.

Funding is in place for the first five years of a seven-year project to build a demonstration Natrium reactor in Wyoming - subject to the completion of the legislative process - and a location will be selected by the end of the year, representatives from TerraPower and PacifiCorp told the state legislature’s Joint Minerals Committee last week. Amendments to existing state laws could further improve the prospect of building the demonstration reactor.

Electron beam technology is being used to treat medical wastewater in China for the first time. It is safer and cleaner than traditional methods as well as more effective at removing organic molecules such as viruses and antibiotics, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

The governments of Australia and the UK have signed a letter of intent to establish a partnership on low emissions solutions including clean hydrogen and small modular reactors. Meanwhile, the Australian Research Council  has awarded funding to a newly launched project to develop fuel for hydrogen-boron fusion which its participants say has the potential to re-establish Australia as a leader in fusion research and clean energy technology.

A prototype detector based on a system originally developed to help detect the presence of dark matter is about to undergo testing at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. The liquid argon-based ALARM system offers significant improvements in detecting neutron and gamma radiation compared with existing technology, and could potentially be used to prevent the illicit movement of nuclear materials across international borders.

Four first-of-a-kind 3D-printed fuel assembly channel fasteners have been installed and are now under routine operating conditions at unit 2 of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama. The components were produced at the US Department of Energy's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Swiss drone developer Flyability has launched an indoor drone equipped with a radiation sensor specifically for conducting inspections at nuclear facilities. The Elios 2 RAD is designed to help maintain low radiation exposure levels to nuclear facility workers. It does this both by taking the place of personnel where possible for visual and radiation data collection, and by providing high-quality data for planning interventions that do require exposure, so that it can be kept to a minimum.

Irradiated lead test rods containing Westinghouse's EnCore advanced fuel technology have arrived at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory where they will undergo a year of testing to support regulatory licensing efforts. The fuel is being developed under the DOE's Accident Tolerant Fuel Program, an industry-led effort looking to commercialise new fuels within the decade.

Talen Energy Corporation has announced a joint venture with US-based bitcoin mining company TeraWulf to develop up to 300 MW of zero-carbon bitcoin mining capacity. The Nautilus Cryptomine will be powered by Talen's Susquehanna nuclear power plant.