A project to develop the case for scaling-up the harvesting of lead-212 from reprocessed uranium for use in treating cancer has been selected for funding by UK Research and Innovation.

The UK government has announced a GBP410 million (USD500 million) investment to accelerate development of fusion energy. The announcement came as five construction and engineering consortiums have been shortlisted to build the country's STEP prototype fusion plant.

A new AI Energy Council is to be established to study the opportunities for "renewable and innovative energy solutions, including small modular reactors" as part of the UK government's plan for AI.

Lead-cooled small modular reactor technology developer Blykalla has signed a letter of intent with Swedish pump and valve manufacturer KSB to develop specialised pumps for Blykalla's SEALER technology.

French microreactor developer Naarea has announced a strategic partnership with advanced energy management platform QGEMS aimed at integrating QGEMS' technology to optimise Naarea's energy production and distribution, set to commence in 2025.

The NEURONE Consortium - a UK Atomic Energy Authority working group - has demonstrated the industrial scale production of fusion-grade steel. This achievement, it says, has the potential to reduce production costs by an order of magnitude and improve the efficiency of future fusion power plants.

Dutch technology companies Demcon, Thorizon and VDL Group have signed a project agreement to demonstrate and validate the manufacturability, safety, and functionality of critical components and non-nuclear (sub)systems of these reactors.

Experimental design work with laser welding of steel retaining rings carried out using a collaborative robot has begun at the Central Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering in St Petersburg.

The initial phase of Norway's NuProShip initiative - which is evaluating Generation IV small modular reactor technologies for their viability in commercial shipping applications - has concluded, with three SMR technologies being selected for further evaluation in the next phase.

The unit for fabrication/refabrication of nuclear fuel for the BREST-OD-300 lead-cooled fast neutron reactor has been put into pilot operation, Rosatom has announced.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute says it has developed a new concept for the world's first nuclide separation device that employs robots and sensors.

Testing has been completed of a device for carrying out irradiation tests of various radioisotopes - such as yttrium-90 - at the two pressurised heavy water reactors that make up Phase III of the Qinshan nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province.