A new use of neutron detectors for reactor monitoring and safeguards, developed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd, could potentially be used for the independent verification of nuclear reactor activities and for monitoring the sealed cores of some small modular reactors.

Faster research into nuclear fuel performance is now possible at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor through the use of tiny samples, known as MiniFuel.

Framatome has received a voucher through the US Department of Energy's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear programme to support development of Lightbridge Fuel in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory.

A partnership between Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organisation and Ocean Networks Canada has carried out its first six-month underwater experiment to better understand the behaviour of elements of the engineered-barrier system it plans to use in a deep geological repository. Ocean Networks Canada is an oceanographic research and monitoring arm of the University of Victoria.

The US Department of Energy has selected three projects in three states in its latest quarterly application review to receive funding for cost-shared research and development for advanced nuclear technologies. The three projects will receive a total of almost USD10.6 million.

China National Nuclear Corporation says it is now capable of mass producing China Fuel 3 (CF3) fuel assemblies for the domestically-designed HPR1000 (Hualong One) pressurised water reactor design.

NuScale Power and Enfission, LLC are to work together to explore the use of Enfission's next-generation nuclear fuel technology in NuScale's small modular reactors (SMRs) under a newly announced memorandum of understanding.

Terrestrial Energy, a developer of advanced nuclear power plants using Integrated Molten Salt Reactor technology, has been admitted to the Generation IV International Forum. It is currently the only private sector company to hold this status.

The full-scale in situ system test at the Onkalo underground characterisation facility near Olkiluoto has proceeded to the concreting phase in the construction of the end plug for the deposition tunnel, Finnish waste management company Posiva has announced.

The US Department of Energy has announced a USD600 million investment in a new supercomputer, to be named Frontier. It said the machine would enable "extreme scale scientific endeavours" to lead to "breakthroughs in scientific discovery, energy assurance, economic competitiveness and national security."

The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory and University of Leicester have generated usable electricity from the chemical element americium in what it believes to be a global first. The achievement is seen as a step towards potential use of americium in so-called space batteries, which may mean future space missions can be powered for up to 400 years.

Framatome, the French fuel and technology company said "two full fuel assemblies" of its Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel would be loaded at Exelon's Calvert Cliffs plant in February 2021.