Gryphon Technologies has been awarded a USD14 million task order by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to support its Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations programme. Specifically, Gryphon will support the development and demonstration of a high-assay, low-enriched uranium nuclear thermal propulsion system.

An extensive EU-funded research project has been launched to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to low doses of radon and other naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) on humans and the environment. The EUR22 million (USD26 million), five-year RadoNorm project involves 56 partners from 22 European countries.

Ontario Power Generation's Centre for Canadian Nuclear Sustainability has announced a collaboration agreement between Laurentis Energy Partners and BWXT Canada to develop technology that will assist in the recycling of heavy water at OPG's nuclear facilities. Canada's Candu pressurised heavy water reactors use unenriched, or "natural", uranium oxide fuel and heavy water as both the moderator to slow down neutrons in the reactor's core and as the reactor coolant.

Terrestrial Energy and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories are to collaborate on a programme of work evaluating safeguards related to the operation of Terrestrial's Integral Molten Salt Reactor. The work will involve developing and testing techniques to track the behaviour of the proposed liquid fuel that would be used in Terrestrial's IMSR design.

A new research project supported by the European Union aims to clarify, enhance and unify methods of structural integrity assessment of safety-critical concrete infrastructure in support of long-term operation of nuclear power plants. Coordinated by Finland's VTT Technical Research Centre, the collaborative project seeks to improve the understanding of ageing and deterioration of such concrete.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has announced a collaboration agreement with US-based Kairos Power, which is working to develop and license fluoride salt-cooled small modular reactor technology. The agreement is funded through CNL's Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative programme and will cover research and engineering of technologies to separate, analyse and store tritium generated through the reactor's operation.

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation has established a new facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, to support the development of its proprietary Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated fuel. Materials developed at there will be used in USNC's Micro Modular Reactor and other nuclear reactors, including gas-cooled reactors, light water reactors, CANDU reactors and molten salt cooled reactors.

TerraPower and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy have announced the launch of the Natrium concept, which features a sodium fast reactor combined with a molten salt energy storage system that will allow over five hours of energy storage. The partners hope to commercialise the technology by the end of this decade.

New modular-based experiment holders developed by the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory are expected to improve transient testing on nuclear fuels and materials, and enable new clients like NASA to take advantage of the unique capabilities at INL's Transient Reactor Test Facility.

Battelle Energy Alliance has begun contract negotiations with a team led by Bechtel National Inc and including TerraPower and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to support the design and build phase of the Versatile Test Reactor. The reactor will be a one-of-a-kind facility that would support research and development of innovative, clean nuclear energy technologies.

Switzerland's national radioactive waste disposal cooperative Nagra has today released a report on the advantages and disadvantages of siting a used fuel and high-level waste encapsulation plant at the planned deep geological repository site or elsewhere. It says the best solution would be to construct the encapsulation plant at either the repository or at the Zwilag interim waste management facility at Würenlingen.

USA-based Jacobs Engineering Group has been selected by Moltex Energy to support its development of the Stable Salt Reactor (SSR), a 300 MWe small modular reactor design. Jacobs will build a bespoke experimental facility for thermal transfer testing at its Birchwood Park research and development facility near Warrington, UK.