The US Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have agreed to extend their existing cooperation by a further 10 years. One area for continued cooperation is space nuclear power and propulsion.

Framatome and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems are to collaborate on the development of a new helium-cooled, 50 MWe fast modular reactor. A demonstration of the reactor could be constructed by 2030, with commercialisation of the design by the mid-2030s.

The development and validation of modified fuel for use in the four VVER-440 reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary has now been completed, Rosatom's nuclear fuel manufacturer subsidiary TVEL announced today. The first consignment of the modified fuel is scheduled to be delivered to the Paks plant later this year.

Bruce Power and Westinghouse Electric Company have agreed to pursue applications of Westinghouse's eVinci micro reactor programme within Canada. The companies said the agreement supports efforts by the federal and provincial governments to study applications for nuclear technology to reach their goal of a Net Zero Canada by 2050.

A new EU-funded Horizon 2020 project has been launched that aims to propose innovative enhancements in the way combustible gases are managed in event of a severe accident at an operational nuclear power plant. The four-year AMHYCO project is being led by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Finnish utility Fortum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have entered into a three-year cooperation to create an open source tool for techno-economic modelling of small modular reactor projects.

South Korea's Kepco Engineering & Construction Company and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the development of floating nuclear power plants.

Harworth Group plc has announced the completion of the UK Atomic Energy Authority's new nuclear fusion technology research facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. When it opens later this year, the 2500-square-metre facility will develop and test joining technologies for fusion materials and components, including novel metals and ceramics.

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.