The UK government has committed GBP220 million (USD270 million) over four years for the conceptual design of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). The STEP programme aims to construct a fusion power plant based on the design by 2040.

An irradiation test on molten nuclear fuel salts inside the High Flux Reactor has been completed at Petten in the Netherlands. The results will yield new data on the safe operation of molten salt reactors.

A project to demonstrate the production of hydrogen in integrated energy systems at US nuclear power plants is one of three selected by the US Department of Energy to receive a share of USD15 million in its latest announcement of project selectees. At the same time, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has awarded USD15 million in grants to support the development of the country's future nuclear workforce.

Lead test assemblies of Westinghouse EnCore fuel rods containing uranium silicide fuel pellets have been loaded into a commercial nuclear power plant for the first time. The fuels, developed through the US Department of Energy's accident tolerant fuels programme, were loaded into Exelon's Byron unit 2 during a scheduled refuelling outage.

Nuclear research and innovation projects need to receive a higher level of financial support from the European Union in order to help the bloc meet its climate and energy goals, according to a new position paper issued by Foratom.

The US Administration is committed to reviving and revitalising the nuclear industry and is leading by action, not just words, according to US Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

The US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has signed a USD600 million contract with Cray Inc to build its first exascale supercomputer, El Capitan. The computer will be housed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

The UK plans to make it easier for scientists from overseas to work and live in the country following its departure from the European Union. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the "fast-track visa route" during his visit yesterday to the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire, England.

The US Department of Energy has formally announced the preparation of an environmental impact statement for the construction of a Versatile Test Reactor to test fuels and materials for use in advanced civilian nuclear power reactors.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has launched a new research and development programme to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors in Canada. The Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative will provide reactor vendors access to world-class research facilities, it said.

Moltex Energy USA LLC has been awarded USD2.55 million of US federal funding to develop technologies that will be capable of shortening Stable Salt Reactor construction timelines to under three years.

The US Department of Energy has announced USD49.3 million in funding for nuclear energy research, facility access, crosscutting technology development, and infrastructure for 58 advanced nuclear technology projects in 25 states.