Articles tagged with "nuclear-safety"
Trump energy department loosens rules on nuclear safety
The Trump administration has significantly relaxed nuclear safety regulations within the Department of Energy (DOE), cutting about a third of the existing rulebook and revising key sections. These changes reduce mandatory protections related to groundwater and environmental contamination to mere suggestions and allow workers to be exposed to higher radiation levels. Additionally, security protocols for nuclear plants on DOE property have been largely delegated to the operating companies themselves. These new rules were implemented without public notice or comment and apply exclusively to reactors built on DOE land, while reactors elsewhere remain under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s oversight. This regulatory shift comes amid a surge in funding for nuclear startups, driven in part by the growing electricity demands of data centers. Several companies are racing to develop demonstration reactors on DOE property to meet a Trump administration deadline of July 4, 2026. While the relaxed rules may accelerate reactor development, they raise concerns about potential risks to human health and the environment due to diminished safety and security standards.
energynuclear-energyDepartment-of-Energynuclear-safetyreactor-developmentenvironmental-impactenergy-policyJapan's $70 tech turns smartphones into nuclear radiation detectors
Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed an affordable, portable radiation dosimetry system that transforms a smartphone into an on-site radiation detector, enabling immediate dose assessments after nuclear or radiological incidents. The system integrates a small piece of Gafchromic EBT4 radiochromic film—which changes color upon radiation exposure—with a foldable, battery-powered scanner and a smartphone camera. Users scan the film and analyze the color change via mobile image-processing apps, allowing measurement of radiation doses up to 10 Gray. While not as precise as professional desktop scanners, this setup balances accuracy with accessibility and costs under $70, making it suitable for rapid, individual dose assessments in mass-casualty or disaster scenarios where traditional lab methods are impractical. This innovation aligns with Japan’s evolving energy strategy, as the country cautiously re-embraces nuclear power to meet rising energy demands and climate goals. Japan aims to increase nuclear energy’s share of electricity from about 9% in 2024 to roughly 20%
IoTradiation-detectionsmartphone-technologynuclear-safetyenergy-monitoringportable-sensorsdisaster-responseSmall nuclear reactors that can power a city being evaluated for safety
International regulators are increasingly collaborating to evaluate the safety of new small modular reactor (SMR) designs in Europe, aiming to foster a shared understanding of safety principles without replacing national regulatory authority. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has completed an initial safety assessment of Steady Energy’s LDR-50 SMR, a 50MW zero-carbon thermal reactor designed primarily for district heating and industrial processes. Building on this, STUK is leading a joint early review with several European regulators, focusing on fundamental safety aspects such as design assumptions, defence-in-depth, hazard protection, and emergency preparedness. This review, started in late 2025 and expected to conclude by mid-2026, supports regulatory readiness and robust safety design while maintaining national licensing responsibilities. Similarly, France is conducting a multi-phase international review of the Nuward SMR, a pressurized water reactor developed by EDF. This process, coordinated by France’s nuclear safety authority, has already examined high-level safety objectives and passive safety
small-modular-reactorsnuclear-energyenergy-efficiencycity-powerzero-carbon-energynuclear-safetydistrict-heatingRadiation-Detection Systems Are Quietly Running in the Background All Around You
The article highlights the pervasive presence of radiation-detection systems worldwide, which operate quietly in the background to monitor environmental radiation levels. These systems have become crucial for early detection of nuclear disasters, as exemplified by the 1986 Chernobyl accident, where radiation monitors in Sweden first signaled the catastrophe. Following such incidents, many countries established continuous radiation monitoring networks, some government-run and others maintained by volunteers and researchers. These networks enable rapid identification of abnormal radiation spikes, potentially alerting the world to nuclear emergencies almost immediately. A notable example of ongoing radiation monitoring is the work of Kim Kearfott, a nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan, who set up multiple radiation sensors across her campus after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Her initiative arose from the difficulty in accessing official radiation data, as nuclear plants often restrict public release of their monitoring information. Kearfott’s detectors have even recorded minor fluctuations linked to medical facilities releasing radioactive gases, demonstrating the sensitivity and utility of such grassroots
energyradiation-detectionnuclear-safetyIoT-sensorsenvironmental-monitoringdisaster-responseradiation-monitoring-systemsDrone-damaged Chernobyl facility's shield can't confine radiation
The New Safe Confinement (NSC) facility at Chernobyl, designed to contain radiation from the 1986 nuclear disaster site, was damaged by a drone strike in February 2025. Although the strike was likely accidental, the drone carried a high-explosive warhead that created a hole in the NSC’s structure, ignited a fire, and damaged its protective cladding. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that this damage compromises the NSC’s ability to fully contain radiation, as the facility’s airtight seal and weatherproofing have been weakened. While no increase in local radiation levels or release has been detected since the incident, the IAEA stresses the urgent need for comprehensive repairs to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety. Constructed between 2016 and 2019 at a cost of approximately €1.5 billion, the NSC is the largest movable land structure in the world and was intended to last at least 100 years
energynuclear-energyradiation-containmentChernobylnuclear-safetystructural-damagedrone-attackBill Gates-backed nuclear reactor gets construction approval in hurry
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted expedited construction approval for a $10 billion, 345-megawatt experimental sodium-cooled fast reactor called Natrium, designed by TerraPower, a company co-founded by Bill Gates. The permit application, submitted in March 2024, was originally slated for review completion in August 2026 but was accelerated to meet an 18-month timeline mandated by a Trump-era executive order. This rush, driven by political pressure from Congress and the White House, has drawn criticism from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which argues that the NRC compromised its safety review obligations by curtailing the evaluation and potentially overlooking unresolved safety issues. Critics, including UCS nuclear safety director Dr. Edwin Lyman, warn that the Natrium reactor design has significant safety concerns, such as the use of liquid sodium coolant, which is highly flammable, and inherent reactor instabilities that could cause rapid, uncontrolled power increases. Additionally, the
energynuclear-reactorTerraPowerBill-Gatessodium-cooled-reactornuclear-safetyadvanced-reactorsUS' meltdown-proof advanced nuclear fuel enters critical testing phase
X-energy, a US company, has initiated a critical 13-month irradiation test of its advanced TRISO-X nuclear fuel at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This marks the first time the company’s “fuel pebbles” undergo such testing in a US lab, a key milestone toward regulatory approval by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The TRISO-X fuel features uranium kernels encapsulated in multiple protective carbon and ceramic layers, designed to prevent radioactive release and make the fuel meltdown-proof. During testing at INL’s Advanced Test Reactor, the fuel will be subjected to varied power levels, temperatures, and burnup conditions to simulate real reactor environments, aiming to establish a new safety and reliability standard for nuclear fuel. This fuel qualification is central to X-energy’s commercial plans, including the construction of the TX-1 fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which could become the first NRC-licensed advanced nuclear fuel plant in over 50 years. The facility will produce fuel for X-energy
energynuclear-fueladvanced-reactorsTRISO-Xsmall-modular-reactorsnuclear-safetyirradiation-testingFear of Chernobyl-like disaster at Europe’s largest nuclear plant
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility located in Ukraine and currently controlled by Russia amid the ongoing war, is facing a critical safety situation. Since losing external power on September 23, 2025, the plant has been operating solely on backup generators, marking the longest outage since the conflict began in 2022. Although its reactors have been shut down for over three years, reducing immediate risk, a complete power failure could cause cooling system failures and potentially lead to a nuclear accident. The generators’ fuel reserves typically last about 10 days, and resupply efforts are hindered by ongoing fighting in the area. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is present on-site, working with both parties to restore external power and ensure safety. Residents fear a disaster reminiscent of the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe, which caused widespread radiation exposure and long-term health effects across the region. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasized that relying on emergency power is
energynuclear-powerZaporizhzhiabackup-generatorspower-outagenuclear-safetyIAEAUS reviewing SOLO nuclear reactor design and safety submission
Terra Innovatum is advancing the development and regulatory approval of its SOLO micro-modular nuclear reactor, designed to deliver approximately one megawatt of electricity per unit. The company has partnered with ATB Riva Calzoni, a global nuclear component manufacturer, to scale production and accelerate commercialization. The SOLO reactor aims to form a scalable modular energy platform ranging from megawatt to gigawatt-class capacities. Terra Innovatum submitted key regulatory documents to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), including the Principal Design Criteria (PDC) report, which outlines fundamental safety and design requirements. The NRC is currently reviewing the design, with an expected completion of the review by the end of 2025 and issuance of a Safety Evaluation by April 2026. The SOLO reactor features a solid heterogeneous composite moderator and is compatible with various fuels, including traditional low-enriched uranium (LEU), LEU+, and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). It uses helium gas
energynuclear-reactormicro-modular-reactorclean-energyenergy-innovationnuclear-safetyenergy-manufacturingUS scientists capture fleeting muons with new mobile detector
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new mobile muon detector that significantly enhances imaging capabilities for dense, shielded materials such as spent nuclear fuel. Inspired by a neutron detector designed over a decade ago for the Spallation Neutron Source, this device uniquely captures both muon energy and scattering angles in real time, improving image quality beyond previous muon tomography systems that typically recorded only one parameter. The detector’s development involved interdisciplinary collaboration between ORNL’s Neutron Sciences and Fusion and Fission Energy and Sciences directorates and is set to be deployed for practical measurements later this year. Muons, fundamental particles that decay within microseconds, provide a non-destructive means to probe deep into matter, but their fleeting nature has made detection challenging. By adapting wavelength-shifting fiber technology from neutron detectors, the ORNL team overcame this limitation, enabling real-time capture of muon interactions. Beyond nuclear fuel monitoring, the detector is expected to
energynuclear-energymuon-detectorparticle-detectionquantum-computingnuclear-safetyOak-Ridge-National-LaboratoryUS turns cargo containers into nuke bunkers for remote military bases
Sandia National Laboratories has developed a mobile, high-security vault housed within a 20-foot shipping container to safeguard nuclear weapons at remote or temporary military locations where permanent bunkers are not feasible. Created under the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Stockpile Responsiveness Program, the project was completed in six months using a rapid, adaptable design approach. The vault features advanced access control, alarm systems, sensors, and backup power, built with a combination of off-the-shelf parts, rapid prototyping, and additive manufacturing. Two additional prototypes are underway, with upcoming testing planned during the Department of Defense’s Grey Flag 25 exercise to simulate real-world conditions. This mobile vault offers a flexible and scalable solution for secure storage of nuclear weapons and other critical assets in field conditions, providing new capabilities for military and civilian missions. The technology aims to protect sensitive materials during transport or operations in locations lacking traditional infrastructure, such as battlefields or disaster zones. Sandia plans to transition the technology to industry for broader production and deployment
energymaterialssecurity-technologyadditive-manufacturingsensorsrapid-prototypingnuclear-safetyTiny samples reveal radioactivity data using cryogenic sensor
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a novel technique called cryogenic decay energy spectrometry (DES) that enables rapid and precise measurement of radioactivity in extremely small samples. Central to this method is the transition-edge sensor (TES), a highly sensitive detector operating near absolute zero, which captures detailed energy signatures from individual radioactive decays. Unlike traditional detectors that provide limited or slow results, the TES offers a comprehensive “fingerprint” of radionuclides present, significantly speeding up analysis from months to just days. The process involves using a custom inkjet device to deposit minuscule droplets of radioactive material onto nanoporous gold foils, allowing accurate mass measurement and subsequent radioactivity assessment via the TES. This approach yields highly accurate “massic activity” data even from tiny samples, proving especially useful in high-risk scenarios like identifying unknown radioactive contents. This innovation is part of the broader True Becquerel (TrueBq) project, which aims to revolutionize radio
energycryogenic-sensorradioactive-decaynuclear-safetytransition-edge-sensornuclear-waste-cleanupradiation-detectionRussia: Israel strike on Iran nuclear site risks another Chernobyl
Russia has issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, cautioning that such an attack could lead to a "Chernobyl-style" nuclear disaster. The Bushehr facility, Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, was constructed by Russia and currently employs hundreds of Russian specialists. Moscow has expressed serious concerns about the plant’s safety amid escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, with Russian officials noting that some personnel have already been evacuated, though many remain. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Israel had assured Russia that Bushehr would not be targeted, but Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom remains prepared to evacuate workers on short notice if necessary. The conflict between Iran and Israel has intensified with mutual missile and bomb attacks. Israel accused Iran of using cluster bombs—munitions that disperse smaller bomblets posing long-term risks to civilians—in a densely populated area, marking the first reported use of such weapons in this war. Iranian missile
energynuclear-powernuclear-safetynuclear-plantRosatommissile-strikeIran-Israel-conflict