Start-ups. The start-up process has begun for Unit 7 of China’s Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant with the loading of the first fuel assemblies into the reactor core. Earlier, the National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a start-up permit for the reactor unit. During the initial stage, 163 fuel assemblies will be loaded into the reactor. Following this, the reactor will be brought to zero-power criticality for the engineers to conduct essential tests on the control and protection systems. The process will then move to the first electricity phase, which includes synchronization with the Chinese power grid and a step-by-step increase in power to 100%. The Tianwan NPP is the largest Russia-China economic cooperation project. Unit 7 with a VVER-1200 reactor is being constructed to the design developed by Rosatom’s Engineering Division. The joint Russian-Chinese project to build Units 7 and 8 was launched in 2021.

Education. The 7th international scientific and educational expedition of Rosatom, Icebreaker of Knowledge, organized by Rosatom, has returned to Murmansk. Over the course of ten days, 68 students from Russia and 22 other countries traveled aboard the nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy on a route from Murmansk to the North Pole via Franz Josef Land. Members of the expedition attended lectures, participated in workshops, and conducted scientific experiments, including the launch of a radiosonde at the North Pole and the testing of a reusable high-altitude platform station designed for Arctic monitoring. The Icebreaker of Knowledge initiative aims to promote natural sciences and nuclear technologies, identify and support talented children, develop their skills, and assist them with career guidance. Over seven seasons, the initiative has brought more than 470 gifted students from around the world to the North Pole.

Construction sites. Concreting of the fourth tier has been completed for the reactor building’s inner containment shell at El Dabaa Unit 1. With this step finished, the reactor building has reached an elevation of 34 meters. The height of this last concreted tier was 9.6 meters. “The successful completion of the fourth tier of the inner containment shell at Unit 1 is a new, strategically important milestone in the project implementation. This achievement is the result of effective cooperation and coordinated efforts by all teams involved in the construction process,” said Sherif Helmy, Chairman of the Board at the Nuclear Power Plants Authority of Egypt. Egypt’s first nuclear power plant in El Dabaa will have four power units equipped with VVER-1200 reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW.

Negotiations. In late July, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev held a series of high-level strategic meetings with partners from Türkiye, China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

In Türkiye, discussions focused on the upcoming startup of Akkuyu Unit 1. Both parties are working to enhance project efficiency; notably, the Turkish Parliament has recently approved tax incentives for the national nuclear industry.

In China, startup operations are expected to begin within the coming weeks at Tianwan Unit 7 and Xudabao Unit 3. Furthermore, Russia and China are expanding cooperation in Generation IV nuclear energy systems and the Northern Sea Route (NSR). In 2026, the number of voyages by Chinese commercial vessels along the NSR is projected to increase by 30% compared to 2025.

During a meeting between the presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia in Omsk, agreements were signed regarding the construction terms for the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant and the provision of a Russian export credit for the project. The active construction phase is scheduled to commence in 2027.

In Uzbekistan, a dedicated working group has been established to conduct an expert review of the documentation for the proposed nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region.

Environment. Rosatom, in partnership with the Lomonosov Moscow State University Marine Research Center, is launching the fifth season of comprehensive environmental monitoring in the Northern Sea Route (NSR) maritime area.

For the first time, the research program will encompass the entire NSR—stretching from the Kara Sea to the Chukchi Sea—including the port areas of Sabetta, Dudinka, Tiksi, and Pevek. Three research teams will carry out fieldwork across 53 monitoring stations. Scientists will synthesize data collected throughout the project’s duration (2021–2026) to assess the impact of growing cargo traffic on marine ecosystems. Previous findings have confirmed that current shipping intensity has no adverse effect on the environment.

Major Russian Arctic project operators are also joining the initiative. The program involves over 130 experts from 29 organizations across Russia, China, India, and other countries. As the infrastructure operator of the NSR, Rosatom ensures the sustainable development of the maritime corridor while adhering to the highest environmental protection standards.

Science. Scientists from Rosatom’s Quantum Project have demonstrated for the first time that the collective behavior of electrons in ultrathin materials can be observed using light. A scientific paper detailing the work by researchers from the Rosatom Quantum Center, ITMO University, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) has been published in the prestigious journal Physical Review B.

This result is significant for a key area of modern physics and quantum technology: the study of complex materials where particles behave as a single system. Collective effects underpin many promising phenomena, including superconductivity, exotic magnetism, and novel electronic states. Understanding these processes is essential for developing future materials, quantum devices, and more efficient electronics.

“We have shown for the first time that the complex electronic state in a monolayer of tungsten diselenide can be observed directly through light,” noted Alexander Chernov, one of the authors and head of the research group at the Quantum Center and MIPT.