Search Results

Full-Process Commissioning of Major Marine Isotope Separation Pilot Facility

Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Changxing Ocean Laboratory is dedicated to building a quasi-industrial research platform for high-end marine equipment. The Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center, focusing on the industrial context of isotope production, separation, and application, and supported by the ministerial-level Isotope Separation Science and Technology Center, conducts research and development of key isotope separation technologies and engineering equipment for Generation III reactors, Generation IV reactors, and fusion reactors, establishing an innovative platform integrating R&D, testing, validation, data, and technical services. Major research facility: Recently, the construction of the hundred-ton-per-year light water hydrogen isotope separation pilot platform has achieved phased results, with the system facility undergoing full-process commissioning. The platform adopts a self-developed water distillation coupled with cryogenic hydrogen isotope separation process, achieving large-scale efficient separation and enrichment of hydrogen isotopes from light water. The platform's outcomes hold broad engineering application value in fields such as pressurized water reactor wastewater treatment, deuterium-tritium isotope separation, fusion tritium plant operation, and heavy water/heavy hydrogen production. At 18:00 on August 4, 2026, at the Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center of Changxing Ocean Laboratory, the hundred-ton-per-year light water hydrogen isotope separation pilot facility was commissioned through its full process! The commissioning and operation of this pilot facility was undertaken by the Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center, with all departments coordinating collaboratively, making meticulous arrangements, and dedicating full efforts. During the operation, the team successively overcame multiple challenges including tight schedules, heavy workloads, and persistent high temperatures. This achievement not only fully validated the stability and reliability of the process platform but also demonstrated the researchers' responsibility and commitment in rising to challenges and persevering diligently. In the next phase, the project technical team will continue to deepen process optimization based on existing achievements, focus on advancing continuous and stable facility operation, accelerate engineering application, and provide strong support for breakthroughs in key core technologies in China's hydrogen isotope separation field.

2026-08-13

Rosatom Starts Preparations for Long-Lead Equipment Contracts at Primorskaya NPP

The engineering division of Rosatom recently announced that preparations for signing long-lead equipment manufacturing contracts for the Primorskaya Nuclear Power Plant have commenced, covering the reactor building, turbine hall, core catcher, and other major system components. According to the announcement, the scope of contract preparation includes key equipment such as main reactor building equipment, turbine hall equipment, the Automated Process Control System (APCS) for the units, and the core catcher. Long-lead equipment typically has extended manufacturing cycles and represents a critical element that must be secured early in the pre-construction phase of a nuclear power project. Currently, the project is also advancing multiple public tender preparation efforts, including site vertical layout planning,...

2026-08-13

Shimane Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 completes containment vessel-related repairs, scheduled to resume commercial operation on the 16th of next month

The Shimane Nuclear Power Station Unit 2, located in Matsue City, Japan, is scheduled to resume commercial operation next month. Recently, part of the reactor containment vessel repair work at the unit was opened to the public, showcasing key construction steps before the resumption of operation. Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Station resumed operation in December two years ago. Since February this year, the unit has been shut down for routine operational inspections. In accordance with relevant legal requirements, nuclear power units must undergo equipment disassembly inspections and replacement of related components within 13 months after the previous inspection is completed. On August 3, a dedicated crane was used on site to lift a cover weighing approximately 60 tons to the top of the reactor containment vessel. Workers completed the tightening of 120 bolts that day...

2026-08-13

Strengthen Flood Season Self-Inspection and Prevention, Safeguard Radiation Safety of Radioactive Waste Storage

As the southwestern region enters the main flood season, multiple rounds of heavy rainfall have frequently occurred across Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, and Guizhou, with continuously escalating risks of flooding and waterlogging backflow, putting the radiation safety of urban radioactive waste temporary storage facilities to the test. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment's Southwest Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision (hereinafter referred to as the Southwest Office) has focused on advance warning and source prevention, urging urban radioactive waste temporary storage facilities in the southwestern region (hereinafter referred to as waste storage facilities) to conduct flood season self-inspections and proactively identify and rectify safety hazards through on-site inspections, online coordination, and work reminders. The Southwest Office has adhered to early planning, early deployment, and early action, conducting special pre-flood-season studies to arrange flood prevention work and urging all waste storage facilities to firmly establish bottom-line and extreme thinking...

2026-08-13

South Korea Sets 2035 Commercialization Target for Small Modular Reactors

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of South Korea announced on August 12 its "Seven Future Growth Engines SEED" promotion plan, designating small modular reactors, nuclear fusion, and next-generation renewable energy as key focus areas for the future clean energy sector. Among these, nuclear power-related content primarily centers on the commercialization of small modular reactors, research and development of non-light water reactor-type reactors, nuclear fuel supply security, and fusion demonstration power generation. According to the plan, South Korea will advance the development of light water reactor-type small modular reactors, targeting commercialization in Gijang County, Busan by 2035. The innovative small modular reactor (i-SMR) will undergo detailed design through public-private cooperation starting next year...

2026-08-13

HD Hyundai Chairman to Meet Bill Gates to Advance SMR Cooperation

HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun will meet Bill Gates, who is visiting South Korea, on August 14, with the two sides planning discussions on cooperation in small modular reactors (SMRs). Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, also serves as chairman of TerraPower, a U.S. small modular reactor company. This will be the latest round of communication between Chung and Gates on related cooperation, following their meeting earlier this year at the Davos Forum in Switzerland. HD Hyundai and TerraPower have been steadily strengthening cooperation in SMR and advanced reactor manufacturing in recent years. In November 2022, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering invested $30 million in TerraPower. In December 2024, HD Hyundai secured an order to manufacture the reactor vessel for TerraPower's 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) to be built in Wyoming, U.S.

2026-08-13

New National Standard GB/T 18525.1-2026 — The Red Beans and Mung Beans You Eat May Have Been

Starting December 1, 2026, a new national standard concerning food safety on your dining table will officially take effect — Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China issued the 2026 No. 23 National Standard Announcement, among which the "Irradiation Technology for Agricultural Products — Part 1: Legumes and Their Products" (GB/T 18525.1-2026) is particularly noteworthy. This standard, led by the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, will officially take effect on December 1, 2026, replacing the old standard (GB/T 18525.1-2001) that has been in use for over 20 years. When hearing the word "irradiation," many people's first reaction is: "Is it safe?" "Will food become radioactive after being irradiated..."

2026-08-13

CGN Hezhi® Proton Therapy System Clinical Performance Successfully Passes Expert Review

On July 31, the expert review meeting for the clinical performance evaluation of the CGN Hezhi® Proton Therapy System was held at the CGN Proton Therapy Equipment Manufacturing Base. Clinical experts from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Shenzhen Hospital, and Shandong First Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital attended the review meeting.▲Expert review of CGN Hezhi® Proton Therapy System clinical performanceAt the review meeting, the relevant person in charge of CGN Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company") introduced that the comprehensive verification platform for the proton therapy system has achieved full-process independent controllability from design, procurement, production,...

2026-08-12

First Fuel Loading Officially Begins at Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7

On August 12, as the first fuel assembly was precisely and safely loaded into its designated position in the reactor core, the first fuel loading officially began at Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, which is invested and controlled by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)'s China Nuclear Power. This marks a solid foundation for subsequent reactor criticality and commercial operation. First fuel loading is the core procedure of implanting the "energy heart" into a nuclear reactor. As a key milestone in the full lifecycle of nuclear power construction, it not only serves as a comprehensive test of the unit's years of engineering construction quality, system commissioning level, and safety management capability, but also represents the critical starting point for the unit's nuclear-powered operation. It is understood that this fuel loading is the first-ever loading for a VVER-1200 unit in China, requiring a total of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies to be loaded...

2026-08-12

UK Low-Level Waste Repository Advances Capping Project, Rail-Transported Aggregate Exceeds 285,000 Tonnes

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) is advancing capping-related works at the Low-Level Waste Repository on the west coast of Cumbria, UK, to strengthen long-term protection of existing disposal trenches and vaults. Since the repository began operations in 1959, it has supported the safe disposal of approximately 1 million cubic metres of low-level radioactive waste, making it a key facility in the UK's radioactive waste management system. NWS, part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), is primarily responsible for consolidating the UK's radioactive waste management capabilities, providing management solutions for legacy wastes from civil and defence sectors as well as wastes arising from future new-build nuclear projects...

2026-08-12

Fuse Energy Technologies Corp. Reports FAETON-X Single-Shot D-D Fusion Neutron Yield of 1.27×10¹²

Fuse Energy Technologies Corp., headquartered in California, USA, announced on August 11 that its megajoule-class dense plasma focus device FAETON-X measured a peak neutron yield of (1.27±0.27)×10¹² neutrons per shot in a single D-D fusion experiment. The company stated that this is one of the highest single-shot fusion neutron yields publicly recorded by a commercial fusion enterprise, and the first to reach the 10¹² order of magnitude. FAETON-X is a megajoule-class pulsed-power fusion system developed by Fuse, designed as a single-pulse flash neutron source, serving pulsed-power fusion R&D and...

2026-08-12

TRISO-X and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extend Advanced Nuclear Fuel R&D Collaboration

TRISO-X announced on August 11 that it has extended its Collaborative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The newly signed agreement has a term of 30 months and will continue to advance commercial-scale development of TRISO fuel, manufacturing process optimization, and technology transfer, building on the collaboration established since 2016. TRISO-X is a wholly-owned subsidiary of X-energy, primarily engaged in advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing. Under the agreement, TRISO-X will continue to operate its existing pilot-scale facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with a focus on transitioning TRISO fuel from laboratory R&D to commercial-scale manufacturing. The collaboration includes optimizing fuel...

2026-08-12

Leshan Accelerates Construction of Medical Isotope Production Base to Promote Domestic Substitution of "Anti-Cancer Nuclear Drugs"

On August 11, at the Leshan special press conference of "Myriad Scenes in Sichuan · Embarking on the '15th Five-Year Plan'", Leshan Mayor Zhao Yingchun stated that Leshan is accelerating the construction of the largest and most comprehensive medical isotope production base in China. Upon completion, the project will help break the foreign monopoly and import dependence on related products, promote the domestic substitution of anti-cancer nuclear drugs, and enable more patients to access domestically produced drugs with lower prices and better efficacy. Zhao Yingchun noted that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Leshan has focused on building the "China Green Silicon Valley", a world-class tourist destination, and a major regional transportation and logistics hub in the province, continuously promoting high-quality development, with its economic output surpassing 250 billion yuan...

2026-08-12

Chinese Team Proposes "Toxic Blood Meal" Pre-Treatment Approach to Boost Sterile Insect Technique for Mosquitoes

Chinese researchers have recently proposed a novel sex-sorting approach for the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) in mosquitoes: adding a specific agent to the blood meal ingested by female mosquitoes, leveraging the biological difference that female mosquitoes feed on blood while males do not, to substantially reduce the number of females before release. The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Medical Entomology. The Sterile Insect Technique is a pest population control method centered on radiation-induced sterility. Its basic process involves mass-rearing male target insects in the laboratory, sterilizing them through radiation exposure to render them reproductively incapable, and then releasing them into the field, where they mate with wild females to produce non-viable eggs, thereby suppressing target population growth. This technique has been incorporated into integrated pest management systems and is regarded as a relatively environmentally friendly pest control approach.

2026-08-12

French city of Illkirch plans to test sterile insect technique to combat tiger mosquitoes

Thibaud Philipps, Mayor of Illkirch-Graffenstaden in France's Bas-Rhin department, hopes to pilot the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT/TIS) locally, sterilizing male tiger mosquitoes through radiation and releasing them regularly to curb population growth. According to local authorities, tiger mosquitoes have been officially established in Illkirch-Graffenstaden since 2019. In recent years, the local tiger mosquito population has continued to increase, significantly impacting residents' daily lives. The municipal government has previously implemented multiple control measures, including launching the "Tiger Team" project in 2024 to educate the public on mosquito prevention and control methods, as well as providing subsidies of up to 50 euros per household for purchasing mosquito traps. To date, approximately 400 households have received relevant traps...

2026-08-12