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South Korea Approves Restart of Shin-Kori Unit 1

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea announced on August 21 that it has approved the restart of Shin-Kori Unit 1, located in Ulju County, Ulsan. The unit has been under routine inspection since July 2. On the same day, the commission approved the unit to reach criticality. Criticality refers to the state in which a sustained nuclear fission chain reaction can be maintained within the reactor core, with a balanced neutron population. Once criticality is achieved, the reactor can gradually resume operation under safely controlled conditions. The NSSC stated that this routine inspection involved 98 inspection items required before the reactor could reach criticality, of which 86 have been completed, confirming that the unit meets the conditions for safely achieving criticality.

2026-08-22

Deaerator in Place for Unit 1 Conventional Island of Huaneng Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Expansion Project

Recently, the deaerator for Unit 1 conventional island of Phase I Expansion Project of Huaneng Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Station, undertaken by PowerChina Nuclear Engineering Company, was successfully hoisted and placed into position, marking a key milestone in the installation of conventional island equipment for the unit and creating conditions for subsequent turbine equipment installation, piping layout, and system commissioning. The Huaneng Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Base currently hosts a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor demonstration project, the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant to achieve commercial operation. The Phase I Expansion Project plans to build two Hualong One units, third-generation nuclear power units independently developed by China, each with a capacity of 1.225 million kilowatts. Upon completion, the project is expected to provide approximately 20 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, reduce standard coal consumption by 5.78 million tons, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 14 million tons.

2026-08-22

University of South China team extracts high-purity medical alpha nuclide Lead-212 from rare earth slag

On August 20, it was learned from the University of South China that the team led by Professor Wei Yuezhou successfully separated and obtained high-purity alpha nuclide Lead-212 and its precursor nuclide Thorium-228 directly from rare earth slag, achieving the extraction of 158 microcuries of Lead-212/Bismuth-212 from kilogram-level rare earth slag in a single batch. The achievement recently passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal meeting for the "Technology Development for Extracting Medical Alpha Nuclide Lead-212 and Thorium-228 from Radium Slag from Monazite Processing" organized by the China Isotope and Radiation Association. Experts unanimously agreed that the overall technology has reached internationally advanced level, with single-pass recovery rate reaching internationally leading level, which is expected to promote China's independent supply of medical alpha nuclides and ensure the security of the nuclear medical industry chain, with broad application prospects...

2026-08-21

Russia Marks 81 Years Since the Birth of Its Nuclear Industry: From the Soviet Nuclear Program to Modern Nuclear Talent Development

On August 20, 1945, the founding documents establishing the Special Committee and the First Main Directorate under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR were officially signed, generally regarded as the starting point of the Soviet nuclear industry system. Eighty-one years later, Russia's nuclear energy community once again looks back at this historical milestone, linking it to nuclear science and technology development and talent cultivation. In August of that year, after the United States used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Union accelerated the establishment of its own nuclear research and industrial system. On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union completed the RDS-1 nuclear test. Thereafter, Soviet nuclear science gradually extended from military applications to peaceful uses, building the world's first grid-connected nuclear power plant and developing a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers. The establishment of the nuclear industry system also drove...

2026-08-21

U.S. Apollo Atomics Secures $31 Million in Funding to Advance Commercialization of Compact Pressurized Water Reactor

U.S.-based Apollo Atomics recently announced the completion of a $31 million seed funding round to advance the commercialization of its next-generation compact pressurized water reactor. Incubated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and backed by Y Combinator, the company plans to shift the reactor from the traditional one-off large-scale construction model to a factory-manufactured, scalable product. The round was led by FCVC, with participation from Y Combinator, Telesoft Partners, Alumni Ventures, Robinhood Ventures, Nucleation Capital, Pelion VC, and Duke Capital Partners. The company stated that the proceeds will be used to...

2026-08-21

South Korea Raises 2040 Electricity Demand Forecast, Increment Equivalent to 19 Large Nuclear Power Units

A forum on the formulation of South Korea's 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand was held in Seoul on August 20. The new round of electricity demand forecasts submitted at the meeting showed that by 2040, South Korea's annual maximum electricity demand is expected to reach 158.4 GW to 165.0 GW, an upward revision of 26.6 GW to 26.8 GW compared to the forecast proposed in April this year. Based on the 1.4 GW single-unit capacity of the AP1400 large nuclear power unit under construction in South Korea, the increment in electricity demand from this upward revision is equivalent to the electricity provided by approximately 19 large nuclear power units operating at full power. The previous April forecast for the 2040 annual maximum electricity demand was 131.8 GW to 138.2 GW. The new forecast reflects semiconductor industry clusters...

2026-08-21

Akiram Therapeutics and ITM Sign Lutetium-177 Supply Agreement to Support Radiopharmaceutical Development for Solid Tumors

Akiram Therapeutics, a Swedish clinical-stage biotechnology company, and ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, a German radiopharmaceutical biotechnology company, recently announced the signing of a supply agreement. Under the agreement, ITM will supply no-carrier-added lutetium-177 (nca Lu-177) to Akiram to support the clinical development of its targeted antibody-radionuclide conjugate, 177Lu-AKIR001 (AKIR001). AKIR001 is Akiram's lead radiopharmaceutical candidate, currently being investigated in clinical studies for the treatment of CD44v6-expressing solid tumors. The candidate combines the therapeutic radioisotope nca Lu-177 with a proprietary antibody targeting CD44v6. CD...

2026-08-20

Installation of Cooling Tower Basins Completed at Rostov NPP Unit 4

The mechanical draft cooling tower project at Unit 4 of Russia's Rostov Nuclear Power Plant has recently completed the installation of all four basins, bringing the overall civil and installation readiness of the project to 80%. The facility will provide supplementary cooling capacity for Unit 4 during summer high temperatures and peak electricity demand in southern Russia. Rostov NPP is part of Rosenergoatom, the operator of Russian nuclear power plants, which is a member of the electric power division of Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation. Under the project plan, the new mechanical draft cooling tower will operate in conjunction with the existing natural draft evaporative cooling towers to enhance the unit's operational stability under high-temperature conditions. Rostov NPP's capital construction...

2026-08-20

Egypt plans to add two more units at El Dabaa nuclear power plant

Egypt is planning to add two more nuclear power units at the Dabaa nuclear power plant on its Mediterranean coast. Currently, four units provided by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) for the project are already under construction. Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, stated that the expansion plans will be discussed with Rosatom. According to Egyptian sources, no timeline has been set for the negotiations, and no final decision has been made on the expansion plan. The expansion concept is part of Egypt's efforts to increase the share of nuclear and renewable energy in power generation and reduce dependence on traditional fuels. Egypt is particularly seeking to reduce its reliance on natural gas. According to the U.S. Energy Information...

2026-08-20

Canada Approves Bruce Power Hot Cell Facility Operations, Strengthening Lutetium-177 Medical Isotope Supply Chain

Bruce Power has recently received approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to operate its on-site hot cell facility for target carrier removal (TCR) work, a critical step in the production process of the medical isotope lutetium-177 (Lu-177). Lu-177 is used in the treatment of prostate cancer and is increasingly applied in targeted therapies for precision medicine. Under the approval, Bruce Power can perform the relevant processing steps on site, further streamlining the isotope production process, reducing transportation requirements, while helping to enhance operational safety, lower emissions, and strengthen Ontario's capabilities in the global medical isotope supply chain. The hot cell facility was completed earlier this year...

2026-08-20

Firefly Aerospace to Fly Zeno Power Radioisotope Heater to Validate Lunar Night Survival Capability

Firefly Aerospace announced on August 19 that it has reached a commercial payload agreement with Zeno Power Systems to carry Zeno's Lunar Night Survival Package and radioisotope heater unit on a Blue Ghost lunar lander mission. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2028 and aims to verify whether the relevant nuclear power technologies can help spacecraft, lunar infrastructure, and future lunar base systems continue operating through the long, extremely cold lunar night environment. *Rendering of Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander with Zeno Power's Lunar Night Survival Package on its top deck. Under the plan, Zeno's payload will travel with Blue Ghost to the lunar nearside...

2026-08-20

Full-Scope Simulator for Units 1 & 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Officially Put into Operation

On August 19, the commissioning ceremony for the full-scope simulator of Units 1 & 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant was held in the simulator main control room. Chen Jin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Liaoning Nuclear Power, and Zhang Xiong, General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, attended the ceremony. Gao Shunlong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of CNNC Wuhan, was invited to attend. The ceremony was presided over by Li Zhusan, Deputy General Manager of Liaoning Nuclear Power. At the ceremony site, attendees jointly watched a video reviewing the simulator construction process, and leaders from both sides jointly unveiled the plaque for the "CAP Simulator Training Center." Gao Shunlong stated that the commissioning of the simulator is an important milestone in project construction and also a brand-new starting point. CNNC Wuhan will make every effort to ensure simulator operation and maintenance support as well as optimization and upgrades, and will take this opportunity to expand the breadth and depth of cooperation with Liaoning Nuclear Power, jointly promoting high-quality project construction.

2026-08-20

Vattenfall plans to invest SEK 10 billion in Swedish nuclear maintenance and uprating over five years

European energy company Vattenfall plans to invest SEK 165 billion by 2030, focusing on maintenance and development of existing power assets, new fossil-free power generation projects, and grid modernization. Sweden is the core market for this investment round, with approximately SEK 10 billion allocated to nuclear maintenance and power uprating. Vattenfall currently operates five nuclear reactors in Sweden, including two at Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant and three at Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant. These units have been in operation for approximately 40 years. The company stated that routine inspections lasting several weeks are conducted annually on these units to ensure safe and stable operation of the nuclear power plants and to fulfill power generation targets as planned.

2026-08-19

Argonne National Laboratory's Nuclear Energy Operations Optimization Software Named Finalist for 2026 R&D 100 Awards

On August 18, 2026, multiple research projects from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory received recognition in the 2026 R&D 100 Awards. Among them, the open-source software FARM, directly related to nuclear energy system operations, was named a finalist, standing out as a noteworthy nuclear energy technology achievement among this year's winners and finalists. FARM stands for Feasible Actuator Range Modifier, jointly developed by Argonne National Laboratory and DOE's Idaho National Laboratory, with NuCube Energy Inc. as a collaborating partner. The software targets complex energy sy...

2026-08-19

Urenco USA Breaks Ground on National Enrichment Facility Expansion, Plans to Add 2.1 Million SWU Capacity

On August 18, local time, Urenco USA held a groundbreaking ceremony in Eunice, New Mexico, United States, to launch the future expansion of its commercial uranium enrichment facility. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Urenco Group Chief Executive Officer Boris Schucht, and company management attended the ceremony. Urenco USA is the only commercial-scale uranium enrichment producer in the United States, operating the National Enrichment Facility (NEF). The company announced in June this year that it would increase the facility's capacity by nearly 50%. This expansion is part of a multi-billion-dollar investment, with plans to build a new...

2026-08-19