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Russia-Brazil Uranium Conversion Cooperation Upgraded, Uranium Processing at Angra NPP Increased by 25%

In June 2026, Russia and Brazil signed an agreement to increase uranium conversion volumes for the Angra nuclear power plant in the South American country by 25%. This move is of strategic significance, as Russian fuel fully guarantees the operation of the country's only nuclear power plant. Russia is a key economic partner of Brazil, a Latin American nation, and one of the five historical founding members of the BRICS group. Brazil accounts for more than 50% of Russia's trade with the region, with bilateral trade volume reaching $10.9 billion by the end of 2025. The two countries are developing technical cooperation, particularly in the nuclear field. In December 2022, they signed a five-year contract to supply...

2026-08-01

Japan aims to rebuild up to 5 retired nuclear power plants by the 2040s

The Japanese government held a ministerial meeting on nuclear power on July 31 and decided to rebuild up to 5 retired nuclear power plants by the 2040s. This is the first time since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident that the Japanese government has set a specific numerical target for nuclear plant reconstruction. Kansai Electric Power Company's Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae stated at the meeting that to steadily advance nuclear power investment, the Takaichi cabinet will continue to promote nuclear energy policy. According to the direction set at the meeting, Japan plans to rebuild 2 to 5 nuclear power plants by the 2040s, with a total installed capacity of approximately 2.2 million to 5.5 million kilowatts; by the 2050s, the reconstruction scale will expand to 11 to 14 plants, with a total installed capacity of approximately 12.7 million to 16 million kilowatts. The Japanese government plans to...

2026-08-01

On-site assembly of the 50MW heat exchange station for Unit 4 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant successfully completed

On July 30, the 50MW heat exchange station for Unit 4 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant completed on-site assembly, providing solid equipment support for heating in the front plant area this winter. The heat exchange station measures 16 meters in length, 9 meters in width, and 7.4 meters in height, with a total weight of 150 tons. The equipment integrates heat exchangers, circulating water pumps, water treatment devices, and electrical control instruments, forming a complete integrated heating system. The system is arranged on the zero-meter floor of the turbine hall and is responsible for heating the office areas in the front plant area. To ensure the winter heating milestone, the Equipment Procurement Division of Liaoning Nuclear Power, together with the on-site Equipment Department of the engineering company, equipment manufacturers, and installation units, established a special working group, implementing mechanisms such as weekly leadership meetings, daily morning briefings for teams, and daily progress reports, and successively coordinated and resolved issues related to equipment transportation, pipeline hoisting, scaffold erection and dismantling, power supply assurance, and cross-construction coordination, completing all assembly work of the heat exchange station as planned.

2026-07-31

Chinese Jinshui River study reveals seasonal variations affect nitrogen removal capacity of forest streams

A new study shows that the capacity of forest streams to remove excess nitrogen varies with the seasons, influenced by different environmental factors in summer and winter respectively. This finding suggests that water quality management in forest watersheds needs to give greater consideration to seasonal differences. Figure 1. Location of study sites along the Jinshui River. (a) Watershed location; (b) Watershed topography and sampling point distribution; (c) Watershed land use types. Researchers focused on the Jinshui River in central China, analyzing water and surface sediment samples from 18 sites along forested riparian zones. The study combined nitrogen-15 isotope tracing, remote sensing monitoring, water and sediment chemical measurements, and microbial-based...

2026-07-31

Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 5 PMC Installation Task Successfully Completed

On July 6, 2026, with the successful installation, handover, and commissioning of the PMC02 and PMC03 systems for Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 5, the PMC system installation work for the unit was successfully completed, marking the full achievement of the core tasks of the 5PMC Installation Joint Party Member Task Force. The smooth realization of this key milestone fully demonstrated the robust capability of the integrated engineering and production joint team in collaborative construction, driving a phased breakthrough in the construction of Unit 5. This laid a solid foundation for subsequent on-site inspections for the nuclear material license and the smooth receipt of new fuel. Collaborative Breakthrough to Ensure Milestones As the core specialized key equipment for receiving, storing, and transferring nuclear fuel in a nuclear power plant, the PMC system is a critical carrier ensuring the stable operation of the fuel handling system and an indispensable prerequisite for on-site nuclear material license inspections. Its installation quality and construction schedule directly impact the overall construction pace of the unit and the broader fuel loading and commissioning timeline. During this PMC installation phase, the on-site construction conditions were complex, and the pressure to overcome challenges was unprecedented. The team faced multiple difficulties, including intensive cross-disciplinary operations, intricate construction interfaces, severely limited workspace, and tight availability of lifting and scaffolding resources. Project progress faced significant resistance, coordination was highly challenging, and the task was extremely arduous. To fundamentally reverse the passive situation and ensure the achievement of construction goals, the Lufeng Nuclear Power Production Service Department, under the overall guidance of the company's Party Committee, took the initiative. It adopted a model where leaders personally oversaw the campaign and tackled problems directly on-site. By coordinating the construction efforts of the Safety Protection Department, Technical Department, Project Department, supervision units, and various participating construction entities, the PMC Installation Joint Party Member Task Force was formally established. The team consistently adhered to Party-building leadership in project breakthroughs, firmly upholding the value orientation of "Three Focuses." They solidified a normalized multi-party coordination mechanism involving daily meetings and on-the-spot problem-solving, effectively breaking down construction barriers and interface bottlenecks between the work teams of the two construction companies, CNNC Huaxing and China Nuclear Industry 23. By dynamically coordinating construction plans, on-site safety management, manpower organization, and resource allocation, they achieved on-site problem identification, assessment, and resolution. This efficiently resolved various issues such as cross-construction conflicts, material transport obstructions, and resource allocation tensions. Through meticulous coordination and integrated collaborative operations, they provided solid organizational support for achieving the construction goals. Innovation and Pragmatism to Set Benchmarks Throughout the entire campaign, all Party member core members took the lead, shouldered heavy responsibilities, targeted efforts precisely, and broke through difficulties, comprehensively solidifying on-site construction conditions. The team scientifically coordinated the erection, dismantling, and optimization of scaffolding in the fuel building, streamlined the construction logic for civil and installation cross-operations, and systematically completed the defect rectification and power-on work for the spent fuel crane, auxiliary crane, and 130t overhead crane, thoroughly clearing pre-installation obstacles for key equipment introduction. All personnel adhered to the principle of "taking one step forward, being proactive," ensuring that on-site conditions did not wait for procedures and that progress was not stalled by interfaces. They continuously optimized process connections and operational logic, focused on key areas in phases, assigned responsibilities by module, and dynamically optimized resource allocation. By balancing safety with progress and upholding both bottom lines and efficiency, they efficiently and successfully completed the introduction, positioning, and installation of key equipment for the PMC02 system. Concurrently, leveraging experience from previous multi-unit construction projects, the team boldly broke away from traditional fixed procedures and innovatively optimized the construction organization logic. They adopted an interleaved parallel construction approach, simultaneously carrying out multiple key specialized tasks for the first time within the group, including preliminary nuclear cleaning of the spent fuel pool hall, pressure testing of the spent fuel pool, pipe installation and flushing, and comprehensive foreign material search and removal from the fuel racks. Through innovation and pragmatic action, they created a benchmark case for efficient PMC system installation in Hualong One units. Successful Completion, Setting Off Again The successful completion of the PMC installation campaign for Unit 5 is a landmark achievement demonstrating the deep integration of Party-building and production at Lufeng Nuclear Power, efficient multi-disciplinary coordination, and the effective implementation of refined on-site management. It fully showcases the excellent spirit of the Party member team in daring to fight tough battles, being capable of winning them, charging forward, and sustaining continuous operations. The journey does not end; the campaign continues. Next, the PMC Installation Joint Party Member Task Force will persistently maintain its fighting posture, firmly anchor on the overall goal of unit fuel loading, steadily advance the commissioning and various functional tests of the PMC02 and PMC03 systems, and efficiently complete key tasks such as system commissioning and the interconnection of the four pools. They will strive to ensure the smooth passage of the on-site nuclear material license inspection, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality and safe commissioning and operation of the unit.

2026-07-31

TerraPower Isotopes to Donate Actinium-225 via Oncidium Foundation to Support Cancer Treatment Accessibility

TerraPower Isotopes (TPI), a subsidiary of U.S. nuclear innovation company TerraPower, announced on July 29 that it will coordinate the donation of the rare medical isotope actinium-225 (Ac-225) through the Oncidium Foundation to support economically disadvantaged cancer patients in accessing targeted radionuclide therapy. The Oncidium Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting global access to targeted radionuclide cancer treatments. Its RLT-Connect program aims to help financially challenged patients access relevant therapies, reducing treatment disparities caused by geographic and economic conditions. This donation also marks TPI's entry into Oncidium's collaborative ecosystem of radioisotope suppliers, medical practitioners...

2026-07-30

South Korea launches design of 250 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor Helios

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), in collaboration with Hyundai Engineering & Construction and KEPCO E&C, has initiated the design of the next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor Helios. The reactor is planned to have an electrical output of 250 MWe, based on the existing 100 MWe-class sodium-cooled fast reactor Salus-100 design, targeting large-scale power consumption applications such as AI data centers and industrial parks. Lee Je-hwan, head of the Fourth Generation Reactor Technology Development Department at KAERI, stated that future demand for large-scale carbon-free electricity around AI data centers and industrial parks...

2026-07-30

Ontario Invests Additional $4.6 Million in McMaster Nuclear Reactor to Expand Medical Isotope Production Capacity

The Government of Ontario, Canada, recently announced an additional investment of $4.6 million in the McMaster Nuclear Reactor to expand the production capacity of life-saving medical isotopes, supporting more cancer patients in accessing the critical radioisotopes needed for diagnosis and treatment. From left to right: Josip Zikic, Chief Nuclear Officer at McMaster University; Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges and Universities, Research Excellence and Security; Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mining; Susan Tighe, President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University; and Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. (Georgia Kirkos/McMaster University) This investment builds on a previous $18 million...

2026-07-30

World Nuclear Association expects global large-scale nuclear power construction spending to peak between 2041 and 2045

The World Nuclear Association (WNA) expects global nuclear power industry spending to reach a phased peak between 2041 and 2045. At 2025 prices, approximately $1 trillion will be directed toward the construction of large nuclear power plants during this period. Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, stated that investment interest in the nuclear energy sector has significantly increased, with 50 countries having formulated relatively specific nuclear energy development plans. She believes that implementing these plans will require substantial financial support, with the required investment scale far exceeding current levels. According to the Association's estimates, in addition to large nuclear power plant construction, approximately $450 billion will be allocated globally to small modular reactor projects between 2041 and 2045, along with $84 billion for extending the operational lifetimes of existing reactors.

2026-07-30

"AI Empowers Anti-Counterfeiting in Safety, Quality, and Environment Fields" — Huang Chuangtao, Engineer, CGN Intelligent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

On November 14, 2025, Huang Chuangtao, an engineer from CGN Intelligent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote report titled "AI Empowers Anti-Counterfeiting in Safety, Quality, and Environment Fields" at the AI + Nuclear Energy Innovation Application Industry-Economy Roadshow of the Shenzhen Nuclear Industry Expo. The report introduced the application achievements of using AI to enhance anti-counterfeiting for certificates, qualifications, and quality certification documents in the nuclear power industry. The system employs a layered architecture, multimodal recognition, collaboration between large and small models, and dual verification via QR code links to identify deep counterfeiting, such as simultaneous forgery of certificate content and websites. This solution has completed the verification of over 7,000 certificates, intercepted 17 cases of counterfeiting, and plans to build a traceable quality trust system combined with blockchain. Key points: 1. ...

2026-07-29

Amentum Awarded $85 Million Contract to Provide Design Engineering Support for U.S. Navy Nuclear Infrastructure

On July 23, Amentum announced it had secured a three-year, $85 million contract to provide design and modernization support for infrastructure associated with the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.Under the contract, Amentum will assist in

2026-07-27

Seychelles Leverages Nuclear Technology to Improve Soil Management and Boost Fruit and Vegetable Production Capacity

With the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), researchers in Seychelles are collaborating with policymakers and farmers to utilize nuclear and isotopic techniques. These methods aim to improve soil nutrient and water management, there

2026-07-27

South Korea's Doosan Enerbility wins order for steam generator forgings for Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power Units 5 and 6.

South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility announced on the 27th that it has signed supply contracts with Dongfang Electric International (DEI) and Dongfang Heavy Machinery (DFHM)—subsidiaries of China’s Dongfang Electric Corporation—to provide u

2026-07-27

South Korean Study Quantifies Social Benefits of SMR R&D: Five-Year Present Value Estimated at Approximately 459.7 Billion Won

On the 22nd, Changwon National University in South Korea announced that a team led by Professor Lee Joo-yong of the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering (Technology Management Research Laboratory) had completed a quantitative assessment of the soc

2026-07-23