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Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Completes Fuel Replacement and Installs Containment Vessel Head

Chugoku Electric Power Co. on August 4 disclosed the installation work of the containment vessel head for Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant. The unit is currently undergoing periodic inspection, with major procedures such as nuclear fuel replacement already completed. Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant, located in Matsue City, Japan, was restarted two years ago. Chugoku Electric Power Co. halted the unit's operation in February this year and has been conducting periodic inspections as scheduled. To date, all 560 nuclear fuel assemblies in the unit have been removed, and safety confirmation of the reactor core has been completed. Approximately 120 of these fuel assemblies were replaced with new nuclear fuel assemblies, followed by the phase of resetting related equipment and confirming seal integrity...

2026-08-05

WANO Peer Review Successfully Conducted for Hainan Nuclear Power Units 1 and 2

From July 13 to 31, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) conducted a three-week operational peer review of Hainan Nuclear Power Units 1 and 2. The review involved 22 industry experts from 5 countries and regions, who carried out a comprehensive and systematic assessment of Hainan Nuclear Power across ten core areas including organizational management, operations, maintenance, and technology, through various methods such as on-site observations, personnel interviews, and document reviews. In addition, the expert team conducted a special evaluation of the plant's nuclear safety culture status and the implementation of Significant Operating Experience Reports (SOER). At the review summary meeting, the review team announced the assessment results and provided professional recommendations for the plant's continuous improvement. ...

2026-08-05

Unit 2 of Kola NPP begins 30-day scheduled preventive maintenance

On August 2, 2026, Unit 2 of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant launched scheduled preventive maintenance (SPM) incorporating modernization elements, expected to last approximately 30 days. During this mid-cycle overhaul, specialists will carry out extensive work on critical equipment. In the reactor shop, major repairs will be performed on part of the steam generators, main circulation pumps, and primary circuit piping. Plans also include disassembly and reassembly of the reactor plant, nuclear fuel replacement, and repair of the reactor internals and safety system equipment. In the turbine shop, turbine units, turbogenerators, circulation pumps, low-pressure heaters, and separators-superheaters will be repaired. On the electrical side, transformers and diesel generators will undergo maintenance. Additionally, upgrades are planned for the automatic chemical control system of the primary coolant and the DC power distribution panels for the entire station and individual units.

2026-08-04

Lead isotope analysis of Roman sling bullets points to two supply routes in the Alpine conquest campaign

A lead isotope study of Roman lead sling bullets suggests that the Roman army's conquest of the Alps under Augustus may not have proceeded along a single continuous route, but rather involved different units or different supply systems. The objects studied come mainly from the Crap Ses site in the Surseiva valley of the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, as well as from Brigantium and Tasgetium near Lake Constance further north. Over the past 25 years, archaeologists have discovered marching camps, battlefields, observation posts, small fort remains, as well as swords, shields, hobnails, coins, and nearly 500 lead sling bullets near Crap Ses. Many of these bullets bear inscriptions of the Third Legion...

2026-08-04

Czech Republic Leads EU Project to Assess Application of Commercial-Grade Items in VVER Nuclear Power Plants

The Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) has launched a two-year EU project focused on assessment methodologies for the application of high-quality commercial-grade items in nuclear power plants equipped with VVER reactors. The project aims to establish a unified, expert-judgment-based evaluation process that provides methodological support for nuclear facilities when introducing relevant items, while ensuring that nuclear safety requirements are not compromised. As the nuclear power supply chain landscape evolves, certain plant-specific components may face the need to be replaced by commercial-grade products. In response, regulatory authorities need to establish clear rules to review the suitability, quality assurance, and safety implications of substitute items. The project will focus on evaluating...

2026-08-04

DuChemBio Completes Supply Chain for Prostate Cancer Radiopharmaceutical

DuChemBio, a Korean radiopharmaceutical company, announced on August 4 that it has completed the supply chain for ProstaSeek (active ingredient: 18F-plotupolastat), a radiopharmaceutical for prostate cancer diagnosis, in the Yeongnam and Honam regions. The drug targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), and all tertiary general hospitals in both regions that perform PET-CT scans and provide prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment have been included in its supply scope. According to data from the National Cancer Registry of the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, new prostate cancer cases reached 22,640 in 2023, accounting for 7.8% of all cancer cases and ranking sixth in male cancer incidence; with the increasing adoption of PSMA-targeted therapy, the demand for precise diagnosis before prostate cancer treatment is also growing rapidly.

2026-08-04

Water Leak at Pipe Joint of Primary Cooling Pump in Unit 2 of Takahama Nuclear Power Plant; Kansai Electric Confirms No Radioactive Impact

Kansai Electric Power announced on August 3 that a water leak was found at a cooling water pipe joint in Unit 2 of the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in July. According to Kansai Electric Power, an inspection crew discovered the issue during a check inside the intermediate building on July 11, with a leak volume of approximately 3.4 liters, and repairs were carried out on the 14th. The leak occurred at the pipe connection of the No. 1 cooling water pump during a periodic inspection. The pipe has an outer diameter of 2 centimeters, is secured by threaded fittings, and was sealed with sealing tape. Kansai Electric Power preliminarily determined that the leak may have been caused by tape deterioration due to friction or insufficient wrapping. Currently, Kansai Electric Power re-wrapped the sealing tape on the 14th, and Unit 2 of the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant resumed normal operation on July 16, with no other abnormalities identified to date. It is worth noting that the taped section had undergone a disassembly inspection in 2018, when the plant was in a long-term shutdown state.

2026-08-04

Vietnam Electricity Group Plans to Train Over 2,000 Specialists for Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Project

Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has launched a talent assurance program for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Project, aiming to train over 2,000 specialists for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility. As Vietnam's first nuclear power project, the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Project must simultaneously address key issues such as the legal framework, project financing, restructuring of implementing agencies, and acceleration of investment preparation while advancing human resource readiness. EVN stated that it is cooperating with the Ministry of Education and Training, international nuclear technology partners, and relevant institutions with nuclear energy experience to develop a systematic education and training program for Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Project personnel. According to preliminary arrangements, the project management organization will require approximately 400 personnel, responsible for construction investment, technical,...

2026-08-04

OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Director-General Attends Civil Nuclear Energy Workshop in London

William D. Magwood IV, Director-General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), attended the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Civil Nuclear Energy Workshop held in London, United Kingdom, on July 15-16. Themed "Collaborative Advancement of Implementation," the workshop brought together government officials, industry representatives, and international stakeholders from Europe, Eurasia, and beyond to discuss how international cooperation can support the delivery of nuclear energy projects. Magwood delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony and subsequently engaged in a conversation with Maria Korsnick, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)...

2026-08-04

Study Shows Sustained Deuterium Fusion in Palladium and Titanium Metal Foils at Ultra-Low Energies

U.S. researchers have observed a low-energy deuterium fusion phenomenon in thin palladium and titanium metal foils: when the incident deuteron energy drops to levels where fusion reactions are generally expected to weaken significantly or even nearly cease, the reactions continue to occur. Experiments show that as incident energy decreases, the fusion rate does not continue to decline exponentially but instead enters a plateau region below approximately 2 keV. At the lowest detectable energy, the measured low-energy fusion rate exceeds predictions from isolated-nucleus models by more than 10^18 times. Image courtesy of Marina Light/University of California, Davis. The related research was conducted by teams at the University of California, Davis and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory...

2026-08-04

Romania purchases nuclear electricity from Ukraine via Moldova to fill gap left by Cernavoda Unit 1 outage

Romanian state-owned nuclear power company Nuclearelectrica announced on August 3 that it purchased electricity from Ukraine, using Moldova's state-owned power supplier Energocom as an intermediary. Although the specific transaction amount is confidential, the price will be determined at market rates. This purchase is intended to compensate for the power gap caused by the shutdown of Unit 1 at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, thereby mitigating the impact on Romania's energy market. According to the statement, the purchase price will reference official prices on regional spot exchanges, particularly during peak demand hours from 7 PM to 10 PM. Given the widespread heatwave and tight electricity demand currently affecting Romania and Europe, the market...

2026-08-04

The 14th "Charm of Nuclear Power" National Nuclear Science Summer Camp Concludes in Shanghai

On August 1, the 14th "Charm of Nuclear Power" National Nuclear Science Summer Camp concluded in Shanghai. The event was jointly hosted by the Chinese Nuclear Society and China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (CNNP), organized by the Nuclear Power Operation Research Institute, and co-organized by Qinshan Nuclear Power. The closing activities focused on public communication of nuclear energy, science popularization brand building, and youth nuclear science communication, presenting the achievements of nuclear science popularization and the development of the nuclear industry through thematic sharing sessions, corporate standard releases, science IP launches, and nuclear science explainer demonstrations. At the public communication themed event held on the closing day, Zhang Jing, Director of the Division for Europe and Central Asia at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Jiang Yi, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Head of the Discipline Inspection Group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's East China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision, Gao Keli, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Nuclear Society, and a relevant official from CNNC's Shanghai Market Development Department delivered speeches respectively. Representatives from the China Atomic Energy Authority, the National Energy Administration, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Shanghai Office, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office, as well as industry experts, science popularization workers, and all summer camp participants attended the event. A relevant official from CNNP delivered the closing address on behalf of the organizers.

2026-08-04

Guangzhou Taihe Proton Therapy Center Surpasses 1,000 Patients Treated

Since the ProBeam proton radiotherapy system at the Proton Therapy Center of Guangzhou Taihe Cancer Hospital was officially put into clinical use in December 2024, the center has provided proton radiotherapy services to more than 1,000 patients within 19 months, with consecutive single-day treatment volumes exceeding 100 patient sessions. According to information released by the hospital, compared with the time taken by some internationally comparable proton centers to complete 1,000 clinical cases, Guangzhou Taihe took 19 months. Relevant comparisons include: Emory Proton Therapy Center in the United States took 2 years to complete 1,000 cases after launching in December 2018; MIBS Proton Therapy Center in Russia took approximately 2 years after trial operation began in September 2017; University College London Hospitals Proton Centre in the United Kingdom took nearly 4 years after launching in December 2021; Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, India, took nearly 3 years after launching in 2023; and the Proton Centre at the National Cancer Centre Singapore took 26 months to complete 500 cases after launching in June 2023.

2026-08-04

Second Ring of Steel Containment Vessel for Reactor Building of Unit 2 at Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Successfully Hoisted into Place

At 9:57 on August 4, the second ring of the steel containment vessel (hereinafter referred to as CV Ring 2) for the reactor building of Unit 2 at Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant was successfully hoisted into place. The CV Ring 2 hoisted this time is the third ring segment of the steel containment vessel for Unit 2, with a hoisting weight of nearly 890 tons. During the assembly phase, the installation of multiple discipline items, including annular air ducts, steel structural annular corridors, and U-shaped supports for air turbulence, was completed simultaneously for this module, effectively reducing the risk of cross-operation interference in subsequent internal construction of the nuclear island. This approach fully leveraged the advantages of modular construction and effectively translated the concept of "modularize wherever applicable, prefabricate wherever installable" into tangible engineering outcomes. During the assembly and hoisting of CV Ring 2 for Unit 2, Liaoning Nuclear Power, in collaboration with...

2026-08-04

IAEA Inspects Ukrainian Energy Company Substations

On August 3, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) completed its latest inspection of key substations belonging to a Ukrainian energy company. The inspection aimed to assess energy infrastructure, particularly critical facilities affecting the safe operation of Ukraine's nuclear power plants. The Ukrainian side granted the IAEA delegation access to critical high-voltage substation systems for comprehensive monitoring. This comprehensive monitoring of substations was made possible by the expansion of the IAEA's mandate in September 2024. Under the new mandate, international inspectors can monitor not only the safety status of nuclear power plants but also the critical transmission system facilities that ensure their stable operation. Notably...

2026-08-04