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3-meter-wide hole found at bottom of Unit 3 reactor pressure vessel at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: molten nuclear fuel burned through the base plate, TEPCO advances evaluation of debris removal project

The latest investigation data released by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) shows that an irregular circular hole with a maximum diameter of 3 meters exists at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of Unit 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Fukushima No. 1 NPP). This is the first time since the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami and caused core meltdown that TEPCO has determined the specific shape and dimensions of the damaged bottom of the pressure vessel among the three reactors that experienced meltdown. The conclusion is based on image data obtained by a technical team in March this year using palm-sized micro-drones to conduct 21 flight surveys inside the containment vessel of Unit 3. Based on the multi-angle...

2026-10-11

Framatome and EDF Renew Long-Term Operations and Maintenance Service Agreement for Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station, Safeguarding the UK's Only PWR Unit's Life Extension into the 2040s

Framatome of France and Électricité de France (EDF) have recently formally renewed a 15-year Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA). The agreement will comprehensively cover integrated routine operations and maintenance as well as refueling outage services for Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station (Sizewell B NPP) in Suffolk, UK, to support the unit's ongoing long-term operation and life extension development strategy. Framatome has been continuously responsible for core overhaul and technical maintenance work at Sizewell B since 2008. The renewed long-term service contract extends directly to 2040, and Framatome will mobilize its global technical expertise in the pressurized water reactor (PWR) field and its UK-dedicated...

2026-10-10

Shanghai Electric Holds Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Frontier Forum

Recently, the Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Frontier Forum, hosted by the Science and Technology Innovation Department of Shanghai Electric Group, organized by the Nuclear Power Group and Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Works, and co-organized by the Central Research Institute, Power Station Group, and Power Transmission and Distribution Group, was successfully held at the Shanghai Electric Lingang Nuclear Power Base. Relevant responsible persons from the Central Research Institute, the Science and Technology Production and Development Department of the Nuclear Power Group, and Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Works, as well as technical lines from the Power Station Group, Steam Turbine Plant, Boiler Plant, Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Equipment Co., Ltd., Nuclear Pump Company, and Shanghai Heavy Casting and Forging Company, participated in the forum. The forum conducted exchange reports around two major sections: key technologies for advanced pressurized water reactors and key technologies for new nuclear energy. The exchange topics not only represent the forefront of current nuclear energy technology, but also closely align with industry development...

2026-10-09

State Power Investment Corporation and Shanghai Electric Hold a Working Meeting

On September 10, Liu Mingsheng, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), held a meeting with Wu Lei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shanghai Electric, and Zhu Zhaokai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Shanghai Electric, at SPIC headquarters to exchange views on further deepening strategic cooperation. Jin Xiaolong and Jia Tinggang, Members of the Party Committee and Vice Presidents of Shanghai Electric, and Chen Haibin and Liu Feng, Members of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Presidents of SPIC, attended the meeting. Wu Lei thanked SPIC for its long-term support and introduced Shanghai Electric's industrial development and energy equipment business. Liu Mingsheng expressed gratitude for Shanghai Electric's continued support and introduced SPIC's production and operations, scientific and technological innovation, and other aspects. The two sides focused on serv...

2026-09-11

CGN Begood's Two Self-Developed CT Security Inspection Devices Obtain CAAC Use License

The BGCT-0824 medium-sized CT security inspection device and the BGCT-1050S large-sized CT security inspection device, independently developed by CGN Begood Technology Co., Ltd. (CGN Begood), have recently officially obtained the "Civil Aviation Administration of China Security Inspection Equipment Use License." The acquisition of this qualification marks that CGN Begood has officially entered the core field of civil aviation passenger checked baggage security inspection, achieving a key access breakthrough in the high-end equipment field of civil aviation aviation security. Both devices certified this time are X-ray computed tomography (CT) explosive detection security inspection devices for passenger checked baggage. Prior to certification, both models had successfully passed the full-process on-site rigorous qualification testing conducted by the Aviation Security Research Institute of the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology (CAST)...

2026-10-09

Controversy Over U.S. Nuclear Waste Repository Siting Draws Renewed Attention: Historical Decision Alleged to Have Relied Excessively on Cost Estimates

The issue of siting a U.S. nuclear waste repository has once again drawn attention. A reanalysis of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 1986 candidate site evaluation report points out that the key factor determining the priority siting of a nuclear waste repository at that time was not fully verified differences in long-term safety performance among the sites, but mainly estimates of repository construction and operating costs and spent fuel transportation costs. This analysis argues that the relevant cost data had considerable uncertainty, yet played a decisive role in the final ranking, causing the technical evaluation to present a clearer ordering of advantages and disadvantages than the actual evidence supported. The debate over U.S. nuclear waste repository siting has lasted for decades. The 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy...

2026-10-09

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant Reactors to Remain Shut Down Until at Least October 15

Cristian Bușoi, State Secretary of Romania's Ministry of Energy, stated to the media through public channels that Romania is experiencing its most difficult energy situation in recent decades. The low flow of the Danube River and low water levels near Cernavoda have severely affected the nuclear power plant. Currently, both reactors remain shut down, and the Danube's flow is expected to reach a historic low within the next ten days. At least until October 15, Units 1 and 2 of Cernavoda cannot be restarted. The extreme low water level of the Danube has not only caused an interruption in nuclear baseload power supply but has also simultaneously impacted the hydroelectric power output of the country's hydropower stations. Romani...

2026-10-08

Construction Management Practice of Unbonded Prestressed Tendons in the Containment of the Reactor Building

As a landmark project of China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation, Units 7 and 8 of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant were the first in China to apply unbonded prestressing technology to the inner containment of the reactor building. There was no domestic construction experience with unbonded prestressing in containments to draw upon, and the installation of large-diameter prestressing ducts, as well as the strand threading, grouting, and tensioning of greased and sheathed strands, presented considerable difficulty, exposing construction to significant risks and challenges. As a "first-of-a-kind new process," to complete this pioneering project to high quality and high standards, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., as the general contractor, worked in close coordination and collaboration with all participating units to carry out innovative work, guided by strategy, driven by technology...

2026-10-09

Concrete pouring for the turbine pedestal of the conventional island of Guangdong Taipingling Unit 3 completed successfully

From September 25 to 27, 2026, the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project construction team completed the mass concrete pouring for the turbine pedestal of the 3BMX conventional island of Unit 3. This construction involved a cumulative concrete pour of 2,946 cubic meters and the consumption of 550 tons of rebar, with the installation precision of embedded parts reaching the millimeter level, marking a phased breakthrough in the key construction path of the conventional island of Unit 3 and laying an important foundation for the subsequent civil construction handover for the turbine foundation and the advancement of the mainline conventional island works. To ensure the successful completion of the pouring milestone, the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project construction team adhered to the principle of planning ahead and coordinated deployment, quickly establishing a special task force to focus on key...

2026-10-09

U.S. Department of Energy Plans to Provide Vistra with $4.2 Billion Conditional Loan to Support Power Uprates and Life Extensions at Operating Nuclear Plants: Safeguarding Nearly 4 GW of Baseload Power to Meet Surging Electricity Demand from AI Data Centers

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to Vistra Corp., an independent power producer headquartered in Irving, Texas. The funds will be dedicated to financing power uprates and equipment modernization projects at three of Vistra's nuclear power plants located in Pennsylvania and Ohio——Beaver Valley, Davis-Besse, and Perry——to meet the explosive growth in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centers. According to the project plan, this technical upgrade project is expected to add a cumulative 433 megawatts (MW) of nuclear generating capacity, and...

2026-10-08

Hyundai E&C Joins Forces with Westinghouse to Sign Pre-FEED Contract for Two Large Nuclear Power Units in the Netherlands

Hyundai E&C recently announced that it has formally signed a subcontract with Westinghouse of the United States for Phase 1 Front-End Engineering Design (FEED 1) of the Netherlands' new large nuclear power plant project. The contract derives from the FEED 1 main contract awarded to Westinghouse by the Nuclear Energy Organization Netherlands (NEO NL). As a key engineering partner of Westinghouse, Hyundai E&C will focus on two gigawatt-scale large nuclear power units adopting Westinghouse's AP1000 advanced pressurized water reactor technology, comprehensively carrying out front-end engineering design and integrated project assessment work. According to the division of work, Hyundai E&C...

2026-10-08

South Korea's HD Hyundai Deepens Marine SMR Layout: Joint Industry-University-Research Initiative Establishes Demonstration Center to Accelerate Commercialization Validation of Marine SMRs

South Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai is comprehensively accelerating the commercialization process of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The company recently joined hands with South Korea's nuclear energy industry, academia, and authoritative classification societies to sign a multi-party cooperation agreement, announcing the formal establishment of the SMR Marine Technology Demonstration Center, aimed at deeply integrating the construction capabilities of shipbuilding engineering with the cutting-edge research strengths of the nuclear industry and universities, creating a core catalyst for the commercial deployment of marine nuclear power. The demonstration center brings together a total of 12 industry-university-research units, including the Korean Register (KR), key nuclear energy institutions, and multiple major South Korean universities....

2026-10-08

OCTAVE Live OnTour Global Flagship Event Debuts in China, Industrial-Grade AI and Full Lifecycle Digital Solutions Let Engineering Intelligence Cross Boundaries

About Octave (Yingtu Software) Octave (Yingtu Software) is an industry leader in enterprise software, skilled at turning data into decisions and wisdom into opportunities. Finding simplicity in complexity, from design and construction to operations and protection——whether people, finances, or assets, all are secured; regardless of scale or scenario complexity, all can be easily managed. For decades, we have partnered with customers, sharpening the blade of progress, scaling the heights of efficiency, and expanding the boundaries of outcomes. From the confines of the workshop to the vastness of cities, our solutions, from the moment of activation, continuously expand the boundaries of the possible, empowering every inch of growth....

2026-10-08

World Nuclear Industry Status Report: The Global "Nuclear Renaissance" Is in Fact "Single-Engine Driven by China," with Regions Outside China in "Substantial Stagnation"

Recently, the latest edition of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR), led by independent energy analyst Mycle Schneider, pointed out in its analysis: the so-called global nuclear renaissance is in essence a localized expansion driven by a single engine—China; if China's strong engineering momentum is stripped away, nuclear power in the rest of the world is in a state of structural substantial stagnation and slight contraction. The report notes: as the global nuclear industry remains mired in delays and cost overruns, a wave of retirements of aging units, and the paper-only commercialization of small reactors, China has become the unquestionable absolute driving force of the global nuclear power industry...

2026-10-07

Blue Energy becomes the first small nuclear power developer to apply for grid connection in Texas, aiming to provide baseload power for AI data centers

According to local U.S. media reports, nuclear energy startup Blue Energy Global Inc. has formally submitted a grid connection application to the Texas grid operator, becoming the first developer in the United States to apply to connect next-generation small modular reactor (SMR) power to the Texas main grid (ERCOT). The move is aimed at addressing the explosive growth in baseload electricity demand in Texas driven by the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing data centers. According to the relevant project plans submitted by Blue Energy, the company is advancing the development of a large energy complex in partnership with data center operator Crusoe Inc. The hybrid energy base is initially planned to first rely on natural gas units for rapid commissioning and power generation to address the urgent short-term power shortage of computing clusters; subsequently, small nuclear reactors will be gradually added and deployed to comprehensively build a long-term stable energy supply architecture featuring "gas-nuclear synergy and carbon-free transition."

2026-10-07