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Doosan Enerbility Secures Manufacturing Contract for Key Equipment for TerraPower's Small Modular Reactor

Doosan Enerbility announced on August 14 that it has signed a manufacturing contract with TerraPower to produce key equipment for the latter's Natrium advanced reactor project. TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates, is one of the advanced nuclear energy technology companies in the United States. Under the contract, Doosan Enerbility will be responsible for manufacturing key components required for the Natrium reactor, including the reactor protection vessel, reactor support structures, and reactor internal structures. The two parties have previously collaborated. In December 2024, Doosan Enerbility and TerraPower signed a manufacturability review contract for key equipment for the first unit of the initial small modular reactor, and...

2026-08-14

Bill Gates Visits South Korea to Deepen SMR Cooperation with Korean Companies

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, founder of TerraPower, and chairman of the Gates Foundation, visited South Korea on August 13. This marks his first visit to the country since August last year, with the primary agenda of expanding cooperation in the field of small modular reactors (SMRs). At approximately 9:20 p.m. local time on the 13th, Gates arrived at Gimpo Business Aviation Center at Seoul Gimpo Airport via private jet. During his visit, he plans to meet with figures from the South Korean government, the National Assembly, and the business community. It is reported that Gates is scheduled to meet with South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on the 14th, with the meeting having been proposed by Gates' side...

2026-08-14

Danube Water Level Drop May Affect Operation of Paks Nuclear Power Plant

Hungarian Prime Minister Magyar stated after inspecting the Paks Nuclear Power Plant that the Danube water level has dropped again, which may lead to a further reduction in the plant's power output next week, or even pose a risk of shutdown. At a press conference, Magyar said that about a week ago, heavy rainfall occurred in the Austrian catchment area, temporarily alleviating the low water level of the Danube, but the positive effects of the rainfall have since diminished. According to forecasts, the Danube water level may drop to -132 cm on August 16 or 17, a level approaching the critical operating conditions of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. If this level is reached, one of the two currently operating turbines may need to be shut down again. He noted that existing forecasts cover the next 6 to 7 days,...

2026-08-14

Unit 2 of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant shut down for at least 10 days due to falling Danube River water levels

Romeo Urjan, head of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, said that due to the continuous decline of Danube River water levels, Unit 2 of the plant has been shut down since August 13 for at least 10 days. Romania's Ministry of Energy stated on August 12 that Unit 2 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant required a temporary shutdown. As planned, the shutdown operation began on the morning of August 13 and was completed before noon that day. Urjan stated that Danube River water levels are expected to continue declining over the next 10 days, so the plant currently has no plans to restart Unit 2. He emphasized that this shutdown is unrelated to nuclear safety issues or emergencies, with the main reason being...

2026-08-14

CGN Dasheng Launches BV Cable X-Ray Thickness Gauge for Full Online Inspection of Cable Insulation Layers

CGN Dasheng Accelerator Technology Co., Ltd. recently announced that its BV cable X-ray thickness gauge can be used for online inspection of insulation layers during cable production. The system employs X-ray technology to perform real-time measurement of key parameters such as cable outer diameter, inner diameter, wall thickness, eccentricity, and concentricity, replacing the potential detection blind spots inherent in traditional sampling inspection methods. In cable production, insulation layer thickness directly affects product safety and material utilization. Traditional inspection typically relies on sample cutting, manual measurement, and recording, with limited inspection frequency. If issues such as uneven wall thickness or eccentricity occur during production, they are often difficult to detect in a timely manner, which also hinders subsequent quality traceability and process adjustment. According to the company, the equipment...

2026-08-14

Shimane Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 restarted and reached criticality

Chugoku Electric Power Co. announced on August 13 that it started up the reactor of Unit 2 at the Shimane Nuclear Power Station at 10:00 that day, and the unit reached a critical state at 12:14. Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Station is a boiling water reactor with a rated electrical output of 820,000 kilowatts. Criticality refers to the state in which nuclear fission reactions in the reactor core can be sustained, and is one of the key milestones in the unit restart process. According to the plan, the unit will resume power generation, i.e., synchronize the generator to the grid, on August 18, 2026, and is expected to resume commercial operation on September 16, 2026. Chugoku Electric Power Co. stated that it will continue to prioritize safety and steadily advance all subsequent procedures.

2026-08-13

Idaho National Laboratory's Hot Fuel Examination Facility Named U.S. Nuclear Historic Landmark

The American Nuclear Society (ANS) recently designated the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as a Nuclear Historic Landmark. Since becoming operational in 1975, the facility has conducted post-irradiation examination of nuclear fuel and materials, and continues to support research on advanced reactors, commercial nuclear fuel, and related energy security. HFEF is located within the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) at Idaho National Laboratory and houses the largest inert-atmosphere hot cell in the United States dedicated to nuclear materials research. The hot cell operates in an argon environment and features approximately 4-foot-thick shielding walls, enabling remote, non-destructive, and high-precision examination of highly irradiated fuel and material samples while reducing worker radiation exposure.

2026-08-13

Heat Exchangers and Mechanical Filters for Russian Nuclear-Powered Icebreakers Complete Testing

On August 11, 2026, the manufacturing project for equipment supporting Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers achieved a milestone. InterPolaris has completed testing of multiple key equipment items, including two shell-and-tube heat exchangers and two mechanical filters. The shell-and-tube heat exchangers that completed testing this time are primarily used to heat water containing purification solutions using heating steam. Compared with conventional heat exchange equipment, the operating environment of marine nuclear power platforms is more complex, imposing higher requirements on structural strength, sealing performance, and operational stability. The horizontal heat exchanger is designed to accommodate prolonged vessel inclination conditions, with mounting brackets capable of withstanding loads from different directions and maintaining stable equipment parameters under complex operating conditions.

2026-08-13

OXOS Medical and Others Deploy Portable X-Ray Systems to Disaster Zones in Venezuela

On August 12, U.S.-based OXOS Medical announced that it will partner with the non-profit organization Love & Life Foundation and the rapid response and disaster intervention team MEDIC Corps to deploy the MC2 portable X-ray system to Venezuela to support post-disaster humanitarian medical relief efforts. According to reports, the strong earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24 has caused more than 16,000 injuries. For medical teams treating patients on the front lines in rubble and disaster zones, timely assessment of injuries such as fractures and chest or abdominal trauma is critical, but in areas with damaged infrastructure and limited resources, routine medical imaging examinations are often difficult to obtain in a timely manner. The materials also cite World Health Organization data stating...

2026-08-13

Spanish ENRESA visits CIEMAT to advance safety research on radioactive waste covers

Technical staff from the Spanish National Radioactive Waste Company (ENRESA) recently visited facilities of the Environmental Department at the Spanish Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT) to review the progress of joint research projects in the field of radioactive waste safety management. The visit focused on two projects, VEBIOCA and CARCOB, whose research supports the optimization of the safety cover system and long-term environmental protection at the El Cabril waste storage facility in the province of Córdoba. During the visit, ENRESA technical staff first toured CIEMAT's Soil Conservation and Remediation Department. The research team presented the progress of the VEBIOCA project, which primarily analyzes the influence of vegetation on the behavior of the bio-intrusion layer within the pilot vegetation cover at the El Cabril waste storage facility. Researchers are conducting plant species identification and assessment at two locations, Madrid and Córdoba, with particular focus on the growth characteristics of different plants at the site and in the surrounding environment, as well as their interactions with the vegetation cover system. The results will provide a basis for ENRESA's selection of plant species in subsequent pilot trials.

2026-08-13

Heatwave and jellyfish influx into pump stations push French nuclear unit unavailability to 20.4%

The heatwave sweeping across multiple regions of France is impacting the country's electricity production. Several nuclear reactors operated by Électricité de France (EDF) have been shut down or derated due to environmental restrictions or external environmental factors, with the unavailability rate of affected units rising to 20.4% before 10:00 AM on August 12, marking a recent high. Of France's 57 nuclear reactors, 13 are currently affected. Among them, 8 units are fully shut down: Bugey Unit 3, Cattenom Unit 1, Chooz Units 1 and 2, Golfech Unit 2, and Gravelines Units 2, 3, and 4; another 5 units are operating below rated power, including Saint-Alban Unit 2, Tricastin Units 1 and 4...

2026-08-13

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station Advances CCNSG Safety Passport Collaboration to Ensure Site Safety During Peak Construction

Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station in the UK is deepening its collaboration with the Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) to safeguard thousands of workers on site during the peak construction phase. Located in Somerset, the project is progressively transitioning from civil works to mechanical and electrical installation, placing greater demands on unified safety access standards and workforce competency. The CCNSG Safety Passport scheme, delivered by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), has been operating in the engineering construction industry for over 30 years, with more than 85,500 active cardholders. The scheme is industry-led and continuously overseen by a relevant committee, of which Hinkley Point C is a member.

2026-08-13

Jellyfish Blockage Forces Shutdown of French Nuclear Units; Experts Say Shutdown Demonstrates Effectiveness of Safety Systems

France's Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant recently shut down some of its units again after large numbers of jellyfish entered the water intake system. On August 11, reactors 2, 3, and 4 at the plant were forced to shut down due to blockage in the seawater cooling pump system, reactor 1 was reduced to half power operation, reactor 5 was under maintenance at the time, and only reactor 6 continued normal operation. EDF (Électricité de France) stated that the incident had no impact on nuclear safety, personnel, or the environment, and the affected units would be restarted in phases. Located in northern France, the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant is one of the largest nuclear power plants in Western Europe. Similar situations have occurred before. In the 20...

2026-08-13

Dong Baotong, Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration: China's nuclear safety level remains among the top internationally, and during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the number of operating nuclear power units in China will rank first in the world

The State Council Information Office held a series of press conferences on August 13 themed "Starting the '15th Five-Year Plan' with a Strong Beginning," introducing the progress of comprehensively advancing the construction of a Beautiful China. Dong Baotong, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, stated at the conference that ecological environment safety encompasses several key aspects, including ecological security, nuclear safety, and environmental risk prevention and control. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment serves as the lead coordinating body for both the national ecological security work coordination mechanism and the nuclear safety work coordination mechanism. Over the years, together with relevant departments, we have actively responded to various risks and challenges, effectively safeguarding the bottom line of ecological environment safety. Among these, in the area of nuclear safety, we have consolidated the primary responsibility of nuclear facility operators...

2026-08-13

South Korea's Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Units 2, 3, and 4 Pressure Tube Procurement Pushed for Preliminary Feasibility Study Exemption, Sparking Controversy

The lifetime extension issue for South Korea's Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Units 2, 3, and 4 has not yet been finalized, yet the procurement of pressure tubes—the core equipment—is being pushed to be excluded from the preliminary feasibility study, triggering a direct confrontation between industry circles and environmental groups. The Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power labor union recently submitted a proposal to Democratic Party lawmaker Song Young-gil, requesting that the government grant a preliminary feasibility study exemption for the relevant procurement and initiate ordering at the earliest opportunity. Song subsequently forwarded the opinion to the Office for Government Policy Coordination. It is understood that the government is internally considering submitting the matter as an exemption case for deliberation at the September State Council meeting. Supporters argue that Wolsong Units 2, 3, and 4 are pressurized heavy water reactors, and pressure tubes are critical equipment determining unit operation, from order placement...

2026-08-13