Search Results

Finland's Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor reduces output by 450 MW due to fault

Finland's largest nuclear reactor, Olkiluoto 3 (OL3), is currently operating at a reduced power level of approximately 300 MW. The unit's normal net power output is around 1,600 MW, and its generation accounts for about 14% of Finland's total electricity demand. According to Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), as reported by Tekniikka & Talous, the power reduction is due to a fault in one of the reactor-side circulation pumps. The damaged circulation pump has been repaired and is under monitoring, and the power level of Unit 3 is expected to return to normal on August 18. The circulation pump's function is to circulate cooling water through the reactor core. Meanwhile, Olkiluoto 2 has also been operating at a reduced power level of approximately 155 MW since mid-July...

2026-08-14

Finnish family-owned company Halton Group secures major order for UK's Sizewell C nuclear power project

Finnish family-owned company Halton Group has secured a significant order for the UK's Sizewell C nuclear power project, and will supply related equipment or systems for the construction of this large-scale nuclear power plant. The project has an installed capacity of 3.2 gigawatts, with the order value reaching the tens of millions of euros level. For an industrial company from Finland, this is not only a major breakthrough in a single project, but also demonstrates its competitiveness in the supply chain of high-demand energy infrastructure. Sizewell C is one of the key projects advancing the UK's new generation of nuclear power construction. Against the backdrop of Europe's energy structure adjustment and rising demand for low-carbon electricity, large-scale nuclear power plants have once again become an option for multiple countries to ensure power security and meet emission reduction targets.

2026-08-14

USTC Team Participates in STAR Experiment, Discovering Possible "Y"-Shaped Gluon Junction Inside Nucleons

The University of Science and Technology of China, together with Kent State University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, played a leading role in the STAR international collaboration. Through precise measurements of net baryon number and net charge in high-energy nucleus-nucleus collision experiments, they discovered an exotic structure inside nucleons that may overturn fundamental understanding of nucleon internal structure. In the early morning of August 14, the results were published online in the journal Science under the title "Tracking the baryon number with nuclear collisions." Nucleons are the fundamental particles that make up the material world, carrying more than 99% of the mass of the visible matter in the universe. Understanding the internal structure of nucleons is of paramount importance for understanding the fundamental constituents and fundamental interactions of the material world.

2026-08-14

Armenia Responds to Claims of Metsamor NPP Closure: Operating License Valid Until 2036

In response to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's claims that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is outdated and could pose a potential threat to the region, Arman Yeghoyan, a lawmaker from Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party, stated that the operating lifetime of a nuclear power plant is not unilaterally determined by the governments of neighboring countries. Yeghoyan noted that every nuclear power plant has an established operating period, and the Metsamor NPP is currently authorized to operate for a maximum term extending to 2036, information that has long been public. He also stated that the Armenian side has announced it is studying options for building a new nuclear power plant...

2026-08-14

Uzbekistan and Japan Discuss Expanding Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

The Atomic Energy Agency of Uzbekistan recently held talks with a Japanese delegation, with both sides exchanging views on expanding cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, focusing on nuclear technology, joint projects in related industries, and energy security cooperation. The Japanese delegation comprised representatives from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), and ITOCHU Corporation, led by Abe Yoshimitsu, Deputy Director of the Nuclear Energy International Cooperation Office at METI. During the talks, both sides explored possibilities for advancing cooperation in nuclear technology applications, collaboration in related industries, and experience exchange. The Japanese side expressed its willingness to continue dialogue with Uzbekistan in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy on the basis of mutual respect and common interests, and to promote practical cooperation. The Atomic Energy Agency of Uzbekistan (Uzatom) stated that it would continue to expand international cooperation with countries and organizations possessing experience in the peaceful application of nuclear technology. Uzbekistan and Japan already have a foundation for cooperation in the nuclear energy and uranium resource sectors. ITOCHU Corporation previously signed a uranium concentrate supply agreement with Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Combinat, and JOGMEC has also been involved in the development of uranium deposits in Uzbekistan. In December 2025, during Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's visit to Japan, both sides confirmed directions for expanding cooperation, including the export of critical minerals and the introduction of advanced technologies. The current talks continue the momentum of bilateral cooperation in the energy and resource sectors.

2026-08-14

Russian Scientists Develop Bioluminescent Bacterial Bioassay for Screening Safe Low-Dose Radiation Levels in Animals

Russian researchers have developed a rapid bioassay method based on bioluminescent bacteria that can be used to assess safe dose ranges of ionizing radiation for animals, providing an early screening tool for low-dose radiation applications in livestock farming. The study involved researchers from the Institute of Biophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Federal University, and Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University. The research team noted that low-dose ionizing radiation ranging from tens to hundreds of milligrays (mGy) may activate a series of physiological processes in animals, including metabolism, growth, and biomass accumulation; however, if the dose exceeds the safe range, it may cause physiological...

2026-08-14

Russian Researchers Find Low-Energy Electron Beam and X-Ray Treatment of Wheat Seeds Can Increase Yields

Researchers from the D.V. Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics at Lomonosov Moscow State University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Physics and the Faculty of Chemistry of Lomonosov Moscow State University, as well as the Siberian Federal Scientific Centre of Agro-BioTechnologies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, have found that pre-sowing treatment of wheat seeds with low-energy electron beams and X-rays can help increase crop yields and enhance plant resistance to diseases. The study focused on the wheat variety Novosibirskaya 29 and included laboratory experiments, two consecutive years of field trials, and computer modeling. The results showed that a dose range of 5 to 15 Gy is suitable as a pre-sowing irradiation treatment parameter for wheat seeds. According to Moscow State University...

2026-08-14

Russia's Bion-M 3 spacecraft planned for launch in 2030 to study effects of cosmic radiation on living organisms

Russia plans to launch the new Bion-M 3 spacecraft in 2030 to study the effects of cosmic radiation on living organisms under conditions similar to deep space. Vladimir Sychev, a senior official at the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, presented the plan at a meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Council on August 4. Sychev stated that cosmic rays, solar proton events, and their effects on the human body are critical issues that must be understood when planning long-term interplanetary crewed missions. Participants have endorsed the draft scientific research program for the spacecraft's flight testing. According to the plan, Bion-M 3 will be placed into a polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 800 kilometers...

2026-08-14

Rosatom and Lomonosov Moscow State University to Co-Host Seminar on Radioactive Waste Safety Barriers

From October 19 to 22, 2026, Lomonosov Moscow State University will host a scientific and technical seminar on the creation and monitoring of safety barriers at its sports complex. The event is jointly organized by Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Russian National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (FSUE NO RAO), a subsidiary of Rosatom, and the Pilot Demonstration Center for Decommissioning of Uranium-Graphite Nuclear Reactors (JSC PDC UGR). The seminar focuses on the development of technologies for the creation, reconstruction, and control of engineered safety barriers. Topics include the evolution of design concepts for engineered safety barriers, selection and justification of barriers for special radioactive waste disposal and storage facilities, patterns of clay barrier material transformation and their role in safety justification for long-term radioactive waste disposal, incoming inspection of clay barrier materials during nuclear facility decommissioning, and surveys of completed barriers using various geophysical methods. Experts will also exchange views on new technologies and materials required for safety barrier construction.

2026-08-14

Radioactivity Levels in Arctic Archipelagos Within Background Range, Russian Research Team Reports No Anomalies

On August 13, Andrei Puchkov, senior researcher at the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory of the N.P. Laverov Federal Arctic Integrated Research Center, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that measurements taken during the 2026 Arctic Floating University expedition's landings on Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land showed very low radioactivity levels, with no anomalies detected. Puchkov noted that the expedition measured radon concentrations at all landing sites, with radon flux densities ranging from below 1 millibecquerel per square meter per second to 200 millibecquerels per square meter per second, all recorded values remaining within background levels. He indicated that permafrost acts as a barrier and shield in the region, preventing radioactive gases from reaching the surface; relatively higher radon fluxes in some areas may be associated with geological features such as fault zones and fracture zones.

2026-08-14

Module 5 of Containment Steel Liner Successfully Lifted at Unit 3 of Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant

On August 10, the construction of Unit 3 at CGN's Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant reached a critical milestone. A Zoomlion 2,000-tonne crawler crane, serving as the core lifting main force, successfully completed the precise positioning of Module 5 of the containment steel liner. This lifting operation involved significant technical challenges and demanding working conditions. The steel liner Module 5 weighed nearly 280 tonnes, with a component diameter of 45 meters, a height of nearly 6 meters, and a wall thickness of only 6 millimeters, making it a typical ultra-large thin-walled flexible component. The module's lateral windward area exceeded 300 square meters, making it susceptible to wind-induced sway during lifting, which imposed extremely high requirements on the crane's operational stability, control precision, and heavy-load adaptability. The Zo...

2026-08-14

Russia's SKIF Synchrotron Radiation Facility Hailed as a Milestone for Russian Science

On August 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Koltsovo Science City in Novosibirsk to learn about the operating principles of the Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF), a shared-use center. This center is the first facility in a network of modern synchrotron radiation sources being built in Russia, with construction efforts incorporated into the national development program for synchrotron and neutron research and related research infrastructure, covering the period through 2030 and beyond. It was reported that SKIF, with its high-brightness, high-intensity X-ray beams, can serve high-level research in fields such as chemistry, physics, materials science, biology, geology, archaeology, and paleontology. Officials also noted that...

2026-08-14

Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power Phase I Project Approved, Zhuanghe Goes All Out to Accelerate Project Implementation

Recently, the State Council held an executive meeting and decided to approve the Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power Phase I Project. Located in Lizifang Town, Zhuanghe City, Liaoning Province, the Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power Project is the first nuclear power project in Northeast China to adopt China's self-developed third-generation nuclear power technology, the Hualong One, injecting core momentum into the high-quality development of regional clean energy. The overall plan for the Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power Project includes the construction of six million-kilowatt-class Hualong One third-generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power units, with unified planning and construction in three phases. The Phase I project approved this time will build two new nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of 2.5 million kilowatts. Upon completion and commissioning, the project will deliver outstanding comprehensive benefits and strong driving effects. In terms of clean energy supply security, each...

2026-08-14

French heatwave to cut nuclear output by about 15% on Friday

Data from Electricite de France (EDF) shows that due to the fifth heatwave of the European summer, French nuclear power output is expected to fall by about 15% this Friday. At that time, nine reactors are expected to be affected, with total nuclear output reductions reaching 9.4 gigawatts during peak hours, of which six reactors will be completely shut down. This summer, many parts of Europe have experienced sustained high temperatures, with some regions seeing temperatures rise to abnormal levels, triggering issues such as water shortages and wildfires. French meteorological authorities predict that this heatwave will peak on Thursday, with temperatures across most of the country ranging between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. From Friday, cold air from the west will first affect the Atlantic coast and the English Channel region...

2026-08-14

Fermi Signs 222 MW Data Center Lease Agreement with TensorWave

Fermi Inc. announced on August 10 that its subsidiary, Fermi Campus 1 LLC, has signed its first binding customer lease agreement with TensorWave TEX1, LLC, a subsidiary of AI cloud service provider TensorWave Inc. The agreement covers the initial phase of Fermi's Project Matador campus in Carson County, Texas, with a capacity of 222 megawatts. Under the agreement, Fermi will be responsible for the development, construction, and delivery of the data center facilities, with TensorWave taking occupancy in phases. The facility is planned to...

2026-08-14