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Third fuel debris retrieval test at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 postponed due to robotic arm malfunction

The robot used by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for the third experimental fuel debris retrieval at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 malfunctioned during an on-site operational test, forcing the cancellation of the plan originally scheduled to start after July 2026 if all went well. The company stated it will reassess the relevant procedures. The malfunction occurred in part of the large robotic arm equipment used to collect fuel debris. During an operational test in the reactor building of Unit 2, TEPCO found an abnormality in one of the motors driving the robotic arm, causing the brake to fail to release and the arm to be unable to extend. The company is currently studying the replacement of the faulty motor. The third experimental retrieval plan was to use a large robotic arm...

2026-07-31

Restart of Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Delayed to After End of 2027

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. announced on July 30 that the restart of Unit 3 at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant will be significantly delayed compared to earlier expectations, with the earliest possible date being the end of 2027 or later. Previously, the company had set a target of restarting as early as possible within 2027, but due to delays in the seawall construction project and the fact that the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has not yet completed its review of the relevant design and construction plans, the timeline for the unit's return to operation remains uncertain. Hokkaido Electric Power President Susumu Saito stated at a press conference that the seawall at the Tomari plant was originally scheduled for completion in the spring of 2027, but is now expected to be finished by mid-August 2027 due to additional work such as seismic reinforcement of the wharf and liquefaction countermeasures...

2026-07-31

Bulgarian Expert Says Belene NPP Restart Technically Feasible

Bulgarian energy expert Bogomil Manchev recently stated that the long-dormant Belene NPP project remains technically viable for restart. If Bulgaria and Ukraine jointly participate in financing and establish a co-ownership mechanism, the project could become a new nuclear power project built through bilateral cooperation. Manchev believes that Ukraine will still face significant electricity demand for a long period in the future. If funding can be secured for the project, Bulgaria could proceed with nuclear power plant construction at the original Belene site. His proposed options include joint financing and co-ownership by both countries, or Ukraine signing a long-term power purchase agreement to support project financing...

2026-07-23

Xinhua Exclusive Interview | China Makes Significant Contributions to the "Artificial Sun" Project — Interview with Alain Bécoulet, Deputy Director-General and Chief Scientist of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Organization

On July 26, 2027, Xinhua News Agency published an exclusive interview with Alain Bécoulet, Deputy Director-General and Chief Scientist of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization, on China's significant contributions to the "Artificial Sun" project and its role in accelerating global fusion research. Bécoulet noted that China plays a fundamental role in supplying ITER components (superconducting technology, cables, magnet manufacturing, cryostats, etc.), and that the tokamak installation work undertaken by the Chinese consortium "exceeded expectations in terms of time and cost." He also stated that facilities such as EAST, HL-3, and BEST provide ITER with experimental predictions, component testing, and technical twin validation. He believes that through sustained investment and international cooperation, China has begun to play a leading role in the global fusion field.

2026-07-27

Nuclear power companies in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, selected for SMR advanced manufacturing technology project

Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, announced on the 30th that local nuclear power companies and research institutions have all been selected in a government project solicitation, and will participate in developing three key technologies to shorten the manufacturing cycle of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). This project is organized and solicited by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment of South Korea and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), with a focus on innovative SMR manufacturing technologies. These technologies are considered helpful in improving the manufacturing efficiency of key reactor components and compressing production cycles. According to the arrangement, Doosan Enerbility...

2026-07-31

Controllable Nuclear Fusion Industry Intellectual Property Operation Center Launched in Hefei

On July 30, at the second meeting of the first member congress of the Anhui Fusion Industry Association held in Hefei, Anhui, the Controllable Nuclear Fusion Industry Intellectual Property Operation Center was launched. The center aims to focus on the creation, protection, and utilization of intellectual property in the fusion field, bridging the "last mile" of achievement transformation. It is reported that the Controllable Nuclear Fusion Industry Intellectual Property Operation Center is one of the first batch of industry intellectual property operation centers recognized by the China National Intellectual Property Administration, jointly launched by the Anhui Provincial Market Supervision Administration, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Anhui Fusion Industry Association, and Fusion New Energy (Anhui) Co., Ltd. In the future, the center will build a patent pool...

2026-07-31

Factory Acceptance Test Completed for TM020 RF Cavity of Super Tau-Charm Facility

The 500MHz TM020 normal-conducting RF cavity, a key component of the STCF accelerator constructed by Lanzhou Taiji, passed its factory acceptance test on July 28, 2026. This marks a significant milestone in the key technology research project for the Super Tau-Charm Facility (STCF), a new-generation electron-positron collider led by the University of Science and Technology of China. The review meeting brought together experts from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing University, Tsinghua University, the University of Science and Technology of China, and Dongsheng Fusion (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd. The expert panel conducted a comprehensive and rigorous review of the RF cavity (a 1200mm large-diameter cavity), including its structural design, secondary vacuum brazing, precision machining methods, vacuum performance, and cold test results, and unanimously agreed that all indicators met the design requirements. The measured unloaded quality factor (Q₀) reached 56900 (design value 61500), placing its performance at a leading level among similar high-performance normal-conducting RF cavities in China.

2026-07-31

China Isotope & Radiation Corporation (CIRC) Conducts Cooperation Exchange with Guangzhou Tianhe District

On July 29, a delegation led by Tan Minghe, Secretary of the Guangzhou Tianhe District Party Committee, visited China Isotope & Radiation Corporation (CIRC) and held a meeting with Xiao Yafei, Secretary of the CIRC Party Committee and Chairman. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on the establishment of CIRC's isotope and irradiation subsidiaries in Guangzhou's Tianhe District. Tan Minghe introduced the economic and social development of Tianhe District. He stated that as the central urban area and the top economic district of Guangzhou, Tianhe has ranked first in Guangzhou and among the top in the country for several consecutive years. Tianhe District has clearly included life and health as a key development track in modern urban industry, with nuclear medicine as a key focus area, which is highly aligned with isotope-related industries. Tianhe District will fully support the relocation of CIRC's isotope and irradiation subsidiaries to Guangzhou, providing high-quality business environment for their establishment and development. Yuan Xiaoyi, Deputy District Mayor of Tianhe, provided a detailed introduction on the development of the medical industry in Tianhe and the high compatibility of future industries such as nuclides and nuclear drugs with Tianhe's resources.

2026-07-31

Joint Safety Inspection of Directly Managed Nuclear Technology Utilization Units in Shandong by East China and North China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Stations

To thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important directive on the Quanzhou shoe factory fire accident, which calls for "in-depth investigation and rectification of various risk hazards, meticulous implementation of safety production measures, and resolute prevention of major and catastrophic accidents," the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's East China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Station (hereinafter referred to as the East China Station) recently joined forces with the North China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Station (hereinafter referred to as the North China Station) to take swift action. Together, they formed a joint inspection team to conduct safety inspections on some of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's directly managed nuclear technology utilization units in Shandong Province. Shandong currently has 19 such units directly managed by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, making it a major province in nuclear technology utilization. To ensure that this joint inspection achieves the goal of identifying...

2026-07-31

South China Regional Office of the National Nuclear Safety Administration Conducts Special Supervision and Inspection of Changjiang Units Under Construction

As the South China region enters the main flood season with concentrated typhoons and heavy rainfall, nuclear facilities face significant pressure in resisting meteorological disasters, and safety control responsibilities are critical. To rigorously prevent nuclear safety risks triggered by natural disasters during the flood season and to reinforce the primary responsibility of operating entities for safety production, the South China Regional Office of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (hereinafter referred to as the South China Regional Office) made advance deployments and carried out a special supervision and inspection of typhoon and flood prevention for the Changjiang units under construction in an unannounced manner. This inspection comprehensively verified the effectiveness of control measures, tightened the primary responsibility of the operating entity, and effectively built a safety barrier for nuclear facilities during the flood season. Inspectors went deep into the construction sites of Units 3 and 4 of the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant and the small modular reactor demonstration project, focusing on checking nuclear...

2026-07-31

n situ GIWAXS characterization using synchrotron radiation helps overcome challenges in wide-bandgap perovskites

Wide bandgap perovskites are key light-absorbing materials for preparing high-efficiency perovskite/organic tandem solar cells. To achieve spectral matching with the narrow bandgap organic rear cell, a higher proportion of bromine is usually introduced into the perovskite composition. However, due to the different crystallization rates of iodine and bromine components during film formation, the ph...

2026-07-30

U.S. Brookhaven National Laboratory Achieves Milestones in High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider Upgrade

On July 29, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN concluded its recent run and entered a four-year shutdown for maintenance. During this shutdown, some LHC components will be dismantled and rebuilt for the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC) upgrade project. The U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory has recently achieved important production milestones in both accelerator and detector-related work. The LHC helps scientists study the fundamental structure of matter by accelerating and colliding two beams of protons traveling in opposite directions in a nearly 17-mile circular ring. The core goal of the HiLumi LHC upgrade is to significantly increase the number of particle collisions per unit time, i.e., enhance "luminosity," thereby increasing the chance of recording rare interactions.

2026-07-30

Germany to Establish Fusion Technology Research Center at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

The German federal government is advancing the layout for the country's first fusion reactor. According to a decision announced on July 29, 2026, by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), one of three newly established fusion research centers will be located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), focusing on fuel cycles, new materials, and engineering technology research for fusion power plants. In line with Germany's Fusion Action Plan, the new research centers will integrate the efforts of scientific institutions and industry to concentrate on solving key technical challenges before the application of fusion energy. The center at KIT will leverage the institute's expertise in fusion fuel cycles, high-performance materials, and core reactor components to advance related achievements...

2026-07-30

Russian flaw detection robots to be deployed for the first time at Egypt's El Dabaa NPP

Engineers from Russia's Ural Atomenergo and the Atomic Energy Non-Destructive Testing Center (NDTC) have developed an automated metal non-destructive testing system, which includes specialized inspection devices for reactor pressure vessel equipment. The system will be sent to Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant for related equipment inspection. This is also the first deployment of such a standardized system at a nuclear power project outside Russia. The system consists of multiple robotic arms and a magnetic wheeled robot, capable of delivering ultrasonic flaw detection sensors and measuring devices to positions that are difficult for humans to access. The developer stated that the main goal of the system is to replace manual operations in high-radiation areas, reducing the risk of personnel entering hazardous zones for inspection tasks.

2026-07-30

Terrestrial Energy Signs Engineering Services Agreement with Zachry Group to Advance IMSR Plant Development in Texas

Advanced nuclear energy developer Terrestrial Energy Inc. announced on July 28 that it has signed an engineering services agreement with Zachry Group, a North American provider of engineering, construction, maintenance, turnaround, and manufacturing services. Under the agreement, Zachry Group will support Terrestrial Energy in advancing work related to the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) plant at the Texas A&M University RELLIS campus (Texas A&M-RELLIS). The agreement covers nuclear engineering services for civil structures, mechanical and electrical systems, to support the project's design, development, and licensing activities. Both parties stated that this collaboration...

2026-07-30