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IAEA Launches Research Project on Edible Insects and Novel Foods Safety

As global demand for alternative protein sources rises, the International Atomic Energy Agency has recently launched a five-year coordinated research project focusing on assessing safety risks associated with edible insects and other novel foods during production, processing, and consumption. The project will be implemented through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, utilizing nuclear techniques, isotope techniques, and related detection methods to analyze chemical, biological, and physical hazards in food. Currently, more than 2,000 species of edible insects are known globally, and approximately 2 billion people regularly consume insects. In Africa, Asia, the Pacific region, and Latin America, insects have long been part of the diet in some communities...

2026-08-20

West Engineering Delivers 30 Relay Protection and Automation Cabinets for Unit 2 of Akkuyu NPP

West Engineering has completed the next stage of equipment delivery for Unit 2 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Türkiye, shipping 30 relay protection and automation cabinets to the project site. The equipment will be used for the protection, monitoring, and control of critical electrical components of the power unit. The delivered equipment includes AZ-PZ cabinets for generating analog and discrete information, power supply unit protection device cabinets, power unit measurement device cabinets, synchronizing relay cabinets, generator switch control cabinets, electrical process recording cabinets, and control current distribution cabinets, among others. According to reports, this batch of nuclear facility equipment has been designed with high safety margins and fault tolerance in mind. The supplied relay protection and automation systems comply with relevant international standards, with a safety class of 3H/N, meeting the NP-001-15 standard; the quality assurance category is QA3, and the equipment has undergone multi-stage quality control from material and component selection to acceptance testing.

2026-08-20

Energy Fuels' Utah Plant's Terbium Oxide Certified by Japanese Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Manufacturer

On August 19, U.S. critical materials producer Energy Fuels Inc. announced that the terbium oxide produced at its White Mesa plant in Utah has passed all certifications from a Japanese rare earth permanent magnet manufacturer, enabling its use in commercial rare earth permanent magnet production without further qualification or verification. According to the company, this Japanese manufacturer is one of the world's largest rare earth permanent magnet producers outside China. Energy Fuels stated that the certification of its terbium oxide demonstrates that its heavy rare earth product quality and rare earth processing capabilities have been recognized by downstream users. The company's previously produced neodymium-praseodymium oxide and dysprosium oxide have also obtained qualification certifications for use in rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing. Terbium is one of the important heavy rare earth elements, primarily used to enhance the heat resistance and performance of high-strength neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets. Neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets are widely used in automotive, advanced electronics, robotics, aerospace, and other sectors. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence's European CIF price data, the current market price of terbium oxide is approximately $5.5 million per metric ton.

2026-08-20

OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the United States to Co-Host "New Nuclear Roadmap 2026" Conference

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the United States will co-host the New Nuclear Roadmap 2026 conference on September 17-18, 2026, in Paris, France. The conference will bring together ministers, senior government representatives, industry leaders, investors, experts, and relevant stakeholders to discuss the policy, industrial, and financial conditions required for the large-scale deployment of new nuclear capacity. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated that the world needs more energy and that nuclear energy will play an important role in addressing this demand. The U.S. Department of Energy will co-host the conference with partners to advance nuclear innovation, strengthen international cooperation, and continue to promote global nuclear energy development...

2026-08-20

South Korea plans to build an innovative self-developed fusion reactor by 2035

Yang Hyeong-ryeol, head of the fusion sector of the K-Moonshot project at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), recently stated that South Korea plans to complete the construction of an independently developed innovative fusion reactor by 2035 and strives to complete power generation demonstration by 2039. He said that nuclear fusion is an extremely challenging technical endeavor, but once a breakthrough is achieved, it will have broad driving effects on the energy, industrial, and technological systems. Yang Hyeong-ryeol, project director of South Korea's Moonshot program, said nuclear fusion is often called an artificial sun because it generates energy by simulating the energy production process inside the sun. Against the backdrop of rapid expansion of AI applications, rising electricity demand, and increasing global pressure for carbon reduction, the commercialization of fusion energy is attracting growing attention from more countries and enterprises. The South Korean government has listed nuclear fusion, along with small modular reactors and renewable energy, as key future technology directions, and hopes to advance the commercialization of fusion energy through public-private partnerships.

2026-08-20

Ukraine Approves Expansion of Buryakivka Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) has approved the construction of a new disposal facility at the Buryakivka radioactive waste disposal site for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste generated during the cleanup of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The Buryakivka radioactive waste disposal facility is located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and is one of Ukraine's key facilities for managing radioactive waste associated with the Chernobyl accident. Built as part of priority emergency measures following the accident, the facility was commissioned in 1987 and primarily receives low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the Chernobyl region. Currently, the facility is operated by the Central...

2026-08-20

Unit 3 of France's Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant Reconnected to Grid, Unit 4 Remains Shut Down

According to EDF on August 18, Unit 3 of the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant in northern France was reconnected to the national grid at 3:55 a.m. local time on August 18. The unit had been automatically shut down at 7:43 p.m. on August 10 in accordance with established safety protection procedures due to a large influx of jellyfish into the seawater pump station filtration system. The Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant has a total of six units. On August 10, a large number of jellyfish entered the pump station used to draw seawater for cooling nuclear facilities, affecting equipment such as pre-filters and filter drums. In accordance with operating procedures, Units 3 and 4 were automatically shut down; the operating team also shut down Unit 2 and reduced Unit 1's power to 50% to adapt to changing site conditions. Unit 5 was...

2026-08-20

Danube Water Levels Recover, Paks Nuclear Power Plant Expected to Resume Full-Capacity Operation

According to Hungarian sources on August 19, Peter Magyar stated that due to the recovery of Danube water levels, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is expected to resume full-capacity operation by next weekend. Magyar noted that starting from Friday, August 28, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant will be ready for full-capacity operation. The recent rise of 15 to 20 centimeters in Danube water levels has created conditions for the plant to restore its output and has also eliminated the need for operators to shut down turbines again. Relevant experts plan to restart the turbines that have not yet resumed operation as soon as possible. Previously, due to historically low Danube water levels, the operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which relies on river water for cooling, was affected, and the plant's output once dropped to approximately 10% of full capacity.

2026-08-20

South Korea's Woori Technology Wins Supply Contract for Control Systems for Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4

Woori Technology announced on August 20 that it has signed a supply contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to provide equipment and technical support for the Plant Monitoring System (PMS) facility improvement project for Units 3 and 4 of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant. According to the disclosed information, the contract amount is KRW 8.4726 billion, approximately KRW 8.5 billion, excluding value-added tax, accounting for 9.72% of Woori Technology's consolidated sales in 2025. The contract period runs from August 19, 2026 to February 21, 2028, with sales and supply limited to South Korea, and the supply method is in-house production. Under the contract arrangement, Woori Technology will...

2026-08-20

Wiley Launches Spectroscopy Analysis API Portfolio in the U.S., Enabling Rapid Identification of Unknown Compounds

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Wiley recently announced the launch of its spectroscopy analysis Application Programming Interface (API) portfolio, opening its spectral data, analytical algorithms, and predictive models to laboratories, instrument vendors, and software platforms to help users identify and verify unknown compounds faster within their own workflows. According to the company, Wiley has long been building scientific reference databases, with its spectral data applied across pharmaceuticals, forensics, environmental science, chemistry, food, and materials. The newly launched API portfolio aims to integrate these databases and analytical tools into more modern software environments, enabling laboratories to incorporate high-quality spectral information directly into existing...

2026-08-20

NRC Initiates Pre-Application Review of Terra Innovatum's SOLO Construction Permit Application

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has initiated the first phase of its readiness review of selected materials from the proposed construction permit application (CPA) for the SOLO micro modular reactor submitted by Terra Innovatum Global NV. This review is a limited-scope pre-application assessment designed to help the applicant identify potential information gaps, technical issues, or policy concerns early in the process. According to the schedule published by the NRC, Terra Innovatum requested a two-phase readiness review of its proposed construction permit application on July 20, 2026. The NRC subsequently developed a review plan, and the first phase began on August 10, 2026, through a kickoff meeting...

2026-08-20

Japan's regulator says steam leak at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 was "avoidable"

On August 19, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) released the results of its nuclear regulatory inspections for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, determining that the steam leak incident at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co., in May this year was "foreseeable within a reasonable range" and that the associated losses "could have been avoided." The incident occurred in the high-pressure turbine area of Mihama Unit 3. A small hole approximately 8 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide appeared in the metal cover atop the high-pressure turbine casing, causing a steam leak that forced a manual reactor shutdown. In its assessment, the NRA concluded that the event was foreseeable and could have been prevented through appropriate management or maintenance measures. However, since no pipe rupture or fire occurred between the onset of the steam leak and the reactor shutdown, the NRA rated the significance and severity of the incident at the lowest of four levels.

2026-08-20

Kansai Electric's Dry Cask Storage Project for Spent Fuel at Three Fukui Nuclear Plants Accelerates

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) plans to construct dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at the sites of its three nuclear power plants in Takahama, Oi, and Mihama in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, and the local approval process for the project has recently accelerated. According to local arrangements, in addition to regulatory review, the project requires prior consent from the Fukui Prefectural Government and the towns where the nuclear plants are located. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has completed safety reviews of the dry cask storage facility plans for the Takahama and Mihama nuclear power plants, while the plan for the Oi plant remains under review. Takahama Town Mayor Hisakatsu Nishijima...

2026-08-20

Eight economic organizations in Hokkaido urge early restart of Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 and electricity price reduction

On August 19, eight economic organizations in Hokkaido, including the Hokkaido Economic Federation, submitted a request to Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO), urging the company to promote the early restart of Unit 3 at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant and to reduce electricity prices as soon as possible after restart, while ensuring that safety measures are given priority. On the same day, Hiroshi Fujii, Chairman of the Hokkaido Economic Federation and Chairman of Hokkaido Electric Power Company, and Mitsuharu Yasuda, Chairman of the Hokkaido Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Hokuyo Bank, along with other heads of economic organizations, visited HEPCO's headquarters in Sapporo and presented the request to HEPCO President Susumu Saito. The request states that the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant is of great significance for Hokkaido's economic growth and decarbonization efforts...

2026-08-20

CNNC Xiyi Waste Barrel Storage Well Grinding Robot Completes On-Site Testing

Recently, the waste barrel storage well grinding robot developed by CNNC Xiyi officially completed on-site testing in the grinding project of the process BOP (three wastes) storage wells of Units 3 and 4 at Xudabao, marking a substantial breakthrough in the field of automated construction in confined deep-well spaces within the nuclear industry. Waste barrel storage wells feature great depth, small openings, high verticality requirements, and high dust concentrations. Traditional manual grinding requires multiple workers to take turns entering the confined space, resulting in long construction cycles and high risks. The grinding robot developed by CNNC Xiyi is equipped with an XYZ three-axis movement mechanism and a multi-degree-of-freedom motion system with R rotation and W width adjustment, covering a working width of 12 meters with a maximum grinding depth of 5 meters, applicable to the construction of standard waste barrel storage wells across various reactor types...

2026-08-20