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South Korean Environmental Groups to Hold Nuclear Safety Seminar, Focusing on SMR Regulatory Independence and Institutional Gaps

The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement recently announced that it will hold a session of the Continuous Nuclear Safety Seminar Series, under the safety regulation domain, at 10:00 a.m. on August 21, 2026, in Conference Room 8 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building, under the theme "Moving Beyond Promotion-Centered Nuclear Policy Toward an Independent Safety Regulatory System." The event is hosted by National Assembly member Lee Ju-hee and co-organized by the Citizens' Institute for Environmental Studies and the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, aiming to discuss structural issues in South Korea's nuclear safety regulatory system. According to available information, the South Korean government is accelerating the research and development, industrial support, and commercialization of small modular reactors (SMRs), with the i-SMR standard design approval application already accepted and the Special Act on SMR Development Promotion scheduled to take effect in September.

2026-08-11

Korea's Naju Artificial Sun Research Facility Expected to Receive Preliminary Feasibility Study Results in September

The project to build the Naju Artificial Sun research facility in Korea is expected to receive the results of the national preliminary feasibility study in September. With a total investment of approximately 1.2 trillion KRW, the project plans to construct large-scale nuclear fusion research and demonstration infrastructure in Wangok-myeon, Naju City, South Jeolla Province, and is regarded by local governments as a key pillar in the future industrial layout of the South Jeolla–Gwangju Integrated Special Zone. The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) designated the "Nuclear Fusion Core Technology Development and Strategic Infrastructure Construction Project" as a national R&D project and included it in the preliminary feasibility study on January 30. According to the previous schedule, the evaluation period was approximately seven months. The results were originally expected to be announced in August, but...

2026-08-11

Fujita Health University in Japan Advances Research on Expanding BNCT Indications for Deep-Seated Cancers, to Conduct 18F-FBPA PET Exploratory Evaluation

On August 10, Stella Pharma Corporation of Japan announced that it is collaborating with Fujita Health University and other institutions to advance research and development aimed at expanding Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to deep-seated cancers. As part of this project, Stella Pharma will participate in an exploratory study on 18F-FBPA uptake capacity in deep-seated cancers conducted by Fujita Health University. The study will use 18F-FBPA PET to evaluate the tumor accumulation of boron drugs used in BNCT in deep-seated cancers, and based on the findings, explore the possibility of expanding BNCT indications in the future. The study plans to collect data from 50 cases, including pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary tract cancer, to accumulate foundational evidence needed for the development of BNCT for deep-seated cancers. BNC...

2026-08-11

Automatic Shutdown of Unit 3 at Oi Nuclear Power Plant During Operation; Kansai Electric Power to Investigate Cause from the 12th

Unit 3 of the Oi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, experienced an automatic shutdown during operation in the early hours of the 9th. Operator Kansai Electric Power stated that the fault is related to an internal abnormality in the generator and plans to formally begin a cause investigation from the 12th. Currently, there is no clear timeline for when the unit can resume operation. According to reports, an alarm related to loss of magnetic field occurred inside the generator used for power generation at the time of the incident, after which the generator stopped, and the reactor in operation also automatically shut down. On the 10th, Kansai Electric Power visited the Fukui Prefectural Government to apologize for the fault and report on subsequent response measures. Yuichiro Sakamoto, head of the Fukui Prefecture Disaster Prevention and Safety Division, pointed out that following a steam leak fault at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 in May this year, an unexpected emergency shutdown of a reactor in operation occurring within a short period may undermine public trust in nuclear safety. Local government authorities have demanded that the operator promptly identify the cause and implement measures to prevent similar issues from recurring.

2026-08-11

South Korea to Launch Real-Time Query System for CT and MRI Records in December to Reduce Duplicate Tests for Patients Transferring Hospitals

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) of South Korea announced on August 10 that it has established the "Appropriate Medical Utilization Review Committee" and, at its first meeting, included computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations in the review scope of the real-time medical utilization management program. According to the plan, the program will be managed through the "Medical Care Benefit Details Confirmation System" following approval by the Minister of Health and Welfare. The system, built pursuant to Article 41-6 of the revised National Health Insurance Act, is expected to officially operate starting December 24. Once the system is in place, medical personnel will be able to query in real time the timing and relevant records of patients' CT and MRI examinations at other medical institutions before the patients undergo examinations, thereby reducing...

2026-08-11

U.S. nuclear energy company Holtec advances on two fronts this week: decommissioning aging nuclear plants and positioning small reactors in the southern U.S.

U.S. nuclear energy company Holtec recently announced two significant developments, reflecting the dual trend in the current nuclear power industry of retiring existing capacity while expanding new capacity. On one hand, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the license termination plan for the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, moving the decommissioning process of this veteran commercial nuclear facility in New Jersey, which began operations in 1969, past a key regulatory milestone. On the other hand, Holtec announced a partnership with Entergy and Hyundai Engineering & Construction to evaluate potential sites for deploying new reactors in the southern Gulf Coast region of the United States. The Oyster Creek plant ceased power generation in 2018 and was subsequently taken over by Holtec for decommissioning. The recently approved license termination plan...

2026-08-11

"Smashing Out" More New Particles Unknown to Humanity — Exploring the Upgraded Beijing Electron-Positron Collider After Its Second Renovation

Beside Yuquan Road in Beijing, beneath an ancient courtyard surrounded by lush greenery, lies a giant scientific facility shaped like a badminton racket — the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider. Inside this 240-meter-circumference ring-shaped device, electrons and positrons can be accelerated to near the speed of light and smashed head-on into each other. By studying the microscopic particles produced in these collisions, scientists explore the fundamental laws governing the microscopic world, verify existing physical theories, and search for unknown new particles. Recently, a reporter visited this facility to uncover the secrets of this national heavyweight that has just completed its second major upgrade. After this renovation, key indicators such as collision energy and collision luminosity have been significantly improved, achieving a historic breakthrough in core performance. Since its completion...

2026-08-11

"Triple-Arrow Assault" Confirms a Cosmic "Natural Accelerator" Ejecting Protons at Energies 100 Times That of the Large Hadron Collider

Astronomers, using three observation facilities operating in different wavelength bands, have confirmed a mysterious celestial body in the direction of the Aquila constellation in the Milky Way as a natural cosmic accelerator. This object is continuously ejecting high-speed particles with energies far exceeding any man-made accelerator on Earth, equivalent to 100 times that of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This discovery provides key clues for tracing the origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays in the Milky Way, and the research findings were published in the latest issue of The Astrophysical Journal. A size comparison between the gamma-ray source (large circle) and the Moon (small circle). Image credit: The Astrophysical Journal. PeV (peta-electronvolt) energy cosmic rays are high-energy diffuse gamma-ray radiation, and...

2026-08-11

Linn County, Iowa, rejects rezoning application for data center site near nuclear power plant

The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa said Monday it will not proceed with amendments to the EU-2 zoning district. This decision means that large data centers will not be permitted to be built near nuclear facilities through this zoning rule for the time being. The current EU-2 zoning primarily allows for nuclear power generation facilities, nuclear waste storage facilities, and natural gas power generation facilities, and does not list large data centers as permitted uses. The zoning adjustment drew attention due to the potential restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo. If the nuclear facility were to resume operations, it could provide a stable power source for energy-intensive data centers, prompting interest from data center companies in surrounding...

2026-08-11

International Team Measures Niobium-94 Neutron Reactions, Explaining Anomalous Molybdenum-94 Abundance in the Solar System

An international team of physicists has, for the first time, conducted a comprehensive study of the interactions between neutrons and the niobium-94 isotope. The findings have been published in Physical Review Letters. The study suggests that the elevated abundance of molybdenum-94 in the primordial material of the solar system can be explained by a series of neutron-involving nuclear reaction processes inside old stars, without requiring the introduction of previously unknown special formation mechanisms. The research was led by Alberto Mengoni, a researcher at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. The team conducted experiments using the n_TOF facility at CERN, focusing on tracking the interactions between neutrons and niobium-94 atoms. The n_TOF facility is used to...

2026-08-11

Russia's Atommash Commissions Ultrasonic Weld Inspection Robot to Boost NPP Equipment Testing Efficiency

Atommash, a plant under the mechanical engineering division of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), has recently commissioned a new ultrasonic inspection robot for welded joints, used for weld quality checks on large nuclear power equipment such as nuclear reactors and steam generators. The plant is located in Rostov Oblast, Russia. The new equipment employs two scanning modes and can identify weld defect types and locate defect coordinates. Compared with traditional inspection methods involving manual probe movement, the robot can automatically perform scanning on components with complex geometries, increasing inspection speed by approximately 30% while reducing the need for manual work in hard-to-reach areas. At present, Atommash already operates...

2026-08-11

South Korea's semiconductor cluster adds about 21 GW of new power demand; government to study whether to build new nuclear units

South Korea's Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, Kim Sung-hwan, said on the 10th that the new electricity demand from the Yongin—Hoseon semiconductor industry cluster is approximately 21 GW, equivalent to the power supply capacity of about 15 nuclear units based on an estimate of 1.4 GW per unit. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plans to seek expert and public opinions before announcing the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand in October, and will decide accordingly whether to push for the construction of new nuclear units. Kim Sung-hwan stated that the electricity demand of the semiconductor industry has increased significantly compared to the past. The South Korean government has decided to raise renewable energy capacity from 78 GW to 100 GW by 2030, but whether the increase in renewable energy alone can meet the new demand still requires further assessment.

2026-08-11

Installation of STT153A Tower Crane Completed at Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant by CEEC

On August 6, the installation and commissioning of the first special equipment STT153A tower crane was successfully completed for Section A of the natural draft cooling tower construction and installation project for Units 1, 2, and 3 of Phase I of the Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant, undertaken by CEEC Mechanization Company. The tower crane installed this time was manufactured by Fushun Yongmao Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., and is positioned at the rebar processing yard of the 1PB cooling tower, with a maximum rated lifting capacity of 10t. The jib length for this installation is 65m, and the standard section height is 37.5m. Based on the on-site machinery configuration, the installation of this tower crane was completed with the coordination of one 130t mobile crane and one 25t mobile crane. The technical team of the CEEC Mechanization Xuwei Project Branch, prior to the formal commencement of the tower crane installation...

2026-08-11

The 8th International Radiation Protection School Held in Stockholm

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, in collaboration with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) and the Centre for Radiation Protection Research (CRPR) at Stockholm University, will hold the 8th International Radiation Protection School (IRPS) in Stockholm, Sweden, from 10 to 14 August 2026. This five-day course is designed for early-career professionals in the nuclear and related fields, with a focus on helping participants systematically understand the international radiation protection system and master its practical application in emerging scenarios. The curriculum will cover the scientific foundations, historical evolution, development trajectory of the radiation protection system, and its translation into regulatory and national frameworks. According to the organisers, participants...

2026-08-11

UK's Harlette Capital seeks partners to develop lunar micro nuclear reactor

UK-based innovative company Harlette Capital has recently issued a Request for Information (RFI), seeking support from industry and research institutions for the development of a micro nuclear reactor for lunar missions. The company stated that the project aims to provide continuous power for long-term scientific research, communications, infrastructure construction, and future crewed exploration on the lunar surface. Harlette Capital is previously better known for its luxury fashion brand Harlette. The company also operates a separate innovation business segment, which is positioning itself in space and energy assets and advancing a small modular reactor (SMR) project named Alpha Moon. According to the company, the RFI has been sent to...

2026-08-11