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Danube Water Levels Continue to Drop, Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant May Reduce Output Again

Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant may reduce its power generation output again early next week due to the continued decline in Danube water levels. Péter Magyar stated on social platform X that Tuesday and Wednesday will be critical periods, with the Danube water level expected to drop by another 14 to 15 centimeters, while the current level is only 9 centimeters away from the threshold that would force the shutdown of the second-to-last turbine at the Paks plant. Magyar noted that this critical phase is expected to end on August 20, when the water level in the Hungarian section of the Danube is expected to recover, influenced by inflows from the Austrian catchment area. Previously, on August 12, Magyar stated that the Hungarian government had decided to build temporary water-retention structures near the Paks Nuclear Power Plant and sink two barges to raise local water levels and ensure the plant's water intake conditions.

2026-08-17

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu Visits Zhejiang to Survey Ecological Environmental Protection and Nuclear Power Safety Regulation

From August 14 to 15, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu visited Lishui, Taizhou, and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province to survey ecological environmental protection efforts. During his tenure in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Lishui multiple times and expressed high expectations for strengthening ecological environmental protection. Huang Runqiu visited Liandu District in Lishui to inspect on-site the outcomes of Oujiang River ecological environment governance, rural living environment improvement, and ecological protection efforts, and also toured the Ecological Product Value Realization Mechanism (Lishui) Exhibition Hall to gain in-depth understanding of local practical experience in advancing ecological product value accounting and exploring the "Two Mountains" transformation pathway. He stated that it is essential to thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, adhere to ecological priority and green development, and effectively protect this beautiful landscape. It is necessary to fully leverage the role of demonstration models, deepen the application of the "Thousand Villages Demonstration, Ten Thousand Villages Improvement" experience, continuously improve the rural living environment, develop distinctive industries such as "ecology + cultural tourism" tailored to local conditions, and support rural ecological revitalization. It is also important to summarize and promote the "Two Mountains" transformation model, actively expand channels for realizing ecological product value, and continuously convert ecological advantages into development advantages. Actively, safely, and in an orderly manner developing nuclear power is an important measure for building a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy system and for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Huang Runqiu visited the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in Taizhou, going deep into the main control room of the operating unit and the nuclear island building of the unit under construction to learn in detail about the operation status and construction progress of the nuclear power units, and to express condolences to and meet with the on-site supervision personnel of the East China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision. He emphasized the need to uphold the rational, coordinated, and balanced nuclear safety philosophy, place the assurance of nuclear safety at the highest priority, strengthen whole-process supervision of nuclear power plants, and consolidate the primary responsibility for nuclear safety. It is necessary to urge enterprises to strictly implement the requirements of nuclear safety regulations and standards, effectively ensure the safe operation of nuclear power units and controlled construction quality, enhance equipment stability and reliability, strengthen radiation environment monitoring at nuclear power plants, and safeguard the high-quality development of the nuclear power industry with high-level safety. Ensuring the construction quality of nuclear power units is crucial to improving the safety level of nuclear power plants. Huang Runqiu visited the nuclear island foundation area of the Jinqimen Nuclear Power Plant in Ningbo to survey the construction progress and engaged in on-site exchanges with nuclear safety supervision personnel. He emphasized the need to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions on nuclear safety work, always adhere to the principles of safety first and quality first, effectively operate the nuclear safety responsibility system and quality management system, and continuously strengthen experience feedback and safety improvements. It is necessary to continuously advance the development of nuclear safety culture, strengthen bottom-line thinking and extreme-scenario thinking, enhance natural disaster monitoring, early warning, and preventive response, and effectively build premium and safe projects to strongly support the sustainable development of China's nuclear power industry and its "going global" strategy. Relevant officials from Zhejiang Province participated in the survey. Principal officials from relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment participated in the survey. Officials from the Department of Ecology and Environment of Zhejiang Province and others participated in the survey.

2026-08-17

Steel Containment Vessel Ring 1 of Unit 1 at Guangxi Bailong Nuclear Power Plant Successfully Hoisted into Place

At 11:38 on August 16, after 4 hours and 01 minutes of continuous and stable operation, the steel containment vessel ring 1 (CV1R) of the nuclear island of Unit 1 at Guangxi Bailong Nuclear Power Plant was successfully hoisted into place. This hoisting marks another successful installation of a key module following the CVBH and CA20 modules for Unit 1 of Bailong Nuclear Power Plant, signifying a critical breakthrough in the construction of the main structure of the nuclear island of Unit 1. The steel containment vessel consists of five major modules: the bottom head, the intermediate cylindrical shell (rings 1 to 3), and the top head, serving as the third physical safety barrier of the reactor. The CV1R hoisted this time is the core component with the largest volume and heaviest weight among the five major components of the steel containment vessel, measuring approximately 15.5 meters in height and up to 39.6 meters in maximum inner diameter, integrating equipment...

2026-08-17

Public Announcement of Winning Bidder Candidates for the Civil Construction Project of the Huludao Research Reactor Project

Recently, the public announcement of winning bidder candidates for the civil construction project of the Huludao Research Reactor Project of the China Institute of Atomic Energy was released. The announcement shows that China Nuclear Industry 24 Construction Co., Ltd. ranks as the first winning bidder candidate with a bid price of RMB 1,109,080,000.00; China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction Co., Ltd. ranks as the second winning bidder candidate with a bid price of RMB 1,109,100,279.50. The tendered project is the research reactor project of the China Institute of Atomic Energy, with the scope of tender covering the civil construction works of the research reactor project, and the construction site located in Xingcheng City, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. The maximum bid limit for the project is RMB 1,109,550,000.00, and the maximum bid limit for daywork is RMB 320 per workday, excluding tax. According to...

2026-08-17

Successful Hoisting of Module 3 of the Passive Containment Cooling Water Tank for Unit 4 of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant

On August 15, the hoisting of Module 3 of the passive containment cooling water tank in the reactor building of the nuclear island of Unit 4 at Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant was successfully completed, with the entire hoisting process being safe and quality-controlled. The passive containment cooling water tank is an important component of the passive part of the containment cooling water injection system. With a total height of 22.02 meters, it features a non-uniform cross-section in an approximately fan-shaped structure and is planned as three integral modules. Module 3, hoisted this time, had a total lifting weight of approximately 132.8 tons and a height of 5.84 meters, and was positioned using a 2000-ton-class crawler crane. As the crane slowly lifted the module, through a series of precise operations including hook lifting, boom slewing, crane traveling, and luffing, Module 3 was smoothly placed onto Module 2 of the passive containment cooling water tank, with the entire process proceeding seamlessly...

2026-08-17

Energoatom and the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Sign Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement

On August 13, Pavlo Kovtoniuk, head of Ukraine's national nuclear energy company Energoatom, and Ihor Kryvtsun, director of the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, signed a scientific and technical cooperation agreement. Under the agreement, the two parties will integrate scientific research and engineering technical resources to provide technical support for the safe operation of nuclear power units and other nuclear energy facilities, and will cooperate in areas such as extending the service life of reactor installations and the feasibility study and implementation of new nuclear power unit projects...

2026-08-15

UK National Nuclear Laboratory Secures Nuclear Safeguards Programme Contract

The UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) has been awarded the Nuclear Safeguards Programme (NSP) contract by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The contract has an initial term of 3.5 years with committed funding of £10.5 million, with the possibility of further extensions. This contract continues the UK's 45 years of support for the global nuclear safeguards system, as well as the UK National Nuclear Laboratory's nearly 20 years of core work within that system. The UK National Nuclear Laboratory's responsibilities include providing technical support to the UK government in the nuclear field and driving the development of the UK's nuclear energy industry. The Nuclear Safeguards Programme is an important platform for fulfilling this responsibility, primarily providing nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation expertise to UK government departments and international partners...

2026-08-16

Kazakhstan's National Nuclear Center Introduces Computer Modeling Methods for Reactor Safety

The National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC RK) recently presented its modern computer modeling methods used in the safety justification of reactor facilities. Arthur Suraev, a leading researcher at the laboratory of the branch Institute of Atomic Energy, stated that high-precision computational models have become an important tool for assessing reactor normal operation, design-basis accidents, and beyond-design-basis accident conditions. Suraev noted that computer modeling enables preliminary evaluation of neutron physics, thermal-hydraulic, and structural response processes inside a reactor before conducting complex and expensive experiments. By analyzing interrelated physical processes,...

2026-08-16

Oak Ridge National Laboratory marks 80 years of isotope research and production, with applications spanning medicine, industry, and scientific research

On August 2, 1946, the Clinton Laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, held the first formal ceremony to deliver reactor-produced radioactive isotopes. A shipment of carbon-14 was sent from there to the Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the past 80 years, this event has been regarded as the starting point of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's isotope research and production endeavors, and also marked the beginning of broader civilian applications for reactor-produced radioactive isotopes. After World War II, the U.S. scientific community began exploring peaceful uses of atomic energy, with radioactive isotopes becoming an important direction. As unstable variants of elements, radioactive isotopes release radiation during decay and can be used...

2026-08-15

Radiant's Kaleidos Microreactor Shipped to Idaho National Laboratory for Testing

On August 13, Radiant announced that its 1-MW-class portable microreactor Kaleidos has departed its facility in El Segundo, California, and is being transported by trailer to Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The unit will undergo testing at INL's Microreactor Experimental Demonstration Facility (DOME). According to Radiant, the Kaleidos transport distance exceeds 1,000 miles. The company stated that the unit shipped to INL is not a scaled test article, but rather a reactor model consistent in design, dimensions, and commercial fuel loading with the units planned for delivery to customers. The DOME facility has completed modifications for microreactor testing. According to...

2026-08-15

The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China Officially Takes Effect Today

On August 15, 2026, coinciding with the fourth National Ecology Day, the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China officially took effect. The promulgation and implementation of this Code marks the formal entry of China's ecological environment protection legal system into a new stage of codification, representing a major milestone in the rule of law for advancing ecological civilization construction and the building of a Beautiful China. The Code's promulgation: A historic leap in the rule of law for ecological civilization construction. The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China is the second foundational law named as a "Code" after the Civil Code. The Code systematically integrates existing effective laws and regulations in areas including environmental protection, air pollution prevention and control, water pollution prevention and control, soil pollution prevention and control, solid waste pollution prevention and control, radioactive pollution prevention and control, and noise pollution prevention and control. It abolishes 10 separate laws, incorporates the essential provisions of more than 20 laws into the Code system, and makes comprehensive provisions on basic principles of ecological environment protection, supervision and management systems, pollution prevention and control, ecological protection and restoration, green and low-carbon development, and climate change response, establishing a complete and logically rigorous legal norm system. The Code also makes comprehensive provisions on radioactive pollution prevention and control...

2026-08-15

Korea Eximbank to Promote Financial Cooperation with TerraPower on Small Modular Reactors

The Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) is in talks on financial cooperation with TerraPower, a U.S. next-generation nuclear energy company, with both sides planning to establish a support mechanism centered on the commercialization of small modular reactors (SMRs) and overseas market expansion. According to KEXIM, bank Chairman Hwang Gi-yeon recently met with TerraPower Chairman Bill Gates, and the two sides exchanged views on expanding the global SMR ecosystem and advancing Korea-U.S. next-generation nuclear energy cooperation. TerraPower was founded by Bill Gates in 2008 and focuses on developing next-generation nuclear energy technologies. The company has developed the "Natrium" next-generation reactor using sodium-cooling techn...

2026-08-16

Morocco Conducts 18 Expert Missions with IAEA in 2025, Civil Nuclear Cooperation Expands to African Level

Morocco's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency is shifting from mere technical assistance to more active participation in regional capacity building. In 2025, Moroccan experts completed 18 international expert missions under the IAEA Technical Cooperation framework, with the agency's assistance to Morocco reaching €1.17 million in the same year. This indicates that Morocco has established a certain foundation in nuclear science, nuclear technology applications, and regulatory capabilities, and is beginning to play a more significant role in Africa's nuclear technology cooperation network. The National Center for Energy, Nuclear Science and Nuclear Technology in Rabat was granted the status of IAEA Collaborating Centre in September 2024, with a cooperation cycle covering 2025 to...

2026-08-15

Khanh Hoa Province Approves Mineral Extraction Zone for Ninh Thuan 1/2 Nuclear Power Resettlement and Land Clearance

Recently, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa Province issued Decision No. 2744/QD-UBND, approving the delineation of a Category IV mineral resource area in Phuoc Dinh Commune to support resettlement and land clearance works related to the construction of Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plants. This area falls under the category of mineral zones developed without auctioning mining rights, subject to the relevant provisions of the Law on Geology and Minerals, reflecting the local government's arrangement to provide resource assurance for supporting works of major energy projects. The approved area, designated as Zone No. 6-KĐGnhomIV, is located in Phuoc Dinh Commune with a total area of 65.04 hectares. Its boundaries are determined according to the VN-2000 coordinate system, using a central meridian of 108 degrees 15 minutes east longitude and a 3-degree projection zone, delineated through specific boundary points...

2026-08-15

Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety to Host First Advanced Reactor Safety Technology Symposium

The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) announced that it will host the 1st Symposium on Advanced Reactor Safety Technology (SARST 2026) on September 1-2, 2026, at the Grand Ballroom on the first floor of the Commodore Hotel Busan. The event aims to facilitate exchanges on domestic and international advanced reactor technology trends and safety regulation issues, promoting technical communication and cooperation among regulatory bodies, developers, and research institutions. As the inaugural symposium, SARST is planned to be held annually thereafter. This year's conference will be divided into a plenary session and two technical sessions, covering topics such as the development of regulatory frameworks for advanced reactors, regulatory research progress, responses to standard design certification for innovative small modular reactors (i-SMR), and verification plans for related design features, among other subjects.

2026-08-16