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Immersive environment launched in West Cumbria to support nuclear decommissioning

AtkinsRéalis has recently supported Sellafield Ltd in establishing a new immersive environment at the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration facility (RAICo1) in West Cumbria, UK, to support the planning, rehearsal, and execution of nuclear decommissioning work. The project was developed in partnership between Sellafield Ltd and immersive technology company Igloo Vision. The new Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo1) facility in West Cumbria (Image courtesy of Sellafield Ltd) The 360-degree visualisation environment can accommodate up to 10 users and can integrate remotely operated robotic systems, live data streams, and visual information within a single interactive space...

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

Firefly Aerospace to Fly Zeno Power Radioisotope Heater to Validate Lunar Night Survival Capability

Firefly Aerospace announced on August 19 that it has reached a commercial payload agreement with Zeno Power Systems to carry Zeno's Lunar Night Survival Package and radioisotope heater unit on a Blue Ghost lunar lander mission. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2028 and aims to verify whether the relevant nuclear power technologies can help spacecraft, lunar infrastructure, and future lunar base systems continue operating through the long, extremely cold lunar night environment. *Rendering of Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander with Zeno Power's Lunar Night Survival Package on its top deck. Under the plan, Zeno's payload will travel with Blue Ghost to the lunar nearside...

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

CGN's "Summit Plan" Hydrogen Purity Control Technology for Nuclear Power Promoted at Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Base

Recently, the promotion meeting for key scientific research achievements under CGN's Summit Plan was held at the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Base. Experts from CGN and CNNC nuclear power bases, research institutes, and equipment manufacturers gathered at Hongyanhe to conduct technical exchanges and achievement validation and promotion. Wang Wenfeng, member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of the company, attended the meeting. The key technology promoted this time is the innovative hydrogen purity control technology for nuclear power half-speed turbogenerators, which can significantly reduce generator windage and friction losses, lower hydrogen consumable consumption, and eliminate the risk of high-frequency purification operations on units. Based on operational data calculations, the annual comprehensive benefit per unit exceeds 2.6 million yuan, saving 2,100 man-hours, achieving comprehensive improvements in safety, cost, and operation and maintenance efficiency...

2026-08-20

Harbin Electric Group and CGN Hold Talks to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Nuclear Power and Major Equipment Projects

Recently, Liu Qingyong, General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Harbin Electric Group, warmly received Pang Songtao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of CGN, and his delegation. The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on serving national strategies and deepening industrial cooperation. Liu Qingyong extended a warm welcome to Pang Songtao and his delegation, expressed gratitude for CGN's long-standing trust and support for Harbin Electric Group, and introduced the company's production and operation, industrial layout, and execution of key projects. He stated that Harbin Electric Group and CGN have maintained close cooperation and a solid foundation over the years in areas such as technological innovation, equipment development, and new energy. He expressed the hope that both sides, with the goal of serving the construction of an energy-strong nation, would continue to deepen strategic synergy...

2026-08-20

Summer Technical Symposium on High-Temperature Superconducting High-Field Magnets Successfully Held in Shanghai

On August 19, the Summer Technical Symposium on High-Temperature Superconducting High-Field Magnets was successfully held at the China Fusion Shanghai Headquarters. Yu Xuefeng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of China Fusion, and Xue Lei, Deputy Director of the Fusion Engineering Design Institute, attended the meeting. Xue Lei delivered an address on behalf of the Fusion Engineering Design Institute, extending a warm welcome to the experts present for their guidance. The symposium was moderated by Hu Xinbo, Director of the High-Temperature Superconducting Magnet R&D Department of the Fusion Engineering Design Institute. The symposium invited research institutions including the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, High Magnetic Field Science Center of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Advanced Cryogenic Technology Research Institute, and Southwestern Institute of Physics of the Nuclear Industry, as well as universities...

2026-08-20

Russian enterprise develops borated polyethylene material for neutron radiation protection

A neutron radiation protection material developed by Russian company NPO Gelar has obtained relevant certification. The material, named Polikeramoplast-PB, is a borated polyethylene that resembles ordinary gray or black plastic sheets in appearance, but its protective performance derives from the combination of hydrogen and boron. According to reports, the hydrogen in the material effectively moderates fast neutrons, reducing the likelihood of subsequent secondary reactions, while the boron helps absorb moderated neutrons. In contrast, traditional heavy metal materials used for gamma-ray shielding are not suitable for standalone neutron protection, as heavy atomic nuclei have limited attenuation effects on neutrons. The material can be used in radiation therapy room protection systems and combined with lead...

2026-08-19

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Advances Radioisotope Nuclear Battery Development

On August 17, 2026, the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory stated that its nuclear battery program is advancing the development of radioisotope power systems to meet the demand for stable, long-life power sources in deep space exploration, long-term power supply in remote areas, and national security-related scenarios. NASA's Perseverance Mars rover poses with several of the 10 sample tubes it placed in a sample depot it established in a region of Jezero Crater called "Three Forks." The rover's radioisotope thermoelectric generator is powered by a nuclear battery. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Nuclear batteries generate electricity from the energy released by the decay of radioisotopes, making them suitable for environments such as the seafloor, remote deserts, and extraterrestrial surfaces where maintenance is difficult and continuous power supply is needed for years or even decades.

2026-08-19

Investigation into Automatic Shutdown of Unit 3 at Japan's Ohi Nuclear Power Plant: Damage Found in Exciter Rotating Rectifier

Kansai Electric Power reported on August 19 that Unit 3 of the Ohi Nuclear Power Plant experienced an automatic generator trip triggered by a generator loss-of-field alarm at 23:56 on August 8, followed by an automatic reactor shutdown. At the time of the event, the unit was operating stably at rated thermal power. The company stated that the event caused no radiological impact on the environment. The loss-of-field alarm is used to indicate an abnormal state in the magnetic field generated inside the generator. Following the incident, Kansai Electric conducted on-site inspections of equipment related to generator magnetic field establishment, including the generator, exciter, and automatic voltage regulator (AVR). Among these, the exciter is used to establish the magnetic field for the generator...

2026-08-19