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The 20th International Nuclear Forum Concludes in Obninsk: Focusing on Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response, Rosatom Showcases Nearly 3,000 Professional Emergency Responders

With the support of the Public Council of Rosatom, the 20th International Nuclear Forum "Nuclear Technology Safety: Emergency Preparedness and Response," hosted by the Rosatom Technical Academy, successfully concluded on October 9, 2026, in Obninsk. As the birthplace of the world's first nuclear power plant, Obninsk hosted this milestone annual international event for the first time. The forum attracted more than 100 nuclear safety and emergency experts from Russia and abroad. In addition to Rosatom, the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostechnadzor), Rosenergoatom, the Rosatom Emergency Technical Center, and the NPO Typhoon research and production association...

2026-10-12

China Nuclear Society Forum (Fourth Session) "Advanced Thermal Hydraulics" Successfully Held at Harbin Engineering University Qihang Activity Center

To implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on scientific and technological innovation, thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and directives on the nuclear industry, consolidate industry wisdom, jointly promote the high-quality development of China's nuclear science and technology, and support the building of a nuclear industrial powerhouse in the new era, on October 11, the China Nuclear Society Forum (Fourth Session) on Advanced Thermal Hydraulics was held at the Qihang Activity Center of Harbin Engineering University. This forum was hosted by the Chinese Nuclear Society and jointly organized by the Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics Division of the Chinese Nuclear Society, Harbin Engineering University, the Nuclear Power Institute of China, and the National Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology. 160 experts from research institutes, universities, and enterprises in the nuclear energy field...

2026-10-12

U.S. Department of Energy Approves Last Energy Microreactor Safety Analysis Report: Texas A&M University PWR-5 Demonstration Reactor Enters Final Pre-Operational Review

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has formally approved the Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) submitted by nuclear startup Last Energy for its proposed test microreactor at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus (Texas A&M-RELLIS). This approval marks the official transition of the microreactor demonstration project into the Operational Readiness Review phase, which is also the final key regulatory step before obtaining authorization for initial criticality and formally commencing operation. The Documented Safety Analysis is the most central and detailed final safety assessment document in the U.S. Department of Energy's approval framework, following the Preliminary Safety Analysis Document approved in May 2026...

2026-10-12

Liaoning Nuclear Power Successfully Completes the 2026 Annual Cost Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement Project Selection

In order to further implement China National Nuclear Power's "one optimization, two libraries, three standards, four modernizations, five comprehensive" cost management requirements, deeply explore cost optimization innovation achievements, and stimulate the value creation vitality of all employees, Liaoning Nuclear Power recently organized the 2026 annual "Reform Breakthrough, Value Creation" cost reduction and efficiency enhancement project selection work. This selection solicited practical cases extensively from all departments. Each participating team, based on actual job positions, focused on difficulties and bottlenecks, and submitted projects around dimensions such as management improvement, technological transformation and upgrading, and outsourcing service cost reduction, collectively demonstrating the responsibility and commitment of all cadres and employees to deeply tap potential and innovate for efficiency. At the selection site, each project leader reported implementation results from aspects including contribution value, innovation highlights, result replicability, risk...

2026-10-11

Philippine President Visits Singapore Nuclear Research Institute, Expresses Regret Over Suspension of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

More than four decades after the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) was mothballed, Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos publicly expressed regret and disappointment over the plant's suspension. He pointed out that the core demand of the Filipino people today is access to affordable and reliable electricity, and that this should not be constrained by any particular form of power generation. The remarks came on the fourth day of Marcos's working visit to Singapore. On October 10, Marcos visited the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative (SNRSI), an institution established in 2014 to build Singapore's capabilities in nuclear safety, nuclear science, and nuclear engineering...

2026-10-11

Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor Achieves First Criticality, Fifth Reactor in U.S. Department of Energy Test Reactor Program Successfully Started

The Groves Isotope Test Reactor under Oklo, an advanced nuclear fission company in the United States, has officially achieved first criticality. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed that the reactor successfully reached criticality at 9:19 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday at the Groves site in Lockhart, Texas, becoming the fifth advanced test reactor to achieve criticality under the DOE's dedicated authorization and regulatory pathway. The Groves Isotope Test Reactor has a thermal power of 15 megawatts (MWt) and adopts an atmospheric-pressure water-cooled pool-type reactor design. It is led by Oklo Isotopes, a subsidiary of Oklo focused on medical and industrial isotope production...

2026-10-11

French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority Approves Exemption of ITER Vacuum Vessel from Fission Pressurized Equipment Regulation

The French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR) has formally issued a regulatory ruling, approving the application by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization to exclude the Vacuum Vessel, a core component of the ITER tokamak device, from the scope of regulation under the French and European Nuclear Pressure Equipment Directive (ESPN). This breakthrough ruling marks the beginning of key fusion reactor components breaking free from the regulatory framework derived from traditional fission reactors. Prior to this decision, the ITER Vacuum Vessel had long been classified as nuclear pressure equipment. This classification originated from the management practices of traditional light-water fission reactors, whose underlying logic presumes internal pressure as the primary engineering load on the structure. However...

2026-10-11

3-meter-wide hole found at bottom of Unit 3 reactor pressure vessel at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: molten nuclear fuel burned through the base plate, TEPCO advances evaluation of debris removal project

The latest investigation data released by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) shows that an irregular circular hole with a maximum diameter of 3 meters exists at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of Unit 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Fukushima No. 1 NPP). This is the first time since the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami and caused core meltdown that TEPCO has determined the specific shape and dimensions of the damaged bottom of the pressure vessel among the three reactors that experienced meltdown. The conclusion is based on image data obtained by a technical team in March this year using palm-sized micro-drones to conduct 21 flight surveys inside the containment vessel of Unit 3. Based on the multi-angle...

2026-10-11

Global Major SMR Project Progress Review

As of now, global SMR competition has already formed several different tiers: Linglong One is advancing pre-operational testing, Darlington and Russia's land-based projects have entered the construction phase, Clinch River has just crossed the threshold for a U.S. commercial SMR construction permit, Long Mott is still under licensing review, and representative projects in the UK and South Korea are mainly advancing design and regulatory approval. In subsequent comparisons of these projects, the most valuable indicators will be first fuel load, first criticality, first grid connection, commercial operation, and whether construction can be replicated after the first-of-a-kind unit. Project progress: China's Linglong One is one of the more advanced projects among land-based SMR commercial demonstration projects. In December 2025, the project completed non-nuclear steam testing, verifying the functions of conventional island-related systems; public information in early 2026 shows that the project is still conducting pre-operational testing. The project adopts a 125 MWe pressurized water reactor design, mainly targeting applications such as power generation, heating, industrial steam, and seawater desalination.

2026-10-09

Controversy Over U.S. Nuclear Waste Repository Siting Draws Renewed Attention: Historical Decision Alleged to Have Relied Excessively on Cost Estimates

The issue of siting a U.S. nuclear waste repository has once again drawn attention. A reanalysis of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 1986 candidate site evaluation report points out that the key factor determining the priority siting of a nuclear waste repository at that time was not fully verified differences in long-term safety performance among the sites, but mainly estimates of repository construction and operating costs and spent fuel transportation costs. This analysis argues that the relevant cost data had considerable uncertainty, yet played a decisive role in the final ranking, causing the technical evaluation to present a clearer ordering of advantages and disadvantages than the actual evidence supported. The debate over U.S. nuclear waste repository siting has lasted for decades. The 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy...

2026-10-09

Construction Management Practice of Unbonded Prestressed Tendons in the Containment of the Reactor Building

As a landmark project of China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation, Units 7 and 8 of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant were the first in China to apply unbonded prestressing technology to the inner containment of the reactor building. There was no domestic construction experience with unbonded prestressing in containments to draw upon, and the installation of large-diameter prestressing ducts, as well as the strand threading, grouting, and tensioning of greased and sheathed strands, presented considerable difficulty, exposing construction to significant risks and challenges. As a "first-of-a-kind new process," to complete this pioneering project to high quality and high standards, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., as the general contractor, worked in close coordination and collaboration with all participating units to carry out innovative work, guided by strategy, driven by technology...

2026-10-09

Concrete pouring for the turbine pedestal of the conventional island of Guangdong Taipingling Unit 3 completed successfully

From September 25 to 27, 2026, the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project construction team completed the mass concrete pouring for the turbine pedestal of the 3BMX conventional island of Unit 3. This construction involved a cumulative concrete pour of 2,946 cubic meters and the consumption of 550 tons of rebar, with the installation precision of embedded parts reaching the millimeter level, marking a phased breakthrough in the key construction path of the conventional island of Unit 3 and laying an important foundation for the subsequent civil construction handover for the turbine foundation and the advancement of the mainline conventional island works. To ensure the successful completion of the pouring milestone, the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project construction team adhered to the principle of planning ahead and coordinated deployment, quickly establishing a special task force to focus on key...

2026-10-09

U.S. Department of Energy Plans to Provide Vistra with $4.2 Billion Conditional Loan to Support Power Uprates and Life Extensions at Operating Nuclear Plants: Safeguarding Nearly 4 GW of Baseload Power to Meet Surging Electricity Demand from AI Data Centers

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to Vistra Corp., an independent power producer headquartered in Irving, Texas. The funds will be dedicated to financing power uprates and equipment modernization projects at three of Vistra's nuclear power plants located in Pennsylvania and Ohio——Beaver Valley, Davis-Besse, and Perry——to meet the explosive growth in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centers. According to the project plan, this technical upgrade project is expected to add a cumulative 433 megawatts (MW) of nuclear generating capacity, and...

2026-10-08

Tianwan Nuclear Power Unit 7 Successfully Connected to Grid for the First Time

On October 8, Tianwan Nuclear Power Unit 7, invested in and controlled by China National Nuclear Power under CNNC, was successfully connected to the grid for the first time, officially delivering its first kilowatt-hour of electricity to the grid and laying a solid foundation for the subsequent commercial operation of the unit. The first grid connection and power generation of Tianwan Nuclear Power Unit 7 is a vivid practice of CNNC joining hands with all parties to deeply study the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation projects, thoroughly implement the "four revolutions, one cooperation" new energy security strategy, and respond to national strategic deployments with concrete actions. On May 19, 2021, President Xi Jinping, via video link in Beijing, together with Russian President Putin, witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of the two countries' nuclear energy cooperation projects — Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Units 7 and 8 and Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the earnest instructions of "adhering to safety first and setting a model for global nuclear energy cooperation," "adhering to innovation-driven development and deepening the connotation of nuclear energy science and technology cooperation," and "adhering to strategic collaboration and promoting the coordinated development of the global energy governance system." Over the past five years and more, under the guidance of higher-level ministries and commissions as well as local governments at all levels, all construction participants of Tianwan Nuclear Power Units 7 and 8 have fully implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest instructions at the project construction site, and in accordance with the requirements of the Party Group of the Group Company, advanced project construction, commissioning, and other work with high quality and high standards, building Tianwan Nuclear Power Units 7 and 8 into a demonstration project of China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation, a benchmark project for global nuclear power construction, and a livelihood project benefiting the local area. In particular, to ensure the smooth grid connection of Unit 7, Jiangsu Nuclear Power joined hands with all parties to uphold a rigorous and meticulous working attitude and collaboratively completed key operations such as reactor protection logic verification, reactor criticality, steam turbine rolling, and generator short-circuit tests. Subsequently, the unit will carry out a series of tests as planned to further verify unit performance and ensure that commercial operation conditions are met. It is understood that the Tianwan Nuclear Power Base plans to build 8 units. Units 1-6 have already generated more than 550 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity safely and stably, and Unit 7 is expected to enter commercial operation within the year. After all 8 units of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Base are put into operation, the total installed capacity will exceed 9 million kilowatts, with annual power generation exceeding 70 billion kilowatt-hours, and annual carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 57.4 million tons, injecting strong nuclear power into optimizing the energy structure of East China, ensuring regional energy security, helping achieve the national "dual carbon" goals, and promoting green, low-carbon, and high-quality development.

2026-10-08

International Researchers Successfully Develop the First Autonomous Thorium-229 "Nuclear Clock": Featuring Ultra-Strong Interference Resistance and a Fully Autonomous Closed-Loop Stable Operation Mechanism

Recently, the press office of TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) announced that a team of scientists from Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic has successfully developed the world's first nuclear clock based on the thorium-229 (chemical symbol ²²⁹Th) atomic nucleus. This nuclear clock possesses extremely high interference resistance and is capable of operating in a fully autonomous mode without external stabilization. The research team stated that, compared with traditional atomic clocks that operate using entire atoms, timekeeping using atomic nuclei can theoretically achieve higher measurement precision. Two years ago, they successfully controlled the transition process of the thorium-229 atomic nucleus for the first time, but to achieve extremely high-precision timekeeping, it was still necessary to solve the nuclear clock...

2026-10-08