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Poland Accelerates Nuclear Power Construction, New Bill Approved by Senate

Poland's nuclear power construction has made new progress, with the Senate passing an amendment to a bill aimed at simplifying the preparation and implementation of nuclear energy investments. The amendment allows investors to initiate partial civil works and preparatory activities before obtaining a full construction permit, thereby accelerating the progress of nuclear power plant projects. The bill is currently awaiting the President's signature to take effect, and is expected to enter into force 14 days after its publication in the Journal of Laws. The core of this new regulation lies in introducing a new type of permit—a construction permit covering preliminary civil works. This means investors can begin partial construction preparation before completing the full permitting and investment documentation approval for the entire nuclear power plant. Previously...

2026-07-31

German state of Lower Saxony approves production of Russian-designed VVER nuclear fuel at Lingen plant under additional strict conditions

The government of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany has approved a nuclear project linked to Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The project, operated by French company Framatome, aims to produce Russian-designed nuclear fuel rods and fuel assemblies in the city of Lingen, with key components to be supplied by Rosatom's subsidiary TVEL. Nevertheless, to address potential security risks, particularly threats of espionage and sabotage from Russian participants, the approval was granted with strict conditions. Under the terms of the approval, employees of Rosatom and TVEL will be barred from entering the facility, except in exceptional circumstances and when accompanied by nuclear regulatory authorities. Additionally, all...

2026-07-31

UK's largest nuclear power station Sizewell B placed on standby due to nearby wildfire

On July 30, the UK's largest nuclear power station, Sizewell B, was placed on "standby" status due to a heathland fire at Dunwich Heath, less than 5 kilometers from the plant site. There is currently no risk of the fire spreading toward the facility given wind direction. EDF stated it is "continuously monitoring, with no threat to facility safety," but approximately 120 firefighters and 18 fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze in the Liston area. Suffolk Fire Service assessed the fire as "active and changing," warning it could last two days, with hundreds of homes evacuated. Suffolk Fire Service warned the fire is expected to last two days and described it as an active and evolving situation. Hundreds of properties have been evacuated as firefighters continue to battle the raging forest fire. Experts noted...

2026-07-31

Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant Faces Full Shutdown Due to Record Low Danube Water Level

Affected by persistent drought and high temperatures, the water level of the Danube River at the Budapest section dropped to 23 cm (fixed datum reading, a record low), restricting cooling water intake at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Starting Wednesday, July 29, Unit 3 was the first to be shut down; the operator, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd, subsequently stated on its official website that all four units would inevitably be disconnected within the next 24 to 72 hours, with power generation coming to a complete halt. MVM explained that the existing water volume of the Danube is still sufficient to cool the reactors, but the intake pumps can no longer draw water because the riverbed is exposed and the pump inlets are too far from the water surface—an equipment failure rather than an absolute shortfall in cooling water volume. To this end, the Hungarian side deployed 4 pumping barges and 2 floating cranes near the plant as an emergency measure, but with water levels expected to continue falling, a preventive full shutdown remains unavoidable.

2026-07-31

Russian researchers detect anomalous signs in bottomonium states using Belle II experiment data

The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences recently announced that Russian researchers have detected anomalous phenomena in the analysis of data from the international Belle II experiment, indicating that the structure of certain excited states of bottomonium may be more complex than predicted by traditional models. Bottomonium is a class of unstable heavy particles composed of a bottom quark and an anti-bottom quark. Yevgeny Kovalenko, a young researcher at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that analysis of Belle II experiment data suggests that certain excited states of bottomonium may contain lighter quark components. In other words, these particles in specific states may not simply be plain bottom quark–anti-bottom quark combinations.

2026-07-31

Vietnam and Russia Join Forces to Accelerate Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center Project

On the afternoon of July 30, Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan received a delegation led by Ilja Vergizajev, General Director of Rosatom Construction Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), in Hanoi. During the meeting, the Vietnamese side put forward three specific requests: accelerating the construction of the Vietnam Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center (CNST); supporting Vietnam in gradually mastering small modular reactor (SMR) technologies; and training human resources for Vietnam in the fields of atomic energy, radiation, and nuclear safety. Both sides confirmed that nuclear cooperation holds strategic significance and has long been a focus of high-level attention between the two countries. The CNST has been defined by the Vietnamese side as a...

2026-07-31

Unit 4 of Leningrad NPP Phase II completes installation of first major equipment

Unit 4 of Russia's Leningrad NPP Phase II recently completed the installation of the core melt catcher vessel. This is the first major equipment of the unit to enter the installation stage, and also the first passive safety system equipment to be installed. The steel structure weighs 157 tonnes, and the installation was carried out using a heavy crawler crane, taking about one work shift of approximately 8 hours, nearly 3 months ahead of the original schedule. Valery Zhemchugov, Acting Director of Leningrad NPP, stated that the installation of the core melt catcher vessel is a key milestone in the construction of Unit 4, a VVER-1200 pressurized water reactor unit, and that the relevant work was completed in accordance with quality requirements, providing more time for subsequent reactor building civil and installation works.

2026-07-31

U.S. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Develops New Vacuum Attachment for Nuclear Fallout Collection

Nuclear nonproliferation researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have invented a specialized attachment compatible with commercial handheld vacuum cleaners, designed to safely and efficiently collect radioactive fallout generated after a nuclear explosion. The intense heat from a nuclear blast lifts ground debris into the atmosphere, where it melts and cools into radioactive glass beads less than 1 millimeter in diameter that fall back to the ground. In the past, nuclear experts undergoing training could only collect samples using brooms, dustpans, and ordinary household battery-powered vacuum cleaners, making manual containment difficult and posing extremely high radiation exposure risks. The INL team began producing prototypes with a thermoplastic 3D printer in 2017, and after multiple rounds of iteration, has now commissioned a company in American Falls, Idaho, to mass-produce the attachment using industrial-grade 3D printing, significantly improving durability.

2026-07-31

Progress in Russia's Khilonduevskoye Uranium Deposit Development: 3 Kilometers of Mine Workings Completed Ahead of Schedule

The mining division of Russia's Rosatom recently announced that underground mining crews completed three kilometers of mine workings ahead of schedule during the development of the Khilonduevskoye deposit. This milestone, originally planned for completion on August 10, was achieved by a team of workers from the Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union (PIMCU), which is part of Rosatom Nedra. According to PIMCU, this mine connection will significantly optimize the ventilation system at the fourth level of the Khilonduevskoye deposit and improve the efficiency of rock block loading, laying the foundation for subsequent development work. The company's CEO, Ivan Kiselev, stated that this connection is of critical importance to the company, as it not only links two sections of the mine but also fundamentally transforms the logistics and safety of fourth-level operations.

2026-07-31

Japan Atomic Industrial Forum Chairman: Overseas SMR Projects Help Sustain Supply Chain, but Japan Still Needs to Build New Nuclear Plants

Hideki Masui, Chairman of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF), stated on May 31 that Japanese companies are playing a significant role in global small modular reactor (SMR) projects through design and equipment supply, but the long-term maintenance and development of Japan's nuclear technology base ultimately requires the construction of new nuclear power plants domestically. At a regular press conference, Masui reviewed international developments in the SMR field. He noted that approximately 30 countries currently use nuclear energy, and about 20 countries are studying the deployment of SMRs in some form. Projects involving Japanese companies include GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 and NuScale Power's VOYGR SMR, whi...

2026-06-06

Rosatom Says Small Nuclear Power Development Requires Regulatory Reform

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said on July 5 that if Russia hopes to maintain its global leadership in the small nuclear power market, nuclear regulations and standards also need to keep pace with technological changes, particularly by revisiting the licensing and approval process for small nuclear power plants. In an article published in the Rosatom Corporate Newspaper, Likhachev stated that small nuclear power plants are expected to become a significant new form of energy in the coming decades, but their deployment still faces considerable regulatory challenges. Due to the relative novelty of such facilities to regulators, approval approaches tend to be cautious. He believes that accelerating the licensing and construction process while ensuring safety has become a task of national importance.

2026-07-06

Unit 2 of Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant not to shut down temporarily due to low Danube water level

Romania's National Nuclear Power Company (Nuclearelectrica) stated on July 30 that Unit 2 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant will continue to operate connected to the grid. Previously, the company had warned that the unit, located in Constanța County in southeastern Romania, might need to shut down due to the low water level of the Danube River. The company said that based on an operational analysis completed the previous night, experts believe the currently obtained relevant parameters allow Unit 2 to continue operating under safe conditions. Therefore, the unit will remain connected to Romania's national power system. Nuclearelectrica also stated that technical personnel will continuously monitor and analyze the plant's operating parameters. Given the subsequent hydrological forecasts for the Danube water level...

2026-07-31

Third fuel debris retrieval test at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 postponed due to robotic arm malfunction

The robot used by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for the third experimental fuel debris retrieval at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 malfunctioned during an on-site operational test, forcing the cancellation of the plan originally scheduled to start after July 2026 if all went well. The company stated it will reassess the relevant procedures. The malfunction occurred in part of the large robotic arm equipment used to collect fuel debris. During an operational test in the reactor building of Unit 2, TEPCO found an abnormality in one of the motors driving the robotic arm, causing the brake to fail to release and the arm to be unable to extend. The company is currently studying the replacement of the faulty motor. The third experimental retrieval plan was to use a large robotic arm...

2026-07-31

Restart of Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Delayed to After End of 2027

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. announced on July 30 that the restart of Unit 3 at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant will be significantly delayed compared to earlier expectations, with the earliest possible date being the end of 2027 or later. Previously, the company had set a target of restarting as early as possible within 2027, but due to delays in the seawall construction project and the fact that the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has not yet completed its review of the relevant design and construction plans, the timeline for the unit's return to operation remains uncertain. Hokkaido Electric Power President Susumu Saito stated at a press conference that the seawall at the Tomari plant was originally scheduled for completion in the spring of 2027, but is now expected to be finished by mid-August 2027 due to additional work such as seismic reinforcement of the wharf and liquefaction countermeasures...

2026-07-31

Bulgarian Expert Says Belene NPP Restart Technically Feasible

Bulgarian energy expert Bogomil Manchev recently stated that the long-dormant Belene NPP project remains technically viable for restart. If Bulgaria and Ukraine jointly participate in financing and establish a co-ownership mechanism, the project could become a new nuclear power project built through bilateral cooperation. Manchev believes that Ukraine will still face significant electricity demand for a long period in the future. If funding can be secured for the project, Bulgaria could proceed with nuclear power plant construction at the original Belene site. His proposed options include joint financing and co-ownership by both countries, or Ukraine signing a long-term power purchase agreement to support project financing...

2026-07-23