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Hungary's New Government Questions Paks II Nuclear Project, Audit Dissatisfaction May Lead to Contractor Replacement

Hungary's new government (Prime Minister Péter Magyar) has continued to send unclear signals regarding the Paks II nuclear power plant expansion project contracted to Russia's Rosatom, bringing this major energy project involving the Russian state nuclear corporation back into the spotlight. The government is dissatisfied with the interim results of the contract audit and has hinted that Budapest does not rule out the possibility of replacing the contractor. The Paks II project was originally regarded as a key component of Hungary's long-term energy security strategy. Nuclear power holds fundamental significance for Hungary's electricity supply, and the expansion of the Paks nuclear plant was also seen as a measure to reduce energy import pressure and stabilize electricity prices.

2026-08-10

Romania in Talks to Purchase 300 Tons of Uranium from Niger, Nuclear Fuel Supply Diversification Faces Legal Uncertainties

Romania's state-owned nuclear power company Nuclearelectrica has initiated negotiations to purchase 300 tons of uranium from Niger, against the backdrop of Romania's push to diversify its external nuclear fuel sources. The talks began on April 13, 2026, with Niger's Minister of Mines Ousmane Abarchi responding positively, after which the Romanian delegation continued engagement with the Nigerien side. The transaction is valued at approximately $40 million, but Nuclearelectrica has emphasized that no final agreement has been reached yet. The potential appeal of this uranium supply lies in Romania's expanding nuclear power development plans, while domestic large-scale uranium mining has ceased. As the operator of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant...

2026-08-10

Fractionated radiotherapy did not significantly alter surface properties of two types of dental restorative composites

On August 5, a recently published in vitro study showed that under a simulated clinical head and neck cancer radiotherapy regimen, the surface microhardness and roughness of two modern dental restorative composites did not change significantly. The study focused on the effects of therapeutic ionizing radiation on the durability of dental restorative materials. After head and neck cancer patients receive radiotherapy, the oral environment may change, including reduced saliva secretion, mucositis, radiation caries, and other issues, which may affect the surface condition and long-term performance of restorations. To this end, the research team selected Giomer resin composite based on glass ionomer technology and Or...

2026-08-10

Taiwan's Nuclear Plant No. 3 safety inspection schedule extended to 2029, nuclear restart progress faces uncertainty

The latest report from the Audit Department shows that the actual progress of Taiwan's nuclear restart may be lower than expected by the public. Although the Ministry of Economic Affairs has determined that Nuclear Plant No. 2 and Nuclear Plant No. 3 are feasible for restart, and Taipower's restart plan for Nuclear Plant No. 3 has been submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission for review, a gap has emerged in the progress of the critical self-conducted safety inspections. Although the five self-conducted safety inspection contracts for Nuclear Plant No. 3 have been awarded, the contract performance period may be extended to July 2029, casting uncertainty over the original goal of completing document review by the end of 2028. Nuclear Plant No. 3 is currently regarded as the plant with the best chance of advancing toward restart, but its restart process still must clear multiple hurdles including safety review, aging assessment, aging management, and related document review...

2026-08-10

Sea Temperature Approaching Shutdown Threshold, Nuclear Power Belt on South Korea's East Coast Faces Load Reduction Pressure

Climate change is pushing nuclear power plants on South Korea's east coast toward new operational boundaries. South Korean nuclear plants generally rely on seawater as cooling water; after the heat generated by the reactor drives the turbine, seawater is needed to condense the steam back into water. Once the intake water temperature approaches or exceeds the design seawater temperature set by the equipment, heat exchange efficiency declines, affecting the heat dissipation capacity of key safety systems, and the plant must reduce load or even shut down in accordance with safety regulations. The area currently at greatest risk is around Uljin in North Gyeongsang Province. Data from the National Institute of Fisheries Science shows that nearshore surface seawater temperatures along parts of the east coast have approached 30°C, with multiple observation points near Uljin recording approximately 29.6°C to 30.2°C on the afternoon of August 7.

2026-08-10

Cathode High-Voltage Power Supply for CFQS Device ECRH System Manufactured by CNNC Tongchuang Successfully Shipped

On August 3, the cathode high-voltage power supply for the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) system of China's first Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarator (CFQS) device, manufactured by CNNC Tongchuang (Chengdu) Technology Co., Ltd., successfully passed factory acceptance and was officially shipped. The CFQS device is a major scientific and technological infrastructure project of Sichuan Province. The device adopts an advanced quasi-axisymmetric magnetic field configuration, combining the advantages of high confinement performance and steady-state operation. Under low-parameter operating conditions, the CFQS test platform confirmed that the quasi-axisymmetric magnetic field configuration can effectively reduce neoclassical transport losses in plasma and improve plasma confinement, marking the first international experimental verification of the superiority of the quasi-axisymmetric magnetic field configuration. Next, the CFQS stellarator...

2026-08-10

South Korea Plans to Upgrade National Radiation Monitoring System to Address Impacts of Overseas Nuclear Facility Accidents

South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission is pushing to strengthen the national radiation monitoring system, bringing radioactive contamination of the domestic environment caused by potential overseas nuclear facility accidents into institutionalized regulatory scope. According to partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the Atomic Energy Safety Act pre-announced on August 7, South Korea will incorporate radioactive contamination surveys into existing radiation environment surveys and environmental radioactivity monitoring and evaluation operations, entrusting the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety with the execution of related survey work. This institutional adjustment is a supporting measure following South Korea's revision of the Atomic Energy Safety Act in February this year, with the relevant law set to take effect on February 20, 2027. The core of the amendment lies in that when overseas...

2026-08-09

Russia's First Domestic 3D Scanner Helix Included in National Product Registry, Rosatom Completes Additive Manufacturing Technology Chain

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has included the first domestically produced 3D scanner, the RangeVision Helix, in the Unified Register of Russian Electronic Products and the confirmed register of Russian-made industrial products. The registration was carried out in accordance with Russian Government Resolutions No. 878 and No. 719. Thus, the Helix has become the first and currently the only 3D scanner in Russia to be included in the aforementioned national registers. The RangeVision Helix was developed and manufactured by RangeVision, an additive manufacturing partner of Rosatom. Since 2025, the company has become the only Russian 3D scanner manufacturer included in Rosatom's additive manufacturing ecosystem...

2026-08-08

Finland's Onkalo Repository to Be Commissioned, Experts Say 100,000-Year Safety Assessment Still Faces Uncertainties

Finland's Olkiluoto is about to commission the world's first permanent deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel — Onkalo. The facility is designed for long-term underground containment of spent fuel, with a design safety period of up to 100,000 years. There remains debate within the nuclear industry over whether such facilities can remain safe over such an immense timescale. Dmitry Pripachkin, head of the Department of Radiation Physics and Nuclear Technology Safety at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), stated that modern science does not yet possess tools capable of reliably predicting the state of such facilities after 100,000 years. Science can study the evolution of geological formations over long historical periods, but...

2026-08-09

Mutsu City Requests Submission of Revised Plan for 5,000-Ton Transport to Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility

On August 7, Tomoya Yamamoto, Mayor of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, met with representatives of Recycle Fuel Storage (RFS) and its co-investors Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO HD) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), requesting the three parties to submit a revised mid-to-long-term spent nuclear fuel transport plan, with consideration given to inter-operator cooperation. The plan may involve accepting spent nuclear fuel from other electric power companies. The facility in question, located in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, is currently Japan's only interim spent fuel storage facility situated outside a nuclear power plant site. Under the existing siting agreement, the facility's acceptance scope...

2026-08-08

Rosatom Delegation Visits SevRAO Radioactive Waste Management Facilities

A delegation from Rosatom recently inspected the production facilities of the Northwestern Center - SevRAO, a branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise RADON (FSUE RADON). The delegation included Vasily Tinin, responsible for state policy on radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, and nuclear and radiation safety, as well as Sergey Martynenko, head of the Integrated Nuclear Submarine Decommissioning Program Office. The host side was represented by Igor Pron, Acting General Director of FSUE RADON, Dmitry Drozhilkin, Acting Director of SevRAO, and Yuri Shokhin,...

2026-08-07

Construction of Proton Therapy Center in Ulsan, South Korea Faces Hurdles: Government Funding Allocation Adjustments Impact Project Progress

The proton therapy center construction project in Ulsan, South Korea, has recently encountered obstacles to progress. The project was once regarded as a key component in improving the regional cancer treatment system in southeastern South Korea, but due to shifts in government medical financial support priorities, the difficulty of securing large-scale national funding independently has increased significantly. According to information from Ulsan City on August 6, Ulsan City completed the feasibility study and basic planning services for the proton therapy center construction in March of last year and began seeking national funding. However, the Ministry of Health and Welfare responded that it would be difficult to provide large-scale project funding to Ulsan City alone. Previously, Ulsan City had planned to establish a proton therapy center to build a system enabling cancer patients to undergo surgery...

2026-08-07

Mutsu City in Japan agrees to study receiving fuel from other companies at interim spent fuel storage facility

On August 7, Mutsu City in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, notified Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO Holdings) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) that it agreed to allow the two companies to study a plan to receive spent nuclear fuel from other electric power companies at the local interim spent fuel storage facility. The facility, promoted and constructed by entities related to the two companies, is the only facility in Japan located outside nuclear power plant sites for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel. Under the current arrangement, the facility only accepts spent nuclear fuel from TEPCO Holdings and JAPC, and spent nuclear fuel from other companies is not permitted to be transported in. On the same day, Mutsu City Mayor Tomoya Yamamoto met with senior executives of the two companies at City Hall...

2026-08-07

Newcleo Initiates U.S. Regulatory Pre-Application Engagement for MOX Fuel Facility, Accelerating Advanced Reactor Fuel Supply Chain Development

Advanced reactor and nuclear fuel company Newcleo has initiated regulatory pre-application engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility, with plans to advance construction at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This move indicates that the company is not only advancing the licensing of its advanced reactor itself but also seeking to establish supporting fuel supply capabilities in parallel, aiming to mitigate fuel bottlenecks in future commercial deployment. The submitted regulatory engagement plan represents a key step prior to formal license application, with the core objective of communicating with regulators in advance on facility design, safety standards, review scope, and key technical issues. Newcleo previously submitted its regulatory engagement plan for the LFR-AS-200 lead-cooled fast reactor to the NRC in July...

2026-08-07

Three U.S. Nuclear Energy Companies Explore Manufacturing Next-Generation Reactor Fuel from Recycled Nuclear Materials

U.S. nuclear energy companies Curio, NuScale Power, and Framatome have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the feasibility of converting recycled nuclear materials into next-generation reactor fuel and related products. The tri-party collaboration is not focused on immediate commercial production, but rather on research into technical feasibility, fuel development, manufacturing capabilities, supply chain integration, and future commercial deployment, seeking to connect spent fuel recycling, fuel fabrication, and advanced reactor applications into a more complete industrial chain. Under this collaboration, Curio will provide its NuCycle nuclear fuel recycling technology, aiming to recover reusable strategic nuclear materials from spent fuel, with claims of reducing residual waste volume by up to 97%.

2026-08-07