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U.S. Lightbridge Selected for DOE LaunchPad INL Program to Advance Commercialization of Advanced Nuclear Fuel

Lightbridge Corporation, a U.S. advanced nuclear fuel technology company, announced on August 31 that it has been selected for the Nuclear Energy LaunchPad program (LaunchPad INL) managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The company stated that the program will provide an accelerated pathway for it to design, construct, and operate a dedicated facility at INL to manufacture lead test assemblies (LTAs) of Lightbridge Fuel™, with subsequent testing supported at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. Lead test assemblies are generally regarded as a critical qualification step for nuclear fuel after reactor testing and before commercial fuel sales...

2026-09-01

Russia Says Prospects Broad for Cooperation with Iran on Large and Small Nuclear Power Plants

Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Russia's Rosatom, recently stated that the company sees significant room for cooperation with Iran in nuclear power construction, covering both large gigawatt-scale nuclear power units and small nuclear power plants. Likhachev said that Rosatom and Iran have broad prospects in expanding the construction of large nuclear power units and advancing small plant projects. Currently, Rosatom is already involved in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant project. Unit 1 of the Bushehr plant was put into operation in 2013. The second phase of the plant, covering Units 2 and...

2026-09-01

Kansai Electric Power Applies to Build Dry Cask Storage Facilities for Spent Fuel

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) announced on August 31 that it has submitted an application to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) seeking approval for the design and construction plans of dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at its Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture. The company plans to begin construction in 2027 and aims to complete the facilities by 2029. This application covers the first-phase construction at the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants. KEPCO had previously planned to build a total of four dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at three nuclear power plants within Fukui Prefecture, including the Mihama, Takahama, and Ohi nuclear power plants. Currently, the related project at the Ohi nuclear power plant and the second-phase construction at the Takahama nuclear power plant remain...

2026-09-01

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station begins 23rd discharge of treated nuclear-contaminated water

At 11:29 on August 31, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station began its fifth discharge of treated nuclear-contaminated water in fiscal year 2026 and the 23rd overall. The operation is scheduled to last 19 days, concluding on September 18, with an estimated discharge of approximately 7,800 tonnes of nuclear-contaminated water diluted with seawater, equivalent to the capacity of about 8 storage tanks. The total tritium content is estimated at approximately 1.2 trillion becquerels. The reactors of Units 1 to 3 at Fukushima Daiichi still contain nuclear fuel that melted and solidified during the accident, known as fuel debris. Groundwater and rainwater that come into contact with this fuel debris form contaminated water. Since the discharge of treated nuclear-contaminated water began in August 2023, Fukushima Daiichi has cumulatively released approximately 173,000 tonnes, equivalent to about 173 storage tanks' capacity.

2026-09-01

Japan Requests Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to Conduct Literature Survey for High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on August 31 requested Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to conduct a literature survey, as the first step in siting a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plant operations. If Hitachiomiya City agrees, it will become the fifth municipality in Japan to accept such a literature survey, and the second time the Japanese government has proactively requested a survey from a local government, following Minamitorishima in Ogasawara Village, Tokyo. On the same day, Takashi Kume, Vice Commissioner of Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, visited the Hitachiomiya City government and submitted the survey request to Mayor Sadanori Suzuki. Suzuki stated that he personally takes a positive stance toward accepting the literature survey, and noted that the city faces issues such as rapid population decline and a weak local economy, adding that if the area has favorable geological conditions, participating in the national geological disposal policy would be of "significant importance." He said he would make a decision after hearing the views of the city assembly, with the matter possibly being discussed at the regular assembly meeting as early as September.

2026-09-01

Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Holds Special Symposium on Nuclear Safety Management

Recently, Gao Zhigang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Fangchenggang Nuclear Power, presided over a special symposium centered on the theme of "firmly holding the nuclear safety 'rice bowl' in our own hands," engaging in exchanges with departments including Operations Division I, Operations Division II, Nuclear Safety and Licensing Department, and Training Department, while also delivering relay training in accordance with the requirements of CGN's 2026 "Red Egret - Party Committee Member Plan" training program. At the symposium, department representatives shared work insights and best practices based on their job responsibilities and frontline work realities, focusing on role positioning, capability enhancement, value creation, and cognitive upgrading, while also offering suggestions on production safety management, risk prevention and control, and on-site execution. Gao Zhigang...

2026-09-01

Multiple Units at Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Go Live with Self-Developed EPM System

On August 31, the EPM system, a production management platform independently developed by China National Nuclear Power (CNNP), was officially launched at Units 3, 4, 7, and 8 of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant. This launch marks a new stage of standardized management and control for Jiangsu Nuclear Power's production management, and also provides a practical example from Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant for CNNP's digital transformation. The EPM system is a new-generation nuclear power plant production management system independently developed by CNNP with fully independent intellectual property rights. Designed to meet the operational needs of nuclear power plant field operations, the system integrates business processes such as planning, operations, maintenance, equipment, and safety permits, unifies plant-wide work execution standards, and achieves closed-loop control across the entire production management chain. The system covers...

2026-09-01

China-led International Standard for Estimating RBE-Weighted Absorbed Dose from Acute Exposure Approved for Initiation

According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the international standard ISO25600 "Estimation Method for RBE (Relative Biological Effectiveness)-Weighted Absorbed Dose from Acute Exposure," led by the China Institute of Atomic Energy, has been officially approved for initiation. This is a general methodology international standard led by China in the global field of nuclear and radiation emergency dose assessment. It can provide important support for the rapid estimation and evaluation of acute doses, decision-making on emergency protective actions, international notification and communication, as well as emergency training, exercises, and scientific research, helping to strengthen the scientific rigor and timeliness of global nuclear emergency response, and enhance response capability and standardization. Nuclear and radiation emergency response is a vital guarantee for the sustained and healthy development of the nuclear energy industry...

2026-08-31

CGN and CSSC Deepen Cooperation in Nuclear Power and New Energy Sectors

On August 28, Pang Songtao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of China General Nuclear Power Group Co., Ltd. (CGN), met with Xu Peng and his delegation, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), at the CGN Tower. The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on cooperation in areas such as nuclear power, new energy, industrial software, and technological innovation. Peng Yuanpu, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy General Manager of CSSC, Ma Yunxiang, Assistant to the General Manager, Cai Zhen, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of CGN, and Zhou Jianping, Member of the Party Committee of CGN, Vice President and General Counsel of CGN Power, attended the meeting. Pang Songtao extended a warm welcome to Xu Peng and his delegation. He noted that the cooperation between CGN and CSSC began with the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and has spanned over four decades, with cooperation areas gradually expanding from nuclear power to environmental governance, new energy development, industrial software, and other fields, achieving fruitful results in areas such as nuclear emergency diesel generators and wind power equipment. Looking toward the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, he expressed the hope that both sides would further expand cooperation in new areas such as equipment manufacturing and technological innovation while consolidating the existing cooperation foundation, so as to better serve the national strategic agenda.

2026-08-31

U.S. Heavy-Ion Collision Research Suggests Protons and Neutrons May Not Be Just "Three Quarks"

The STAR Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory recently proposed, based on heavy-ion collision data studies, that baryons such as protons and neutrons may not be simply composed of three valence quarks, and that their baryon number may be more closely related to "baryon junctions" in the gluon field. The findings were published in the journal *Science*. In the traditional valence quark model, each quark is assigned a baryon number of 1/3, so baryons such as protons and neutrons, composed of three quarks, carry a baryon number of +1. However, this model is not a fundamental requirement of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). As early as the 1970s, alternative explanations had been proposed in the theoretical community; in 1996, Dmitri Kharzeev proposed a model suggesting that the baryon number is not necessarily carried by the quarks themselves, but may instead be concentrated at the Y-shaped junction formed by the gluon field—the "baryon junction."

2026-08-31

Japan Atomic Energy Agency discovers magnetic "strong-weak waves" in uranium semiconductor

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced on August 21 that its research team has discovered a special magnetic structure in the layered uranium semiconductor α-UTe3 (α-uranium tritelluride): the magnetism of uranium atoms not only alternates in opposite directions, but its magnetization intensity also periodically strengthens and weakens depending on the crystal position, forming a state resembling “strong-weak waves.” α-UTe3 is composed of uranium and tellurium atoms and belongs to van der Waals layered materials, where atomic layers are stacked through weak interlayer forces. Using high-quality α-UTe3 single crystals, the research team analyzed its low-temperature magnetic structure through resistivity, specific heat, and magnetization measurements, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance and single-crystal neutron diffraction techniques...

2026-08-31

First experiments at Russia's SKIF microfocus station to target "invisible" gold deposits and extraterrestrial particle research

On August 19, 2026, the microfocus station, one of the first-stage experimental stations of the Russian SKIF Collective Use Center, announced its initial experimental directions. The station will utilize synchrotron radiation-based analytical techniques to study the elemental composition and structural characteristics of objects, serving fields such as geology, geophysics, microelectronics, and materials science. At the SKIF opening ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected the microfocus station. According to the presentation, the station's first experiments will focus on the exploration and extraction of hard-to-recover gold, platinum, rare earth elements, and oil reserves. Ore sample research is a critical step in the development of new mineral deposits. By determining the elemental composition of rocks, researchers can...

2026-08-31

Japan's J-PARC Uses Negative Muon Non-Destructive Analysis to Reveal Gold-Rich Surface Structure of Nagoya Castle's Golden Shachi Scales

A joint research team comprising the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the J-PARC Center, the Nagoya Castle Research Center, and the National Museum of Nature and Science, among others, used the negative muon beam at the J-PARC Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) to conduct non-destructive depth analysis on seven surviving scales of the golden shachi (ornamental dolphin-tiger fish) on Nagoya Castle's keep, confirming that five of the scales have a layered structure with high gold content within approximately 10 micrometers of the surface. The golden shachi on Nagoya Castle's keep was largely destroyed in the air raids of 1945, with some scales rescued and preserved to this day. Previously, researchers had examined these scales using X-ray fluorescence analysis, but the results showed that some scales with a bright golden appearance did not necessarily have a high average gold content.

2026-08-31

Russian Research Team Proposes New Method for Measuring Proton and Deuteron Electric Dipole Moments in a Single Storage Ring

Physicists from several Russian research institutions have proposed a new method for searching for the electric dipole moments of protons and deuterons, potentially enabling the study of both particle types in a single storage ring. The participating institutions include the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The research was published in the journal *Nuclear Science and Technology* and was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. The electric dipole moment reflects whether there is a tiny asymmetry between the internal charge distribution of a particle and its spin direction. According to Standard Model predictions, the electric dipole moments of the proton and deuteron are nonzero but extremely small, on the order of 10...

2026-08-31

Japanese research team visualizes cellular metabolic changes during fracture healing using hyperpolarized MRI

August 21, 2026, Gifu Pharmaceutical University and Gifu University announced that a multi-institutional Japanese research team successfully visualized changes in the redox state of skeletal progenitor cells during fracture healing in living mice using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging technology. The findings were published online on August 15, 2026, in the British academic journal *npj Imaging*. The study was led by Takuya Kubo, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology at Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Professor Eiichi Hinoi, and related research teams at Gifu University, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, Osaka University, the Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, and other institutions. After a fracture occurs, a tissue called a...

2026-08-31