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Tottori Prefecture nuclear safety advisory council approves safety of MOX fuel plan for Shimane Unit 2

The Tottori Prefecture Nuclear Safety Advisory Council held a meeting in Yonago City on September 6 and submitted an opinion on the MOX fuel power generation project planned by Chugoku Electric Power Co. for Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Station. The opinion stated that, based on explanations provided by Chugoku Electric Power Co. and the Japanese government, the safety of the project can be ensured. The Shimane Nuclear Power Station is located in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. Chugoku Electric Power Co. plans to use mixed oxide fuel, or MOX fuel, consisting of uranium and plutonium, in Unit 2. This type of power generation is also referred to as plutonium thermal power generation in Japan. The opinion also...

2026-09-07

Hitachiomiya City Assembly in Japan Hears Briefing on Literature Survey for High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site

On September 4, the Hitachiomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door briefing session regarding the central government's request for the city to initiate a literature survey for the final disposal site selection of high-level radioactive waste. Representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) attended the meeting to explain the national energy policy, an overview of the geological disposal project, and the background behind the survey request. All 16 members of the Hitachiomiya City Assembly participated in the briefing, with Mayor Suzuki Sadayuki attending as an observer. The meeting was originally scheduled for approximately two hours but actually lasted about three and a half hours due to the large number of questions from assembly members. After the meeting, Yokote Hiroki, Director of the Radioactive Waste Policy Division at METI's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, stated that assembly members raised questions covering multiple aspects, including technical details of geological disposal and the site selection procedure for disposal facilities, and that the government side would continue its outreach efforts. Should the City Assembly make a request, METI would provide further explanations.

2026-09-06

Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Japan to Transport 1,600 Drums of Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Kansai Electric Power announced on September 4 that it will transport low-level radioactive waste generated at the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center of Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture. According to the plan, the dedicated low-level radioactive waste transport vessel Seiei Maru will berth at the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant on September 5 and depart on September 12 after loading is completed. If the transport schedule is adjusted due to factors such as weather conditions, Kansai Electric Power will announce the actual situation separately. This shipment consists of 200 dedicated containers holding 1,600 waste drums, all of which are cement-solidified waste, excluding homogeneously solidified waste.

2026-09-04

Japan's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Restart Review Still Requires Additional Fire Safety Documentation

On September 3, a review meeting was held for the restart plan of Unit 3 at Japan's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) pointed out that the explanations submitted by Hokkaido Electric Power regarding fire safety measures still contain issues requiring further confirmation, and requested the company to provide more detailed assessment materials. The equipment design and construction plan required for the restart of Tomari Unit 3 has been under review since last year. One of the current review priorities is whether relevant workers have adequate and feasible evacuation measures in the event of a fire on site. At the meeting that day, representatives of Hokkaido Electric Power explained the revised fire safety...

2026-09-04

Fire alarms triggered nine times in four weeks at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

At 21:44 on September 3, a fire alarm was triggered in the water treatment control room building of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) stated that no open flames or smoke were found at the scene. After firefighters arrived and conducted inspections, it was confirmed shortly after 22:30 that evening that this was not a fire. TEPCO said it would subsequently inspect the relevant detectors. Including this incident, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has triggered a total of nine fire alarms in the past four weeks. Previously, on August 8, a fire alarm was triggered in the maintenance building for Units 5 and 6; on August 12, an alarm sounded in the emergency diesel generator room for the high-pressure core spray system of Unit 6; on August 13, an alarm sounded in the main office building; on August 15, an alarm sounded in the southwest stairwell area of the turbine building for Unit 5...

2026-09-04

New Fuel Delivery Completed at Japan's Sendai Nuclear Power Plant

Kyushu Electric Power Co. announced on September 2 that new fuel required for Units 1 and 2 of Japan's Sendai Nuclear Power Plant has been delivered. The transport operation began on August 30, 2026, and concluded on September 2. According to information released by Kyushu Electric Power, the new fuel delivered this time was manufactured by Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd. Specifically, Unit 1 of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant received 24 new fuel assemblies transported in 12 shipping containers, while Unit 2 received 28 new fuel assemblies transported in 14 shipping containers. The new fuel transport was carried out using a combination of land and sea routes. Kyushu Electric Power stated...

2026-09-03

Second Phase of Decommissioning for Unit 1 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Approved by Prefectural Committee

The Environmental Safety Management Committee for the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, held a meeting in Matsuyama City on September 2 to discuss plans by Shikoku Electric Power to proceed with the second phase of decommissioning for Unit 1 of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant. The unit, located in Ikata-cho, Ehime Prefecture, is currently in the process of being decommissioned. The decommissioning of Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant has been divided into four main phases. Shikoku Electric Power had previously conducted prior consultations with Ehime Prefecture and Ikata-cho regarding the transition to the next phase, obtained local consent, and submitted relevant applications to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). In July of this year, the NRA approved the application...

2026-09-03

Japanese regulator plans budget for research on next-generation reactor reviews

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has included research costs required for reviewing next-generation nuclear reactors in its budget request for the next fiscal year. The funds will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of new safety measures, providing a review basis for potential future construction or replacement applications. The Japanese government is promoting the development of next-generation nuclear reactors, including innovative light-water reactors that further enhance safety performance based on existing light-water reactor technology. Since November 2025, Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) has been conducting geological surveys at the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture, in preparation for possible future plans to replace existing units with next-generation reactors. At a meeting held on September 2...

2026-09-03

Japan considers expanding reuse of decontaminated soil from Fukushima

Japan's Environment Minister Ishihara stated after a Cabinet meeting on September 1 that the government is considering and coordinating efforts to continue the decontaminated soil reuse project from Fukushima Prefecture at government offices and other locations in other regions, in order to raise public awareness of the relevant systems and safety management approaches. Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, large volumes of soil removed during decontamination operations in Fukushima Prefecture are currently stored at an interim storage facility within the prefecture. Under Japanese law, this soil must be finally disposed of outside the prefecture by March 2045. To reduce the volume of final disposal, the Japanese government is promoting the reuse of decontaminated soil with lower radiation levels. Late last month, construction work was carried out at national government joint office buildings in Sendai City and Saitama City, with soil for flower beds and other areas delivered to the sites. This marked the first time decontaminated soil was reused at such government facilities outside the Tokyo region.

2026-09-03

Unit 4 of Japan's Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Receives 72 New Fuel Assemblies

Kyushu Electric Power Co. announced on September 1, 2026, that Unit 4 of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant has completed the receipt of a batch of new fuel. The new fuel was processed and shipped by Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd., with transportation carried out from August 27 to September 1, 2026. According to Kyushu Electric Power, the new fuel delivered to Unit 4 of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant consists of 72 fuel assemblies, transported in 36 shipping containers via both land and sea routes. Two control rod assemblies were also transported along with this batch of fuel. Fuel used in nuclear power plants...

2026-09-02

Japan Approves Adjusted Tsunami Height Assessment for Genkai Nuclear Power Plant

At its regular meeting held on September 2, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) formally approved Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s assessment of the maximum potential tsunami height at the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant site in Saga Prefecture. Under this adjustment, the maximum tsunami height on the northwest side of the Genkai plant site has been raised to 14 meters; previously, the maximum tsunami height on the north side of the site was 6 meters. The NRA determined that the ground surface on the northwest side of the Genkai plant site is covered by bedrock with an elevation of 16 meters, and therefore no additional disaster prevention measures are required even under the new tsunami height assessment. In July, the NRA had already approved the review report draft submitted by Kyushu Electric Power...

2026-09-02

Carbon Nanotubes Can "Remember" Their Initial Structure, Isotope Labeling Reveals Dynamic Growth Process

A study released on September 1 shows that carbon nanotubes can maintain their initial atomic structure in dynamically changing growth environments. The research team used digital isotope labeling technology to encode the elongation process of individual carbon nanotubes as sequences of different carbon isotope compositions, and read their growth history through Raman spectroscopy, thereby tracking the structural stability of nanotubes under conditions of temperature variation and catalyst evolution. The properties of carbon nanotubes are highly dependent on their atomic arrangement. The same material may exhibit metallic or semiconducting characteristics due to structural differences, so structural uniformity has always been a key issue for the large-scale application of carbon nanotubes. In floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition and other industrial production routes, catalyst particles experience constantly changing temperatures and gas compositions within the reactor and may undergo irreversible enlargement. Previously, direct evidence was lacking on whether individual carbon nanotubes could maintain their initial structure under such complex conditions.

2026-09-02

Japanese Team Develops High-Temperature, High-Pressure Isotope Ratio Analysis Method for Tracing Halogenated Pollutants

Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan have collaboratively developed a customized high-temperature, high-pressure combustion interface for liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS), enabling carbon stable isotope ratio (δ¹³C) analysis of various halogenated organic compounds. The research findings were published online on August 2, 2026, and will appear in Volume 1421 of Analytica Chimica Acta, scheduled for release on November 1, 2026. Source of the new high-temperature, high-pressure LC-IRMS system: Professor Hiroto Kawashima, SIT, Japan. Halogenated organic compounds are widely present in disinfection byproducts, pesticides, refrigerants, and industrial chemicals, some of which exhibit persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Traditional environmental monitoring primarily relies on concentration measurements, which makes it difficult to directly provide information on pollutant sources and environmental transformation processes. δ¹³C analysis can offer clues for studying chemical sources, production processes, and environmental fate, but organic pollutants containing strong carbon—chlorine or carbon—fluorine bonds are difficult to fully oxidize under conventional LC-IRMS combustion conditions, limiting the application of this technique.

2026-09-02

Lightbridge Multi-Zone Fuel Element Granted Japanese Patent, Covering Fuel Assemblies and 3D Printing Manufacturing Methods

Advanced nuclear fuel technology company Lightbridge Corporation recently announced that its Japanese patent application for a multi-zone fuel element has been granted by the Japan Patent Office. The patent covers the fuel element design, fuel assemblies incorporating the design, and methods of producing the element via additive manufacturing, i.e., 3D printing. According to the disclosure, the patent involves a fuel rod composed of three layers of different materials. The thickness of the three layers can vary along the length of the fuel rod, thereby regulating fuel performance at different positions in the reactor to enhance reactor operating performance and safety margins. In addition to the fuel rod itself, the patent also covers fuel assemblies for mounting these fuel rods.

2026-09-02

Japan's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Plans New Low-Level Radioactive Waste Processing Facility

Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO) recently announced plans to construct a new low-level radioactive waste processing facility within the premises of the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido, Japan, to handle approximately 12,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste currently stored on site. According to HEPCO, the new facility will sort waste such as paper and metal, reduce its volume through fine shredding or compression, and then solidify it by pouring mortar into the waste drums. After processing, the waste will undergo radioactivity level testing before being transported to the disposal center in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture. Previously, the Tomari plant had stored this type of waste in 200-liter drums without further processing. The proposed facility will have an annual processing capacity of over 1,000 drums, feature a three-story structure, and cover a total floor area of approximately 4,600 square meters.

2026-09-02