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Safety review items for Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 confirmed, operation planned for 2030

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan conducted a safety review of Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 on September 10. This review is a necessary procedure before the unit can be put into operation. Chugoku Electric Power Company of Japan has been constructing Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 since 2005 and has been undergoing NRA review since 2018. At the review meeting that day, Chugoku Electric Power Company gave explanations regarding earthquake, tsunami, and severe accident response measures for Unit 3. According to the meeting, all review items were confirmed on September 10. Next, Chugoku Electric Power Company will submit a revised document incorporating the relevant content discussed at previous review meetings. The NRA is expected to prepare a draft review report based on this...

2026-09-11

Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, IAEA, Van den Howe, Visits the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

On September 8, 2026, Ms. Hildegard Van den Howe, Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Center). Chai Guohan, Director of the Center, and heads of relevant departments participated in the exchange activities. At present, cooperation between the Center and the IAEA is continuously deepening. Since being designated by the IAEA in May 2023 as the world's first Collaborating Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, the Center has, relying on this platform, successfully hosted high-level activities such as the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Leadership Workshop, the ANSN Regional Workshop, and multiple international training sessions, with the platform's clustering and radiation effects becoming increasingly prominent. The Center has always been a trusted partner of the IAEA.

2026-09-11

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to Invest KRW 238.6 Billion in Dedicated Plant for Manufacturing Major SMR Equipment

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on September 10 that it will invest KRW 238.6 billion to build a dedicated plant for manufacturing major equipment for small modular reactors (SMRs). The plant will be built on the site of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan Shipyard, with the goal of commencing operations in 2029. SMRs are regarded as one of the next-generation nuclear power technologies. Compared with conventional nuclear power units, SMRs have lower output power, and their major equipment can be configured in a modular manner, combining features such as stable power supply and reduced carbon emissions. As AI data centers requiring round-the-clock, large-scale power supply increase rapidly, SMRs are attracting more attention. According to projections by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), by 2050, the global SMR market is expected to grow to 150G...

2026-09-10

Rosatom and Petrovietnam to Build Additive Manufacturing Center Together

The Fuel Division of Rosatom and Petrovietnam signed an agreement to jointly advance a project to build an additive manufacturing center in Vietnam. The document exchange ceremony was held on September 9, 2026. Under the agreement, the two sides defined the scope of equipment and the delivery schedule required to establish a fully functional 3D printing center in Vietnam. The project is intended to introduce 3D printing equipment produced by the Fuel Division of Rosatom, using selective laser melting and direct laser deposition technologies for the manufacture of metal parts. At the same time, the agreement also includes arrangements for the delivery of related Russian equipment for heat treatment, turning, laboratory analysis, and other purposes. The Vietnamese side stated...

2026-09-10

Rosatom Launches Full-Cycle Production of High-Purity Germanium Detectors

Rosatom announced on September 9 that its subsidiary enterprises have begun producing detectors made of high-purity germanium and have established a complete domestic technology chain in Russia, from deep purification of germanium raw materials and detector manufacturing to the assembly of spectrometers and measurement instruments. The final stage of this production chain is located at a new production facility of a plant under Rosatom's Automated Control Systems and Electrical Engineering Division. To meet the requirements for processing ultrapure materials, the facility has specially built a cleanroom compliant with ISO Class 8 standards to reduce contamination of germanium materials, improve product stability and extend equipment service life. High-purity germanium detectors are a key...

2026-09-10

Siemens Healthineers Completes PET Detector Manufacturing Expansion Project in Tennessee, USA

Siemens Healthineers recently completed the expansion and renovation project of its PET detector center in Rockford, Tennessee, USA, with a total investment of $43.6 million. The project aims to enhance PET detector manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand for PET/CT scanning equipment. The project added 40,000 square feet of building area to the existing 97,000-square-foot campus and renovated 7,500 square feet of existing space. The Rockford facility is Siemens Healthineers' only manufacturing site globally for producing PET detectors used in its PET/CT systems. The expansion includes 36,000 square feet of dedicated manufacturing space and a 4,000-square-foot expansion of R&D facilities; meanwhile, the company also renovated...

2026-09-10

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Advances 3D-Printed Nuclear Components Manufacturing and Certification

The US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is working with industry partners to advance the application of advanced manufacturing technologies, with a focus on heavy-duty 3D printing, AI-driven automated manufacturing, and digital qualification methods, to address issues such as unstable US industrial supply chains, shortages of skilled workers, and long lead times for large custom components. At an advanced manufacturing facility in Tennessee, ORNL demonstrated two large-scale 3D printing manufacturing cases for the nuclear energy sector. Among them, a three-arm robotic system called MedUSA printed a steel nuclear pressure vessel approximately 3 feet by 5 feet with complex dome geometry by guiding molten steel. Researchers said...

2026-09-10

Japan's GX investment expands nuclear power supply chain demand, 17 Korean nuclear power-related material and equipment suppliers visit Tokyo for business talks

On September 10, 2026, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced that, together with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Korea Nuclear Industry Association, it had dispatched the 2026 Smart Energy Week Climate Technology Market Exploration Delegation to Tokyo, Japan. The delegation consisted of 17 Korean suppliers of materials, parts, and equipment in the new energy and nuclear power sectors. KOTRA stated that the move aims to align with Japan's energy transition and growing electricity demand, and to support Korean suppliers in entering the local Japanese supply chain. The Korean delegation, together with the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association (JEMA) and RX Japan, jointly held a Japanese power equipment industry...

2026-09-10

Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan to Reconsider Literature Survey for Final Disposal Site of High-Level Radioactive Waste

The Hitachiota City Council in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door meeting on September 9 to hear council members' opinions on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's request for the city to conduct a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. After the meeting, sources said that two council members expressed support and two expressed opposition, and the city council failed to reach a consensus, deciding to hold another meeting on September 16 for discussion. The closed-door meeting was initiated by Hitachiota Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki, with the aim of providing reference for the city government to judge whether to accept the literature survey. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made the request to the city on August 31. Suzuki previously said he would "actively consider" conducting the literature survey and hoped...

2026-09-10

NRA Commissioner Inspects Radiation Management at Shimane Nuclear Power Station

Reiko Kanda, a Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan, visited Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, from September 7 to 8 to inspect radiation level management and on-site inspection work at the Shimane Nuclear Power Station. The NRA has a dedicated inspection team stationed at the Shimane Nuclear Power Station and conducts a related inspection once a year to confirm that resident inspectors can properly manage and monitor radiation levels. On September 8, the NRA inspected the emergency response center used by the nuclear power station in the event of a severe accident, focusing on confirming the inspectors' emergency response procedures. Reiko Kanda observed the inspection process on site. Reiko Kanda stated that the inspection work was carried out properly and that this inspection will serve as a reference for the NRA's future work.

2026-09-10

ITM and SpiroChem Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Novel Radiopharmaceutical Development

Garching/Munich, Germany and Basel, Switzerland, September 8, 2026 – Radiopharmaceutical biotechnology company ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE and Swiss collaborative research organization SpiroChem AG today announced a strategic drug discovery partnership focused on a novel radiopharmaceutical candidate within ITM's pipeline. The specific target and financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed. Under the agreement, the parties will combine their respective capabilities to advance candidate discovery and optimization. SpiroChem will leverage its drug discovery platform, macrocycle library, and screening engine to lead hit identification and optimization, while ITM will provide...

2026-09-09

Europe and Central Asia Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Radioactive Waste Management

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently stated that over the past two years it has trained more than 200 experts in Europe and Central Asia, supporting relevant countries in enhancing their safe radioactive waste management capabilities and developing long-term management strategies tailored to their national circumstances. IAEA representatives visited storage and disposal facilities in Lithuania to observe successful radioactive waste management practices firsthand. (F. Dragolici/IAEA) Radioactive waste originates from the application of nuclear technology in energy, medicine, industry, research, and other fields. Under safety management requirements, countries are responsible for the full lifecycle of radioactive waste, covering generation, characterization, treatment, conditioning, storage, and final disposal in licensed disposal facilities.

2026-09-09

South Korea Reassesses New Nuclear Power Plant Construction Amid Rising AI Electricity Demand

On September 8, South Korea's Minister of Climate and Energy Environment, Kim Sung-hwan, stated in an interview that due to the expansion of the artificial intelligence industry, South Korea's future electricity demand is expected to increase by 25 to 30 gigawatts. The government is reassessing the possibility of constructing new nuclear power plants and plans to announce the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand next month. Kim Sung-hwan said the aforementioned additional demand mainly stems from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix expanding semiconductor production, as well as the construction of new AI data centers. As internal combustion engine vehicles transition to electric vehicles and the scope of electric heating replacing gas heating expands, South Korea's overall electricity demand will continue to grow. The South Korean government...

2026-09-09

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant to Remain Offline Until at Least September 18 Due to Low Danube River Levels

On September 8, Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant was expected to remain offline until at least September 18 due to low water levels in the Danube River. Emil Macovei, Technical Director of Nuclearelectrica, the operator of the Cernavoda plant, stated that over the next 10 days, the Danube's water volume would still be insufficient to support the restart of either of the plant's two units. Romania's Antena 3 television channel quoted him as saying that current hydrological conditions do not yet meet the requirements for unit operation. Cristian Busoi, Secretary of State at Romania's Ministry of Energy, said that predictions regarding the plant's restart timeline were "rather optimistic," and the ministry is currently unable to provide a definitive date for resuming operations. He confirmed that...

2026-09-09

Yang Changli, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Group, Meets with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith and Standing Vice Chairman of the Lao-China Cooperation Committee Sengsadeth Sayasone

On September 7, Yang Changli, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Group Co., Ltd., met separately with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith and Sengsadeth Sayasone, Standing Vice Chairman of the Lao-China Cooperation Committee, at the CGN Tower in Shenzhen, conducting in-depth exchanges on deepening practical cooperation in energy, industry, agriculture, and people's livelihood. Prior to the meetings, Malaythong Kommasith and his delegation also visited and inspected the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Base. He Haibin, Chief Accountant of the Group, and Li Yilun, Vice President, attended relevant activities respectively. ▲Yang Changli meets with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith ▲Yang Changli meets with Standing Vice Chairman of the Lao-China Cooperation Committee Sengsadeth Sayasone...

2026-09-09