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Egypt plans to add two more units at El Dabaa nuclear power plant

Egypt is planning to add two more nuclear power units at the Dabaa nuclear power plant on its Mediterranean coast. Currently, four units provided by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) for the project are already under construction. Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, stated that the expansion plans will be discussed with Rosatom. According to Egyptian sources, no timeline has been set for the negotiations, and no final decision has been made on the expansion plan. The expansion concept is part of Egypt's efforts to increase the share of nuclear and renewable energy in power generation and reduce dependence on traditional fuels. Egypt is particularly seeking to reduce its reliance on natural gas. According to the U.S. Energy Information...

2026-08-20

Immersive environment launched in West Cumbria to support nuclear decommissioning

AtkinsRéalis has recently supported Sellafield Ltd in establishing a new immersive environment at the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration facility (RAICo1) in West Cumbria, UK, to support the planning, rehearsal, and execution of nuclear decommissioning work. The project was developed in partnership between Sellafield Ltd and immersive technology company Igloo Vision. The new Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo1) facility in West Cumbria (Image courtesy of Sellafield Ltd) The 360-degree visualisation environment can accommodate up to 10 users and can integrate remotely operated robotic systems, live data streams, and visual information within a single interactive space...

2026-08-20

CERN measures niobium-94 neutron capture for the first time, shedding new light on the mystery of molybdenum abundance in ancient stardust

The n_TOF collaboration at CERN recently reported that researchers have for the first time measured the probability of neutron capture by niobium-94. The results, published in Physical Review Letters, provide new experimental evidence for explaining the anomalous abundance of molybdenum-94 in presolar grains. The EAR2 facility in the n_TOF experiment at CERN produces intense neutron beams, opening new possibilities for nuclear research. Credit: CERN Niobium-94 is a niobium isotope containing 41 protons and 53 neutrons, occupying a critical juncture in the nuclear reaction chain that produces heavy elements in dying stars. Researchers are interested in it because niobium-94 is very close to molybdenum-94, differing by just one fewer proton and one more neutron. Under the high-temperature, high-pressure conditions inside stars, niobium-94 may either transform into molybdenum-94 through beta decay or form niobium-95 through neutron capture. The competition between these two reaction pathways directly affects scientists' understanding of the origin of molybdenum-94.

2026-08-20

Canada Approves Bruce Power Hot Cell Facility Operations, Strengthening Lutetium-177 Medical Isotope Supply Chain

Bruce Power has recently received approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to operate its on-site hot cell facility for target carrier removal (TCR) work, a critical step in the production process of the medical isotope lutetium-177 (Lu-177). Lu-177 is used in the treatment of prostate cancer and is increasingly applied in targeted therapies for precision medicine. Under the approval, Bruce Power can perform the relevant processing steps on site, further streamlining the isotope production process, reducing transportation requirements, while helping to enhance operational safety, lower emissions, and strengthen Ontario's capabilities in the global medical isotope supply chain. The hot cell facility was completed earlier this year...

2026-08-20

Unit 3 of France's Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant Reconnected to Grid, Unit 4 Remains Shut Down

According to EDF on August 18, Unit 3 of the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant in northern France was reconnected to the national grid at 3:55 a.m. local time on August 18. The unit had been automatically shut down at 7:43 p.m. on August 10 in accordance with established safety protection procedures due to a large influx of jellyfish into the seawater pump station filtration system. The Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant has a total of six units. On August 10, a large number of jellyfish entered the pump station used to draw seawater for cooling nuclear facilities, affecting equipment such as pre-filters and filter drums. In accordance with operating procedures, Units 3 and 4 were automatically shut down; the operating team also shut down Unit 2 and reduced Unit 1's power to 50% to adapt to changing site conditions. Unit 5 was...

2026-08-20

Slovenia's Krško Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Full Power Operation

On the evening of August 18, 2026, as meteorological conditions further improved, temperatures dropped, and river water temperatures declined, the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) increased reactor power to 100%, resuming full-load operation. During full-power operation, the plant will keep the entire cooling tower system in service to ensure compliance with relevant environmental limits and reduce the need for water withdrawal from the Sava River for cooling the plant's tertiary circuit. Previously, due to environmental restrictions related to the Sava River, the Krško Nuclear Power Plant reduced unit power to 80% on August 6, 2026. On August 14, following preliminary improvements in meteorological conditions, plant power was increased to 90%. Under the special operating conditions of this summer, when...

2026-08-20

South Korea's Woori Technology Wins Supply Contract for Control Systems for Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4

Woori Technology announced on August 20 that it has signed a supply contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to provide equipment and technical support for the Plant Monitoring System (PMS) facility improvement project for Units 3 and 4 of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant. According to the disclosed information, the contract amount is KRW 8.4726 billion, approximately KRW 8.5 billion, excluding value-added tax, accounting for 9.72% of Woori Technology's consolidated sales in 2025. The contract period runs from August 19, 2026 to February 21, 2028, with sales and supply limited to South Korea, and the supply method is in-house production. Under the contract arrangement, Woori Technology will...

2026-08-20

Wiley Launches Spectroscopy Analysis API Portfolio in the U.S., Enabling Rapid Identification of Unknown Compounds

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Wiley recently announced the launch of its spectroscopy analysis Application Programming Interface (API) portfolio, opening its spectral data, analytical algorithms, and predictive models to laboratories, instrument vendors, and software platforms to help users identify and verify unknown compounds faster within their own workflows. According to the company, Wiley has long been building scientific reference databases, with its spectral data applied across pharmaceuticals, forensics, environmental science, chemistry, food, and materials. The newly launched API portfolio aims to integrate these databases and analytical tools into more modern software environments, enabling laboratories to incorporate high-quality spectral information directly into existing...

2026-08-20

Firefly Aerospace to Fly Zeno Power Radioisotope Heater to Validate Lunar Night Survival Capability

Firefly Aerospace announced on August 19 that it has reached a commercial payload agreement with Zeno Power Systems to carry Zeno's Lunar Night Survival Package and radioisotope heater unit on a Blue Ghost lunar lander mission. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2028 and aims to verify whether the relevant nuclear power technologies can help spacecraft, lunar infrastructure, and future lunar base systems continue operating through the long, extremely cold lunar night environment. *Rendering of Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander with Zeno Power's Lunar Night Survival Package on its top deck. Under the plan, Zeno's payload will travel with Blue Ghost to the lunar nearside...

2026-08-20

NRC Initiates Pre-Application Review of Terra Innovatum's SOLO Construction Permit Application

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has initiated the first phase of its readiness review of selected materials from the proposed construction permit application (CPA) for the SOLO micro modular reactor submitted by Terra Innovatum Global NV. This review is a limited-scope pre-application assessment designed to help the applicant identify potential information gaps, technical issues, or policy concerns early in the process. According to the schedule published by the NRC, Terra Innovatum requested a two-phase readiness review of its proposed construction permit application on July 20, 2026. The NRC subsequently developed a review plan, and the first phase began on August 10, 2026, through a kickoff meeting...

2026-08-20

Japan's regulator says steam leak at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 was "avoidable"

On August 19, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) released the results of its nuclear regulatory inspections for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, determining that the steam leak incident at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co., in May this year was "foreseeable within a reasonable range" and that the associated losses "could have been avoided." The incident occurred in the high-pressure turbine area of Mihama Unit 3. A small hole approximately 8 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide appeared in the metal cover atop the high-pressure turbine casing, causing a steam leak that forced a manual reactor shutdown. In its assessment, the NRA concluded that the event was foreseeable and could have been prevented through appropriate management or maintenance measures. However, since no pipe rupture or fire occurred between the onset of the steam leak and the reactor shutdown, the NRA rated the significance and severity of the incident at the lowest of four levels.

2026-08-20

Trial lifting of damaged fuel assembly completed at Unit 2 of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on August 18 that a trial lifting of a damaged fuel assembly in the spent fuel pool of Unit 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has been completed. The assembly was damaged in a fall 45 years ago and was subsequently repaired with wire. This trial lifting was conducted to confirm whether it can be safely handled during the subsequent removal operation. A total of 615 fuel assemblies are stored in the Unit 2 fuel pool, including 587 spent fuel assemblies and 28 unused fuel assemblies. The removal work began on June 2, and the fuel assemblies will be transferred to the shared fuel pool within the plant site. As of August 17, 35 fuel assemblies had been removed. Despite interruptions during the operation, Tokyo Electric Power Company...

2026-08-20

Eight economic organizations in Hokkaido urge early restart of Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 and electricity price reduction

On August 19, eight economic organizations in Hokkaido, including the Hokkaido Economic Federation, submitted a request to Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO), urging the company to promote the early restart of Unit 3 at the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant and to reduce electricity prices as soon as possible after restart, while ensuring that safety measures are given priority. On the same day, Hiroshi Fujii, Chairman of the Hokkaido Economic Federation and Chairman of Hokkaido Electric Power Company, and Mitsuharu Yasuda, Chairman of the Hokkaido Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Hokuyo Bank, along with other heads of economic organizations, visited HEPCO's headquarters in Sapporo and presented the request to HEPCO President Susumu Saito. The request states that the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant is of great significance for Hokkaido's economic growth and decarbonization efforts...

2026-08-20

CGN's "Summit Plan" Hydrogen Purity Control Technology for Nuclear Power Promoted at Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Base

Recently, the promotion meeting for key scientific research achievements under CGN's Summit Plan was held at the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Base. Experts from CGN and CNNC nuclear power bases, research institutes, and equipment manufacturers gathered at Hongyanhe to conduct technical exchanges and achievement validation and promotion. Wang Wenfeng, member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of the company, attended the meeting. The key technology promoted this time is the innovative hydrogen purity control technology for nuclear power half-speed turbogenerators, which can significantly reduce generator windage and friction losses, lower hydrogen consumable consumption, and eliminate the risk of high-frequency purification operations on units. Based on operational data calculations, the annual comprehensive benefit per unit exceeds 2.6 million yuan, saving 2,100 man-hours, achieving comprehensive improvements in safety, cost, and operation and maintenance efficiency...

2026-08-20

CNNC Xiyi Waste Barrel Storage Well Grinding Robot Completes On-Site Testing

Recently, the waste barrel storage well grinding robot developed by CNNC Xiyi officially completed on-site testing in the grinding project of the process BOP (three wastes) storage wells of Units 3 and 4 at Xudabao, marking a substantial breakthrough in the field of automated construction in confined deep-well spaces within the nuclear industry. Waste barrel storage wells feature great depth, small openings, high verticality requirements, and high dust concentrations. Traditional manual grinding requires multiple workers to take turns entering the confined space, resulting in long construction cycles and high risks. The grinding robot developed by CNNC Xiyi is equipped with an XYZ three-axis movement mechanism and a multi-degree-of-freedom motion system with R rotation and W width adjustment, covering a working width of 12 meters with a maximum grinding depth of 5 meters, applicable to the construction of standard waste barrel storage wells across various reactor types...

2026-08-20