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Radiation detector malfunction at Unit 2 of Japan's Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant causes hundreds of abnormal reading fluctuations

Tohoku Electric Power Company of Japan announced on August 6 that a detection equipment malfunction occurred at Unit 2 of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant, located in Onagawa Town and Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. The issue involved detectors used to measure radiation levels in the main steam lines, which transport steam generated by the reactor to the turbine. Among the four detectors, one displayed readings in the central control room that surged and dropped sharply, repeating hundreds of times. Based on publicly available information, Tohoku Electric has classified this incident as a detector malfunction rather than an abnormal release of radioactive materials or a sudden change in reactor operating conditions. The company stated that the situation does not constitute a problem under security regulations, meaning that from...

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

Canadian Nuclear Waste Management Organization Publishes Final Design for Centre of Expertise in Ontario

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has published the final design for its Centre of Expertise, to be located in the Township of Ignace, Ontario. Ignace is one of the host communities for Canada's deep geological repository project for used nuclear fuel. With an investment of approximately CAD 50 million and expected to open in 2028, the centre is positioned as a key platform supporting the construction and long-term operation of the repository. According to the NWMO, the Centre of Expertise design incorporates input from the local community and will feature flexible multi-purpose spaces, educational areas, public viewing galleries, interactive exhibits, and learning zones, while emphasizing integration with the natural environment and a location that facilitates connection to community amenities...

2026-08-07

Drought Lowers Danube Water Levels, Romania Plans to Restrict Industrial Power Use if Necessary

Romania's Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said after a cabinet meeting on August 6 that the government has developed a comprehensive risk prevention plan covering multiple risk scenarios, including earthquakes, public health events, and the current drought, with corresponding response measures clearly defined. Under the plan, Romania will establish a national operations center in the energy sector. Bolojan stated that the government will approve on August 7 measures by Transelectrica to take action when necessary: with 24 hours' prior notice, certain industrial users may be disconnected from the national grid. He also emphasized that power supply to ordinary citizens, apartments, and residential users will not be...

2026-08-07

Türkiye plans to commission subsequent Akkuyu nuclear power plant units at one-year intervals

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on August 6 that Türkiye plans to commission subsequent units of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) at one-year intervals after the first unit goes into operation. Bayraktar stated that Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP is scheduled to begin generating electricity by the end of the year, with work on the first reactor's commissioning currently progressing at full speed. According to Türkiye's plan, after Unit 1 enters service, the remaining units will successively enter the commissioning phase. The Akkuyu NPP is Türkiye's first nuclear power plant, constructed by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom). The project plans four units, all using Russia-designed Generation III+...

2026-08-07

South Korea to Investigate Seawater Radioactivity Levels Along Maritime Transport Routes for Radioactive Waste

The Korea Atomic Energy Environment Corporation (KAEEC) will conduct an investigation this year into seawater radioactivity levels along the maritime transport routes for radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, in order to assess the radiological environmental impact during the transport of radioactive waste to the Gyeongju low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility. According to information released on August 6 by the Korea National Electronic Procurement System, KAEEC recently published a public notice regarding radiation analysis services for seawater samples collected along the maritime transport routes for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. Once the contractor is selected, the investigation is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Under the arrangement, KAEEC will conduct three maritime transport operations of radioactive waste this year, one each from the Gori, Hanul, and Hanbit nuclear power plants to the Gyeongju disposal facility...

2026-08-07

KHNP's Comprehensive Nuclear Power Plant Maintenance Qualification System Recognized by South Korean Government

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) announced on August 7 that its comprehensive nuclear power plant maintenance qualification system has received government recognition from the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, an affiliate of South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor. The system is primarily designed for nuclear power plant maintenance positions, aiming to enhance the professional knowledge and on-site technical capabilities of practitioners. Government recognition refers to the formal confirmation by the government of a qualification certification system used within a company to improve employee skills. KHNP believes this signifies that the objectivity and credibility of its qualification assessments have been recognized at the national level, contributing to...

2026-08-07

Oklo's Groves Isotope Test Reactor Achieves First Criticality

Oklo, a U.S. advanced nuclear technology company, announced on August 6 that its Groves Isotope Test Reactor has achieved a controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at low power, reaching first criticality. This milestone comes less than a year after the project broke ground. Groves Isotope Test Reactor facility (Image: Groves) The Groves low-power test reactor, located in Lockhart, Texas, is the first reactor to achieve criticality on private land under the U.S. Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program. According to Oklo, the facility was built from undeveloped land, completing civil excavation, engineering construction, component fabrication or procurement, fuel configuration, and...

2026-08-07

Unit 2 of Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Resumes Grid Connection

According to the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 2 of the station was reconnected to the grid on August 4. The plant stated that after completing diagnostic testing of the electrical equipment of Unit 2, the unit was put into operation and reached rated operating parameters. Previously, Unit 2 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected from the grid at the end of July.

2026-08-07

Huaneng Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 Secondary Loop Combined Hydrostatic Test Successfully Completed

At 04:29 on August 6, 2026, witnessed jointly by Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Company and all participating construction units, the secondary loop combined hydrostatic test of Unit 4 was completed, laying a solid critical prerequisite foundation for the comprehensive implementation of subsequent cold functional tests of the unit. Hydrostatic test curve diagram The secondary loop hydrostatic test is the core critical test following the blasting purging process in the unit's secondary loop system, and constitutes a mandatory acceptance procedure during the construction and installation phase of the Hualong One nuclear power unit. The test primarily targets the steam generator secondary side system, main steam pipelines, feedwater system, auxiliary valves, supports and hangers, and all associated piping, comprehensively verifying the overall structural pressure resistance, weld and flange sealing performance, and...

2026-08-07

Ministry of Ecology and Environment's North China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Holds Regular Dialogue Meeting with Jiangsu Nuclear Power

Recently, the North China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the North China Regional Office) organized the first regular dialogue meeting of 2026 with Jiangsu Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Jiangsu Nuclear Power), focusing on exchanges regarding nuclear safety supervision, significant anomalies, construction, and operation management at Tianwan Nuclear Power Station. Representatives from the East China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and CNNC Suneng Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. attended the meeting. The North China Regional Office heard reports from Jiangsu Nuclear Power on the operation and construction status of units at Tianwan Nuclear Power Station in the first half of 2026, as well as the implementation of daily supervision and management requirements from the North China Regional Office, and was briefed on recent on-site supervision work at Tianwan Nuclear Power Station...

2026-08-06

IAEA Supports Nicaragua in Enhancing Agricultural Health and Food Security through Nuclear Technology

The Nicaraguan Institute for Agricultural Protection and Health (IPSA) recently hosted an official visit from Raúl Ramírez García, Director of the Technical Cooperation Division for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The meeting, chaired by IPSA Executive Director Ricardo Somarriba Reyes, focused on agricultural health, food safety, and the application of nuclear science and technology in agriculture. During the working session, both parties reaffirmed Nicaragua's continued participation in national and regional cooperation projects as a member of the Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL). The core objective of such projects is to...

2026-07-09

60th Anniversary of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre: Nuclear Techniques Continue to Serve Global Agriculture and Food Safety

In 2024, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture marks its 60th anniversary. Established in 1964 through a partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Centre primarily promotes the application of nuclear science and related technologies in food security, agricultural production, and sustainable environmental development. Over the past 60 years, the Joint Centre has carried out work in areas including pest control, plant breeding and genetics, soil and water management, animal production and health, and food safety and quality control. Its Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories have long undertaken tasks in technology development, capacity building, and technology transfer,...

2024-12-27

Nuclear science helps reduce global food spoilage and waste

On April 10, 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency introduced several applications of nuclear science in reducing food spoilage and food waste. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 1 billion tonnes of edible food are wasted globally each year, accounting for about one-fifth of the total food available to consumers. Of this, 13.2% of food is lost before reaching the retail stage, valued at approximately $400 billion; another 19% is wasted at the retail and consumption stages due to spoilage and other reasons. Food loss not only means wasted resource consumption but also exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The International Atomic Energy Agency, through the Food and Agriculture Organization...

2026-04-10

FAO and IAEA: Nuclear Technologies Are Enhancing Agricultural Production and Food Security

On March 30, 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency presented multiple applications of nuclear technologies in agriculture and food security. The two organizations have collaborated for over 50 years in knowledge sharing and capacity building, further strengthening their partnership through the establishment of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. In the field of animal health, nuclear technologies are used for the detection, control, and prevention of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses. Belize previously had to send animal disease testing samples to overseas laboratories; with support from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority established a molecular diagnostic laboratory for animal health and adopted real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing technology. This method can detect animal diseases within 24 hours, helping frontline personnel take rapid prevention and control measures. Recently, the laboratory has also been used to assist in human COVID-19 testing, reflecting the "One Health" concept that animal, human, plant, and environmental health are interconnected.

2021-03-30