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Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 Expected to Begin Power Generation by End of Year

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated on August 4 that Unit 1 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is planned to begin power generation by the end of this year. Bayraktar said that the startup process for the plant's first reactor is being accelerated, with Turkish and Russian sides concentrating efforts to advance related work, aiming to complete preparations and initiate trial power generation before year-end. He also noted that approximately 2,000 tests need to be completed before the plant goes into operation. Currently, these testing activities are underway...

2026-08-05

Krško Nuclear Power Plant Operates at Full Capacity; Low Sava River Water Level May Affect Unit Output

Slovenia's Krško Nuclear Power Plant continues to operate at full capacity, but due to low water levels and elevated water temperatures in the nearby Sava River, a reduction in reactor power cannot be ruled out in the future. The plant stated that it is utilizing its cooling tower system and operating in compliance with environmental restrictions related to the Sava River. Due to insufficient recent precipitation, the Sava River's water level remains low, and river water temperatures are also staying in a higher range. Plant management also noted that increased cooling demands have already had a certain impact on the unit's power generation efficiency. Krško Nuclear Power Plant has notified relevant authorities in Slovenia and Croatia that if environmental restrictions are further tightened, it may be necessary to...

2026-08-05

Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Completes Fuel Replacement and Installs Containment Vessel Head

Chugoku Electric Power Co. on August 4 disclosed the installation work of the containment vessel head for Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant. The unit is currently undergoing periodic inspection, with major procedures such as nuclear fuel replacement already completed. Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant, located in Matsue City, Japan, was restarted two years ago. Chugoku Electric Power Co. halted the unit's operation in February this year and has been conducting periodic inspections as scheduled. To date, all 560 nuclear fuel assemblies in the unit have been removed, and safety confirmation of the reactor core has been completed. Approximately 120 of these fuel assemblies were replaced with new nuclear fuel assemblies, followed by the phase of resetting related equipment and confirming seal integrity...

2026-08-05

Finland's Olkiluoto Spent Nuclear Fuel Final Disposal Facility Passes Regulatory Safety Assessment

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) released a safety assessment report on August 4, concluding that Posiva's spent nuclear fuel encapsulation plant and final disposal facility at Olkiluoto, Finland, meets the safety requirements for an operating license. This conclusion brings the project, regarded as the world's first industrial-scale geological final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel, one step closer to obtaining government approval for operation. The facility is located on Olkiluoto Island in the municipality of Eurajoki, southwestern Finland, and is designed to dispose of spent nuclear fuel generated by the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant units of Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) and the Loviisa nuclear power plant units of Fortum. Posiva submitted its operating license application in December 2021...

2026-08-05

Approximately 13,000 liters of water found in Unit 3 of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant; Chubu Electric continues investigation into data falsification

Japan's Chubu Electric Power announced on August 4 that water accumulation totaling approximately 13,000 liters was found in the turbine building and related areas of Unit 3 at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant. The company stated that the accumulated water contains no radioactive substances and is currently investigating the specific cause. According to Chubu Electric Power, at around 11:00 a.m. on the 4th, a worker from a partner company discovered approximately 5 liters of water in a passageway on the northwest side of the first basement floor of the turbine building adjacent to the reactor building of Unit 3. Subsequently, company personnel continued on-site inspections and confirmed at around 3:00 p.m. the same day that approximately 13,000...

2026-08-05

South Korea Designates SMR and MMR as National Strategic Technologies; South Gyeongsang Province Says It Will Promote Transition of Nuclear Power Companies

South Gyeongsang Province said on August 4 that it welcomes the South Korean government's designation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Micro Modular Reactors (MMR) as national strategic technologies in the 2026 tax reform plan. Under the relevant arrangement, the South Korean government will revise the Special Tax Treatment Control Act and its enforcement decree to include industries related to small modular reactors of 300 MW or less and micro modular reactors of 20 to 30 MW class within the scope of national strategic technologies. Going forward, companies conducting R&D on SMR and MMR technologies or investing in related facilities will be eligible for higher tax credits for R&D and facility investment. South Gyeongsang Province believes that this policy will provide an opportunity for local nuclear power companies to transition into the SMR...

2026-08-05

Lifting Task of Large Storage Tanks in Cryogenic System Tank Area of HL-3 Upgrade Project Successfully Completed

On August 4, the lifting task of large storage tanks in the cryogenic system tank area of the HL-3 upgrade project, undertaken by the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP), was successfully completed. After two days and one night of continuous efforts, a total of 14 large storage tanks were precisely positioned, including 6 medium-pressure high-purity helium storage tanks of 100 cubic meters each, 2 cryogenic liquid nitrogen storage tanks of 100 cubic meters each, and 6 auxiliary helium storage tanks, with a total lifting tonnage exceeding 200 tons. The achievement of this key milestone marks significant phased progress in the installation of cryogenic system equipment. Once the cryogenic system is completed, it will provide stable and reliable cooling capacity for the neutral beam injection system and the toroidal cryopumps of the HL-3 device, effectively enhancing the neutral beam injection efficiency and...

2026-08-05

WANO Peer Review Successfully Conducted for Hainan Nuclear Power Units 1 and 2

From July 13 to 31, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) conducted a three-week operational peer review of Hainan Nuclear Power Units 1 and 2. The review involved 22 industry experts from 5 countries and regions, who carried out a comprehensive and systematic assessment of Hainan Nuclear Power across ten core areas including organizational management, operations, maintenance, and technology, through various methods such as on-site observations, personnel interviews, and document reviews. In addition, the expert team conducted a special evaluation of the plant's nuclear safety culture status and the implementation of Significant Operating Experience Reports (SOER). At the review summary meeting, the review team announced the assessment results and provided professional recommendations for the plant's continuous improvement. ...

2026-08-05

Cold Functional Test of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 8 Successfully Completed

On August 3, the cold functional test (hereinafter referred to as the "cold test") of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 8, constructed by China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Co., Ltd. (CNI23), was successfully completed, marking the official transition of the unit from the engineering installation phase to the system commissioning and testing phase, laying a solid foundation for subsequent hot functional test, reactor fuel loading, and grid connection. The cold test is the first comprehensive commissioning test after a nuclear power unit enters the system commissioning phase and is one of the important milestone nodes in nuclear power plant engineering construction. Its main purpose is to verify the integrity and leak-tightness of the pressure boundary, including primary loop pipeline welds, equipment, and high-pressure sections of connected systems, comprehensively inspect on-site installation quality, and precisely identify potential hazards. It serves as the first comprehensive and systematic "physical examination" of the reactor before its operation.

2026-08-05

BWXT to Sell Medical Business to Nordic Capital for Up to $800 Million

On August 3, BWX Technologies, Inc. announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its medical business to healthcare investment company Nordic Capital. The transaction is valued at up to $800 million and includes BWXT Medical and the stable medical isotope business of Kinectrics. BWXT stated that the divestiture will help the company concentrate resources and capital to drive growth in its core nuclear national security business and commercial nuclear power market operations. The company believes these areas are its long-term strategic priorities. Under Nordic Capital's ownership, the medical business is expected to further expand its scale, enhance capabilities, and strengthen its position in the radiopharmaceutical field...

2026-08-04

Curium and Lantheus Reach Definitive Merger Agreement to Build a Global Integrated Radiopharmaceutical Theranostics Platform

On August 3, global radiopharmaceutical company Curium announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Lantheus Holdings, Inc. Under the agreement, Curium US Holdings LLC will merge with Lantheus through its wholly owned subsidiary, with a total consideration of up to $114.50 per share and a total transaction value of approximately $8 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Curium US will acquire all outstanding shares of Lantheus at $102.50 per share in cash upon closing of the transaction. In addition, Lantheus shareholders will receive non-transferable contingent value rights, entitling them to up to $12.00 per share in additional cash payments if certain commercial milestones for Lantheus-related products are achieved by 2030...

2026-08-04

Unit 2 of Kola NPP begins 30-day scheduled preventive maintenance

On August 2, 2026, Unit 2 of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant launched scheduled preventive maintenance (SPM) incorporating modernization elements, expected to last approximately 30 days. During this mid-cycle overhaul, specialists will carry out extensive work on critical equipment. In the reactor shop, major repairs will be performed on part of the steam generators, main circulation pumps, and primary circuit piping. Plans also include disassembly and reassembly of the reactor plant, nuclear fuel replacement, and repair of the reactor internals and safety system equipment. In the turbine shop, turbine units, turbogenerators, circulation pumps, low-pressure heaters, and separators-superheaters will be repaired. On the electrical side, transformers and diesel generators will undergo maintenance. Additionally, upgrades are planned for the automatic chemical control system of the primary coolant and the DC power distribution panels for the entire station and individual units.

2026-08-04

Dominion Energy Renews Early Site Permit for North Anna Nuclear Plant

Dominion Energy Virginia is taking steps to renew the early site permit for its North Anna nuclear power plant, originally issued in 2007. Located in Louisa County, the North Anna plant currently operates two reactors. The company submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on July 14, seeking to extend the early site permit for a period of 20 years, or 20 years from the date of issuance, whichever is later. The NRC has formally acknowledged receipt of the request and is reviewing it for docketing acceptance. An early site permit is an optional process through which the NRC can confirm whether a site is suitable for a new nuclear power plant; obtaining such a permit can reduce risks of delays during the licensing and construction process...

2026-08-04

Russian Researchers Develop High-Wear-Resistant Steel Sample for Nuclear Waste Processing

Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) recently announced that Russian researchers have developed a steel sample with reinforcing elements. Experimental results show that the durability of this material is approximately 4 times that of 5KhNM tool steel currently used in nuclear power plant waste processing equipment. The research focuses on improving precipitation hardening steel structures. Precipitation hardening steel is a special class of alloy material that, after quenching and holding at specific temperatures, precipitates fine, hard particles within the steel, thereby enhancing strength and wear resistance. The researchers aim to replace existing 5KhNM tool steel with new high-strength alloys...

2026-08-04

Carbon isotope analysis reveals: Canadian Arctic seabed sediments can sequester part of permafrost organic carbon

News dated August 3, 2026: Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen conducted a study on permafrost coasts near Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk) in Canada, finding that not all terrestrial organic carbon released by Arctic permafrost thaw and coastal erosion enters the atmosphere—a significant portion is instead stored in seabed sediments. The findings have been published in the journal *Nature Geoscience*. Arctic terrestrial permafrost ecosystems store approximately 130 billion tons of carbon from organic sources such as plant debris, while marine and river delta sediments contain an additional 40 billion tons. As Arctic warming accelerates...

2026-08-04