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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

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

Russian personnel to participate in routine maintenance of Unit 1 at Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev stated during the Eastern Economic Forum that Russian personnel plan to participate in the routine preventive maintenance work at Unit 1 of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled to begin in mid-September. Likhachev said another group of workers has already arrived at the Unit 1 site of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclear fuel for replacing some fuel assemblies has also been delivered to Iran. In addition to participating in the construction of Units 2 and 3 at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Russian personnel will also provide services for the operating unit. According to him, 45 Rosatom employees are currently working at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, with another...

2026-09-03

Uzbekistan Proposes Joint Venture to Manage Nuclear Power Plant Construction Project

The press service of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that Uzbekistan has proposed establishing a joint venture to manage the construction of a domestic nuclear power plant with the participation of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom). On September 2, Mirziyoyev was briefed on the progress of the comprehensive nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region and the construction of a supporting modern satellite city. According to the relevant arrangements, to improve project management, strengthen technical control, and conduct independent reviews of technical solutions, Uzbekistan plans to establish a joint venture in cooperation with leading foreign engineering companies. The statement also noted that the project will promote the alignment of relevant standards with Uzbekistan's national system, with plans to introduce approximately 100...

2026-09-03

Qinshan Nuclear Power Completes Overhaul Validation of Grille Cleaning Robotic Arm

The grille cleaning robotic arm, an integrated system of UAV-based intelligent inspection and robotic arm automatic cleaning independently developed by the Mechanical Team of the Fourth Maintenance Division at Qinshan Nuclear Power, recently completed on-site validation during the Unit 2 312 overhaul at Qinshan Phase II. Designed for seawater system intake grille cleaning scenarios, this equipment transforms the original manual operation requiring entry into deep wells into an unmanned operation conducted under ground-based remote monitoring. The intake grille serves as a critical barrier for the cooling water system of a nuclear power plant, and its unobstructed condition is directly related to the stable operation of the unit. In traditional cleaning methods, workers were required to enter narrow shafts more than twenty meters underground to perform inspection and cleaning in confined spaces, which involved high labor intensity, low efficiency, and safety risks such as falls from height...

2026-09-03

Chinese Research Team Develops Novel Adsorbent Material for Uranium Extraction from Seawater

On September 2, it was learned from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as "QIBEBT") that the research team has recently made a series of advances in the field of uranium extraction materials from seawater. The team introduced discrete molecular topological design into porous organic cage systems for the first time, synthesizing the phosphate-functionalized material PhosCage, and further compounded it with aramid nanofibers to prepare composite aerogel microspheres AC-POC possessing high selectivity, high capacity, and anti-biofouling capability. The relevant results were published in the international academic journals Journal of Hazardous Materials and Separation and Purification Technology. The deep ocean harbors a vast uranium reservoir, but how to economically and efficiently extract uranium from it remains...

2026-09-03

Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Unit 3 Completes Lifting of Reactor Cavity Pool Wall Module

According to CGNPC Huizhou Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., the reactor cavity pool wall module of Unit 3 at the CGN Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Project was recently successfully lifted, creating conditions for the advancement of subsequent engineering construction. The reactor cavity pool wall is a key stainless steel cladding structure within the reactor building and serves as an important safety cooling barrier for the reactor. Following the completion of this lifting, phased progress has been achieved in the construction of key structures related to the reactor building of Unit 3, laying the foundation for the safe operation of the unit after it is put into service...

2026-09-03

Chornobyl NPP Advances Phase 2 of Decommissioning

The decommissioning of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) is currently in the second of four phases, with the primary task being the final shutdown and decommissioning preparation of Reactors 1, 2, and 3. To date, ChNPP staff are advancing on-site preparation work within the protected area of the first-stage units. Among these, site preparation for Unit 2 is 94% complete, while Unit 1 stands at 44%. Related work includes dismantling systems and components within the protected area, removing thermal insulation and combustible materials, stripping electrical, signal, and control cables, and sealing wall penetrations, mounting holes, and process openings at the boundary between the protected and controlled areas, as well as installing fire-resistant panels and fire barriers on wall openings and ventilation ducts within the protected area.

2026-09-02

New Monitoring Well Characterizes Hexavalent Chromium Plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico — The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office continues to advance characterization efforts for the hexavalent chromium plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory to inform future remediation alternative selection. According to reports, its legacy cleanup contractor, Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos LLC, has completed drilling of a new groundwater monitoring well. Designated R-80, the well reaches approximately 1,030 feet below ground surface and will be used to further characterize the northeastern extent of the hexavalent chromium plume and evaluate different remediation alternatives. Completion of this monitoring well also marks the achievement of a Fiscal Year 2026 consent order milestone for the hexavalent chromium remediation project...

2026-09-02

Demolition Begins on Contaminated Buildings in Isotope Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Oak Ridge Environmental Management Office in Tennessee recently initiated demolition of a group of highly contaminated buildings in the Isotope Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Located in the laboratory's central campus, this area is considered one of the more challenging sites in the local cleanup effort. The Isotope Area comprises 10 facilities, constructed between the late 1940s and early 1960s, which once served the laboratory's isotope program. These facilities were used for decades in the production, processing, and research of chemical elements for medical, industrial, and scientific applications. As the laboratory evolved, the facilities were taken out of service in the early 1990s but remained standing. According to reports, the area retains contaminated...

2026-09-02

LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment Reports Anomalous Event in Dark Matter Search, More Data Needed for Verification

On September 1, the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter direct detection experiment released a new analysis result: researchers recorded a single-particle interaction event in the data whose characteristics could be interpreted as a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) signal, but the current evidence is insufficient to confirm a dark matter discovery. The LUX-ZEPLIN main detector is shown in a surface laboratory before being installed underground. (Matthew Kapust/Sanford Underground Research Facility) The LZ experiment involves approximately 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions, with the detector located nearly one mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, USA, and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National...

2026-09-02

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

Ukraine's Energoatom Supervisory Board Visits Rivne Nuclear Power Plant

From August 25 to 28, the Supervisory Board of Ukraine's National Nuclear Energy Generating Company (Energoatom) conducted a four-day working visit in Ukraine and inspected the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant. During the visit, the Supervisory Board held meetings with Ukrainian government officials, parliament members, G7 ambassadors, and relevant stakeholders, focusing on the follow-up implementation of corporate governance reforms. The Energoatom Supervisory Board commended the company's preparations for winter operations. Supervisory Board Chair Luminita Vercell stated that Energoatom holds significant strategic importance both now and in the future. She noted that the company has developed a comprehensive winter response plan, with some planned outage maintenance work already completed; upon completion of relevant repairs, the company will be ready for autumn-winter operations. Energoatom has also procured critical spare parts and organized additional emergency preparedness training for its employees.

2026-09-02

U.S. to Conduct Underwater Neutrino Detection Tests in Lake Superior and Vermilion Lake

From October 2026 to approximately April 2027, a team of researchers from U.S. universities and government agencies will conduct underwater neutrino tests in Lake Superior and Vermilion Lake. The project, named the Experimental Neutrino Detector (END), aims to validate a baseline detection system in natural water bodies to identify the NuMI neutrino beam produced by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and distinguish it from cosmic-ray backgrounds and other noise in shallow-water environments. END will place underwater neutrino detectors on the lakebed of Lake Superior where the Fermilab neutrino beamline passes through—near Two Harbors, Minnesota. The beamline will continue toward...

2026-09-02

Hiconics Signs Contract for Main Helium Circulator Variable Frequency Drive Project at Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Generation Plant

Recently, Hiconics signed a contract for the main helium circulator variable frequency drive (VFD) project for the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) at the Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant, and will supply multiple sets of HC2000W four-quadrant water-cooled high-voltage VFDs for the project. This marks the second application of Hiconics' VFD technology in drive scenarios for key equipment related to Generation IV nuclear power, following the HTGR demonstration project at Huaneng Shandong Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant. The Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Generation Project is a comprehensive nuclear energy utilization project that adopts a coordinated operation model of "nuclear reactor – turbine generator unit – heating system," focusing primarily on industrial heating while also supplying electricity. Phase I of the project plans to construct two Hualong One pressurized water reactors and one HTR-PM600S high-temperature gas-cooled reactor...

2026-09-02