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Ghana Says Nuclear Energy Key to Meeting Future Electricity Demand

Ghana's Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, stated that Ghana will diversify its energy mix through nuclear power development, providing affordable, reliable, and low-carbon electricity for industrialization and economic growth. Speaking recently at the opening ceremony of the third U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit in Accra, Jinapor said that Ghana's electricity demand continues to grow, hydropower development potential is becoming limited, and thermal power generation costs are relatively high, prompting the country to explore other affordable energy options, including nuclear energy. The summit's theme was "Building and Sustaining Africa's Nuclear Workforce." He noted that when the Akosombo Dam was first completed, Ghana's peak electricity demand was approximately 300 megawatts, while the dam's generating capacity exceeded 1,000 megawatts; currently, Ghana's peak electricity demand has risen to about 4,500 megawatts. Rising thermal power generation costs have pushed up overall energy costs, making energy mix diversification a practical necessity.

2026-08-24

Xu Dabao Nuclear Power Plant Completes On-Site Comprehensive Emergency Exercise Before First Fuel Loading of Unit 3

On August 20, Liaoning Nuclear Power conducted an on-site comprehensive emergency exercise before the first fuel loading of Unit 3, honing nuclear emergency response capabilities through practical drills. The exercise was carried out under the full guidance and supervision of the Northeast Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, with a total of over 300 participants from Liaoning Nuclear Power, the supervision company, the general contractor, and various construction units. The exercise successively completed responses across all emergency preparedness levels, including emergency standby, building emergency, site area emergency, and off-site emergency, with plant recovery efforts initiated during the emergency termination phase. The exercise activated key emergency facilities such as the emergency command center, mobile power garage, and fire station, comprehensively testing the organizational command, comprehensive response, and multi-party coordination capabilities of Liaoning Nuclear Power's nuclear emergency system, as well as the reliability and availability of various emergency facilities and equipment.

2026-08-22

UK report calls for rebuilding nuclear power construction capability on time and on budget

The UK think tank Onward recently released a report stating that if the UK hopes to achieve affordable electricity supply and drive deep decarbonization of its energy system, it must rebuild its capability to deliver nuclear power projects on time and on budget. The report, titled "Solid Foundations: The Case for Cheap, Reliable Power," proposes that the UK should adjust its renewable-dominated power system planning and build a diversified electricity mix comprising nuclear power, renewables, and gas generation, enabling consumers to access affordable electricity when needed. The UK Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) welcomed the report, noting that the issues it raises are of practical relevance. The report recognizes...

2026-08-23

Deaerator in Place for Unit 1 Conventional Island of Huaneng Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Expansion Project

Recently, the deaerator for Unit 1 conventional island of Phase I Expansion Project of Huaneng Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Station, undertaken by PowerChina Nuclear Engineering Company, was successfully hoisted and placed into position, marking a key milestone in the installation of conventional island equipment for the unit and creating conditions for subsequent turbine equipment installation, piping layout, and system commissioning. The Huaneng Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Base currently hosts a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor demonstration project, the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant to achieve commercial operation. The Phase I Expansion Project plans to build two Hualong One units, third-generation nuclear power units independently developed by China, each with a capacity of 1.225 million kilowatts. Upon completion, the project is expected to provide approximately 20 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, reduce standard coal consumption by 5.78 million tons, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 14 million tons.

2026-08-22

South Korea Amends Nuclear Safety Act to Clarify Safety Responsibilities of Nuclear Facility Operators

The National Assembly of South Korea passed a partial amendment to the Nuclear Safety Act at its 438th special session on August 20, marking the first time that nuclear-related business operators' primary responsibility for nuclear facility safety has been explicitly established at the legal level. This move signifies that South Korea's nuclear safety management system will further transition from a licensing and regulation-centered approach to a responsibility system aligned with the safety principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The amendment was proposed by South Korean lawmaker Oh Se-hee. Prior to the revision, South Korea's Nuclear Safety Act primarily established safety standards and regulatory procedures around reactor construction and operating licenses, nuclear material use, and radioactive waste management facility operations, but lacked...

2026-08-21

Kyushu Electric Power explains holding company transition to Kagoshima Prefecture; Sendai Nuclear Power Plant business to continue

On August 20, Kyushu Electric Power President Masaru Nishiyama and two others visited the Kagoshima Prefectural Government to explain to Governor Koichi Shiota the company's plan to transition to a holding company structure in October this year. Under the plan, Kyushu Electric Power will establish a new holding company, Kyuden Holdings, as the group's parent company to improve overall group management efficiency. Following the restructuring, relevant subsidiaries under Kyushu Electric Power will continue to undertake nuclear power operations, including the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant. During the meeting, Governor Shiota specifically highlighted the dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel that Kyushu Electric Power plans to adopt at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant...

2026-08-21

Wisconsin Electric Power Company signs 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra for Point Beach nuclear plant

WEC Energy Group said its subsidiary Wisconsin Electric Power Company has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Point Beach to purchase 86% of the capacity, energy, ancillary services, and environmental attributes from both units of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. According to a filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the new agreement remains subject to approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). If approved...

2026-08-20

Ukraine Approves Expansion of Buryakivka Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) has approved the construction of a new disposal facility at the Buryakivka radioactive waste disposal site for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste generated during the cleanup of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The Buryakivka radioactive waste disposal facility is located within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and is one of Ukraine's key facilities for managing radioactive waste associated with the Chernobyl accident. Built as part of priority emergency measures following the accident, the facility was commissioned in 1987 and primarily receives low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the Chernobyl region. Currently, the facility is operated by the Central...

2026-08-20

Embalse Nuclear Power Plant Life Extension Experience Boosts Argentina's Nuclear Power Service Exports

Argentina's Embalse Nuclear Power Plant life extension project has become an important technical foundation for the country's nuclear power service exports. Between 2015 and 2019, the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant underwent a large-scale refurbishment, with core work including reactor tube replacement, fuel channel replacement, steam generator renewal, and upgrade of the plant's computer control system, enabling the unit to operate for another 30 years. Nuclear power plant life extension is one of the most technically challenging projects in the energy sector, requiring the dismantling, inspection, assessment, and refurbishment of key equipment that has been in operation for decades, with stringent requirements for engineering precision, quality control, and project management capability. Through the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant project, Argentina has for the first time fully implemented this complex process.

2026-08-19

Thea Energy Completes Series B Extension to Advance Stellarator Fusion Plant Deployment

Thea Energy, Inc. announced on August 18 that it has completed an extension of its Series B financing round, with new investors including Brevan Howard Macro Venture, Aloniq, ALJ Investments, Beyond Earth Ventures, and other global strategic investors. The company stated that the new funds will be used to advance the engineering and commercial deployment of its stellarator fusion technology. Thea Energy had previously announced the completion of a $100 million Series B round, led by the U.S. Innovative Technology Fund (USIT) under Thomas Tull. The funds are primarily intended to expand magnet manufacturing capacity and build a second facility in northern New Jersey.

2026-08-19

Urenco USA Breaks Ground on National Enrichment Facility Expansion, Plans to Add 2.1 Million SWU Capacity

On August 18, local time, Urenco USA held a groundbreaking ceremony in Eunice, New Mexico, United States, to launch the future expansion of its commercial uranium enrichment facility. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Urenco Group Chief Executive Officer Boris Schucht, and company management attended the ceremony. Urenco USA is the only commercial-scale uranium enrichment producer in the United States, operating the National Enrichment Facility (NEF). The company announced in June this year that it would increase the facility's capacity by nearly 50%. This expansion is part of a multi-billion-dollar investment, with plans to build a new...

2026-08-19

USTC Achieves Cold-Atom Comagnetometer

Recently, researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), in collaboration with Lu Zhengtian and Xia Tian from the Hefei National Laboratory, realized a cold-atom comagnetometer using optical quantum control methods. The research team co-trapped two ytterbium isotopes in the same optical trap and synchronously measured their spin precession, achieving a magnetic field noise suppression factor exceeding 30,000. This achievement establishes a spin sensing platform with micron-scale spatial resolution, providing a new avenue for studying spin-dependent short-range interactions. The related research, titled "Cold-atom comagnetometry via optical control of spin states," was published in Nature Photonics on August 17.

2026-08-18

South Korea's Nuclear Expansion Faces Fuel Supply Pressure as Enriched Uranium Costs Surge Nearly Sixfold in Seven Years

Against the backdrop of accelerating global nuclear power construction and surging electricity demand from AI data centers, the nuclear fuel supply chain is facing new tensions. Due to limited uranium enrichment capacity and sanctions affecting Russian-related supplies, international uranium enrichment prices have risen sharply over the past seven years. South Korea's nuclear expansion plans are consequently facing fuel procurement pressure, with industry experts concerned that if mid- to long-term nuclear fuel security proves insufficient, newly built nuclear units could face operational risks in the future. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently disclosed that South Korea's domestic annual enriched uranium consumption is expected to increase from approximately 460 tons currently to about 540 tons next year. The rising demand mainly stems from the overlap between life-extension operations of some older nuclear units and the commissioning of new units...

2026-08-18

China National Nuclear Power Deeply Studies and Practices the Ecological Environment Code, Undertaking the Historic Mission of Green and Low-Carbon Energy Transition

The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Ecological Environment Code) officially came into effect on August 15, 2026. The Ecological Environment Code is an important achievement in implementing Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law. It is the second law in China named after a "Code" following the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, providing solid legal safeguards and fundamental legal guidance for the construction of a Beautiful China. China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as China National Nuclear Power), as a main force in China's nuclear energy development and an important force in achieving the "dual carbon" goals, deeply implements the Ecological Environment Code, practices the concept of green development, contributes safe and clean energy, and empowers the construction of a Beautiful China...

2026-08-18

US FRIB Research Reveals Low-Energy Gamma-Ray Enhancement Originates from Nuclear Magnetic Transitions

An international research team led by the US Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), with participation from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and other institutions, recently published findings in Nature that explain a long-standing question in nuclear physics: why some atomic nuclei emit anomalously high numbers of low-energy gamma rays. Image: FRIB Gamma rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Excited atomic nuclei release gamma rays during radioactive decay, gradually returning to lower, more stable energy levels. Over the past few decades, scientists have discovered that certain nuclei exhibit a low-energy enhancement phenomenon, where the number of low-energy gamma rays emitted exceeds expectations. However, this phenomenon is not universal, and its occurrence is theoretically difficult to predict.

2026-08-18