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Fire breaks out at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Japan

On Tuesday, September 15, Chubu Electric Power Company of Japan stated that a fire broke out that day at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, which is currently out of operation. Chubu Electric Power said the fire caused no casualties and had no impact on the safety of the nuclear power plant. At around 10:40 a.m., a worker inspecting the power cut-off and connection control building discovered a small fire in a control cabinet. The worker was inspecting anti-electric shock equipment in the central control room of Unit 3, which had failed to operate properly after installation work. The local fire department confirmed about 30 minutes later that the fire had been completely extinguished.

2026-09-16

U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA): Promoting U.S. Civil Nuclear Energy Technology, Supporting Thailand's First Nuclear Power Project

On September 14, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced the promotion of U.S. civil nuclear energy technology to support Thailand in assessing the feasibility of building its first nuclear power project. USTDA signed a feasibility study agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) aimed at conducting a technical analysis of U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The project is planned to have a generating capacity of approximately 600 megawatts (600 MW), sufficient to meet the electricity needs of hundreds of thousands of households. As Thailand's economy grows, demand for reliable power is increasing to support broader economic development. For the United States, this cooperation advances our commitment to innovation and leadership in advanced civil nuclear energy. This is part of the U.S. 'nuclear...

2026-09-16

Sweden's Blykalla Partners with Microsoft to Use AI to Advance Licensing Review of Lead-Cooled Advanced Nuclear Reactor

Swedish advanced nuclear technology developer Blykalla recently announced a partnership with Microsoft to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology to one of the most challenging bottlenecks in the nuclear power industry——project licensing and regulatory review. Blykalla has begun deploying Microsoft's GenAI for Energy Permitting Solution Accelerator and Agentic AI tools in its regulatory business processes, aiming to significantly shorten the licensing approval cycle for its Swedish Advanced Lead-cooled Reactor (SEALER) in Sweden and the United States. Microsoft's solution demonstrates how generative AI and AI agent...

2026-09-16

Uzbekistan Presents Its Nuclear Energy Development Strategy in London

At the 51st World Nuclear Association (WNA) World Nuclear Symposium held in London, a delegation from the Uzbekistan Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom) presented the country's strategic plans and initiatives for developing nuclear energy. At the special seminar on new approaches to nuclear energy, the Uzbek side highlighted the integrated nuclear power plant (AES) project that combines large VVER-1000 units with small Ritm-200N reactors, and stated that Uzbekistan is actively committed to expanding international cooperation and experience exchange in the nuclear energy field.. During the event, the Uzbek delegation also held talks with French nuclear fuel giant Orano, the World Nuclear Association, the World Nuclear University, Canadian engineering giant AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin)...

2026-09-16

US and UK Join Forces to Accelerate Commercialization of Fusion Energy

At the Global Fusion Policy Summit held in London on Monday, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), which operates under the US Department of Energy, signed a joint statement of intent. The two sides plan to establish a partnership called the SUNRISE–STELLAR-AI Federation, integrating the UK's first supercomputer dedicated to fusion research, SUNRISE (funded by the UK government with £45 million), with PPPL's STELLAR-AI supercomputing platform (costing $13 million), to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate fusion energy R&D. The collaboration builds on a memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in June this year and will utilize the UKAEA...

2026-09-16

Westinghouse eVinci Microreactor Achieves Significant Breakthrough in Zero-Power High-Temperature Criticality Test

Westinghouse Electric Company recently announced that its eVinci microreactor achieved a significant breakthrough in a zero-power high-temperature criticality test, successfully achieving criticality at a temperature of 663 degrees Celsius, marking an important milestone in the project's development. This test is an important practice of the build-test-learn development model, providing key data for accelerating subsequent prototype design. The test was conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)'s National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada, with active cooperation and support from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The selection of the test site has sign...

2026-09-16

Construction of the "Helong-2" project begins, advancing toward hydrogen-boron fusion power generation

On September 15, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction project of ENN Fusion's spherical torus hydrogen-boron plasma platform (the Helong-2 device) was grandly held at the ENN Fusion R&D Center in Langfang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Hebei Province. The Helong-2 construction project covers approximately 120 mu and focuses on building more than ten core systems to create the world's leading hydrogen-boron fusion experimental platform; the park is expected to be ready for equipment entry by the end of June 2027, complete device construction and commissioning and enter the experimental phase by the end of 2027, with the goal of lighting the first lamp of hydrogen-boron fusion by 2030. Planning rendering of the Helong-2 spherical torus hydrogen-boron fusion park. Officials from relevant departments of Hebei Province and Langfang City, and heads of the project construction unit, design unit, construction unit, and supervision unit attended the groundbreaking ceremony and jointly laid the foundation and turned soil for the project.

2026-09-16

Bangladesh Reaffirms Commitment to Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology

Minister of Science and Technology Fakir Mahbub Anam recently attended the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on behalf of Bangladesh, where he reaffirmed Bangladesh's firm commitment to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and its dedication to the highest safety standards and strengthened international cooperation. This statement highlights Bangladesh's increasingly important position and sense of responsibility in the field of nuclear technology. In a statement by the delegation in Vienna, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed congratulations to the President of the IAEA General Conference, and also expressed gratitude to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi for his outstanding role in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and international cooperation...

2026-09-16

Core Makeup Tank for Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Arrives at Project Site

On September 14, the core makeup tank for Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 arrived at the Xudabao Nuclear Power Project site. The core makeup tank is an important passive engineered safety feature of the reactor coolant system and a major large-scale equipment on the construction path of the reactor building. During the manufacturing of this equipment, Liaoning Nuclear Power cooperated with China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. by stationing personnel at the factory for full-process coordination, implementing dynamic control of equipment quality and manufacturing progress through "daily tracking and weekly assessment," and ensuring the smooth completion and on-schedule delivery of the core makeup tank for Unit 2 to the project site through measures such as optimizing production processes and implementing continuous operations, thus creating favorable conditions for the orderly commencement of main construction of the reactor building. Subsequently, the Equipment Procurement Department of Liaoning Nuclear Power...

2026-09-16

Uzbekistan Delegation Attends the 70th IAEA General Conference

The 70th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference is being held in Vienna. This anniversary conference will continue until September 18, with representatives from IAEA member states, international organizations, and industry experts in attendance. The conference reviewed the agency's recent work achievements and set future priority development directions in nuclear energy, nuclear safety, safeguards, and humanitarian programs. The Uzbekistan delegation attended this conference. Azim Akhmedkhodjayev, Director of the Uzbekistan Atomic Energy Agency (Uzatom) and head of the delegation, presented the latest progress in Uzbekistan's cooperation with the IAEA, with a focus on Uzbekistan's...

2026-09-16

BlueCore Energy showcases small modular nuclear reactor port deployment plan

Recently, people from various sectors gathered at the Port of Long Beach in southern California, USA, to discuss the application prospects of nuclear energy. The event was hosted by BlueCore Energy and aimed to present to potential investors, partners, and local government the company's plan to deploy small modular nuclear reactors at the Port of Long Beach. Kofi Asante, founder and CEO of BlueCore Energy, provided a detailed introduction to the project's feasibility and safety during a one-hour symposium. He emphasized that the company is committed to advancing the project in a safe, pragmatic, and inclusive manner. The Port of Long Beach is located in southern California, USA...

2026-09-16

Germany to provide an additional 1 million euros to help address nuclear safety issues at the Zaporizhzhia NPP

Germany will provide an additional 1 million euros to help address nuclear safety issues at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Recently, according to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the German government will provide an additional 1 million euros in aid to improve the safety level of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, is expected to formally announce this additional 1 million euros in funding on Tuesday at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. Previously, Germany had cumulatively provided 7.3 million euros in financial support to the IAEA's nuclear safety and security work in Ukraine. Since...

2026-09-16

European Investment Bank to invest €40 million in Finnish small modular reactor company Steady Energy

The European Investment Bank will invest up to €40 million (about $46 million) in Finnish small modular reactor company Steady Energy. The company's LDR-50 reactor is specifically designed for district heating networks, and this is also the European Investment Bank's first investment in small modular reactor technology. The European Investment Bank is jointly owned by the 27 EU member states, and these member states do not have a consistent attitude toward nuclear energy. In the past, the bank usually avoided new nuclear power projects and invested only in projects related to nuclear safety, such as Chernobyl-related projects. However, over the past year or so, the European Investment Bank has provided loans for the refurbishment project of a reactor in Romania, as well as for the Tricastin...

2026-09-16

UK Regulator Initiates Design Assessment of Xe-100 Reactor

The UK regulator has formally initiated the assessment of the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor design proposed by X-energy, marking an important step for the UK in developing advanced nuclear technology. This decision follows the completion of a review by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero of the application from X-energy UK Holdings Limited. In the same period last year, Centrica signed a joint development agreement with an X-energy subsidiary, planning to deploy Xe-100 reactors in the UK and selecting Hartlepool in northeast England as the preferred site, with the potential to build up to 6 million kilowatts of nuclear power plant capacity in the future. The Generic Design Assessment (GDA) is a comprehensive assessment conducted by the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales of new reactor designs proposed for deployment in the UK, aimed at ensuring their safety, reliability, and environmental impact meet strict standards. This assessment is independent of site-specific construction applications, and only after passing all stages of assessment can the relevant permits and approvals be obtained.

2026-09-16

Pakistan Signs Safeguards Agreement with IAEA for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5

On Tuesday, September 15, during the 70th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the IAEA formally signed the Safeguards Agreement for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5) at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. The agreement had been unanimously approved at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March 2026. The signing of this agreement marks an important step forward in the safeguards work for the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 project, and also reflects the international community's continued confidence in Pakistan's commitment to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and its fulfillment of international non-proliferation and safeguards obligations. According to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission...

2026-09-16