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Cooling seawater temperature at South Korean nuclear power plants approaches design limit

South Korean Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said on August 11 that due to recent rises in seawater temperature, the temperature of seawater used for cooling at South Korean nuclear power plants has approached the design limit. The government is working with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to study countermeasures such as adjusting the location of water intake points. Kim Sung-hwan made the remarks on the same day while answering a question from lawmaker Park Ji-hye at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, stating that the temperature of seawater used for cooling at nuclear power plants has recently approached the limit, and that KHNP and the government are closely monitoring the situation. He said nuclear power plants cannot be easily shut down over this issue...

2026-08-12

Brazil's uranium imports from Russia hit highest since 1997 in July, reaching $84.5 million in a single month, a 168-fold surge month-on-month

Brazil's uranium imports from Russia in July this year reached $84.5 million, equivalent to approximately 430 million reais, the highest level since 1997. Compared with the import value of only $504,000 in June, the single-month increase was as high as 168-fold, indicating that this transaction was not a general monthly fluctuation but a concentrated procurement of exceptionally large scale. Looking at historical data, Brazil's uranium imports have typically remained at the level of hundreds of thousands of dollars per month, and even previous periodic peaks were far below the scale seen in July. Materials show that there was an import peak exceeding $1 million in August 2025, but it still pales in comparison with this $84.5 million figure. This means that the July data not only changes...

2026-08-12

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Mechanism of Canine Brain Recognizing Human Negative Emotions

August 11 news, Hungarian ethologists from Eötvös Loránd University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Vienna in Austria and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study how canine brains process human facial emotions. The related paper was published in iScience. The research team designed two experiments. To avoid the influence of dogs' emotional responses to familiar people on the results, facial photos of strangers were used in the experiments. The first experiment included 8 dogs aged 18 to 53 months, including 6 Border Collies, 1 Labrador Retriever, and 1 Golden Retriever. The dogs remained in a stationary position in the scanner and could leave the device at any time. The experiment first compared happy and neutral human face images...

2026-08-12

Brazil's IRD Radiometric Metrology Laboratory Receives CTBTO Certification, Joins International Nuclear Test Monitoring Network

The Radiometric Metrology Laboratory of Brazil's Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD/ANSN) has recently received certification from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), officially qualifying it to join the international verification system. The certification was granted following an on-site audit conducted by the CTBTO in Rio de Janeiro from June 16 to 25, marking the Brazilian laboratory as the 15th certified unit among the 16 treaty-designated radionuclide laboratories. The certification primarily confirmed that the laboratory meets CTBTO requirements in high-precision analysis, result reliability, data traceability, and standardization of technical procedures. The audit covered sample reception and preparation, equipment calibration, result interpretation,...

2026-08-12

India's Bihar signs memorandum of understanding for $2.3 billion small modular reactor project

The government of Bihar, India recently signed investment memorandums of understanding totaling approximately $6 billion (about €5.2 billion) with several industrial enterprises, covering sectors such as steel, textiles, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear energy. Among these, the nuclear energy project investment amounts to approximately $2.3 billion, making it the largest investment proposal among the signed agreements. According to a statement issued by the office of Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Global Renewable Advanced Clean Energy, a recently registered company headquartered in Hyderabad in central India, signed the nuclear energy memorandum of understanding. Further details...

2026-08-12

Bulgaria's Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant Faces Shutdown Risk Due to Low Danube Water Levels

On August 11, Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy warned that the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is facing the risk of reduced output or even shutdown due to the continuously declining water level of the Danube River. The plant relies on the Danube to provide cooling water for its two 1,000 MW reactors. If the water intake capacity continues to be constrained, it will directly affect the safe operation of the reactors and the stability of power supply. Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy stated that measures have been taken to ensure water supply to the cooling system, including dredging the channels connecting the Danube to coastal pumping stations to maintain the necessary flow. This summer, the Danube's water level has dropped to historic lows due to prolonged drought. Near Ruse, Bulgaria, the river's flow is already more than one meter below the safe navigation level, and it has continued to decline over the past 24 hours...

2026-08-12

California Governor Says He Will Not Push for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Life Extension During His Term

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he will not push to extend the operating life of the state's only commercial nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, during his final months in office. This means the plant's fate after 2030 will be left at least to the next state administration to decide. Located in San Luis Obispo County, California, the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant has two units and is owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Under an arrangement PG&E reached in 2016, the two units were originally scheduled for phased retirement. However, after California's high temperatures in 2022 triggered power supply strain and blackouts...

2026-08-12

Vietnam's National Assembly Reviews Approval of Agreements Related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project on the Afternoon of August 11

On the afternoon of August 11, the Vietnamese National Assembly continued the agenda of its first extraordinary session, with the latter half of the proceedings turning to the approval procedures for agreements related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant project. The Vice President of Vietnam, on behalf of the President, submitted a proposal regarding the approval of the relevant agreements; the Minister of Justice, authorized by the Prime Minister, delivered an explanatory report on the agreements; and the Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs submitted a review report. This arrangement indicates that the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project involves not only energy development but also a comprehensive assessment at the legal, diplomatic, security, and national strategic levels. Before the conclusion of the afternoon session, National Assembly deputies held group discussions on the proposal to approve the agreements related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant project. The group discussions...

2026-08-12

IAEA Trains Ukrainian Experts in Non-Destructive Testing Techniques to Assess Damaged Infrastructure

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently conducted non-destructive testing (NDT) training for Ukrainian civil engineering experts through the International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Kherson State (ISAMKO), to support infrastructure safety assessment and recovery efforts following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. The training was held in July 2026 at the IAEA Non-Destructive Testing Service Center in Seibersdorf, Austria, over a five-day period, with nine Ukrainian experts participating. This was also the first training program held at the center since its inauguration in 2024. The course focused on the application of NDT techniques in civil engineering for infrastructure inspection, structural diagnostics, safety assessment, and asset integrity evaluation, helping participants...

2026-08-12

Russia Approves Chinese Academy of Sciences' Accession to International Research Organization at PIK Reactor

Mikhail Kovalchuk, Director of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Centre in Russia, recently stated that Russia has approved the Chinese Academy of Sciences' accession to the International Centre for Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron and Laser Research, which is being established around the PIK high-flux research reactor. Speaking at a meeting of the Science and Education Committee held in Novosibirsk, Kovalchuk said that three Chinese institutions have successively submitted applications to join the international organization, with the application from the Chinese Academy of Sciences having completed review and received approval. In June of this year, he had indicated that the Chinese side was interested in participating in this international research cooperation mechanism. The PIK high-flux research reactor is located in Gatchina, Russia, and was developed by the Konstantinov Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute...

2026-08-12

U.S. Moves to Relax Oversight of Small Maritime Nuclear Reactors, Promoting Civilian Floating Nuclear Energy Applications

The U.S. government is pushing to remove or simplify regulatory barriers to deploying civilian nuclear reactors on floating platforms and vessels, aiming to pave the way for small modular reactors to enter maritime shipping and offshore energy applications. The relevant topics will be highlighted during the International Atomic Energy Agency's ATLAS initiative event from August 26 to 27, with the U.S. also planning to showcase reactor technologies suitable for waterborne operations. The day prior, the U.S. will host an industry day, inviting nuclear and maritime sector companies to present their solutions. This move reflects the strategic importance the U.S. energy sector places on small modular reactors. Compared to traditional large-scale nuclear power plants, small modular reactors emphasize high energy density,...

2026-08-12

Ukraine and IAEA to Strengthen Nuclear Safety Coordination

Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi held an online meeting, focusing on further strengthening nuclear and radiation safety cooperation amid the war. Ukraine hopes to achieve independent assessments of risks and operational status of critical energy infrastructure and develop more protective measures through closer international coordination. The talks come against the backdrop of sustained security pressures on Ukraine's energy facilities. The Ukrainian side emphasized that a stably operating power system is not only vital to public electricity supply but also directly affects the safety assurance of nuclear power plants and related facilities. The IAEA has previously conducted expert work at multiple energy facilities in Ukraine...

2026-08-12

Latin American Energy Experts Learn About Russia's Nuclear Industry Development and Peaceful Use Prospects in Russia

Energy experts from several Latin American countries recently visited the ATOM Museum at VDNKh in Moscow to gain a systematic understanding of the history of Russia's nuclear industry, key technological solutions, and future directions for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The visit spanned from early scientific research to modern nuclear technology applications, with a focus on the operating principles of nuclear power plants, the structure of water-water power reactors, and the fundamentals of how nuclear energy is converted into electricity. The exchange not only focused on traditional nuclear power but also showcased future-oriented technologies such as small nuclear power plants. A power transmission network planning expert from Peru noted that he had previously been unfamiliar with the development path of Russia's nuclear industry, and this...

2026-08-12

Rosatom Technical Academy Launches Development of Training Programs for Uzbekistan NPP Personnel

Rosatom Technical Academy has launched the development of training programs for personnel of the planned nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. The foundation ceremony for this project was held in June this year, and training preparations will be aligned with the NPP construction schedule and subsequent operational requirements. Currently, Academy experts are developing teaching materials, refining training methodologies, and formulating course plans coordinated with the NPP construction phases for this new project. The training content will also be adapted to the characteristics of the small modular reactor technology adopted for the project to meet new technical requirements. At the Novovoronezh branch alone, about 50 experts are already involved in developing training programs for Uzbek personnel...

2026-08-12

Rosatom emphasizes computational infrastructure to support nuclear research facilities

On August 11, Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, stated at a meeting of the Science and Education Council in Novosibirsk that Russia needs to develop a dedicated program to advance high-performance computing, artificial intelligence technologies, and supercomputer infrastructure to support the operation of large scientific facilities and related research tasks. Likhachev noted that Rosatom has developed a mathematical modeling system since the 1990s and built its own supercomputer network. He believes that a unified digital platform integrating artificial intelligence, computing based on new physical principles, and quantum technologies should be systematically developed as a key component of the nation's scientific and technological advancement...

2026-08-12