Search Results

U.S. and European Nuclear Fuel Markets Accelerate Adjustment, with Canada and Kazakhstan Remaining Leading Uranium Supply Sources

Annual reports recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the European Supply Agency show that the global nuclear fuel supply landscape in 2025 continues to be shaped by geopolitical and energy security factors. Canada remains the most important source of uranium for utility nuclear power operators in the United States and the European Union, followed closely by Kazakhstan, underscoring the two countries' central role in the Western nuclear fuel supply chain. Meanwhile, both the United States and the European Union are focusing on concerns over supply source concentration, dependence on Russian-related supplies, and security assurance issues arising from future growth in nuclear power demand. In the U.S. market, owners and operators of civilian nuclear power plants procured 46.9 million pounds U3O8e of uranium deliveries from domestic and foreign suppliers in 2025...

2026-08-12

Finland's Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant Launches Turbine Island Upgrade to Support Operation Until 2050

Finnish utility Fortum has launched a large-scale modernization project for the turbine island at the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant. The project aims to increase the plant's electrical output and ensure the continued, safe, and reliable operation of both units through the end of 2050 under the new operating licenses. The Loviisa plant consists of two VVER-440 pressurized water reactor units and is Finland's first nuclear power plant, currently supplying more than 10% of the country's electricity. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in 1977, followed by Unit 2 in 1981, and the Finnish government approved the extended operating licenses in February 2023. The core of this upgrade is the modernization of the low-pressure turbines, which is the largest single undertaking in the Loviisa turbine island upgrade...

2026-08-12

Three units at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant automatically shut down due to jellyfish intrusion

French utility EDF recently stated on its website that three units at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France automatically shut down after a large influx of jellyfish clogged the filtration system, triggering safety measures. The statement indicated that the incident occurred on August 10, 2026. Due to the jellyfish intrusion, three units at the Gravelines plant automatically shut down, while a fourth unit reduced its power output. The plant has a total of six reactors, of which the fifth reactor had already been shut down for planned maintenance, and the sixth reactor remained in operation. The Gravelines plant experienced a similar situation a year earlier, when a large number of jellyfish entered the relevant water intake and filtration systems, causing four reactors to automatically shut down...

2026-08-12

Japan's Mutsu Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility May Expand Participants; KEPCO and Hokuriku Electric Power Say They Are Considering

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) began contacting eight other domestic electric power companies that own nuclear power plants on August 10, asking whether they would be interested in participating in the expansion of the entities responsible for transporting spent fuel to the interim storage facility in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. Among the eight companies contacted, Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) and Hokuriku Electric Power Company indicated in response to the inquiries that they are considering whether to participate. In December 2025, TEPCO and JAPC had submitted a proposal to Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu City regarding the expansion of operating entities, and at that time they had also sought the intentions of these eight companies...

2026-08-12

North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, increases temporary radiation disaster shelters to 96

North Gyeongsang Province announced on August 11 that it has increased the number of temporary radiation disaster shelters from 56 to 96 to enhance resident evacuation and accommodation capabilities in nuclear accident scenarios. The expansion primarily targets the areas surrounding Uljin County, where the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is located, focusing on addressing the shortage of nearby accommodation capacity and strengthening the reception capability for evacuees in areas related to the Hanul radiation emergency planning zone, including Uljin, Yeongyang, and Bonghwa. Previously, due to limited shelter capacity in Uljin County, approximately 33,000 people were expected to require evacuation in the event of a nuclear accident, while local shelters could only accommodate about 13,000 people. To meet accommodation needs, Uljin County also had to utilize 5 shelters in Gyeongju and 2 in Pohang, with long-distance transfers being unfavorable for rapid evacuation.

2026-08-12

Automatic Reactor Trip at Unit 3 of Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant During Commissioning

Unit 3 of the Shin-Kori nuclear power plant in Ulju, Ulsan, South Korea, is undergoing commissioning ahead of its planned commercial operation this year. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) stated that it had received a report from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) that the unit's reactor automatically tripped at approximately 20:56 on the 11th. Unit 3 of the Shin-Kori plant received its operating license from the NSSC in December last year and is currently in the power ascension testing phase. KHNP reported that during the commissioning test, when reactor power reached 80%, the unit experienced a loss of power transmission, and the reactor subsequently tripped automatically. The unit has been confirmed to remain in a safe shutdown condition...

2026-08-12

South Korea's Nuclear Energy Paper Output Ranks High but Quality Impact Remains Low

According to the report "Academic Competitiveness Analysis in Five Core and Emerging Technology Fields of the United States" released by the National Research Foundation of Korea on the 12th, from 2016 to 2025, South Korea's paper output in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, biotechnology, and quantum information has maintained a certain level of competitiveness overall. Among these, the number of papers in the semiconductor field ranked 4th globally, artificial intelligence and nuclear energy both ranked 7th, biotechnology ranked 8th, and quantum information ranked 14th. The quantitative and qualitative status of South Korea in the five major fields. Excerpted from the National Research Foundation of Korea report. The report is based on analysis of data from SciVal, the research performance analysis platform of Elsevier. In terms of the share of South Korean papers in the global total...

2026-08-12

South Korea Establishes New Specialized Agency to Advance Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Project

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated on the 11th that President Lee Jae-myung presided over a State Council meeting that day, deliberating and approving amendments to the "Enforcement Decree on the Organization of the Ministry of National Defense and Its Affiliated Agencies" and the "Enforcement Decree on the Organization of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and Its Affiliated Agencies." Under the amendments, South Korea will establish a new specialized agency to advance the nuclear-powered submarine construction project. According to the relevant arrangements, a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Policy Planning Group will be established under the Ministry of National Defense, responsible for coordinating the formulation of policies and systems required for nuclear-powered submarine construction and facilitating cooperation among relevant agencies. On the side of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the existing Korean Submarine Project Group is planned to be reorganized and expanded into a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project Group, with the concurrent establishment of a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project Team and a Nuclear Power System Project Team...

2026-08-12

First batch of experimental stations at Russia's Siberian Circular Photon Source expected to be operational by end of 2026

On August 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at a meeting of the Council for Science and Education that the first research stations of the Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF) synchrotron are expected to be commissioned by the end of 2026. At the meeting, Putin noted that the Siberian Circular Photon Source is currently one of the world's most powerful particle accelerators, with some parameters being unique, capable of helping researchers conduct in-depth studies of the structure of matter at the atomic and molecular levels. He also stated that Russia needs to accelerate the development of future technologies, concentrate efforts on priority tasks, and make more efficient use of national strategic scientific resources, including research institutions, advanced digital computing resources, and unique biological resources. The Siberian Circular Photon...

2026-08-12

The Third Symposium on Economic Operation Analysis of Key Nuclear Power Enterprises in 2026 Convened

On the afternoon of August 11, the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office organized and convened the Third Symposium on Economic Operation Analysis of Key Nuclear Power Enterprises in 2026. Lu Haibin, Director of the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office, attended the meeting, and Zhou Ling, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office, presided over the meeting. Heads from 10 entities, including China Nuclear Engineering, Huaneng Nuclear Energy Research Institute, Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute, State Nuclear Power Operation and Maintenance, State Nuclear Power Automation System Engineering, CGN Digital Technology, East China Electric Power Design Institute, Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group, Shanghai Electric Power Station Group, and Jianing New Materials, participated in the discussion. Lu Haibin noted that with the joint efforts of all units within the system, the overall development of the city's nuclear power industry in the first half of the year maintained a sound momentum, with economic operation characterized by "expanded scale and optimized structure." Each unit...

2026-08-12

CGN Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 1 Conventional Island Main Crane Hoisting Successfully Completed

At 21:00 on August 10, 2026, the auxiliary trolley of Crane A for the conventional island of CGN Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 1 was successfully positioned, marking the successful completion of the hoisting work for Main Cranes A/B of the conventional island of Unit 1. The entire hoisting process lasted 4 days and was completed in 8 lifts in an orderly sequence. The successful hoisting and positioning of the main cranes for the conventional island of Unit 1 is not only a key milestone in the conventional island installation works, but also lays a solid foundation for the introduction of the steam turbine generator and its auxiliary equipment. Lufeng Nuclear Power will continue to collaborate with all participating construction units, adhere to the value orientation of "Three Focuses," deeply practice the work style of "Meticulous, Prudent, Detailed, and Pragmatic," and support the high-quality construction of Unit 1 with practical efforts, injecting strong momentum into building the Lufeng Nuclear Power Project into a benchmark project that is safe, high-quality, and efficient...

2026-08-12

First Integrated Hoisting of Nuclear Island Steel Liner Module 5 with Attached Electrical and Instrumentation Cable Tray System within CGN

At 15:30 on August 10, 2026, with the successful positioning of Steel Liner Module 5 in the reactor building of Unit 3, the attached electrical and instrumentation (E&I) cable tray system was simultaneously placed, marking the successful completion of the first "Five-ization" installation project for Module 5 attached E&I cable trays within China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). Traditional nuclear power Module 5 construction adopts a serial mode of "structure first, installation second, commissioning last." The E&I construction for Module 5 of Unit 3 at Taipingling Phase II innovatively adopted an integrated scheme of "prefabrication-installation-integral hoisting." E&I construction was advanced to the module assembly stage, changing the traditional on-site dispersed work method. Through prefabrication of steel materials in workshops, delivery to the site for welding and installation, a large amount of high-altitude, cross-operational...

2026-08-12

Unanimously Approved! China's First ISO International Standard in the Field of Fusion Fueling Officially Released

On August 10 local time, the international standard ISO 19991:2026, "Fusion Technology — Experimental Magnetic Confinement Fusion Facilities — Ultrasonic Molecular Beam Injection Fueling Technology for Fusion Devices," formulated by China, was officially released. Earlier, during the final voting process, all 12 countries, including France, Germany, and Russia, cast affirmative votes. This is the first ISO international standard in the field of fusion fueling and the second ISO international standard in the fusion field led by the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP) under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Ultrasonic molecular beam injection fueling technology is a key fuel supply technology for controlled nuclear fusion devices. This technology, an advanced fusion fueling technology originally developed by China, forms high-speed, directional molecular beams through adiabatic gas expansion. It features high speed, strong directionality, relatively high fueling efficiency, and low particle recycling, significantly enhancing the fuel control capability of fusion devices. It has been applied to more than ten magnetic confinement fusion experimental devices both domestically and internationally.

2026-08-11

2026 Technical Exchange Conference on Key Issues in Nuclear Accident Safety Analysis Successfully Held in Shenzhen

To further enhance the level of emergency technical support for nuclear power plants, consolidate nuclear safety barriers, and promote the development of industry technical standards, the 2026 Technical Exchange Conference on Key Issues in Nuclear Accident Safety Analysis was recently held in Shenzhen. The conference was hosted by the Nuclear Safety Branch of the Chinese Nuclear Society and co-organized by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Nuclear Emergency and Rescue Center of China General Nuclear Power Group, and the China Nuclear Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. Participants included experts and young researchers from China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd., China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. (CNPE), Nuclear Power Institute of China, Nuclear Power Operation Research Institute, CNNC Nuclear Operation & Maintenance Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University,...

2026-08-11

Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Company Signs Medical Cooperation Agreement with Hainan Western Central Hospital

Recently, Huaneng Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. signed a medical cooperation agreement with Hainan Western Central Hospital, comprehensively strengthening the health and safety defense line for enterprise employees and safeguarding nuclear power production safety. The two parties agreed to leverage the hospital's high-quality medical resources to open a green channel for employees' emergency medical treatment, carry out routine occupational health examinations and health science education, establish a rapid transport and treatment linkage mechanism for sudden injuries or illnesses at the plant site, and efficiently handle various on-site emergency medical situations. After the signing ceremony, relevant personnel from Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Company visited the Emergency Department and Outpatient Building at the Baimajing Binhai Campus, gaining detailed insights into emergency treatment procedures, rescue equipment configuration, and emergency rescue operation models, and engaging in discussions with medical staff on topics such as on-site industrial injury handling and emergency medical response to sudden health events.

2026-08-11