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Philippines Fully Advances Feasibility Study for Restart of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

Recently, against the strategic backdrop of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s active promotion of the country's energy transition and nuclear power revival, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which has lain dormant for nearly four decades, has ushered in a new opportunity for restart. South Korean enterprises are comprehensively conducting technical and economic feasibility studies, marking the return of the country's nuclear power program, shelved for decades, to its historical starting point. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was first built in the 1970s. In response to the severe oil crisis at the time, it was initiated by the government of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., with the site selected at Napot Point, Bataan Province.

2026-11-09

Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Restart: After Removing a Tilted Fuel Assembly, How Far Remains to Grid Connection?

At the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Holtec manufactured a specialized lifting rig and transfer cask for a tilted fuel assembly. On October 21, the company confirmed that the assembly had been removed from the reactor pressure vessel and transferred to the spent fuel pool. On October 29, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited the plant, and Holtec's project update on the same day still listed fuel loading completion, testing, inspections, and operational readiness as return-to-service work. Palisades was shut down in 2022 and had entered the decommissioning pathway. This removal allowed the fuel loading project to continue, and also exposed a period in the restart plan that is easily underestimated—after equipment is brought back to condition...

2026-11-09

Salem Nuclear Power Plant Proposes Approximately 200 MW Uprate: How Can Old Units Generate More Power?

For a nuclear power plant to deliver 200 MW more to the grid, construction may begin with a steam component beside the turbine. Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) disclosed on November 2 that the two units at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey are jointly proposed to add approximately 200 MW of generating capacity, of which about 112 MW would belong to PSEG. Investor materials subsequently published by the company divide the modifications across 2027 to 2029, including both an approximately 7% increase in reactor thermal power and modifications to the steam-water loop. The former figure measures the additional capacity at the grid interface, while the latter measures the change in core heat output. Only by separating these two figures can one clearly see where the additional electricity from an old nuclear...

2026-11-09

NRC Plans to Develop Advanced Oversight Process for New Reactors

Recently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) revealed that it is actively considering tailoring an Advanced Reactor Oversight Process (AROP) for new nuclear power and advanced reactor projects, aiming to systematically draw on the mature oversight experience gained from approximately 25 years of continuous operation of the existing fleet of nuclear power plants. As the long-standing core of regulation, the NRC's Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) is primarily used for inspection and safety assessment of the operating reactor fleet. With the emergence of a large number of new nuclear energy projects in the future that are fundamentally different from traditional unit designs, the NRC has recently held a series of public meetings to comprehensively introduce the AROP ...

2026-11-09

South Korea's Key Nuclear Fusion Technology and Demonstration Facility Project Passes Review

Recently, South Korea's nuclear fusion key technology development and demonstration infrastructure construction project passed the preliminary feasibility review of national R&D projects. The special program is scheduled to be implemented from 2027 to 2036, with a total investment of 1.4813 trillion won, of which the central government plans to bear 1.2877 trillion won, accounting for approximately 87% of the total. The funds will be used for key technology R&D for fusion reactors and the construction of demonstration facilities, with both tasks incorporated into the same ten-year implementation period. The R&D work will first focus on how to form and sustain plasma within a fusion reactor. The heating system is responsible for inputting energy into the plasma, the current drive system is used to sustain the plasma current, and the superconducting magnets provide the magnetic field required to confine the plasma...

2026-11-09

US Advances Development of Nuclear-Powered Lunar Rover and Awards Transportation Contract

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to advance the development of the nuclear-powered lunar rover PROMISE and awarded a lunar surface transportation contract to Blue Origin. Blue Origin will use the Mark 1 lander to deliver the six-wheeled rover to the lunar south pole and complete its deployment. The base contract value is $94 million, with an additional contract option worth $140 million contingent on performance. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is responsible for the rover's overall development, and will modify the chassis, electronics, and drive systems based on the engineering test platform of the Curiosity Mars rover, and integrate spare parts and test components from the Curiosity and Perseverance...

2026-11-09

UK fusion device completes key lift of twelve-tonne dual-beam box

Recently, the UK's MAST Upgrade spherical tokamak device completed a key engineering operation: the lifting and positioning of a 12-tonne dual-beam box, creating conditions for the installation of new neutral beam heating equipment. The device is located at the Culham campus and operated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). It is expanding its experimental capabilities through a heating system upgrade to support the physics and engineering research required for future fusion power plants. The dual-beam box features a two-tier layout and is designed to house two new neutral beam injectors. The equipment transfers energy by injecting high-energy neutral atoms into the plasma. After the upgrade is completed, the device's neutral beam heating power is expected to increase from 4.4 MW to 8.8 MW, and the plasma...

2026-11-07

CNNC Mechanical Engineering Wins Bid for Jinqimen Nuclear Power Phase II Hoisting

Recently, CNNC Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd. officially announced that it had successfully won the bid for the heavy-lift hoisting engineering project of Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power Phase II (Units 3 and 4). As another core project undertaken by the company at Jinqimen Nuclear Power following the heavy-lift hoisting engineering for Units 1 and 2, this project is the first approved nuclear power project in Zhejiang Province during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Once fully completed, it will provide strong support for energy and electricity supply security and green, low-carbon transformation in Zhejiang Province and the Yangtze River Delta region. Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power Phase II fully adopts the Hualong One Version 2.0 pressurized water reactor nuclear power units and is among the first batch of demonstration projects for this advanced reactor type. With the continuous iterative upgrading of nuclear power technology, hoisting modules...

2026-11-07

Floating Molten Salt Reactor Approaches Licensing Readiness: What New Issues Must Be Addressed When Putting Nuclear Power on a Barge

Coastal industrial parks need stable power, but onshore land, cooling conditions, and construction resources may not be easy to coordinate. Placing power generation facilities on floating platforms and having them centrally manufactured by shipyards has therefore become a deployment approach explored by some nuclear companies. It may change the construction location, but it will not detach the reactor from site, regulatory, and long-term operational responsibilities. Information published on November 3 shows that Denmark's Saltfoss is preparing to engage in pre-application communication with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and plans to submit a regulatory communication plan in the first quarter of 2027. The company hopes to establish a licensing pathway for offshore molten salt reactor platforms. What has been disclosed so far is preparatory work and corporate goals, and should not be understood as having obtained...

2026-11-07

Canada's Federal Budget Earmarks Dedicated Funding to Advance Nuclear Energy Strategy

Recently, the Government of Canada officially released the 2026 federal budget, committing more than CAD 518.5 million (approximately EUR 329 million, USD 536 million) to the national nuclear energy strategy, establishing nuclear technology as a core cornerstone for achieving the nationwide clean electricity plan. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada is committed to consolidating its position as a global clean energy superpower through comprehensive support for reactor deployment and supply chain development. This newly announced nuclear development plan builds upon the national nuclear energy strategy released by the government in June this year and is part of the overall capital expenditure of up to CAD 8 billion for electricity-related projects over the next five years...

2026-11-07

US X-energy Partners with Fluor to Advance Second Reactor Project

Recently, US advanced nuclear technology developer X-energy has officially selected Fluor Corporation to provide design and engineering services for its second Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor commercial project. The project is the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility that Energy Northwest plans to build near Richland, Washington. Under the plan, the Cascade facility will deploy 4 Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors developed by X-energy, each with a capacity of 80 megawatts electric (MWe), for a total installed capacity of 320 megawatts, with the potential for future...

2026-11-07

US NAC to Provide Spent Fuel Container Solutions for Norway

Recently, NAC International (NAC) of the United States formally signed a contract with the Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) to provide advanced dry storage containers and transport solutions for spent nuclear fuel from the former research reactors at Halden and Kjeller in Norway, marking substantive progress in the decommissioning of Norway's legacy nuclear facilities. Over the past sixty years of operation, Norway has accumulated approximately 16.5 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel from research reactors, covering various types including metallic uranium fuel, aluminum-clad fuel, and experimental fuel. Following an international tendering process and comprehensive evaluation...

2026-11-07

France's Calogena Receives EU Funding to Build First SMR

Recently, French small modular reactor developer Calogena has secured €40 million (US$44.6 million) in funding through the European Commission's Innovation Fund to support the construction of its first commercial nuclear reactor in Pierrelatte, southern France. As a subsidiary of France's Gorgé Group, Calogena has been committed since its founding in 2021 to developing the CAL30 water-cooled small modular reactor, designed specifically to provide carbon-free energy for urban district heating networks. The reactor has a thermal power of 30 MWth and adopts a simple design based on a low-temperature, low-pressure pool-type reactor, offering extremely high safety and the ability to be reliably deployed near district heating networks...

2026-11-07

Philippines Explores Restarting Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Project

Recently, as the new Philippine government incorporates nuclear energy into the national development strategy agenda, whether the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which has been in storage for decades, can be restarted has attracted widespread attention in the international nuclear energy community. The plant is located in Nagbalayong Village, Morong Town, Bataan Province, Philippines. Having experienced a troubled history and been in storage for nearly forty years, it is now undergoing a new round of in-depth assessment of its technical condition and economic feasibility. Construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in July 1976, decided by the then Ferdinand Marcos government, which ultimately selected the import of a 621 MW pressurized water reactor unit from Westinghouse Electric Company...

2026-11-07

Environmental impact assessment for operation of two units at China's Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant enters pre-approval public notice

Recently, the ecological environmental impact report for the operation phase of Units 3 and 4 of the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant in Liaoning has entered the pre-approval public notice stage, making the environmental protection arrangements related to unit operation available to the public. The project is located in Xingcheng City, Liaoning Province, and is being constructed by CNNC Liaoning Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., with China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. undertaking the environmental impact assessment work. This public notice focuses on the environmental impacts and supporting protection measures during the operation of the two units. The two units adopt VVER-1200 technology, with each unit having an electrical power of 1,274.38 MW, totaling approximately 2,548.76 MW. The total project investment is 52.35 billion yuan, of which environmental protection investment is approximately 1.46 billion yuan, accounting for 2.79% of the total project investment. The related investment is used to configure...

2026-11-07