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Japan Explains Plan for Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility in Kaminoseki Town

Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy recently held an explanatory meeting with the Kaminoseki Town Assembly regarding the Chugoku Electric Power Company's plan to construct a spent fuel interim storage facility in Kaminoseki Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The briefing covered the Japanese government's nuclear fuel cycle policy, facility safety, and related subsidy systems. The meeting was held on the 19th at the Kaminoseki Town Assembly. Previously, the Japanese government had decided to revise guidelines related to nuclear energy policy and included the Kaminoseki Town spent fuel interim storage facility plan within them. At the meeting, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy stated that interim storage facilities are essential to supporting...

2026-08-23

Rosatom Says Seversk Fast Reactor Project Will Demonstrate Russia's Nuclear Technology Capabilities

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said that if the nuclear power project under construction in Seversk, Tomsk Oblast, is put into operation before 2030, it will demonstrate Russia's capabilities in new nuclear technologies

2026-08-21

SHINE Advances Commercial Spent Fuel Recycling Facility Construction

U.S. electricity demand is growing at a rate rarely seen in decades, and nuclear energy is considered one of the key options to meet the incremental demand. Meanwhile, the current open nuclear fuel cycle still treats spent fuel primarily as single-use waste, failing to fully utilize most of the energy potential that remains within it. SHINE Technologies is developing spent fuel recycling technologies and plans to build a facility with spent fuel recycling capabilities. The company stated that multiple collaborations funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) CURIE program are advancing the work from validated laboratory-scale chemical processes toward commercial scale...

2026-08-19

ASP Isotopes Subsidiary Evaluates Metal Hydrofluorination and Fluorination Project in Namibia

ASP Isotopes Inc. recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Quantum Leap Energy LLC, is evaluating metal conversion opportunities in Namibia, with work focusing on technologies and processes required for critical stages of the fission and fusion nuclear fuel cycles. According to the disclosure, the evaluation includes plans to construct a pilot-scale hydrofluorination and fluorination facility in the Walvis Bay area of Namibia. Public environmental and social impact assessments and consultation procedures for the project have already been initiated. The proposed facility will be used to develop, test, and demonstrate metal hydrofluorination and fluorination processes. In accordance with Namibian regulatory requirements, relevant public consultation notices have been published through customary local channels. The company...

2026-08-19

Kazakhstan Advances Nuclear Fuel Cycle from Resource Development to High-Value-Added Manufacturing

Kazakhstan is advancing its nuclear fuel cycle industry from natural uranium mining toward deep processing and high-tech product manufacturing. As one of the world's major natural uranium producers, Kazakhstan has in recent years not only maintained its advantage in resource development but also continued to build capacity in uranium conversion, nuclear fuel component manufacturing, scientific research capabilities, and professional workforce training. The nuclear fuel cycle encompasses the entire process of nuclear materials, from uranium ore mining and processing, to fuel use in reactors, and to the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. Depending on the technical route, relevant stages may include uranium mining and processing, conversion, isotope enrichment, fuel pellet fabrication, fuel assembly production, and spent fuel storage...

2026-08-13

Dong Baotong, Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration: China's nuclear safety level remains among the top internationally, and during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the number of operating nuclear power units in China will rank first in the world

The State Council Information Office held a series of press conferences on August 13 themed "Starting the '15th Five-Year Plan' with a Strong Beginning," introducing the progress of comprehensively advancing the construction of a Beautiful China. Dong Baotong, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, stated at the conference that ecological environment safety encompasses several key aspects, including ecological security, nuclear safety, and environmental risk prevention and control. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment serves as the lead coordinating body for both the national ecological security work coordination mechanism and the nuclear safety work coordination mechanism. Over the years, together with relevant departments, we have actively responded to various risks and challenges, effectively safeguarding the bottom line of ecological environment safety. Among these, in the area of nuclear safety, we have consolidated the primary responsibility of nuclear facility operators...

2026-08-13

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

Belarusian NPP safe operation period may be extended to 100 years, with first spent fuel to be shipped to Russia for reprocessing in 2034

Stanislav Levitsky, head of the Rosatom representative office in Belarus, stated on the "Economic Environment" program of Belarusian TV Channel One that Belarusian nuclear energy development is backed by comprehensive safety assurances. He emphasized that while nuclear facilities can indeed have serious consequences if mismanaged, under the existing risk control system and modern technological support at the Belarusian NPP, nuclear power can become a low-cost, stable, and safe energy source. Levitsky believes that amid intense competition in the energy sector, some irresponsible players may use information tactics to create anxiety and attempt to provoke panic among the public...

2026-08-10

Mutsu City Requests Submission of Revised Plan for 5,000-Ton Transport to Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility

On August 7, Tomoya Yamamoto, Mayor of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, met with representatives of Recycle Fuel Storage (RFS) and its co-investors Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO HD) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), requesting the three parties to submit a revised mid-to-long-term spent nuclear fuel transport plan, with consideration given to inter-operator cooperation. The plan may involve accepting spent nuclear fuel from other electric power companies. The facility in question, located in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, is currently Japan's only interim spent fuel storage facility situated outside a nuclear power plant site. Under the existing siting agreement, the facility's acceptance scope...

2026-08-08

Seoul National University NEXFO Workshop: Exploring Sustainable Solutions for SMR and MMR

On August 7, the Nuclear Policy Center at Seoul National University's Institute for Future Nuclear Energy Policy announced that it will host the Nuclear Energy Sustainability NEXFO Workshop on the afternoon of September 16 at the Seoul National University Global Engineering Education Center. The event, coinciding with the center's 10th anniversary, is themed "Embracing the Era of Full-Scale SMR and MMR Deployment" and will discuss the policy, industrial, and technological conditions for the commercialization of small modular reactors and micro modular reactors. The workshop will first revisit the public discourse framework on nuclear energy sustainability, and analyze global nuclear fuel cycle trends as well as the domestic challenges facing South Korea. As SMRs and MMRs transition from technology demonstration to practical application, nuclear fuel...

2026-08-07

Curio, NuScale and Framatome Sign MOU to Advance Next-Generation Nuclear Fuel Cycle Solutions

Curio, NuScale Power and Framatome Inc. recently signed a strategic memorandum of understanding to jointly evaluate integrated nuclear fuel solutions aimed at strengthening the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain and supporting the international nuclear energy market and the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies. Under the agreement, the three parties will conduct evaluations centered on Curio's proprietary NuCycle recycling technology, focusing on the conversion pathways of recyclable nuclear materials from "source to product" and from "source to fuel." The collaboration also encompasses future engineering coordination, fuel development, fuel qualification, manufacturing and commercialization, as well as advancing the integration of nuclear supply chain-related segments...

2026-08-07

Behind India's Nuclear Power Expansion: Where Does Radioactive Waste Go? Government Details Management Process in Parliament for First Time

India is rapidly advancing its nuclear power expansion, but the safe disposal of radioactive waste is the least-publicized challenge. The government has for the first time detailed in Parliament how it handles hazardous waste. In a written reply, the Department of Atomic Energy disclosed that all nuclear power plants in India generate an average of 0.15 cubic meters (approximately 150 liters) of solid radioactive waste per megawatt (MW) of capacity annually, including waste from operational and decommissioning phases, equivalent to about 1.5 household bathtubs in volume; radioactive waste quantities and disposal records are regularly reported to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants generate various types of radioactive waste, including spent filter cartridges, protective clothing, tools, equipment, and other items that come into contact with radioactive materials. Waste is categorized into gaseous...

2026-08-03

Utah Finalist for DOE Nuclear Fuel Cycle Site, with Great Salt Lake Rescue as Bargaining Chip

Utah is seeking an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hoping to secure federal nuclear hub status while also gaining assistance in addressing the Great Salt Lake crisis. Governor Spencer Cox and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed a memorandum agreeing to collaborate on realizing the full value of the nuclear fuel cycle. However, this agreement does not mean Utah has decided to build the nuclear hub, and the state will decline if it is deemed unsafe or disadvantageous. Currently, Utah is one of five states competing for the federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Park, which aims to consolidate all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle in one location, including fuel fabrication, enrichment,...

2026-08-03

Radiation protection expert Peter Bryant to lead University of Liverpool's Chadwick Institute for Nuclear Innovation

The University of Liverpool has announced that Professor Peter Bryant has been appointed as the Director of the newly established Chadwick Institute for Nuclear Innovation, with his tenure officially commencing in September 2026. The Chadwick Institute for Nuclear Innovation is named after Nobel laureate Sir James Chadwick, who served as Head of the Physics Department at the University of Liverpool and is renowned for his discovery of the neutron. The Institute will leverage the University of Liverpool's research expertise, innovative facilities, and strategic partnerships in the nuclear energy sector to advance research and talent development in nuclear innovation. Bryant has long been engaged in work related to the civil nuclear fuel cycle, with his research and management portfolio encompassing radiation protection, environmental permitting, radioactive waste...

2026-08-03

Russian regulator inspects nuclear fuel cycle safety compliance at Ural Electrochemical Plant

On July 27, the Department for Supervision of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities, Ship Nuclear Power Plants and Radiation Hazardous Facilities of the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision of Russia conducted a routine on-site comprehensive inspection of the Ural Electrochemical Plant Joint-Stock Company located in Novosibirsk, focusing on verifying the enterprise's compliance with relevant federal laws, regulations, and regulatory license terms on the use of atomic energy. The inspection covered multiple aspects of the operational safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, including the implementation of responsibilities of the operating organization in safety assurance, maintenance of performance of important safety systems and components, safety control during technical process implementation, compliance with decommissioning requirements for nuclear facilities, and safety of radioactive waste treatment...

2026-07-30