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Oman Launches First Local Production Project for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals

Recently, Oman officially launched its first local production project for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Named "Nucleus Oman," the project has a planned total investment of 6.5 million Omani Rials (approximately USD 17 million) and is being jointly advanced by the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) and Saudi Arabia's Oryx Isotopes Industry Company, with strong coordination and support from Oman's Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance. The project adopts an overall public-private partnership (PPP) model. The joint venture entity established by the Oman Investment Authority and Oryx Isotopes Industry Company will, in accordance with a long-term agreement formally signed with Oman's Ministry of Health...

2026-11-10

Unit 2 of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant Restarts and Reconnects to the Grid

Recently, Unit 2 of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant officially initiated the procedure to resume operation and reconnect to the national power system after the water intake level successfully met the restart requirements. The restart plan formulated by Nuclearelectrica, Romania's state nuclear power company, is divided into two key milestones: first, completing the synchronization of the unit with the national grid, and then gradually raising output until rated power is reached. Previously, due to low Danube River flow, the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant was forced to shut down two units successively. Among them, Unit 1 was restored and reconnected to the grid first, while Unit 2 continued to wait for a comprehensive improvement in water intake conditions....

2026-11-10

Startup and Grid Connection Procedure for Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant in Romania

Recently, Nuclearelectrica announced that, after meeting the minimum necessary conditions, it has initiated the procedures for reconnecting Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant to the national power grid. This action marks a new implementation phase in the unit's return to operation; actual restoration of power supply still requires the completion of corresponding operations and compliance with nuclear safety requirements. The reconnection of a nuclear power unit to the grid is a complex operation subject to strict regulation. During the outage, the plant's professional team continued to carry out necessary work to maintain the unit in a safe state. Upon entering the grid reconnection preparation phase, all operations must still comply with applicable procedures to ensure that the return-to-service process meets nuclear safety...

2026-11-05

The National Development and Reform Commission Deploys the 15th Five-Year Plan to Designate Nuclear Fusion as a Future Industry

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) held the first press conference of the "Striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan" series, systematically introducing the strategic planning and key task deployments for cultivating and strengthening new growth drivers during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, marking the official unveiling of China's macro-level blueprint for emerging and future industries in the next stage. It is reported that Ren Zhongbao, Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation and High-Tech Development, stated at the meeting that the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, after comprehensively assessing technological trends, have explicitly designated fusion energy, together with quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, and sixth-generation mobile communications, as the main directions for future industry development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The state will adhere to a nationwide coordinated approach and support regions with favorable conditions in selecting sub-sectors for development in accordance with local conditions.

2026-11-04

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant Reactors to Remain Shut Down Until at Least October 15

Cristian Bușoi, State Secretary of Romania's Ministry of Energy, stated to the media through public channels that Romania is experiencing its most difficult energy situation in recent decades. The low flow of the Danube River and low water levels near Cernavoda have severely affected the nuclear power plant. Currently, both reactors remain shut down, and the Danube's flow is expected to reach a historic low within the next ten days. At least until October 15, Units 1 and 2 of Cernavoda cannot be restarted. The extreme low water level of the Danube has not only caused an interruption in nuclear baseload power supply but has also simultaneously impacted the hydroelectric power output of the country's hydropower stations. Romani...

2026-10-08

When the Water Runs Dry, the Reactors Stop: Behind Romania Losing One-Fifth of Its Electricity, Heavy-Industry Reactor Designs Are Suffering a Fatal "Cold Source Asphyxiation" — Examining the Physical Interrogation of High-Water-Consumption Baseload Plants by Extreme Drought Through the Prolonged Paralysis of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant

For a long time, nuclear power has been regarded as the unwavering backbone of round-the-clock baseload electricity, immune to weather conditions, cloud cover, or lulls in wind. However, the nearly two-month total shutdown of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant is breaking this industry paradigm in an extreme and brutal manner. Because the Danube River has experienced a historically rare drought exceeding warning thresholds and a cliff-edge collapse in water levels, the country's only nuclear power plant—which safeguards one-fifth of its electricity supply—has been paralyzed by the loss of cooling water assurance, with no prospect of near-term restart. This extreme case not only tears open a massive gap in winter energy security for Romania and even Southeastern Europe, but also sounds an alarm for the global energy community: in the face of increasingly...

2026-10-08

Romania's National Nuclear Power Company Plans to Borrow EUR 800 Million from the European Investment Bank: Full Speed Ahead on the Refurbishment of Cernavodă NPP Unit 1

Romania's National Nuclear Power Company (Nuclearelectrica) recently submitted a disclosure to the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), announcing plans to obtain a long-term loan totaling EUR 800 million from the European Investment Bank (BEI), earmarked to finance the Unit 1 Refurbishment and modernization project at the Cernavodă NPP. This major external financing plan has been placed on the agenda and will be formally submitted to shareholders for approval and deliberation at an extraordinary general meeting to be held from October 29 to 30, 2026. The European Investment Bank's Board of Directors had previously formally approved on July 15, 2026, an EUR 800 million credit facility for the project, which is...

2026-10-08

Romania and Argentina Nuclear Power Companies Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Deepen CANDU 6 Heavy Water Reactor Technology Cooperation

Romania's National Nuclear Power Company (SNN) and Argentina's Nuclear Power Company (NASA) signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding on Thursday. According to a press release issued by the Romanian company, the two parties will engage in in-depth cooperation in the operation and development of CANDU 6 heavy water reactor technology. Both companies possess strong technical strength and rich practical experience in the engineering design, daily operation, equipment maintenance, large-scale project management, life extension, nuclear safety analysis, and reactor operation of CANDU 6 technology nuclear reactors. Argentina's Nuclear Power Company had previously successfully completed the refurbishment and upgrade of the Embalse Nuclear Power Plant, which uses CANDU technology...

2026-09-18

Oman Reaffirms Cooperation Commitment at IAEA General Conference, Promotes Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology

The Sultanate of Oman delivered a statement at the 70th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference held in Vienna, Austria, expressing appreciation for the work of the IAEA Secretariat and reaffirming its continued close cooperation with the Agency and its Member States to achieve strategic objectives and further enhance the key role of nuclear technology in peace and modern development. The statement was delivered on behalf of the Sultanate of Oman by Faiza Saif Al Siyabi, Chargé d'Affaires of Oman's Permanent Mission to the IAEA. In its statement, Oman welcomed the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as a new member of the IAEA. Oman emphasized in its statement its active participation...

2026-09-17

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant to Remain Offline Until at Least September 18 Due to Low Danube River Levels

On September 8, Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant was expected to remain offline until at least September 18 due to low water levels in the Danube River. Emil Macovei, Technical Director of Nuclearelectrica, the operator of the Cernavoda plant, stated that over the next 10 days, the Danube's water volume would still be insufficient to support the restart of either of the plant's two units. Romania's Antena 3 television channel quoted him as saying that current hydrological conditions do not yet meet the requirements for unit operation. Cristian Busoi, Secretary of State at Romania's Ministry of Energy, said that predictions regarding the plant's restart timeline were "rather optimistic," and the ministry is currently unable to provide a definitive date for resuming operations. He confirmed that...

2026-09-09

Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant unlikely to restart before September 10

Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant is expected to be unable to resume operations before September 10. Cristian Bușoi, State Secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Energy, stated that although the Danube River flow is recovering, water levels around the plant have not yet reached the conditions required for a safe and stable restart. In a recent interview, Bușoi said that to avoid creating unrealistic expectations, it can currently be confirmed that the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant does not yet meet the conditions for restart before September 10. He explained that the plant's operation depends on a stable water source to ensure the reactor...

2026-09-03

Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant Fully Shut Down Due to Falling Danube River Water Levels

Due to the continuous decline of the Danube River water level, the two units of Romania's only nuclear power plant, the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, have been successively shut down. To alleviate the pressure on electricity supply, Unit 4 of the Rovinari coal-fired cogeneration plant has been put into operation, adding approximately 330 megawatts of generating capacity to Romania's power system. Romania's nuclear power company (Nuclearelectrica) previously reported that due to the sharp decline in the Danube River water level, which affected the assurance of cooling water for the reactor, Unit 2 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant was shut down in a controlled manner on the morning of August 13. The company stated that the shutdown process was carried out in accordance with procedures. At the end of July this year, Unit 1 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant had already been shut down for the same reason...

2026-08-19

World's first laser plasma accelerator-driven high-resolution muon imaging experiment to launch in Romania

Ideon Technologies, a global subsurface detection muon tomography company, is participating in an international research consortium to conduct the world's first high-resolution muon imaging experiment driven entirely by a laser plasma accelerator. The experiment aims to use a compact accelerator to produce muon beams on demand for non-destructive high-resolution imaging, with applications targeting mineral production, critical infrastructure, cargo inspection, medical imaging, semiconductors, nuclear security, and space radiation testing. Consortium members include the University of Texas at Austin, the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility team, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, ELI-Beamlines, and Tau Systems.

2026-08-18

Unit 2 of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant shut down for at least 10 days due to falling Danube River water levels

Romeo Urjan, head of Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, said that due to the continuous decline of Danube River water levels, Unit 2 of the plant has been shut down since August 13 for at least 10 days. Romania's Ministry of Energy stated on August 12 that Unit 2 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant required a temporary shutdown. As planned, the shutdown operation began on the morning of August 13 and was completed before noon that day. Urjan stated that Danube River water levels are expected to continue declining over the next 10 days, so the plant currently has no plans to restart Unit 2. He emphasized that this shutdown is unrelated to nuclear safety issues or emergencies, with the main reason being...

2026-08-14

Romania's Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant to Shut Down Due to Falling Danube River Levels

Romania's Ministry of Energy announced on the 12th local time that, due to current hydrological conditions, Unit 2 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant will undergo a controlled shutdown starting on the 13th. Cernavoda is Romania's only nuclear power plant, and this shutdown will mark the first time the plant has been completely taken offline since 2003. The Cernavoda plant has two units, with Unit 1 already shut down at the end of last month. The plant accounts for approximately one-fifth of Romania's electricity generation. Romanian authorities had previously taken engineering measures to delay the shutdown of Unit 2, including dredging relevant sections of the Danube River, blasting and removing underwater rock obstacles, clearing the riverbed, and sinking barges loaded with crushed stone into the river channel to adjust water flow conditions. These operations involved an investment of over 2 million euros.

2026-08-13