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Multiple African countries push nuclear power projects from planning to financing and construction

According to the nuclear energy special report in the recently released "Nuclear Industry Insights, Fourth Quarter 2026," more than a dozen African countries are attempting to advance nuclear power from policy concepts to financeable, constructible project stages. The report notes that rising demand for reliable, low-carbon baseload power is an important backdrop for nuclear energy's return to Africa's energy strategy discussions. Currently, two of Africa's more advanced nuclear projects have reached new milestones. The reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2 of Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant was installed on July 9, 2026. Previously, Unit 1 completed a similar installation in November 2025. El Dabaa is Egypt's first nuclear power plant, planned with 4 units and a total installed capacity of 4...

2026-08-28

Bangladesh Science and Technology Minister Meets Russian Delegates to Advance Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Grid Connection

Bangladesh Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam met with Andrey Rozhdestvin, General Director of Rosatom Energy Projects JSC, a subsidiary of Russia's Rosatom, in Washington, D.C., USA, on August 27. The two sides held bilateral talks on the construction progress of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and subsequent grid connection arrangements. The discussions focused on the overall construction progress of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, acceleration of remaining work, and the technical and coordination measures required to deliver power from the unit to Bangladesh's national grid as soon as possible while adhering to established procedures...

2026-08-28

Unit 3 of Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant resumes operation after short-term maintenance

Rosatom reported on August 27 that Unit 3 of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant has resumed operation after completing short-term unscheduled maintenance. Rosatom stated that Unit 4 of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant remains under planned preventive maintenance. The announcement did not disclose the specific reasons for or the duration of the maintenance on Unit 3. Meanwhile, construction of new units at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant continues to progress. The new units employ modern VVER-TOI reactor technology, with the first unit already commissioned and generating electricity...

2026-08-28

Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Releases Annual Environmental Report

Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant recently presented its annual environmental report to local residents in the city of Kurchatov. This year's presentation adopted a cycling event format for the first time, with participants including local residents, city Duma deputies, and relevant personnel, held in the area of Warm Coast Park. The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant is part of Rosenergoatom, the power generation division operator of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The plant stated that the event route was specially designed to allow participants to learn about environmental protection data during the ride and directly observe the environmental conditions in the area surrounding the plant. Kursk...

2026-08-28

South Korea Launches Standard Design Approval Review for i-SMR

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea is set to initiate a safety review of the standard design approval application for the innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR). This project is part of the small modular reactor research and development program led by the South Korean government. The NSSC stated on August 28 that, at its 13th meeting of 2026 held on August 27, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) reported on the review plan for the i-SMR standard design approval application. KINS had previously conducted a suitability review of the standard design approval application documents submitted in February of this year and determined that the documents met the conditions for entering the safety review phase, thereby establishing a subsequent review plan. The standard design approval system is designed to...

2026-08-28

Construction Advances for Holtec's SMR-300 Test Facility at Idaho National Laboratory

Holtec International recently announced that construction of its HI-TEST test facility, supporting the SMR-300 small modular reactor, is advancing at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with manufacturing of key test components and preparation for facility installation already underway. The facility simulates the SMR-300 plant at approximately one-third scale and is designed to quantify reactor design and operational performance margins, providing a test basis for potential future power uprates. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), the HI-TEST facility's primary mission is to validate SMR-300 design margins under steady-state and transient conditions, offering physical test data for the plant's power generation capacity, resilience, and operability...

2026-08-28

Sweden's Oskarshamn New Nuclear Project Applies for State Aid

NuCore Energi AB, a project company under Fortum, has submitted a state aid application to the Swedish government to initiate consultations on the framework and conditions for a new nuclear power project in Oskarshamn municipality. The project is planned to proceed near the existing Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant, with options covering small modular reactors (SMRs) and large reactors, with a total installed capacity expected to range between 1,200 MW and 3,400 MW. NuCore Energi submitted the state aid application on August 27, 2026. In the photo, from left to right: NuCore Energi CEO Laurent Leveugle and Minister Niklas Wykman. Fortum...

2026-08-28

Welding of main circulation pipeline completed for Unit 2 of Turkey's Akkuyu NPP

On August 27, welding of the main circulation pipeline was completed for Unit 2 of Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The pipeline connects the reactor, steam generators, and main circulation pumps, and is one of the key components forming the primary circuit system of the reactor facility. The welding work lasted 73 days and involved welding 32 pipe joints. Engineering technicians, welders, fitters, pipe cutters, non-destructive testing personnel, heat treatment personnel, and quality inspection personnel participated in the relevant operations. During construction, each process step proceeded according to the established technological workflow, and welded joints had to pass inspection before moving to the next stage. According to reports, all welded joints underwent high-temperature heat treatment to relieve internal stress in the metal and ensure compliance with design performance requirements.

2026-08-28

Egyptian Minister of Electricity Inspects Small Modular Reactor Technology in Russia

On August 27, 2026, Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat visited a small nuclear reactor manufacturing and assembly plant operated by Rosatom during an official visit to Russia. The inspection focused on the latest advancements in small modular reactor-related technologies, industrial application status, and potential cooperation opportunities between the two sides. The Egyptian side stated that such visits align with the country's direction of diversifying energy sources and enhancing the security and sustainability of electricity supply. During the visit, Esmat was briefed on the manufacturing and assembly processes of small reactor components, as well as related safety systems...

2026-08-28

India's Draft Nuclear Regulations May Affect Foreign Reactor Technology Introduction

A draft nuclear regulatory framework in India could introduce new uncertainty to its nuclear power expansion plans. Multiple industry insiders and legal experts believe that the draft's additional approval requirements for imported reactors may push companies toward domestic technology and delay the entry of foreign capital and advanced reactor technology into the Indian market. India passed a new nuclear energy law last year, allowing private enterprises to enter the nuclear power sector, which had long been strictly controlled by the state, and is attempting to expand nuclear power capacity by introducing foreign technology and investment. India plans to increase its nuclear power installed capacity nearly tenfold over the next two decades to 100 gigawatts, with estimated investment needs approaching $210 billion. The target is seen as...

2026-08-28

Russia and Egypt Plan to Jointly Establish Additive Manufacturing Center in Egypt

According to the fuel division of Rosatom, it has signed a joint statement of intent with the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Construction Supervision and Execution Authority (EA-SNPP), with both sides planning to cooperate in establishing an additive manufacturing center in Egypt. The statement said that Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, visited the Moscow Additive Manufacturing Center under the fuel division of Rosatom during his visit to Russia. Following the visit, the Russian fuel division and the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Project Supervision and Execution Authority signed the aforementioned statement, clarifying their cooperation in building an additive manufacturing center in Egypt. The cooperation revolves around additive manufacturing...

2026-08-28

Hole of about 3 meters confirmed at bottom of reactor pressure vessel of Unit 3 at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on August 27 that a hole approximately 3 meters in diameter has been confirmed at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel of Unit 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The pressure vessel is a steel container that held nuclear fuel before the accident, with a cylindrical shape and a diameter of about 5.5 meters. This is the first time since the core meltdown accident at Units 1 to 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011 that the specific size and shape of such a hole have been confirmed on the pressure vessel. The hole is believed to be related to the falling of melted nuclear fuel during the 2011 accident. After the accident, the containment vessel of Unit 3 has maintained a relatively high water level for an extended period, and access routes into the containment vessel are limited. TEPCO previously used a micro drone measuring approximately 12 centimeters per side...

2026-08-28

Fukui Prefecture in Japan Aims to Promote Local Utilization of Nuclear Power

On the 27th, Fukui Prefecture in Japan held a co-creation meeting to exchange views on development measures for areas hosting nuclear power plants. The meeting confirmed a new policy aimed at promoting the local use of electricity generated by nuclear plants to drive related industrial development, including attracting large-scale data centers and other high-power-consuming businesses. Fukui Prefecture has held co-creation meetings for the past five consecutive years, with participants including the Fukui Prefectural Government, local governments in areas within the prefecture hosting nuclear plants, Japan's central government, and representatives of electric power companies. The meeting focused on how to combine the stable power supply and carbon-dioxide-free operation of nuclear plants with regional industrial revitalization...

2026-08-28

Japan Extends Deadline for Anti-Terrorism Facility Construction at Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has officially decided to revise relevant regulations to extend the deadline for installing anti-terrorism facilities, specifically "facilities for responding to specified severe accidents," at nuclear power plants. Under the new rules, the deadline will be adjusted from "within five years after the construction plan is approved" to "within five years after the start of commercial operation." The revised regulations are expected to take effect in September. This change will affect Tohoku Electric Power's Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2. The unit, which had faced the possibility of shutdown by December 2026 due to difficulties in completing the required facilities by then, will now be able to continue operating beyond that date. Tohoku Electric Power...

2026-08-28

Japan to Build Fusion Tritium Fuel Research Base in Aomori Prefecture

Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has decided to establish a new fusion power generation research base in Aomori Prefecture, focusing on tritium fuel handling technology. The base will target the development needs of fusion demonstration projects in the 2030s, promoting joint research and development among industry, government, and academia. MEXT plans to include approximately 100 billion yen in fusion development-related funding in its budget request for the next fiscal year. Fusion power generation releases energy through the fusion reaction of deuterium and tritium nuclei, a principle similar to the energy generation process inside the sun. Unlike traditional nuclear power that relies on nuclear fission chain reactions, fusion reactions carry a lower risk of runaway, leading many countries to view it as an important direction for future energy technology...

2026-08-28