Search Results

Amentum Joins Babcock UK Defense Engineering Services Framework to Support Naval Nuclear Infrastructure Projects

Amentum recently announced that it has joined Babcock International Group's five-year engineering services framework, which will support projects related to nuclear energy, marine, land, aviation, and mission systems for the UK Armed Forces both domestically and overseas. The framework aims to establish closer, longer-term partnerships with key suppliers, delivering specialist engineering capabilities to critical defense programs in a more streamlined and consistent manner. Through this arrangement, suppliers can engage in multiple projects more quickly, helping to optimize procurement processes and enhance project collaboration. According to reports, this framework agreement builds on Amentum's long-standing support for Babcock-related infrastructure, involving facilities such as HMNB Devonport...

2026-08-20

Wisconsin Electric Power Company signs 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra for Point Beach nuclear plant

WEC Energy Group said its subsidiary Wisconsin Electric Power Company has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Point Beach to purchase 86% of the capacity, energy, ancillary services, and environmental attributes from both units of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. According to a filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the new agreement remains subject to approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). If approved...

2026-08-20

West Engineering Delivers 30 Relay Protection and Automation Cabinets for Unit 2 of Akkuyu NPP

West Engineering has completed the next stage of equipment delivery for Unit 2 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Türkiye, shipping 30 relay protection and automation cabinets to the project site. The equipment will be used for the protection, monitoring, and control of critical electrical components of the power unit. The delivered equipment includes AZ-PZ cabinets for generating analog and discrete information, power supply unit protection device cabinets, power unit measurement device cabinets, synchronizing relay cabinets, generator switch control cabinets, electrical process recording cabinets, and control current distribution cabinets, among others. According to reports, this batch of nuclear facility equipment has been designed with high safety margins and fault tolerance in mind. The supplied relay protection and automation systems comply with relevant international standards, with a safety class of 3H/N, meeting the NP-001-15 standard; the quality assurance category is QA3, and the equipment has undergone multi-stage quality control from material and component selection to acceptance testing.

2026-08-20

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to Validate Spherical Tokamak Fusion Path with NSTX-U

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is advancing research on the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), planning to use this largest spherical tokamak in the United States to assess the potential of compact tokamak configurations for future fusion power plants. The device is designed to become one of the most powerful spherical tokamaks in the world and will be used to study key issues such as high-temperature plasma confinement, heat transport, material performance, and real-time control. The image above shows the vacuum vessel and center column of the NSTX-U at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). This device will help scientists determine the optimal shape for future fusion power plants...

2026-08-20

Immersive environment launched in West Cumbria to support nuclear decommissioning

AtkinsRéalis has recently supported Sellafield Ltd in establishing a new immersive environment at the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration facility (RAICo1) in West Cumbria, UK, to support the planning, rehearsal, and execution of nuclear decommissioning work. The project was developed in partnership between Sellafield Ltd and immersive technology company Igloo Vision. The new Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo1) facility in West Cumbria (Image courtesy of Sellafield Ltd) The 360-degree visualisation environment can accommodate up to 10 users and can integrate remotely operated robotic systems, live data streams, and visual information within a single interactive space...

2026-08-20

India and Germany's Hesse Explore Clean Energy Cooperation, with Discussions Covering Laser-Based Nuclear Fusion Research

On August 19, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held talks with Boris Rhein, Minister-President of the German state of Hesse, to discuss strengthening economic and technological cooperation between India and Hesse. Manfred Pentz, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Deregulation, along with a German business delegation, attended the meeting. The talks covered several emerging and high-growth sectors, with energy-related discussions focusing on clean energy and future technologies. The two sides discussed Hesse's initiatives in next-generation energy technologies, including laser-based...

2026-08-20

CERN measures niobium-94 neutron capture for the first time, shedding new light on the mystery of molybdenum abundance in ancient stardust

The n_TOF collaboration at CERN recently reported that researchers have for the first time measured the probability of neutron capture by niobium-94. The results, published in Physical Review Letters, provide new experimental evidence for explaining the anomalous abundance of molybdenum-94 in presolar grains. The EAR2 facility in the n_TOF experiment at CERN produces intense neutron beams, opening new possibilities for nuclear research. Credit: CERN Niobium-94 is a niobium isotope containing 41 protons and 53 neutrons, occupying a critical juncture in the nuclear reaction chain that produces heavy elements in dying stars. Researchers are interested in it because niobium-94 is very close to molybdenum-94, differing by just one fewer proton and one more neutron. Under the high-temperature, high-pressure conditions inside stars, niobium-94 may either transform into molybdenum-94 through beta decay or form niobium-95 through neutron capture. The competition between these two reaction pathways directly affects scientists' understanding of the origin of molybdenum-94.

2026-08-20

Unit 3 of France's Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant Reconnected to Grid, Unit 4 Remains Shut Down

According to EDF on August 18, Unit 3 of the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant in northern France was reconnected to the national grid at 3:55 a.m. local time on August 18. The unit had been automatically shut down at 7:43 p.m. on August 10 in accordance with established safety protection procedures due to a large influx of jellyfish into the seawater pump station filtration system. The Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant has a total of six units. On August 10, a large number of jellyfish entered the pump station used to draw seawater for cooling nuclear facilities, affecting equipment such as pre-filters and filter drums. In accordance with operating procedures, Units 3 and 4 were automatically shut down; the operating team also shut down Unit 2 and reduced Unit 1's power to 50% to adapt to changing site conditions. Unit 5 was...

2026-08-20

Slovenia's Krško Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Full Power Operation

On the evening of August 18, 2026, as meteorological conditions further improved, temperatures dropped, and river water temperatures declined, the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) increased reactor power to 100%, resuming full-load operation. During full-power operation, the plant will keep the entire cooling tower system in service to ensure compliance with relevant environmental limits and reduce the need for water withdrawal from the Sava River for cooling the plant's tertiary circuit. Previously, due to environmental restrictions related to the Sava River, the Krško Nuclear Power Plant reduced unit power to 80% on August 6, 2026. On August 14, following preliminary improvements in meteorological conditions, plant power was increased to 90%. Under the special operating conditions of this summer, when...

2026-08-20

Danube Water Levels Recover, Paks Nuclear Power Plant Expected to Resume Full-Capacity Operation

According to Hungarian sources on August 19, Peter Magyar stated that due to the recovery of Danube water levels, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is expected to resume full-capacity operation by next weekend. Magyar noted that starting from Friday, August 28, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant will be ready for full-capacity operation. The recent rise of 15 to 20 centimeters in Danube water levels has created conditions for the plant to restore its output and has also eliminated the need for operators to shut down turbines again. Relevant experts plan to restart the turbines that have not yet resumed operation as soon as possible. Previously, due to historically low Danube water levels, the operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which relies on river water for cooling, was affected, and the plant's output once dropped to approximately 10% of full capacity.

2026-08-20

South Korea's Woori Technology Wins Supply Contract for Control Systems for Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4

Woori Technology announced on August 20 that it has signed a supply contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to provide equipment and technical support for the Plant Monitoring System (PMS) facility improvement project for Units 3 and 4 of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant. According to the disclosed information, the contract amount is KRW 8.4726 billion, approximately KRW 8.5 billion, excluding value-added tax, accounting for 9.72% of Woori Technology's consolidated sales in 2025. The contract period runs from August 19, 2026 to February 21, 2028, with sales and supply limited to South Korea, and the supply method is in-house production. Under the contract arrangement, Woori Technology will...

2026-08-20

Firefly Aerospace to Fly Zeno Power Radioisotope Heater to Validate Lunar Night Survival Capability

Firefly Aerospace announced on August 19 that it has reached a commercial payload agreement with Zeno Power Systems to carry Zeno's Lunar Night Survival Package and radioisotope heater unit on a Blue Ghost lunar lander mission. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2028 and aims to verify whether the relevant nuclear power technologies can help spacecraft, lunar infrastructure, and future lunar base systems continue operating through the long, extremely cold lunar night environment. *Rendering of Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander with Zeno Power's Lunar Night Survival Package on its top deck. Under the plan, Zeno's payload will travel with Blue Ghost to the lunar nearside...

2026-08-20

Japan's regulator says steam leak at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 was "avoidable"

On August 19, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) released the results of its nuclear regulatory inspections for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, determining that the steam leak incident at Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co., in May this year was "foreseeable within a reasonable range" and that the associated losses "could have been avoided." The incident occurred in the high-pressure turbine area of Mihama Unit 3. A small hole approximately 8 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide appeared in the metal cover atop the high-pressure turbine casing, causing a steam leak that forced a manual reactor shutdown. In its assessment, the NRA concluded that the event was foreseeable and could have been prevented through appropriate management or maintenance measures. However, since no pipe rupture or fire occurred between the onset of the steam leak and the reactor shutdown, the NRA rated the significance and severity of the incident at the lowest of four levels.

2026-08-20

Kansai Electric's Dry Cask Storage Project for Spent Fuel at Three Fukui Nuclear Plants Accelerates

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) plans to construct dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at the sites of its three nuclear power plants in Takahama, Oi, and Mihama in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, and the local approval process for the project has recently accelerated. According to local arrangements, in addition to regulatory review, the project requires prior consent from the Fukui Prefectural Government and the towns where the nuclear plants are located. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has completed safety reviews of the dry cask storage facility plans for the Takahama and Mihama nuclear power plants, while the plan for the Oi plant remains under review. Takahama Town Mayor Hisakatsu Nishijima...

2026-08-20

Trial lifting of damaged fuel assembly completed at Unit 2 of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on August 18 that a trial lifting of a damaged fuel assembly in the spent fuel pool of Unit 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has been completed. The assembly was damaged in a fall 45 years ago and was subsequently repaired with wire. This trial lifting was conducted to confirm whether it can be safely handled during the subsequent removal operation. A total of 615 fuel assemblies are stored in the Unit 2 fuel pool, including 587 spent fuel assemblies and 28 unused fuel assemblies. The removal work began on June 2, and the fuel assemblies will be transferred to the shared fuel pool within the plant site. As of August 17, 35 fuel assemblies had been removed. Despite interruptions during the operation, Tokyo Electric Power Company...

2026-08-20