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Removal of Highly Radioactive Spent Fuel Begins at Unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) said on August 17 that it has begun removing spent fuel assemblies with high radiation levels from the spent fuel pool of Unit 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in northeastern Japan, the site of a severe nuclear accident. Last month, TEPCO removed 28 unused nuclear fuel assemblies from the Unit 2 spent fuel pool. Compared with spent fuel, these unused fuel assemblies pose relatively lower risks. The company plans to complete the removal of spent fuel from Unit 2 by the end of fiscal year 2028. To date, the Unit 2 spent fuel pool contains a total of 587 spent fuel assemblies, of which TEPCO has completed the removal of...

2026-08-18

Hyundai E&C Signs Framework Agreement with TerraPower for Natrium Nuclear Power Plant Project

Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced on the 18th that it has signed a framework agreement with U.S. nuclear energy company TerraPower for the execution of the Natrium next-generation nuclear power plant project. Under the agreement, Hyundai E&C has been granted priority status to serve as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) general contractor for up to eight additional Natrium nuclear units developed by TerraPower. The signing ceremony was attended by senior executives from both companies, including Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo and TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque. The two parties plan to expand cooperation in the nuclear energy sector and jointly explore new business opportunities...

2026-08-18

Radioactive liquid waste leak suspected at QST's underground facility in Chiba due to record rainfall

According to Japanese media reports, due to record-breaking rainfall in Chiba Prefecture, an underground facility of the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) in Chiba City was flooded, and radioactive liquid waste in underground storage tanks at the facility may have mixed with rainwater and leaked outdoors. QST stated that as of the 13th, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 liters of liquid waste had accumulated in the relevant underground storage tanks. After investigating water bodies around the tanks, the institute confirmed that detected radioactive material concentrations were below standard values, and no environmental impact has been indicated so far. QST reported the incident to national and local governments the following day and plans to submit preventive measures to the Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan.

2026-08-18

Safety measure costs after Japan's nuclear plant accident rise to at least 6.606 trillion yen

A survey of 11 Japanese electric power companies shows that the total cost of safety measures required for nuclear plants to meet new regulatory standards following the Fukushima Daiichi accident has reached at least 6.606 trillion yen. Affected by rising prices, this figure has increased slightly from the previous year. About half of the surveyed companies said that rising costs of materials, equipment, and construction have pushed up related expenses, and the total may continue to rise in the future. After the Fukushima Daiichi accident, Japan implemented new nuclear regulatory standards requiring plants to strengthen earthquake and tsunami protection and improve severe accident response measures. Related costs mainly include seawalls, emergency power supplies, filtered venting equipment, and...

2026-08-18

Multiple regions in Japan demand nuclear power operators strengthen safety management and information disclosure

On August 17, Keisuke Yokoo, the new chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), visited the Niigata Prefectural Government and met with Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi. Yokoo assumed his post in June, becoming the first chairman of TEPCO to come from a financial institution. The meeting is seen as an arrangement for the new TEPCO management, following its official launch, to communicate with local governments on nuclear safety and trust rebuilding. Yokoo stated that, as the party responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, TEPCO will always bear in mind that there is no end to safety and will continuously improve the safety level of its nuclear power plants. He also expressed his commitment to ensuring the safe operation of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. Hanazumi said at the meeting...

2026-08-18

Fire alarm triggered for fifth time at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in August; no fire confirmed on site

At 7:14 a.m. on August 18, a fire alarm was triggered on the first basement floor of the turbine building of Unit 5 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) stated that after fire department personnel arrived and conducted inspections, no fire was confirmed on site at 7:55 a.m. Readings from radiation monitoring stations around the plant showed no significant fluctuations. This was the fifth time a fire alarm had been triggered at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station since the beginning of August. Previously, related alarms had occurred on August 8 at the maintenance building for Units 5 and 6, on August 12 at the emergency diesel generator room for the high-pressure core spray system of Unit 6, on August 13 at the main administration building, and on August 15 at the southwest stairwell of the turbine building of Unit 5. After each of the above alarms was triggered, the fire department confirmed that no fire had occurred...

2026-08-18

Nuclear-powered icebreaker "Leningrad" completes installation of two RITM-200 reactors

United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) announced that Baltic Shipyard has completed the installation of two RITM-200 nuclear reactors on the Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker "Leningrad". The "Leningrad" is the sixth vessel in the Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreaker series. The vessel is being built by Baltic Shipyard under an order from Rosatom, and its keel-laying ceremony was held on January 26, 2024. Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers are primarily designed to ensure year-round navigation in the western Arctic waters of Russia. Equipped with nuclear propulsion systems, these vessels can perform icebreaking escort and fairway maintenance missions under complex ice conditions.

2026-08-18

22nd Round of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station ALPS Treated Water Discharge Completed

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) stated on August 17 that the 22nd round of ALPS treated water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station had been completed by the afternoon of the same day (local time). This round of discharge began on July 30, with a total of 7,888 tonnes of ALPS treated water released. According to information released by TEPCO, the total amount of radioactive tritium contained in the water discharged in this round was approximately 1.3 trillion becquerels. This is the 4th round of ALPS treated water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan's fiscal year 2026. Japan began discharging ALPS treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in August 2023. To date, 22 rounds of discharge have been carried out, with a cumulative discharge volume of approximately 173,000 tonnes...

2026-08-18

Single-Channel Pulse Source of Electromagnetic-Driven Fusion Large Scientific Facility Passes Acceptance

On August 16, the test and acceptance meeting for the single-channel pulse source of the comprehensive assessment experimental system of the electromagnetic-driven fusion large scientific facility, along with the inauguration ceremony of the Institute of Nuclear Fusion Science and Technology at Xi'an Jiaotong University, was held at the China Western Science and Technology Innovation Harbor. During the meeting, the single-channel pulse source of the comprehensive assessment experimental system passed testing and acceptance, and the Institute of Nuclear Fusion Science and Technology at Xi'an Jiaotong University was officially inaugurated. Before the meeting, attending experts and guests inspected the single-channel pulse source experimental system. During the acceptance session, the project team presented the overall status of the electromagnetic-driven fusion large scientific facility, the development progress of the single-channel pulse source, and the test verification results. The expert panel discussed the...

2026-08-18

CIRP's "Dragon Realm" Series Advances Digital Upgrade of Radiation Protection for Nuclear Facilities

The Dragon Realm series is a digital radiation protection system product independently developed by CIRP (China Institute for Radiation Protection), refined over more than a decade of accumulation, based on the on-site radiation protection needs of nuclear facilities. It integrates radiation field visualization, real-time monitoring, and intelligent management and control, providing core technical support for the digital transformation of radiation protection in nuclear facilities. Dragon Realm One focuses on "seeing." It recreates the radiation environment of nuclear facilities in three-dimensional digital form, integrating scene roaming and operational simulation to make radiation risks perceivable and tangible, providing an intuitive basis for protection decision-making. Radiation field visualization: establishes a mapping relationship between dose rate and color in the radiation field, achieving 3D visualization of the radiation field. Simulation roaming: supports...

2026-08-18

CFHI and Shanghai Electric Hold Talks to Advance Cooperation in Nuclear Power Equipment and Other Fields

On August 17, Lu Zhiqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China First Heavy Industries (CFHI), met with Wu Lei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shanghai Electric Group, and his delegation at CFHI. The two sides held discussions on further deepening strategic cooperation, focusing on exchanging views on cooperation in fields such as metallurgical equipment, high-end materials, nuclear power equipment, new energy wind power, scientific research and development, and industrial chain synergy. Lu Zhiqiang welcomed Wu Lei and his delegation and expressed gratitude to Shanghai Electric for its long-standing support to CFHI. He stated that CFHI will continue to focus on its primary responsibility of equipment manufacturing, coordinate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, and thoroughly implement the "1235" development strategy. He expressed hope that both sides...

2026-08-18

Concrete pouring completed for turbine deck of conventional island of Unit 2 at CGN Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant

At 12:30 on August 11, 2026, concrete pouring officially commenced for the turbine deck of the conventional island of Unit 2 at CGN Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant, and was successfully completed at 16:00 on August 13, after 51.5 hours, with a total of 2,685m³ of concrete poured. The turbine deck structure of the conventional island of Unit 2 measures 68.7m in length and 16m in width, with a top elevation of +8.43m, consisting of two longitudinal beams and six transverse beams. Owner-supplied items include 296 anchor bolts, 56 lifting columns, 28 anchor plates, and 18 oil pipe sleeves, among which 8 sets of large embedded parts weigh over 10t each. The turbine deck construction features complex structures, a large number of owner-supplied embedded parts, and high precision requirements. During the turbine deck construction, the project team fully drew on the experience feedback from the conventional island turbine deck of Unit 1...

2026-08-18

Huaneng Nuclear Energy Research Institute Conducts First Specialized Training on Hualong One System Principles

To enhance the Institute's technical support services and scientific research capabilities regarding Hualong One technology, and to strengthen employees' systematic understanding of Hualong One, Huaneng Nuclear Energy Research Institute organized training on Hualong One system principles, completing the first specialized session on August 12. A total of 101 company leaders and employees participated in the training through a combination of online and offline methods. The first training session reviewed China's path toward independent development of pressurized water reactor technology from an industry development perspective, systematically outlining the global evolution of nuclear power technology and the safety design criteria for Generation III nuclear power. By benchmarking against mainstream Generation III reactor designs such as the US AP1000 and European EPR, the session provided in-depth explanations of Hualong One's dual safety architecture combining active and passive safety systems...

2026-08-18

SwissFEL Achieves Ultralow-Temperature X-ray Observation of Quantum States

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland recently reported that the Cristallina experimental station of the Swiss Free-Electron Laser (SwissFEL) can now observe quantum states that only emerge at extremely low temperatures using X-ray scattering at temperatures close to absolute zero. Simon Gerber (left) and Bill Pedrini (right) at the Cristallina experimental station of SwissFEL. With the help of a custom-built cryostat connected to the beamline (far left), quantum states can now be studied at extremely low temperatures. Paul Scherrer Institute PSI/Markus FischerAccording to the team, they recently achieved a low temperature of 35 millikelvin in experiments...

2026-08-17

Neutron and X-ray tomography reveal hydrogen-rich regions in Martian meteorite "Black Beauty"

An international team of researchers from Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland recently conducted a three-dimensional non-destructive analysis of a slice of the Martian meteorite NWA 7034 "Black Beauty" using neutron tomography and X-ray tomography, discovering macroscopic hydrogen-rich regions within it. The study suggests that these hydrogen-rich features provide evidence of early water-rock interactions on Mars. The findings have been published in Geophysical Research Letters. Black Beauty is a brecciated meteorite from Mars that was ejected into space by an impact event and eventually landed in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Weighing approximately 320 grams, the meteorite contains material up to 4.48 billion years old, making it one of the oldest known Martian crustal fragments...

2026-08-17