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Unit 3 at Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea Shut Down Again During Trial Operation

Unit 3 at the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), was shut down again during trial operation. The unit, located in Ulju County, Ulsan, South Korea, has a generating capacity of 1,400 MW. According to the plant operator, operators manually shut down the reactor at approximately 3:01 p.m. on the 6th. The shutdown was initiated after a leak was confirmed in a pipe related to turbine steam condensate. The plant stated that the manual shutdown was carried out to ensure facility stability and facilitate maintenance. The plant also stated that the shutdown caused no radiological impact and that the unit is currently in a stable condition. Personnel are analyzing the cause of the pipe leak. This...

2026-09-07

Main Construction of Unit 2 at CGN's Shandong Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Project Commences

On the morning of September 5, the first concrete pour for the nuclear island of Unit 2 at CGN's Shandong Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Project was initiated, marking the official commencement of main construction for this unit and the entry of the project's Phase I into full-scale construction. According to reports, the concrete pouring for Unit 2, which commenced construction this time, totals approximately 8,800 cubic meters, equivalent to the volume of 3.5 standard swimming pools. The pour is divided into 7 points and will be completed in a single continuous operation, with an estimated total duration of about 60 hours. The main construction of Unit 1 of this project commenced on November 18, 2025. Yu Xiangdong, General Commander of CGN's Shandong Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Project, stated that currently, the adjacent Unit 1's nuclear island reactor building has completed the hoisting of 4 steel liner modules, with the steel liner constructed to elevation 29.72 meters. Construction of the conventional island turbine foundation, turbine frame, corridors, and circulating water pump pits is progressing concurrently, while cooling tower rebar cage installation and concrete pouring are underway. Construction safety and quality remain under control, with all work progressing in an orderly manner.

2026-09-05

U.S. ZC Institute Unveils "Kardashev One" Fusion Prototype Reactor Plan to Independently Test Neutron Recovery Concept

ZC Institute, a fusion energy company headquartered in Atlanta, USA, announced on September 4 the launch of the Kardashev One program, aiming to develop a fusion prototype reactor to explore recovering energy lost to radiation and neutron escape during fusion reactions. As an early validation step of the program, ZC Institute has commissioned Professor Jason Cassibry and his team at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to conduct independent testing of the related field distortion technology. According to ZC Institute, existing fusion approaches, including inertial confinement fusion and magnetic confinement fusion, lose energy in forms such as electromagnetic radiation and neutron escape. Magnetic fields can confine charged...

2026-09-05

China and Russia Advance Cooperation on Tianwan and Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Construction

During the meeting of the China-Russia Intergovernmental Energy Committee, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang stated that enterprises from both countries are expanding cooperation in the energy sector, strengthening power technology exchanges, and exploring the possibility of reverse power supply from China to Russia. During the meeting, Ding Xuexiang also mentioned the construction progress of the Tianwan and Xudabao nuclear power plants. He noted that the two countries are systematically advancing the relevant nuclear power projects, with Unit 1 of the Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant scheduled to commence operation by the end of this year. The meeting was held as part of the Eastern Economic Forum activities. In addition to nuclear power projects, China and Russia also exchanged views on cooperation in the power sector...

2026-09-05

Release of the Main Piping Welding Control Point for Unit 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant

Recently, the Northeast Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Northeast Office) organized an inspection team to conduct an inspection at the main piping welding control point for Unit 2 of Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant. Experts from the East China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision, the South China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center, the China Machinery Productivity Promotion Center, the Shanghai Nuclear Safety Review Center, the Suzhou Nuclear Safety Center, and other organizations participated in the inspection. As a critical component of the reactor coolant pressure boundary, the welding quality of the main piping is directly related to the construction quality and operational safety of the nuclear power unit. In strict accordance with relevant procedural requirements, the inspection team conducted a comprehensive inspection covering the implementation of the operating organization's quality assurance program, quality control of important items and activities, and preparation for main piping welding through on-site inspections, document reviews, and personnel interviews...

2026-09-05

Concrete Placement Completed for Turbine Foundation Base Slab of Unit 5 Conventional Island at Ningde Nuclear Power Phase II

At 13:09 on September 2, the large-volume concrete placement for the turbine foundation base slab at elevation +15.95 meters in the conventional island building of Unit 5 of the Ningde Nuclear Power Project Phase II was completed. The placement lasted approximately 46 hours, marking phased progress in the main civil construction of the conventional island for this unit and creating conditions for subsequent installation of turbine-generator equipment. The placement commenced at 15:37 on August 31 and was carried out in a single continuous pour, with a cumulative concrete volume of 2,456 cubic meters. The turbine foundation base slab is a critical load-bearing structure in the conventional island of a nuclear power plant, supporting the loads of the turbine-generator unit and auxiliary equipment. It demands high structural precision, construction quality, and overall stability, and its forming quality will affect subsequent equipment installation accuracy and unit operational reliability.

2026-09-05

Non-compliant Welding Procedures at Two Units of South Korea's Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant

The Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) recently confirmed that Units 1 and 2 of the plant had used welding procedure specifications (WPS) that had not undergone impact testing during maintenance of the component cooling water heat exchangers. A retrospective inspection found that among 14 repair activities conducted since the relevant heat exchangers were replaced in 2007, 6 cases involved similar non-compliance. The issue was identified during the 28th planned preventive maintenance outage of Hanbit Unit 1. Inspections revealed that some welding procedure specifications used for repairs to the water chambers of the component cooling water heat exchangers did not meet requirements, involving repair work on worn areas inside the heat exchanger water chambers in the cooling systems of Units 1 and 2. Hanbit Nuclear...

2026-09-04

Radiation Emergency Drill Conducted at Unit 6 of South Korea's Hanul Nuclear Power Plant

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently conducted a comprehensive radiation disaster prevention drill at Unit 6 of its Hanul Nuclear Power Plant to test the emergency response system and on-site handling capabilities under radiation emergency conditions. According to the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, the drill was held on September 3, organized in accordance with the evaluation guidelines established by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) and based on the National Radiation Emergency Plan. The drill scenario was not disclosed in advance, and the evaluation methods were also adjusted, with a focus on verifying the unit's response capabilities under actual emergency scenarios. During the drill, all emergency personnel of Unit 6 at Hanul Nuclear Power Plant participated in the response. The scenario simulated a casualty incident occurring within the controlled area, with medical rescue operations organized, and a 3.2 MW mobile generator was used to inspect the operational capability of emergency facilities.

2026-09-04

BWXT Selected for Conceptual Design of First Module of U.S. NNSA Lithium Processing Facility

BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) to perform conceptual design work for the first module of a new lithium processing facility planned for the Y-12 National Security Complex. According to available information, lithium post-processing operations are currently still being conducted in some aging facilities. To continue supporting missions such as direct reuse of lithium materials, purification, component production, and recycling, NNSA plans to modernize related facilities to meet its national security mission requirements. Heatherly Dukes, President of BWXT Technical Services Group, stated that this project represents a significant investment in the modernization of U.S. nuclear security infrastructure, aimed at...

2026-09-04

Japan's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 Restart Review Still Requires Additional Fire Safety Documentation

On September 3, a review meeting was held for the restart plan of Unit 3 at Japan's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) pointed out that the explanations submitted by Hokkaido Electric Power regarding fire safety measures still contain issues requiring further confirmation, and requested the company to provide more detailed assessment materials. The equipment design and construction plan required for the restart of Tomari Unit 3 has been under review since last year. One of the current review priorities is whether relevant workers have adequate and feasible evacuation measures in the event of a fire on site. At the meeting that day, representatives of Hokkaido Electric Power explained the revised fire safety...

2026-09-04

Cause Identified for Automatic Shutdown of Unit 3 at Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant in South Korea

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea reported on the 4th that it has completed its investigation into the automatic shutdown of Unit 3 at the Shin-Kori nuclear power plant during commissioning tests on the 11th of last month, and has approved the resumption of commissioning tests for the unit. The investigation confirmed that the direct cause of the incident was an operator error in inputting parameters during the process of restoring reactor power after the tests. According to the investigation findings, at the time of the incident, while setting the parameters for the turbine control valve position limiter, the operator mistakenly entered a value intended to limit the upper opening limit of the valve as a value in the valve closing direction. This limiter is used to prevent a rapid increase in the amount of steam entering the turbine for power generation within a short period. After the parameter error, the unit experienced an interruption in power output at approximately 80% power level, followed by an automatic shutdown.

2026-09-04

Russian Energopotok Plant Delivers 241 Units of Equipment to Multiple Nuclear Power Plants in August

The Energopotok plant, located in the Sarov Advanced Development Territory (ADT) in Russia, continues to supply equipment to nuclear power projects in Russia and abroad. In August, the company delivered a total of 241 units of equipment to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, and the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. The delivered products include globe valves, bellows-sealed valves, throttling control devices, gate valves, check valves, and non-return valves, primarily used in systems of Russian-designed nuclear power plants. Energopotok has expanded its production footprint to the Sarov ADT, where it is advancing an investment project focused on manufacturing globe valves for Russian-designed nuclear power plants. The Sarov ADT...

2026-09-03

Study Says Neutrino Laser Physically Impossible Due to Mechanism Constraints

On September 2, physicists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published two papers in Physical Review Letters analyzing a previously proposed neutrino laser concept. The research concludes that, due to atomic recoil effects and the fermionic nature of neutrinos, the scheme of using radioactive atomic clouds to produce laser-like neutrino beams is physically impractical. Neutrinos are elementary particles with extremely small mass and very weak interactions with ordinary matter. Earlier research had envisioned cooling radioactive atomic clouds to nanokelvin temperatures to form a Bose-Einstein condensate. According to this concept, atoms in a quantum coherent state might decay synchronously, producing neutrino beams with strong directionality through a quantum amplification effect similar to superradiance...

2026-09-03

2026 maintenance work completed at Russia's Kursk NPP

All 2026 maintenance work at Russia's Kursk NPP has been completed. In the final phase, the plant compressed the maintenance duration by 23.5 days, which is expected to increase electricity generation by approximately 500 million kWh. On August 27, 2026, Unit 4 of Kursk NPP returned to rated power operation after completing scheduled preventive maintenance with modernization upgrades ahead of schedule. The maintenance was completed 20 days ahead of the original plan while ensuring safety and quality. The main maintenance work this cycle was concentrated in the reactor building and turbine hall, including maintenance of multiple forced circulation loop equipment, the reactor emergency cooling system, the blowdown and cooling system, as well as Units 7 and 8...

2026-09-03

West Physics Acquires U.S. Medical Physics Services Provider RTS, Expanding Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Safety Service Network

West Physics Consulting, LLC, a U.S. provider of medical and health physics consulting services, announced on September 2, 2026, that it has acquired Radiographic Testing Services, Inc. (RTS). Headquartered in Albany, New York, RTS primarily provides medical physics services covering nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology, and Certified Radiological Equipment Safety Officer (CRESO)-related services. West Physics stated that this acquisition will integrate the strengths of both companies in customer service, quality management, and technical capabilities. Upon completion of the transaction, the company will add a new office in Albany, New York, and further expand its presence in Albany, New York...

2026-09-03