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Unit 4 of Russia's Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant Shut Down for Planned Major Overhaul

On September 26, 2026, Unit 4 of the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant, which is part of the Electric Power Division of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, was formally disconnected from the grid and entered the stage of preventive major overhaul and modernization upgrade in accordance with the established approved plan. Conducting preventive maintenance on a regular basis is a core routine measure for Russian nuclear power plants to maintain a high level of safety margin for equipment and ensure continuous and stable power grid supply. Alexey Portnov, Head of the Maintenance Management Department of the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant, stated that as a key battle in the final stage of the plant's 2026 major overhaul, this overhaul round has planned multiple major equipment upgrade projects, with key scope covering the comprehensive replacement of valves and piping components in the spray pond, as well as the comprehensive replacement of the original lens-type expansion joints with new bellows expansion joints in the service water system, thereby enhancing the system's pressure-bearing capacity and fatigue resistance life.

2026-09-27

Purdue University Completes the First Remote Real-Time Autonomous Power Control Experiment on a Nuclear Reactor in the United States, Building a Cross-State Digital Twin Closed Loop

Purdue University, in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), has for the first time in the United States achieved remote, automatic, and real-time experimental regulation of nuclear reactor power. The demonstration validated a three-site control closed loop spanning Indiana, Idaho, and Virginia, providing a cutting-edge engineering paradigm for future centralized remote monitoring and automated scheduling of advanced reactors from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. The experiment relied on Purdue University's 64-year-old Reactor Number One (Purdue University Reactor Num...

2026-09-24

Unit 2 of Leningrad NPP-2 with a VVER-1200 reactor has been taken out of service as planned for a mid-term major overhaul

At 00:30 Moscow time on September 21, 2026, Unit 2 of Leningrad NPP-2 (Ленинградская АЭС-2 / Leningrad NPP-2) with a VVER-1200 (ВВЭР-1200) reactor was formally disconnected from the grid and entered a planned mid-term major overhaul (Плановый средний ремонт) in accordance with established approval procedures and the maintenance schedule of the Russian Power and Energy Group's Rosenergoatom Concern (АО «Концерн Росэнергоатом» / Rosenergoatom). The overhaul program covers hundreds of individual works, with a focus on the reactor and...

2026-09-24

Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 Officially Connected to the Grid

According to the operator Slovenské elektrárne, Unit 4 of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant in Slovakia officially began generating electricity at 15:33 on Monday. This marks the last major stage before the unit enters commercial operation. The unit reached criticality and minimum controlled power in early August. Before approving entry into the latest stage of trial operation, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic conducted a comprehensive inspection and assessed the relevant documents. The transition from physical startup to energy startup means that the heat generated by the reactor will be used to heat water and produce steam, thereby driving the turbine to generate electricity. Next, the reactor's output power will be gradually increased in stages—5%, 20%, 35%, 55%, 75% and 90%—with inspections and tests at each power level before further increases. When power reaches 20%, the unit will be officially connected to the Slovak power system. The final test will be continuous operation at 100% full power for 144 hours. Branislav Strýček, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Slovenské elektrárne, said: "With the successful completion of this stage, Slovakia will gain a new stable source of electricity. In the coming decades, it will make an important contribution to the country's energy security and the achievement of climate goals." Martin Mráz, Director of the Mochovce Completion Project, said: "We have successfully completed the fuel loading and physical startup stages... The achievement of this milestone is a recognition of the high level of professionalism of the Slovenské elektrárne project team and the quality of work of all those involved in the completion."

2026-09-23

Fuel loading begins at Unit 8 of Rajasthan Nuclear Power Station

At 3:18 PM on September 19, 2026, initial fuel loading (IFL) began at Unit 8 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Units 7 & 8 (RAPP-7&8) of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), located at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan. It is understood that the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) 7&8 consists of two indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) units. The initial fuel loading of Unit 8 marks an important step toward first criticality and subsequent start of power generation. The unit is expected to begin commercial operation in the current financial year...

2026-09-22

The pressurizer of Unit 3 of the Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant has been hoisted into place.

At 19:03 on September 20, the pressurizer of Unit 3 of the Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant was hoisted into place. During this pressurizer hoisting operation, the pressurizer was horizontally lifted to the +16.5m platform by a gantry crane, transported and towed by a heavy-duty vehicle into the reactor building, then turned and erected by the polar crane, and finally hoisted into place. The pressurizer is one of the core main equipment items of the nuclear island reactor coolant system, and its main function is to undertake primary loop pressure control and overpressure protection, among other duties. When the temperature and pressure inside the reactor fluctuate, the pressurizer can maintain the temperature and pressure inside the reactor within a safe range by adjusting the flow rate and temperature of the coolant water, thereby ensuring the safe and stable operation of the reactor. At the same time, the pressurizer is crucial for ensuring the power generation efficiency of the unit and maintaining stable operation, and is key equipment for the safe operation of nuclear power units.

2026-09-21

South China Supervision Station Escorts the Safe and Smooth Transition of Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 to Commercial Operation

Recently, the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, the first Hualong One nuclear power project constructed by Huaneng Group in the Hainan Free Trade Port, successfully completed a 168-hour full-power trial operation. The achievement of this important milestone marks that the unit has officially met the conditions for commercial operation, and also means that as an important supplement to the clean energy structure of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the project is steadily advancing toward the goal of full commissioning, injecting new vitality into local economic and social development. Looking back at the commissioning process of Unit 3, on April 30 of this year, the unit officially completed its first fuel loading and immediately entered the most critical nuclear commissioning phase. During the commissioning period that lasted for months, every...

2026-09-21

Pressurizer of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Unit 3 Hoisted into Place

At 19:03 on September 20, the pressurizer of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Unit 3 was hoisted into place. During this pressurizer hoisting operation, the pressurizer was horizontally lifted to the +16.5m platform by a gantry crane, transported by a heavy-duty vehicle into the reactor building, then turned and erected by the polar crane, and finally hoisted into place. The pressurizer is one of the core main equipment items of the nuclear island reactor coolant system, and its main functions include primary loop pressure control and overpressure protection. When the temperature and pressure inside the reactor fluctuate, the pressurizer can maintain the temperature and pressure within the reactor in a safe range by adjusting the flow rate and temperature of the coolant water, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the reactor. At the same time, the pressurizer is...

2026-09-21

Russia's Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 begins scheduled comprehensive overhaul, equipment upgrades to be carried out

On September 19, 2026, Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 officially entered a period of scheduled maintenance according to plan. The unit belongs to Rosenergoatom, a branch of the Electric Power Division of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. The maintenance will involve nuclear fuel replacement, routine inspection and repair of the reactor and turbine generator set, as well as a comprehensive assessment of the technical condition of the metal materials of core equipment. During the maintenance period, technical personnel from the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant will work closely with experts from Atomenergoremont Company. While carrying out routine maintenance, they will also implement nine upgrade and modification projects on some key nodes and process systems of Unit 2. The entire overhaul process requires...

2026-09-20

Uzbekistan and the United States Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Radiation and Nuclear Safety Cooperation

Uzbekistan and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two sides in the field of radiation and nuclear safety. The Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of Uzbekistan disclosed this in a statement released. According to relevant information, the memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which the Uzbek delegation is currently attending. The agreement was signed jointly by A. Rafigov, Chairman of the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of Uzbekistan, and Ho Nieh, Chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The memorandum provides a framework for cooperation between the nuclear and radiation regulatory bodies of the two countries in multiple...

2026-09-20

Commissioning Preparation Work Begins for the Control System of Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 in Turkey

The process automation control system of Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 in Turkey has begun preparations for pre-commissioning signal testing, which will be carried out before the physical start-up of the reactor. The process automation control system is the core hub of a nuclear power plant, enabling plant operating personnel to monitor and manage all process systems that support power generation. Akkuyu Nuclear Company noted in its announcement that the control systems used in the units of Akkuyu NPP possess the extremely high reliability characteristic of Russian-designed units. The control safety system responsible for automatic start-up and management of active safety systems has excellent fault tolerance, with a failure rate indicator reaching only one possible error per 1...

2026-09-18

The SM-1 Nuclear Power Plant at Fort Belvoir, United States, Has Completed All On-Site Decommissioning and Dismantlement Work

The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that the SM-1 nuclear power plant at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, has completed all on-site decommissioning and dismantlement work. On September 9, 2026, at the closing ceremony of the SM-1 nuclear power plant decommissioning and dismantlement project held at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, leaders from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Fort Belvoir Garrison, and the project contractor posed for a photo with the original 1957 building sign of the SM-1 nuclear power plant. The ceremony marked the successful completion of all on-site work related to the decommissioning and dismantlement of the nuclear power plant. The U.S. Army's SM-1 (Stationary Medium Power Reactor Prototype No. 1) is a 2-megawatt experimental small...

2026-09-17

Unit 2 of Japan's Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Completes Periodic Inspection and Resumes Commercial Operation After About 7 Months

The Chugoku Electric Power Company (Japanese: 中国電力株式会社), a large integrated electric power company responsible for supplying electricity to 5 prefectures in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, Japan, announced on September 16 that Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant has successfully completed the periodic inspection that began in February this year and officially resumed commercial operation on the 16th, returning to power supply after about 7 months. According to Chugoku Electric Power's estimate, in the overall power source mix, nuclear power generation will account for about 15% of the company's total power generation for this fiscal year, and this level of generation is expected to meet about 60% of the electricity demand of the two San'in prefectures. In addition, since Unit 2 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant has reached 37 years since it began commercial operation, Chugoku Electric Power also collected, during this periodic inspection, data used as the basis for assessing the "special inspection" required for future extended operation beyond the standard service period (exceeding the 40-year operating limit).

2026-09-17

Unit 1 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Enters the Second Phase of Decommissioning

The Ikata Town Assembly formally passed a resolution on September 17, determining that the plan to advance the decommissioning work of Unit 1 to the next phase starting from the next fiscal year is "appropriate." It is understood that Shikoku Electric Power Company has divided the decommissioning work of Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant into four phased processes to be carried out in an orderly manner. In July of this year, the company obtained official approval from Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority to commence the second-phase decommissioning plan, which includes the dismantling of equipment surrounding the reactor. According to relevant regulatory and local agreement requirements, the transition of decommissioning work to the second phase must obtain the understanding and consent of the local autonomous body. To this end, the Ikata Town Assembly specifically established a Special Committee on Nuclear Power Generation Countermeasures...

2026-09-17

Unit 2 of the Czech Temelín Nuclear Power Plant shut down due to a control system fault

Unit 2 of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant in the south of the Czech Republic has been taken out of service due to a fault in the control system of its non-nuclear portion. Marek Sviták, spokesperson for the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, said that power engineers shut down Unit 2 of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant that day because of a fault in the control system of the non-nuclear portion. After the necessary inspection and maintenance work is completed, the unit is expected to resume operation and return to power generation on Thursday of this week. At the same time, Unit 1 of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant is currently operating normally at full power and has not been affected. In addition to the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant, the...

2026-09-17