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Beloyarsk NPP BN-600 Unit 3 Reaches Full Power After Maintenance, New Liquid Sodium Electromagnetic Pump Commissioned

Recently, Unit 3 of the Beloyarsk NPP equipped with the BN-600 reactor reached 100% power after scheduled maintenance. More than 1,000 employees participated in the maintenance, from the nuclear power plant's maintenance department, Uralatomenergoremont, and other contracting organizations. It is understood that the main work during the outage included: completing the refueling of 120 fuel assemblies containing nuclear fuel, performing major overhaul of the reactor facility and replacing 9 guide tubes of the control and protection system, as well as performing major overhaul of generator No. 6. One of the most important modernization efforts was the replacement of the electromagnetic pump (EMN, electromagnetic pump) used for transporting liquid metal sodium in the secondary loop.

2026-10-13

Southwest Supervision Station of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment Conducts 2026 Annual Routine Inspection of CNNC Sichuan Environmental Protection: Strengthening Safety Supervision of Nuclear Facility Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Disposal

Recently, the Southwest Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Station of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (Southwest Supervision Station), in accordance with its annual supervision and inspection work plan, officially launched the 2026 annual comprehensive routine inspection of nuclear and radiation safety at CNNC Sichuan Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd. This inspection strictly follows the principles of precision, science, and law-based administration. The Southwest Supervision Station, drawing on past regulatory practices and historical rectification items, targeted core risk areas of the operating unit, including radioactive waste management in aging nuclear facility decommissioning projects, implementation of environmental protection measures, the quality assurance system of in-service treatment facilities, and the execution of institutional procedures. The inspection team strictly referenced the national supervision and inspection outline, Safety Analysis Report (SAR...

2026-10-11

3-meter-wide hole found at bottom of Unit 3 reactor pressure vessel at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: molten nuclear fuel burned through the base plate, TEPCO advances evaluation of debris removal project

The latest investigation data released by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) shows that an irregular circular hole with a maximum diameter of 3 meters exists at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of Unit 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Fukushima No. 1 NPP). This is the first time since the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami and caused core meltdown that TEPCO has determined the specific shape and dimensions of the damaged bottom of the pressure vessel among the three reactors that experienced meltdown. The conclusion is based on image data obtained by a technical team in March this year using palm-sized micro-drones to conduct 21 flight surveys inside the containment vessel of Unit 3. Based on the multi-angle...

2026-10-11

Hinkley Point B Nuclear Power Station Formally Handed Over to Nuclear Restoration Services: Becomes England's First Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor Transferred by EDF for Decommissioning

On 1 October 2026, the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) formally approved the transfer of the nuclear site licence, and Hinkley Point B Nuclear Power Station was officially handed over from Électricité de France (EDF) to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), a subsidiary of the UK government. This marks Hinkley Point B as the first Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear power station in England to formally enter the national specialist decommissioning sequence, and the second AGR unit in the UK to complete such a transfer, following Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station in Scotland earlier this year. Hinkley Point B Nuclear Power Station is located in Somerset and was built between 196...

2026-10-08

Civil Construction of Huizhou Heavy Ion Medical Center Passes Completion Acceptance and Transitions to Accelerator No-Load Commissioning

Recently, according to public information from the Huizhou Municipal Health Bureau, all approval procedures for the Heavy Ion Medical Center project of Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital have been completed, civil construction is 99.6% complete and has passed completion acceptance, and internal decoration and accelerator no-load commissioning are currently underway; the accelerator equipment investment is 480 million yuan, of which 303 million yuan has been disbursed. The project is planned to launch clinical trials in March 2027 and be officially put into operation by the end of the year. The center is adjacent to the Jinshan Campus of Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, with a land area of approximately 12,000 square meters and a total floor area of 15,450 square meters; all heavy ion treatment rooms are located underground; 150 supporting inpatient beds are planned, with 2 treatment rooms to be opened initially, capable of treating approximately 900 cancer patients per year. The center...

2026-09-30

ITER Tritium Plant Completes Final Design, Fully Transitions to Equipment Manufacturing, Installation, and Commissioning

At the Saint-Paul-lès-Durance site in France, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization officially convened the Third Tritium Plant Summit. More than 70 core experts from the ITER Organization, Fusion for Energy (F4E), Japan's Domestic Agency (QST), Korea's Domestic Agency (KFE), and the US Domestic Agency (US ITER), as well as global engineering contractors and equipment manufacturers, gathered together. This summit released a decisive...

2026-09-28

International Seminar of Veteran Nuclear Decommissioning Experts Held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Focusing on Central Asian Nuclear Energy Prospects and Cooperation on Kyrgyzstan's SMR Project

On September 24, 2026, with the joint support of Rosatom and the Council of Energy Veterans of the Kyrgyz Republic (Совет ветеранов энергетики Киргизской Республики), the International Seminar on the Prospects for the Development of Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Technologies in the Kyrgyz Republic, organized by the International Union of Veteran Experts in Nuclear Energy and Industry (МСВАЭП), was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Senior experts in the nuclear and electric power industries from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries...

2026-09-27

South Korea Promotes K-Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Technology Overseas

At the 2026 Nuclear Facility Decommissioning Business Forum held on the 18th at the Westin Chosun Seoul, Seo Beom-kyung (서범경), Director of the Clean Nuclear Facility Technology Development Department at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), stated that given the limited scale of the domestic nuclear facility decommissioning market, it is necessary to turn attention to overseas markets. Seo Beom-kyung said that the scale of South Korea's domestic decommissioning market is limited, so attention must be directed overseas. This requires the establishment of international standards, as well as decommissioning methods that reduce environmental burden and plans for subsequent site utilization. At the same time, emphasis must be placed on verifying K-Decommissioning technology in practical applications to ensure its performance and safety. Although technologies achieved at the R&D stage may...

2026-09-22

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 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

Alexey Likhachev: Commissioning of Units 5 and 6 of India's Kudankulam NPP will begin in 2028-2029

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, stated that commissioning of the fifth and sixth power units under construction at India's Kudankulam NPP will begin in 2028 to 2029. According to him, commissioning of the fourth power unit is expected to begin at the end of next year. Following that, commissioning of the fifth and sixth power units will commence in 2028 to 2029. He also mentioned the Make in India initiative launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has been implemented for more than ten years. Rosatom is actively participating in this initiative, striving to maximize the localization of nuclear technology in India. A...

2026-09-14

UK Nuclear Industry Association and Ukrainian Nuclear Forum Sign Nuclear Energy Cooperation Memorandum

On September 10, 2026, the UK Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) and the Ukrainian Nuclear Forum signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation in areas including decommissioning of complex nuclear facilities, deployment of small modular reactors, and securing "trusted partner" status under the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). Nuclear energy is an important source of Ukraine's wartime electricity supply, accounting for approximately 55% of the country's electricity supply. This cooperation builds on existing UK-Ukraine nuclear fuel cooperation. Urenco, one-third owned by the UK government, has supplied Ukraine with...

2026-09-12

Decommissioning of Unit 1 at Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Proposed to Move to Phase 2

On the 11th, Ichiro Ogi, Mayor of Yawatahama City in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, reported to the prefectural government that he has agreed to the decommissioning work of Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant of Shikoku Electric Power Company entering Phase 2. Ichiro Ogi requested that Shikoku Electric Power thoroughly implement relevant measures during the subsequent decommissioning process to prevent the spread of radioactive materials, control the radiation exposure dose of workers, and protect the surrounding environment of the nuclear power plant. Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant ceased operation in 2016, and since 2017, decommissioning work has been carried out in four phases, with a planned duration of more than 40 years. Currently, the decommissioning work of this unit is still in Phase 1. According to the safety agreement arrangements, Shikoku Electric Power has submitted a prior consultation application to the Ehime Prefectural Government...

2026-09-11

Swiss Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Disposal Funds Both Show Surpluses

As of the end of 2025, the combined assets of Switzerland's nuclear facility decommissioning fund and nuclear power plant waste disposal fund approached CHF 10 billion, equivalent to approximately EUR 10.6 billion and USD 12.3 billion, up from CHF 9.65 billion at the end of 2024 and exceeding the established funding targets. According to Swissnuclear, the decommissioning fund stood at approximately CHF 3.03 billion, up from CHF 2.98 billion in 2024, while the waste disposal fund reached approximately CHF 6.96 billion, up from CHF 6.66 billion in 2024. Based on target calculations, the decommissioning fund target is CHF 2.76 billion and the waste disposal fund target is CHF 5.9 billion, with the two funds exceeding their targets by approximately 9.8% and 1...

2026-09-08