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Test vacuum established in turbine condenser of Unit 1 at Turkey's Akkuyu NPP

On August 25, test vacuum was established in the turbine condenser of Unit 1 at Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. This operation verified the readiness of the main systems of the turbine unit, creating conditions for subsequent commissioning work. Specialists from TITAN-2 Holding (TITAN-2) established the required vacuum in the condenser and checked the tightness of the vacuum system as well as the thermal and mechanical condition of the turbine. During the test, technical personnel continuously monitored key parameters such as steam pressure, bearing temperatures, thermal expansion of cylinders and rotors, and condenser vacuum level. While the turbine was rotated by the turning gear, experts also verified the operational condition of the turbine flow path. This...

2026-08-27

TEPCO replaces faulty motor of robotic arm at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began replacing the faulty motor of the robotic arm used for fuel debris retrieval trials at Unit 2 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on August 26. The robotic arm, approximately 22 meters long, is planned for use in the third fuel debris retrieval trial. During a previous operational inspection inside the reactor building of Unit 2, TEPCO found that the motor driving the robotic arm had malfunctioned, preventing the brake from releasing and the arm from extending. As the robotic arm is already installed on site, workers will enter the "front chamber" in front of the containment vessel to perform the replacement manually. The company stated that radiation levels in the work area will be strictly controlled to prevent workers from receiving excessive exposure. After this replacement, TEPCO will...

2026-08-27

Chubu Electric Power Suspected of Falsifying Decommissioning Progress at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant

According to disclosures, Japan's Chubu Electric Power Company (CEPCO) is suspected of submitting improper reports to the Japan Spent Fuel Reprocessing and Decommissioning Promotion Organization (NuRO), which manages decommissioning funds, during the cost declaration process for the decommissioning of Units 1 and 2 at the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, overstating project progress and settling related costs accordingly. The Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant is located in Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Chubu Electric Power decided to shut down Units 1 and 2 of the plant in 2008, with related decommissioning work commencing in 2009. Sources say that when declaring decommissioning project costs, the company is suspected of reporting project progress as faster than actual conditions and using inaccurate data in documents submitted to the fund management organization...

2026-08-27

Lanzhou Taiji Completes Key Commissioning of First Domestic Multi-Ion Therapy Device HiTS400

The first domestically produced multi-ion therapy device HiTS400, independently developed by Lanzhou Taiji and installed at Shandong Cancer Hospital, recently completed phased joint commissioning. After one week of operational testing, all beam parameters of the device met or exceeded contractual requirements, laying the foundation for subsequent clinical registration work. According to reports, HiTS400 is a medical ion accelerator independently developed by Lanzhou Taiji with full intellectual property rights. It can stably deliver four ion species: C^6+, H^+, He^2+, and O^8+, and is equipped with multi-angle fixed treatment nozzles and a lightweight superconducting heavy-ion rotating gantry, integrating modulated scanning technology to advance the development and application of multi-ion combined therapy devices. On August 14, 2026, the device obtained an amendment to its Radiation Safety License from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, granting qualification for commissioning and operation. In the early morning of August 20, the equipment achieved stable acceleration and precise extraction of carbon ion beams. Measured data show that the particle number after synchrotron acceleration reached 3.26E9 ppp, the terminal particle number reached 3.02E9 ppp, the extraction efficiency was 92%, and beam stability was no less than 95%.

2026-08-26

Kansai Electric Power Launches Two Joint Research Projects for Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning

Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. announced on August 24 that it has completed the selection of joint research projects related to nuclear power plant decommissioning for fiscal year 2026, choosing two proposals from previously solicited research plans, and signed joint research contracts and commenced research activities on the same day. The projects target research on products and technologies applicable to decommissioning operations at Kansai Electric Power's nuclear power plants. The company solicited research proposals to be implemented from fiscal year 2026 between March 16 and April 30, 2026, with a focus on improving the safety and efficiency of dismantling operations, reducing radioactive waste, and supporting local companies in developing related products and technologies. Selected projects...

2026-08-24

US Boston Dynamics and UK Roke Expand Spot Robot Reconnaissance Applications for Nuclear Facilities

US-based Boston Dynamics is expanding its collaboration with overseas specialized defense solutions companies to promote the application of its quadruped robot Spot in industrial, defense, and high-risk operational scenarios. Leveraging Spot's mature mobile platform capabilities, the company aims to further enter industry sectors with high demand for unmanned operations by integrating software systems designed for reconnaissance in hazardous environments. Boston Dynamics' quadruped robot Spot is equipped with autonomous reconnaissance software SPROCKET developed by UK-based Roke. (Image courtesy of Roke) UK defense security R&D company Roke announced on the 22nd that it has deployed Spot quadruped...

2026-08-23

JAEA Plans to Adjust Decommissioning Plan for Monju Fast Breeder Reactor

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) announced on August 21 that it plans to adjust the decommissioning plan for the Monju fast breeder reactor in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture. Under the revised plan, the remaining neutron shielding layers and other components inside the reactor, along with 227 dummy fuel assemblies, will no longer be removed separately in the current phase as originally planned, but will instead be handled together during the subsequent reactor pressure vessel dismantling phase. Monju is currently in the decommissioning process. Previously, JAEA had planned to proceed with the removal of internal reactor components within the current fiscal year, but due to two equipment failures, the related work was temporarily suspended, and the overall schedule is expected to be delayed by approximately one year. As of May 25, 595 shielding layers and related components in the reactor...

2026-08-22

Full-Life Technologies Completes Construction of Belgian Radiopharmaceutical Production Facility and Initiates Accelerator Commissioning

Full-Life Technologies (hereinafter referred to as "Full-Life"), a privately held, fully integrated, clinical-stage international radiopharmaceutical therapy company, announced on August 20 that its radiopharmaceutical production facility in Gembloux, Belgium, has completed construction and received authorization to commence accelerator commissioning and enter the initial ramp-up phase. (Full-Life Technologies Belgium Radiopharmaceutical Production Facility) This milestone marks a significant step forward in Full-Life's vertically integrated radioisotope production capabilities moving toward formal operational status. With the completion of facility construction, the company has entered the next phase of operational preparation, including accelerator installation, phased commissioning, and validation of critical safety and operational systems.

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

Ikata Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 Decommissioning Phase 2 Plan Approved by Experts

An expert organization in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, regarding safety management at the Ikata Nuclear Power Station recently held a meeting to discuss the decommissioning plan for Unit 1 of the station. The report formed at the meeting deemed it appropriate for the unit to enter the second phase of decommissioning in fiscal year 2027. The meeting was convened by the Nuclear Safety Expert Subcommittee under the Ikata Nuclear Power Station Environmental Safety Management Committee. This committee is responsible for providing advice to the Governor of Ehime Prefecture on safety management at the Ikata Nuclear Power Station. At the meeting, eight academic experts reviewed the decommissioning plan for Unit 1. The decommissioning of Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Station began in 2017 and is divided into four phases overall, planned to last approximately 40 years. Currently, the decommissioning work...

2026-08-19

Fuel Loading Completed for Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7, Entering Commissioning Phase with Nuclear Fuel

On August 18, with the completion of core loading correctness verification and the commencement of protective tube assembly reinstallation, the first nuclear fuel loading work for Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, was successfully concluded, marking the entry into the commissioning phase with nuclear fuel. This laid a solid foundation for subsequent reactor criticality, grid connection, and commercial operation of the unit. Fuel loading is a key milestone in the entire lifecycle of nuclear power plant construction and a critical starting point for the unit's operation with nuclear fuel. Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is the first VVER-1200 Generation III nuclear power unit to be constructed in China, and this fuel loading also marks the first-ever fuel loading for a VVER-1200 type nuclear power unit in China. The loading process commenced on the 12th and was fully completed by the 18th, with a total of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies loaded.

2026-08-18

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

Spain Extends Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant Operation to June 2030

The Spanish government has issued an order in the official gazette extending the operation of the Almaraz nuclear power plant to June 2030. Under Spain's previously established nuclear phase-out schedule, the two units at Almaraz were originally slated to begin decommissioning in 2027 and 2028, respectively. The document indicates that this extension does not alter the decommissioning plans for Spain's other nuclear plants. Spain plans to gradually shut down its five domestic nuclear plants by 2035. However, some analysts believe that, influenced by actual decommissioning arrangements and power system demands, other nuclear plants may also receive life extensions in the future. In April of this year, a large-scale blackout occurred in Spain and Portugal, sparking external...

2026-08-15

Rosatom and Lomonosov Moscow State University to Co-Host Seminar on Radioactive Waste Safety Barriers

From October 19 to 22, 2026, Lomonosov Moscow State University will host a scientific and technical seminar on the creation and monitoring of safety barriers at its sports complex. The event is jointly organized by Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Russian National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (FSUE NO RAO), a subsidiary of Rosatom, and the Pilot Demonstration Center for Decommissioning of Uranium-Graphite Nuclear Reactors (JSC PDC UGR). The seminar focuses on the development of technologies for the creation, reconstruction, and control of engineered safety barriers. Topics include the evolution of design concepts for engineered safety barriers, selection and justification of barriers for special radioactive waste disposal and storage facilities, patterns of clay barrier material transformation and their role in safety justification for long-term radioactive waste disposal, incoming inspection of clay barrier materials during nuclear facility decommissioning, and surveys of completed barriers using various geophysical methods. Experts will also exchange views on new technologies and materials required for safety barrier construction.

2026-08-14

Azerbaijan Says It Can Supply Electricity to Armenia, Focus on Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning Replacement

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on August 12 that Azerbaijan could supply electricity to Armenia. He also stated that Armenia cannot indefinitely extend the operating lifetime of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The Armenian government has not yet responded to this proposal, nor has it indicated whether it would consider importing electricity from Azerbaijan. As signs of easing relations between the two countries emerge, the possibility of cross-border transportation and energy infrastructure development is being revisited. Armenia has long relied on Russia and Iran for its energy security. Currently, the country is studying proposals from companies in the United States, Russia, China...

2026-08-13