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Full-Process Commissioning of Major Marine Isotope Separation Pilot Facility

Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Changxing Ocean Laboratory is dedicated to building a quasi-industrial research platform for high-end marine equipment. The Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center, focusing on the industrial context of isotope production, separation, and application, and supported by the ministerial-level Isotope Separation Science and Technology Center, conducts research and development of key isotope separation technologies and engineering equipment for Generation III reactors, Generation IV reactors, and fusion reactors, establishing an innovative platform integrating R&D, testing, validation, data, and technical services. Major research facility: Recently, the construction of the hundred-ton-per-year light water hydrogen isotope separation pilot platform has achieved phased results, with the system facility undergoing full-process commissioning. The platform adopts a self-developed water distillation coupled with cryogenic hydrogen isotope separation process, achieving large-scale efficient separation and enrichment of hydrogen isotopes from light water. The platform's outcomes hold broad engineering application value in fields such as pressurized water reactor wastewater treatment, deuterium-tritium isotope separation, fusion tritium plant operation, and heavy water/heavy hydrogen production. At 18:00 on August 4, 2026, at the Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center of Changxing Ocean Laboratory, the hundred-ton-per-year light water hydrogen isotope separation pilot facility was commissioned through its full process! The commissioning and operation of this pilot facility was undertaken by the Marine Isotope Separation Applied Research Center, with all departments coordinating collaboratively, making meticulous arrangements, and dedicating full efforts. During the operation, the team successively overcame multiple challenges including tight schedules, heavy workloads, and persistent high temperatures. This achievement not only fully validated the stability and reliability of the process platform but also demonstrated the researchers' responsibility and commitment in rising to challenges and persevering diligently. In the next phase, the project technical team will continue to deepen process optimization based on existing achievements, focus on advancing continuous and stable facility operation, accelerate engineering application, and provide strong support for breakthroughs in key core technologies in China's hydrogen isotope separation field.

2026-08-13

Automatic Reactor Trip at Unit 3 of Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant During Commissioning

Unit 3 of the Shin-Kori nuclear power plant in Ulju, Ulsan, South Korea, is undergoing commissioning ahead of its planned commercial operation this year. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) stated that it had received a report from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) that the unit's reactor automatically tripped at approximately 20:56 on the 11th. Unit 3 of the Shin-Kori plant received its operating license from the NSSC in December last year and is currently in the power ascension testing phase. KHNP reported that during the commissioning test, when reactor power reached 80%, the unit experienced a loss of power transmission, and the reactor subsequently tripped automatically. The unit has been confirmed to remain in a safe shutdown condition...

2026-08-12

UK's Materials Detritiation Facility at Culham Resumes Operations to Support JET Fusion Decommissioning Materials Research

The UK Atomic Energy Authority recently announced that the Materials Detritiation Facility (MDF) at Culham has resumed operations following a 12-month engineering shutdown and upgrade. Experimental data produced by the facility has already been used to support research related to the removal of materials from the Joint European Torus (JET) device, providing a basis for waste management strategies under the JET Decommissioning and Repurposing (JDR) project. Over three years of plasma operations, deuterium-tritium (DT) experiments conducted at JET have left residual amounts of tritium in the tokamak's walls and internal components. This phenomenon is associated with tritium's tendency to enter materials under high-power fusion operating conditions. For JET decommissioning work, accurately determining the tritium...

2026-08-11

U.S. nuclear energy company Holtec advances on two fronts this week: decommissioning aging nuclear plants and positioning small reactors in the southern U.S.

U.S. nuclear energy company Holtec recently announced two significant developments, reflecting the dual trend in the current nuclear power industry of retiring existing capacity while expanding new capacity. On one hand, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the license termination plan for the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, moving the decommissioning process of this veteran commercial nuclear facility in New Jersey, which began operations in 1969, past a key regulatory milestone. On the other hand, Holtec announced a partnership with Entergy and Hyundai Engineering & Construction to evaluate potential sites for deploying new reactors in the southern Gulf Coast region of the United States. The Oyster Creek plant ceased power generation in 2018 and was subsequently taken over by Holtec for decommissioning. The recently approved license termination plan...

2026-08-11

Accelerating Nuclear Facility Decommissioning Can Drive Redevelopment of Legacy Nuclear Sites

Amentum recently proposed in a report on nuclear facility decommissioning financing and site regeneration that decommissioning should not be viewed solely as a cost item for reducing environmental and radiological risks. As a wave of nuclear reactors worldwide enters shutdown phases, shortening cleanup timelines, unlocking land value, and creating conditions for new industry attraction are becoming shared priorities for the nuclear industry and local economies. The report notes that traditional decommissioning models often leave facilities in long-term surveillance and maintenance status, which, while deferring some expenditures, also delays land reuse, industry attraction, and community benefits. In contrast, accelerated decommissioning can eliminate environmental liabilities earlier, reduce...

2026-08-10

Unit 4 of Slovakia's Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant Reaches First Criticality

Slovenské Elektrárne stated that Unit 4 of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant reached first reactor criticality at 22:10 local time on August 6, and achieved minimum controllable power at 22:31. This is a key milestone in the pre-commissioning work of the unit, indicating that the reactor is ready for subsequent testing. First criticality refers to the first time the nuclear fuel in the core achieves a self-sustaining fission chain reaction. Slovenské Elektrárne stated that first criticality and reaching minimum controllable power are important steps in the commissioning process of a nuclear power plant, used to confirm the unit's readiness to enter the next phase of testing...

2026-08-08

New Decommissioning Plan for Fukushima Daiichi: Priority on Internal Investigation of Unit 3 Before Fuel Debris Retrieval

The Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation of Japan released on August 6 an outline of the 2026 edition of the "Decommissioning Strategic Plan," proposing technical approaches for the decommissioning of Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The plan highlights that, for the large-scale retrieval of melted fuel debris at Unit 3, expected to commence in or after fiscal year 2037, priority should currently be given to internal investigations of the reactor building to provide a more reliable basis for subsequent engineering plans. The plan states that the fuel debris retrieval method being studied by TEPCO still requires further improvement in certainty, with the key prerequisite being an understanding of the actual internal conditions of the reactor. Due to the high radiation levels of the water inside the unit following the accident...

2026-08-07

U.S. NRC Approves Four SMR-300 Reactors at Oyster Creek Site in New Jersey

A retired nuclear power plant in New Jersey is getting a new lease on life with the construction of small modular reactors. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the construction of four advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) at the site of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in New Jersey. The plant is currently in decommissioning, with more than half of the dismantling work completed. The Oyster Creek Generating Station, which began construction in December 1969 and operated for nearly 49 years until its closure in September 2018, was once the longest-operating commercial nuclear power plant in the United States. It produced over 192 terawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity in total. Supported by New Jersey's pro-nuclear legislation and stable local backing, Holtec plans to build...

2026-08-05

Bulgaria Approves Decommissioning Licenses for Units 3 and 4 of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant

On August 1, the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA) issued a 10-year license to the State Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management (SERAW), authorizing it to carry out the decommissioning of Units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant. The license was presented to SERAW Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Mladenova by NRA Chairman Tsanko Bachiski. The license is held by SERAW's specialized department responsible for the decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant. SERAW Management Board Chairman Sergey Tsochev attended the license award ceremony. According to the license requirements, the decommissioning of Units 3 and 4 must comply with Bulgaria's Law on the Safe Use of Nuclear Energy and relevant implementing regulations.

2026-08-03

US NRC Approves Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant License Termination Plan

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the license termination plan for the Oyster Creek Generating Station. Located in Lacey Township, New Jersey, the plant is now more than halfway through its decommissioning and dismantlement work. With this approval, the project will proceed with the final phases of decommissioning and site restoration in accordance with the approved document. Before dismantlement of the Oyster Creek Generating Station in Lacey Township, New Jersey, Holtec International stated that the approval of the license termination plan involved coordinated efforts across multiple departments, including engineering, radiation protection, environmental services, work management, project controls, licensing, communications, and security, led by the regulatory affairs department. The Vice President of Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant...

2026-07-31

Third fuel debris retrieval test at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 postponed due to robotic arm malfunction

The robot used by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for the third experimental fuel debris retrieval at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 malfunctioned during an on-site operational test, forcing the cancellation of the plan originally scheduled to start after July 2026 if all went well. The company stated it will reassess the relevant procedures. The malfunction occurred in part of the large robotic arm equipment used to collect fuel debris. During an operational test in the reactor building of Unit 2, TEPCO found an abnormality in one of the motors driving the robotic arm, causing the brake to fail to release and the arm to be unable to extend. The company is currently studying the replacement of the faulty motor. The third experimental retrieval plan was to use a large robotic arm...

2026-07-31

Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 Decommissioning Plan to Enter Second Phase

The Environmental Safety Management Committee for the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, established by the Ehime Prefectural Government, recently held a meeting to review the progress of the decommissioning plan for Unit 1 of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant. The unit ceased operation in 2016 and is currently in the decommissioning implementation phase. Unit 1 of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant is operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co. The company began decommissioning the unit in 2017, planning to carry out the work in four phases over a total period of approximately 40 years. Currently, the first phase has been largely completed, primarily involving the removal of nuclear fuel. Shikoku Electric Power Co. has applied to the Japanese central government to enter the second phase, which involves dismantling equipment around the reactor area, and has...

2026-07-30

TEPCO says cooling interruption of spent fuel pool at Fukushima Daini Unit 1 due to human error

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on July 29 that the event in April 2026, where the spent fuel pool cooling system at Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant was shut down for approximately 32 hours, was determined to be caused by human error. At the time of the incident, the plant was in the decommissioning phase. On April 5, a fault alarm was triggered by the cooling water circulation pump of Unit 1 at Fukushima Daini. After on-site personnel confirmed smoke from the equipment, the pump was stopped, resulting in an interruption of the spent fuel pool cooling system for about 32 hours. TEPCO previously stated that the cause was damage to the cable connecting the pump motor. According to TEPCO's latest explanation, the cable melting may be related to the installation method when the cable was replaced in 2012...

2026-07-30

Rosatom states that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is just months away from commissioning.

On July 24, Yevgeniya Yashina, Head of Communications for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, stated that despite ongoing restrictions on the centralized water supply in Energodar—the city where the plant is located—the systems ensuring the plant

2026-07-27

Tianwan Unit 7 and Xudapu Unit 3 are expected to enter the commissioning phase within a few weeks.

Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, stated on July 24 that Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and Unit 3 of the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant in China are expected to enter the commissioning phase within the coming weeks.Responding to questions fr

2026-07-27