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GAO: DOE Nuclear Cleanup "End-State Contract Model" Exceeds Budget by $500 Million in Six Years and Misses Goals

A report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on July 29 shows that the Office of Environmental Management (EM) at the U.S. Department of Energy has accumulated over $500 million in cost growth on nuclear waste cleanup contracts since 2020, yet the agency cannot fully explain the reasons for these increases. EM is responsible for cleaning up 15 sites in the United States contaminated by nuclear weapons production and energy research. To address long-standing contract management problems, EM adopted the End-State Contract Model (ESCM) starting in fiscal year 2020, breaking cleanup work into smaller task orders under larger master contracts, with the goal of improving cost predictability, accelerating cleanup progress, and enhancing performance outcomes...

2026-08-12

New Progress in Containment Construction of Unit 1 at Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant

The Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority announced that the fourth-layer concrete pouring of the containment inside the reactor building of Unit 1 at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant has been completed. This construction milestone raised the reactor building height from 24.4 meters to 34.0 meters above ground level, marking continued progress of Egypt's first nuclear power plant toward the key equipment installation phase. The pouring operation lasted 30 consecutive hours, utilizing 5 concrete pump trucks with placing booms and pouring approximately 1,608 cubic meters of concrete. During construction, about 80 professionals participated in each of the day and night shifts, with an additional 20 personnel ensuring round-the-clock stable operation of construction equipment and machinery, demonstrating the high-intensity advancement of the project in organizational scheduling and on-site coordination...

2026-08-12

Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant to Shut Down Completely Due to Low Danube Water Levels

Affected by persistent drought and low Danube water levels, the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant in Constanța County, southeastern Romania, is expected to be completely shut down within the next 48 hours. Sorin Lindasu, a representative of Romania's water utility company Apele Române, stated that based on current hydrological forecasts, the shutdown of the nuclear power plant is unavoidable and there is no other solution. On Tuesday local time, the Danube's flow rate at its Romanian estuary dropped to 1,370 cubic meters per second, below the previous historical low of 1,450 cubic meters per second. Meteorological forecasts indicate no significant rainfall in the Danube basin over the next five days. Cristian Bușoi, State Secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Energy...

2026-08-12

South Korea Designates Small Modular Reactors and Nuclear Fusion as Key Future Growth Technologies

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will chair a briefing session on the "Seven Seeds for Future Growth Engines" at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on the afternoon of August 12, focusing on the development pathways for advanced technologies including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion, as well as related industrial ecosystems and supply chain security measures. According to Cheong Wa Dae, the meeting aims to jointly study advanced technology deployment with the science and industry communities, support artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, and strengthen South Korea's future industrial foundation capabilities. The seven areas designated as priorities include Small Modular Reactors, nuclear fusion, renewable energy, quantum technology, aerospace, advanced biotechnology, and advanced materials and component supply chains....

2026-08-12

U.S. and European Nuclear Fuel Markets Accelerate Adjustment, with Canada and Kazakhstan Remaining Leading Uranium Supply Sources

Annual reports recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the European Supply Agency show that the global nuclear fuel supply landscape in 2025 continues to be shaped by geopolitical and energy security factors. Canada remains the most important source of uranium for utility nuclear power operators in the United States and the European Union, followed closely by Kazakhstan, underscoring the two countries' central role in the Western nuclear fuel supply chain. Meanwhile, both the United States and the European Union are focusing on concerns over supply source concentration, dependence on Russian-related supplies, and security assurance issues arising from future growth in nuclear power demand. In the U.S. market, owners and operators of civilian nuclear power plants procured 46.9 million pounds U3O8e of uranium deliveries from domestic and foreign suppliers in 2025...

2026-08-12

Finland's Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant Launches Turbine Island Upgrade to Support Operation Until 2050

Finnish utility Fortum has launched a large-scale modernization project for the turbine island at the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant. The project aims to increase the plant's electrical output and ensure the continued, safe, and reliable operation of both units through the end of 2050 under the new operating licenses. The Loviisa plant consists of two VVER-440 pressurized water reactor units and is Finland's first nuclear power plant, currently supplying more than 10% of the country's electricity. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in 1977, followed by Unit 2 in 1981, and the Finnish government approved the extended operating licenses in February 2023. The core of this upgrade is the modernization of the low-pressure turbines, which is the largest single undertaking in the Loviisa turbine island upgrade...

2026-08-12

Three units at France's Gravelines nuclear power plant automatically shut down due to jellyfish intrusion

French utility EDF recently stated on its website that three units at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France automatically shut down after a large influx of jellyfish clogged the filtration system, triggering safety measures. The statement indicated that the incident occurred on August 10, 2026. Due to the jellyfish intrusion, three units at the Gravelines plant automatically shut down, while a fourth unit reduced its power output. The plant has a total of six reactors, of which the fifth reactor had already been shut down for planned maintenance, and the sixth reactor remained in operation. The Gravelines plant experienced a similar situation a year earlier, when a large number of jellyfish entered the relevant water intake and filtration systems, causing four reactors to automatically shut down...

2026-08-12

Japan's Mutsu Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility May Expand Participants; KEPCO and Hokuriku Electric Power Say They Are Considering

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) began contacting eight other domestic electric power companies that own nuclear power plants on August 10, asking whether they would be interested in participating in the expansion of the entities responsible for transporting spent fuel to the interim storage facility in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. Among the eight companies contacted, Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) and Hokuriku Electric Power Company indicated in response to the inquiries that they are considering whether to participate. In December 2025, TEPCO and JAPC had submitted a proposal to Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu City regarding the expansion of operating entities, and at that time they had also sought the intentions of these eight companies...

2026-08-12

North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, increases temporary radiation disaster shelters to 96

North Gyeongsang Province announced on August 11 that it has increased the number of temporary radiation disaster shelters from 56 to 96 to enhance resident evacuation and accommodation capabilities in nuclear accident scenarios. The expansion primarily targets the areas surrounding Uljin County, where the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is located, focusing on addressing the shortage of nearby accommodation capacity and strengthening the reception capability for evacuees in areas related to the Hanul radiation emergency planning zone, including Uljin, Yeongyang, and Bonghwa. Previously, due to limited shelter capacity in Uljin County, approximately 33,000 people were expected to require evacuation in the event of a nuclear accident, while local shelters could only accommodate about 13,000 people. To meet accommodation needs, Uljin County also had to utilize 5 shelters in Gyeongju and 2 in Pohang, with long-distance transfers being unfavorable for rapid evacuation.

2026-08-12

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

South Korea's Nuclear Energy Paper Output Ranks High but Quality Impact Remains Low

According to the report "Academic Competitiveness Analysis in Five Core and Emerging Technology Fields of the United States" released by the National Research Foundation of Korea on the 12th, from 2016 to 2025, South Korea's paper output in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, biotechnology, and quantum information has maintained a certain level of competitiveness overall. Among these, the number of papers in the semiconductor field ranked 4th globally, artificial intelligence and nuclear energy both ranked 7th, biotechnology ranked 8th, and quantum information ranked 14th. The quantitative and qualitative status of South Korea in the five major fields. Excerpted from the National Research Foundation of Korea report. The report is based on analysis of data from SciVal, the research performance analysis platform of Elsevier. In terms of the share of South Korean papers in the global total...

2026-08-12

South Korea Establishes New Specialized Agency to Advance Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Project

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated on the 11th that President Lee Jae-myung presided over a State Council meeting that day, deliberating and approving amendments to the "Enforcement Decree on the Organization of the Ministry of National Defense and Its Affiliated Agencies" and the "Enforcement Decree on the Organization of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and Its Affiliated Agencies." Under the amendments, South Korea will establish a new specialized agency to advance the nuclear-powered submarine construction project. According to the relevant arrangements, a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Policy Planning Group will be established under the Ministry of National Defense, responsible for coordinating the formulation of policies and systems required for nuclear-powered submarine construction and facilitating cooperation among relevant agencies. On the side of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the existing Korean Submarine Project Group is planned to be reorganized and expanded into a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project Group, with the concurrent establishment of a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project Team and a Nuclear Power System Project Team...

2026-08-12

First batch of experimental stations at Russia's Siberian Circular Photon Source expected to be operational by end of 2026

On August 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at a meeting of the Council for Science and Education that the first research stations of the Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF) synchrotron are expected to be commissioned by the end of 2026. At the meeting, Putin noted that the Siberian Circular Photon Source is currently one of the world's most powerful particle accelerators, with some parameters being unique, capable of helping researchers conduct in-depth studies of the structure of matter at the atomic and molecular levels. He also stated that Russia needs to accelerate the development of future technologies, concentrate efforts on priority tasks, and make more efficient use of national strategic scientific resources, including research institutions, advanced digital computing resources, and unique biological resources. The Siberian Circular Photon...

2026-08-12

The Third Symposium on Economic Operation Analysis of Key Nuclear Power Enterprises in 2026 Convened

On the afternoon of August 11, the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office organized and convened the Third Symposium on Economic Operation Analysis of Key Nuclear Power Enterprises in 2026. Lu Haibin, Director of the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office, attended the meeting, and Zhou Ling, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Nuclear Power Office, presided over the meeting. Heads from 10 entities, including China Nuclear Engineering, Huaneng Nuclear Energy Research Institute, Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute, State Nuclear Power Operation and Maintenance, State Nuclear Power Automation System Engineering, CGN Digital Technology, East China Electric Power Design Institute, Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group, Shanghai Electric Power Station Group, and Jianing New Materials, participated in the discussion. Lu Haibin noted that with the joint efforts of all units within the system, the overall development of the city's nuclear power industry in the first half of the year maintained a sound momentum, with economic operation characterized by "expanded scale and optimized structure." Each unit...

2026-08-12

CGN Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 1 Conventional Island Main Crane Hoisting Successfully Completed

At 21:00 on August 10, 2026, the auxiliary trolley of Crane A for the conventional island of CGN Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 1 was successfully positioned, marking the successful completion of the hoisting work for Main Cranes A/B of the conventional island of Unit 1. The entire hoisting process lasted 4 days and was completed in 8 lifts in an orderly sequence. The successful hoisting and positioning of the main cranes for the conventional island of Unit 1 is not only a key milestone in the conventional island installation works, but also lays a solid foundation for the introduction of the steam turbine generator and its auxiliary equipment. Lufeng Nuclear Power will continue to collaborate with all participating construction units, adhere to the value orientation of "Three Focuses," deeply practice the work style of "Meticulous, Prudent, Detailed, and Pragmatic," and support the high-quality construction of Unit 1 with practical efforts, injecting strong momentum into building the Lufeng Nuclear Power Project into a benchmark project that is safe, high-quality, and efficient...

2026-08-12