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South Korea and France Agree to Deepen Nuclear Energy R&D and Nuclear Fuel Supply Cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to France, held a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on September 8. The two sides stated after the meeting that they would further expand cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, with a focus on nuclear energy R&D, nuclear fuel supply, next-generation reactor development, and mid- to long-term supply chain diversification. Lee Jae-myung said at a joint press conference that the two countries had signed supplementary documents on cooperation in nuclear energy R&D and nuclear fuel supply to deepen the nuclear energy cooperation agreement reached between the two nations in April. Both sides confirmed that they would continue to advance cooperation in next-generation reactor development and mid- to long-term supply chain diversification. According to related reports, the two countries also decided to establish a new...

2026-09-09

KHNP and France's Orano Expand Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Cooperation

On September 8, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and France's Orano SA (Orano) signed a letter of intent for long-term cooperation in uranium enrichment at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the leaders of both South Korea and France. This letter of intent represents a further extension of the existing cooperation between the two parties. In April this year, during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to South Korea, KHNP and Orano had signed a memorandum of understanding on global, mutually beneficial cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle sector. Under the letter of intent, the two parties plan to deepen cooperation in the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. KHNP...

2026-09-09

US ONE Nuclear Advances 1 GW SMR Project in Louisiana

ONE Nuclear Energy LLC (referred to as "ONE Nuclear") recently announced that its Amberjack small modular reactor (SMR) project in Louisiana, USA, has entered the technical and environmental assessment phase. The project is planned as a standalone, scalable multi-unit SMR campus targeting an advanced nuclear power generation capacity of up to approximately 1 GW. ONE Nuclear stated that the final installed capacity, reactor technology pathway, and plant configuration for the Amberjack project have not yet been determined and will depend on subsequent technology down-selection, detailed engineering design, environmental assessment, transmission studies, commercial arrangements, financing, and federal licensing processes. The company previously also announced...

2026-09-09

US Lightbridge Aims to Accelerate Advanced Nuclear Fuel Commercialization via INL Project

Lightbridge Corporation, a US advanced nuclear fuel technology company, announced on September 8 that it has been selected for the "Launchpad" program advanced by the US Department of Energy (DOE) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and plans to leverage this opportunity to accelerate the deployment of Lightbridge Fuel™ in commercial reactors. According to a shareholder letter from Lightbridge Chairman and CEO Seth Grae, the company will pursue a two-track commercialization strategy: on one track, under DOE authorization, it will build the Specialized High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Extrusion Demonstration (SHED) facility to produce Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs); on the other...

2026-09-09

Ukraine's Energoatom purchases additional 41 VVER Spent Fuel Dry Storage Systems

Holtec Nuclear recently announced that Ukraine's national nuclear energy company Energoatom has awarded it a new contract to supply an additional 41 spent fuel safe transport and storage systems for VVER reactors at Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and South Ukraine nuclear power plants. The contract was signed on August 26, 2026. Energoatom's acting CEO Pavlo Kovtonyuk signed the contract in Kyiv, while Holtec Nuclear's CEO and Board Chairman Kris Singh signed in Camden, New Jersey, USA...

2026-09-09

U.S. Department of Energy Provides $1.9 Billion Loan to Support Restart of Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant

NextEra Energy announced on September 8 that it has completed a loan arrangement of up to $1.9 billion with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. The project will help restore operations at Iowa's only nuclear power plant and add stable electricity supply to the regional grid. Located in Linn County, Iowa, the Duane Arnold Energy Center has a generating capacity of 615 megawatts. NextEra Energy has previously stated that, subject to regulatory approvals, it plans to restart the facility no later than the first quarter of 2029. The DOE loan will support related restoration efforts, including...

2026-09-09

Hitachioomiya City Assembly in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, discusses literature survey request for nuclear waste disposal site

Hitachioomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, received a request from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) asking the city to accept a literature survey for the siting of a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. On September 8, the Hitachioomiya City Assembly held a general question-and-answer session, during which multiple city assembly members expressed their views on whether to accept the survey. Of the five assembly members who filed questions that day, two expressed opposition to accepting the request and one expressed support. The assembly plans to hold a closed-door meeting on September 9, at which each assembly member will state their position, and the relevant content will subsequently be conveyed to Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki for his consideration in formulating the city government's response. Assembly member Toshiyuki Kurata stated that if the literature survey proceeds, it would impact the policies and projects currently being implemented by the city...

2026-09-09

South Korea's Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Shut Down Upon Expiration of Design Lifespan

South Korea's Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 will cease operation upon the expiration of its 40-year design lifespan. Following the shutdown of this unit, two of the six units at the Hanbit plant will have been taken offline due to reaching the end of their design lifespans. Unit 2 of the Hanbit plant received its operating license on September 12, 1986, and commenced commercial operation on June 10, 1987. Based on a 40-year design lifespan, the unit's operating license remains valid until September 11, 2026. The operator plans to conduct periodic inspections and planned preventive maintenance after the unit is shut down. In accordance with relevant regulations, once a unit reaches the end of its design lifespan, it may not resume operation until its application for continued operation is approved, and it must undergo legally required inspections and maintenance, and...

2026-09-09

Yang Changli, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Group, Meets with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith and Standing Vice Chairman of the Lao-China Cooperation Committee Sengsadeth Sayasone

On September 7, Yang Changli, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Group Co., Ltd., met separately with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith and Sengsadeth Sayasone, Standing Vice Chairman of the Lao-China Cooperation Committee, at the CGN Tower in Shenzhen, conducting in-depth exchanges on deepening practical cooperation in energy, industry, agriculture, and people's livelihood. Prior to the meetings, Malaythong Kommasith and his delegation also visited and inspected the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Base. He Haibin, Chief Accountant of the Group, and Li Yilun, Vice President, attended relevant activities respectively. ▲Yang Changli meets with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith ▲Yang Changli meets with Standing Vice Chairman of the Lao-China Cooperation Committee Sengsadeth Sayasone...

2026-09-09

Pakistan Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit K-3 Connected to Grid After Major Overhaul

At 03:30 local time on September 7, 2026, Unit K-3 of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan was successfully connected to the grid. Since the unit was disconnected from the grid on July 1, 2026 for this major overhaul, the Chinese and Pakistani teams have worked closely together to successfully complete all maintenance tasks. This overhaul involved heavy workloads and multiple critical points. The CNNC Overseas Operation and Maintenance team planned and deployed in advance, refined the overhaul plan, coordinated and allocated various resources, clarified responsibilities, implemented dynamic tracking and daily work reviews, and efficiently completed key tasks including the modification of the lower half heat shield of the low-pressure cylinder, preventive maintenance of UPS, maintenance of the containment spray pipeline, emergency repair of the emergency compressed air compressor, and technical guidance for turbine overhaul, eliminating equipment hazards and consolidating the foundation for safe unit operation...

2026-09-09

France to Invest €18 Million in Nuclear Fission Research Program

The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) recently announced the launch of a new scientific research program on nuclear fission. The program will run for six years, from 2026 to 2031, with a total funding of €18 million. Financed by the French government under the France 2030 initiative and coordinated by the French National Research Agency (ANR), the program aims to strengthen the scientific foundation required for the development of current and future nuclear fission technologies. Under the arrangement, approximately half of the funding will be allocated to human resources development, including doctoral and postdoctoral projects; the remaining funds will be directed toward research equipment and infrastructure, covering particle accelerators, experimental reactors, and radiochemistry laboratories, among others....

2026-09-08

South Korea Notifies IAEA of Intention to Consult on Safeguards Arrangements for Nuclear-Powered Submarine

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Monday at the agency's Board of Governors meeting in Vienna that South Korea has formally notified the IAEA of its intention to consult with the agency on safeguards arrangements for its envisioned nuclear-powered submarine program. Grossi stated that South Korea has notified the IAEA Secretariat of its intent to discuss relevant arrangements pursuant to Article 14 of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA). This provision allows a country to use nuclear material for non-prohibited military purposes, such as naval nuclear propulsion, under arrangements concluded with the IAEA. It was noted that South Korea also reaffirmed its continued commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Safeguards Agre...

2026-09-08

Armenian NPP Unit 2 Reconnected to Grid After Overhaul

September 3 news, Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan stated that Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant has resumed operation and been connected to the country's unified power grid after completing a five-month planned overhaul. Khudatyan said that on September 1, 2026, Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was restarted after scheduled maintenance and connected to the national unified power grid. Currently, the unit is operating normally, with power output gradually increasing in accordance with established process requirements. The planned overhaul began on April 1 and lasted 153 days as scheduled. During the overhaul, approximately 20 measures were implemented at the plant to enhance unit reliability, safety, and operational efficiency...

2026-09-08

Iowa Research Promotes Nuclear Energy Industry Development

The Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force released a report stating that, leveraging experience in deploying new energy technologies, a strong manufacturing base, workforce conditions, and the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant restart plan, Iowa is well-positioned to play a greater role in the growing nuclear energy industry. NextEra Energy has agreed to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, primarily to supply power to Google. Image courtesy of NextEra Energy. The task force was established by Iowa's governor in January of this year with the mission of assessing opportunities for advancing nuclear energy technology and infrastructure in the state. The report recommends that Iowa conduct a statewide nuclear energy feasibility study, identify areas suitable for new nuclear project development, and establish a one-stop coordination window to facilitate nuclear project advancement.

2026-09-08

Rosenergoatom Celebrates 34 Years: Operating 33 Nuclear Power Units

On September 7, Rosenergoatom celebrated its 34th anniversary. The company is the management company of the electric power division of Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation. In 1992, Russian nuclear power plants were consolidated into a unified nuclear power operating organization, leading to the establishment of Rosenergoatom. Currently, Rosenergoatom is Russia's largest electricity generator and one of the world's major nuclear power operators in terms of installed capacity. The company operates 11 nuclear power plants with 33 units, including the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power unit comprising two reactor plants, with a total installed capacity exceeding 29.8 GW. Bilibino NPP...

2026-09-08