Search Results

Idaho National Laboratory Moran Test Bed Completes Deployment Preparation for Spent Fuel Decladding Skid

A mobile skid dedicated to processing and stripping spent nuclear fuel cladding has been officially declared ready for operation at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Moran Nuclear Fuels Test Facility. The fabrication of this skid system was funded by the Athena Initiative launched in 2022 under the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Nonproliferation Stewardship Program, aimed at providing critical research support for the United States' nonproliferation strategy.

2026-09-24

Rosatom Establishes New Laboratory to Test Molten Salt Reactor Spent Fuel Reprocessing Technology

The first production site of the Khlopin Radium Institute, part of Rosatom's research division, is completing the construction of a new laboratory that will be dedicated to testing the processing and reprocessing technology for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from molten salt reactors (JSR/MSR). In the first phase of facility testing, it is planned to synthesize simulated fuel compositions based on lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, with added simulants of fission products and plutonium; subsequently, the technology will be validated on models, and ultimately practical application will be carried out on the basis of the research molten salt reactor (IZHSR) being built in Zheleznogorsk. The related construction, installation, and commissioning work is planned for completion by the end of 2026, and to prepare for...

2026-09-18

Kansai Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power Plan to Participate in Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Kansai Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co. have expressed their intention to participate in the use of the spent fuel interim storage facility located in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Currently, the interim storage facility only accepts spent fuel from nuclear power plants of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) and Japan Atomic Power Co. After the mayor of Mutsu agreed to consider allowing the facility to accept spent fuel from other electric power companies, the situation underwent a major shift. Subsequently, Tokyo Electric Power Company and Japan Atomic Power Co. reached out to the other eight electric power companies in Japan that operate nuclear power plants to solicit their interest in jointly participating in the use of the interim storage facility.

2026-09-16

Daejeon, South Korea Ranks Second Nationwide in Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Storage, Spent Fuel Transfer Plan Still Not Implemented

According to data released on September 12 by South Korea's Integrated Radioactive Waste Safety Management Information System, two nuclear-related facilities in Daejeon——the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's Nuclear Fuel Company——currently store a total of 29,587 drums of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, with each drum having a capacity of 200 liters. This storage volume ranks second in South Korea, surpassed only by the Gori Nuclear Power Plant's 40,087 drums. Transportation of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste Daejeon provides The low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste stored by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute mainly comes from the operation of the Hanaro research reactor, as well as waste generated during the decommissioning of an experimental reactor in Seoul in the mid-2000s. Nuclear-related facilities in Daejeon...

2026-09-13

Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan to Reconsider Literature Survey for Final Disposal Site of High-Level Radioactive Waste

The Hitachiota City Council in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, held a closed-door meeting on September 9 to hear council members' opinions on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's request for the city to conduct a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste. After the meeting, sources said that two council members expressed support and two expressed opposition, and the city council failed to reach a consensus, deciding to hold another meeting on September 16 for discussion. The closed-door meeting was initiated by Hitachiota Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki, with the aim of providing reference for the city government to judge whether to accept the literature survey. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry made the request to the city on August 31. Suzuki previously said he would "actively consider" conducting the literature survey and hoped...

2026-09-10

Thailand Advances SMR Regulatory Preparedness to Strengthen Energy Security

On September 8, 2026, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Yodchanan Wongsawat, chaired the second meeting of the Nuclear Energy for Peace Committee in 2026 at Government House. The meeting discussed Thailand's long-term nuclear energy strategy and preparatory work on the regulatory framework, talent development, and industrial supply chain for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The Thai government emphasized that these efforts constitute preliminary capacity building and do not imply a decision to construct nuclear power plants. The meeting approved an SMR regulatory policy framework, which draws on relevant standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)...

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

South Korean civic groups oppose construction of spent fuel storage facility at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant site

On September 4, the Joint Action Organization Against Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in the Honam region of South Korea held a press conference in front of the high-level radioactive waste forum venue in Gochang County, North Jeolla Province, demanding the cancellation of plans to build a storage facility at the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant site and proposing fundamental measures to address nuclear waste issues. The organization stated that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is pushing forward with the construction of temporary storage facilities at the plant site on the grounds that the spent fuel pools at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant may reach saturation by 2030. The organization argued that this move fails to adequately respond to the opinions of residents near the plant and amounts to unilaterally shifting the burden of nuclear waste onto the local community. The organization stated that the current plan involves building storage facilities at the existing nuclear power plant site...

2026-09-06

DOE Officials Visit Fort St. Vrain Spent Fuel Storage Facility in Colorado

Tim Walsh, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (EM), recently visited the Fort St. Vrain spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Platteville in northern Colorado. The facility is managed by the DOE's Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) and its contractor, Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC). During the visit, Walsh inspected the storage facility and multiple supporting buildings to learn about the operational mission and historical background of the Fort St. Vrain facility. The facility currently stores spent nuclear fuel from the former Fort St. Vrain power station, which operated using gas-cooled reactor technology and was shut down in 1979...

2026-09-02

Kansai Electric Power Applies to Build Dry Cask Storage Facilities for Spent Fuel

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) announced on August 31 that it has submitted an application to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) seeking approval for the design and construction plans of dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at its Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture. The company plans to begin construction in 2027 and aims to complete the facilities by 2029. This application covers the first-phase construction at the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants. KEPCO had previously planned to build a total of four dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel at three nuclear power plants within Fukui Prefecture, including the Mihama, Takahama, and Ohi nuclear power plants. Currently, the related project at the Ohi nuclear power plant and the second-phase construction at the Takahama nuclear power plant remain...

2026-09-01

Harbin Engineering University Establishes Research Institute for Spent Fuel Reprocessing and Advanced Materials

On August 31, the inauguration ceremony of the Research Institute for Spent Fuel Reprocessing and Advanced Materials at Harbin Engineering University was held at the university's Qihang Activity Center. More than 150 participants attended the meeting, including academicians and experts in the field of nuclear science and technology, representatives from industry and enterprises, peer institutions, and alumni. The newly established institute will address the needs of nuclear energy safety assurance and sustainable development by integrating the university's advantageous disciplinary resources in nuclear science, materials, and chemical engineering, focusing on breakthroughs in spent fuel reprocessing processes, advanced materials development, and related key core technologies, while promoting the coordinated development of basic research, technological breakthroughs, and commercialization of research outcomes. At the meeting, several attending experts noted that spent fuel reprocessing is a critical part of the nuclear f...

2026-09-01

Japan's Fukui Prefecture Approves KEPCO's Construction of Dry Cask Storage Facilities for Spent Fuel

Fukui Prefecture Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto announced on August 28 that he approved Kansai Electric Power Company's (KEPCO) plan to construct dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel within the premises of the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture. The decision was made in accordance with the safety agreement between Fukui Prefecture and KEPCO. KEPCO plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for approval of the relevant design and construction plans as early as August 31. KEPCO plans to build dry cask storage facilities at three nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture to temporarily store spent fuel and prepare for future transport to an interim storage facility outside Fukui Prefecture. Among these, the plans for the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants...

2026-08-29

Argentina Advances Testing for Atucha II Spent Fuel Dry Storage Project

Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. is advancing key equipment testing for the spent fuel dry storage facility (ASECG II) at the Atucha II nuclear power plant. This project is a critical supporting infrastructure to ensure the long-term operation of the Atucha II plant. The ongoing tests are part of the verification phase prior to system commissioning, primarily aimed at inspecting and adjusting the operational procedures involved in future operations. Among the key equipment under testing is the gantry crane, which handles the transfer of storage containers within the plant site. The stable performance of this equipment is directly related to the safety and controllability of container movements during spent fuel storage operations. According to the project plan...

2026-08-28

Finland's Onkalo Spent Fuel Disposal Facility Starts Drilling of First Disposal Hole

On the afternoon of August 26, 2026, Finland's Onkalo spent fuel final disposal facility commenced drilling of its first disposal hole deep in the bedrock at Olkiluoto. Posiva stated that the drilling operation is being carried out at a depth of more than 400 meters underground, with the drill bit beginning to cut into the approximately 1.9-billion-year-old Olkiluoto bedrock. Kimmo Lehtola, Posiva's Operations Construction Manager, explained that a kick-off meeting had been held the day before the operation, focusing on reviewing safety matters, technical specifications, and the detailed drilling plan. On the morning and early afternoon of the drilling day, the team completed final adjustments to the equipment, after which the drilling rig began its work. He noted that the team had previously completed...

2026-08-28

Boric Acid Leakage During Spent Fuel Transfer Preparation at South Korea's Hanul Nuclear Power Plant

Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, recently disclosed that at 10:16 a.m. on the 3rd, a boric acid solution leakage incident occurred in the auxiliary building of Unit 2 at Shin Hanul Nuclear Power Plant. The incident happened while workers were preparing to transfer spent fuel from a transport container in the spent fuel loading pool to the spent fuel storage pool, and the preliminary cause has been attributed to improper on-site operations. Boric acid solution is used in spent fuel storage-related operations. As the solution is associated with the spent fuel storage environment, it carries radioactive management attributes. Hanul Nuclear Power Plant stated that leakage containment measures were immediately taken after the leak occurred, and the leaked material was collected in the decontamination area and recovered to the controlled area...

2026-08-28