CEO of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to Step Down After Term Ends in 2027

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) announced on July 28 that, after consultation with the Chair of the Board, the company's President and Chief Executive Officer, Fred Dermarkar, has informed the Board that he will not seek reappointment after his term ends on February 7, 2027. AECL stated that Dermarkar believes that as the company enters a new and important phase of development, now is the appropriate time to initiate a leadership transition. He will continue to serve until the end of his term to ensure management continuity while the company advances its key strategic priorities and to support a smooth handover to new leadership. This personnel announcement comes at a time of active development in Canada's nuclear energy industry. Previously, the Canadian government...

2026-07-29

Romanian National Nuclear Power Company Responds to Review Comments on the Doicești SMR Project

SN Nuclearelectrica SA (SNN) responded on July 28 to the content involving the Doicești Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project in the summary of a report by the Romanian Prime Minister's supervisory body. The company stated that strategic nuclear energy projects should be comprehensively evaluated based on technological maturity, economic conditions, and regulatory requirements. Such projects remain in a complex development phase, with schedules and plans subject to updates as engineering, licensing, and technical verification work progresses. SNN noted that the initial development plan for the Doicești SMR project was based on information available at the project's launch, with an estimated timeline jointly developed with technology partners NuScale and Fluor (...

2026-07-29

Europe Completes Manufacturing of JT-60SA Pellet Centrifuge Accelerator

The European Fusion Energy Organization (F4E) recently announced progress on key components of a new pellet injection system for the upgrade of the JT-60SA device. The centrifuge accelerator, manufactured by Sener, has been completed and delivered to the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP). It will subsequently be integrated with other components of the pellet injection system and undergo testing. The operation of fusion devices relies on the continuous supply of hydrogen isotope fuel. In devices such as JT-60SA and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the pellet injection system is used to fuel the plasma and assist in controlling plasma instabilities. The system typically consists of three parts: preparation...

2026-07-29

Chugoku Electric Power Submits Third Amendment to Reactor Installation Change Permit Application for Shimane Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 to Regulatory Authority

Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. announced on July 29 that it had submitted the third amendment to the reactor installation change permit application for Unit 3 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on the same day. The company stated that this amendment adjusts the application content for related equipment at the plant based on previous review findings. This includes reclassifying certain equipment already installed for Unit 2, such as the emergency response center, for shared use between Unit 2 and Unit 3. According to reports, Chugoku Electric Power had previously submitted two amendments to the reactor installation change permit application for Unit 3 of the Shimane Nuclear Power Plant, on December 22, 2021, and June 29, 2022, respectively.

2026-07-29

DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and REV Advance Shared Fusion Test Platform Construction

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and fusion energy consulting and investment firm Rutherford Energy Ventures (REV) have officially launched a new public-private partnership framework development effort to build shared fusion test platform infrastructure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The collaboration framework, named the Fusion Accelerated Scaling Leverage Alliance (FULCRA), aims to explore new design and financing models for the proposed Fulcrum test facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, addressing critical capability gaps identified in the DOE's Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap...

2026-07-29

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant states that water supply from wells is sufficient to maintain equipment cooling and nuclear safety.

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

Trump to meet with heads of advanced nuclear reactor companies; projects from four firms reaching critical stage.

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with executives from several advanced nuclear reactor companies at the White House on July 24 (local time) to highlight key technological breakthroughs.According to White House officials, the CEOs of Antare

2026-07-27

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

A member of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority inspects safety management at the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant.

Tomoyuki Sugiyama, a commissioner of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), recently visited Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama Nuclear Power Plant to inspect safety management measures, the execution of routine inspections, and pre

2026-07-27

Hungary replaces head of Paks II nuclear power project company.

István Kapitány, Hungary’s Minister of Economy and Energy, announced on July 24 the dismissal of Gergely Jákli as CEO of Paks II Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. (Paks II Atomeromu Zrt). The company is responsible for ad

2026-07-27

Kazakhstan and Russia will jointly formulate a personnel training plan for the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant.

The Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) recently held a meeting regarding the training of specialists for the nuclear power sector. The meeting was co-chaired by Asset Makhambet

2026-07-27

Unit 2 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant disconnected from the grid due to an electrical equipment malfunction.

The Ministry of Energy of Belarus has announced that Unit 2 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant has been disconnected from the grid due to a malfunction in electrical equipment.Official information released so far is limited; details regarding the speci

2026-07-27

Site survey work for Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant is nearing completion.

On July 25, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that work at the construction site of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant—the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant—is nearing completion.During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, T

2026-07-27

The IAEA says it has not yet received a request to verify nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated on July 23 that it is aware of plans by the United States and Saudi Arabia to request the agency to conduct verification activities regarding a nuclear cooperation agreement currently under discussion b

2026-07-27

Multiple meetings focus on the *Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage* as the global nuclear liability regime continues to advance.

Several meetings centered on the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) have recently taken place. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that key topics of discussion included strengthening cooperation under the C

2026-07-27

Russia says all countries have the right to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has always believed that any country should enjoy the right to develop peaceful uses of atomic energy, and Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other countries are no exception. Earlier on July 23 local time, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it had signed a civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. The agreement will also be submitted to the U.S. Congress for review. In response to a reporter's question, Peskov said that Russia's position on the peaceful use of atomic energy and the development of peaceful nuclear energy is "well known." He stated that Iran should have this right, and Saudi Arabia and other countries should also have this right....

2026-07-24

Two UK nuclear power plants approved for life extension until March 2030

EDF Energy and Centrica announced on July 22 that the operational lives of the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power stations in the UK will be extended by another two years, until March 2030.Located in northern England, the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nucl

2026-07-23

Bulgarian Expert Says Belene NPP Restart Technically Feasible

Bulgarian energy expert Bogomil Manchev recently stated that the long-dormant Belene NPP project remains technically viable for restart. If Bulgaria and Ukraine jointly participate in financing and establish a co-ownership mechanism, the project could become a new nuclear power project built through bilateral cooperation. Manchev believes that Ukraine will still face significant electricity demand for a long period in the future. If funding can be secured for the project, Bulgaria could proceed with nuclear power plant construction at the original Belene site. His proposed options include joint financing and co-ownership by both countries, or Ukraine signing a long-term power purchase agreement to support project financing...

2026-07-23

ITER Organization Director-General Attends Aix Economic Forum to Discuss Complexity Management of Pioneering Strongly-Coupled Mega-Projects

From July 2 to 4, the Aix Economic Forum (Les Rencontres Économiques d’Aix) was held in Provence, France, under the annual theme "Navigating a World of Uncertainty." Pietro Barabaschi, Director-General of the ITER Organization, was invited to attend the forum, where he presented the ITER Project and its pivotal role in addressing future energy challenges. His remarks centered on two core themes—climate change and the energy crisis—covering topics such as mega-project management experience and the development of the global fusion industry. As the world's first fusion verification experimental reactor, ITER's core mission is to validate the engineering feasibility of fusion power generation, paving the way for subsequent demonstration fusion power plants...

2026-07-15

Masayoshi Son: Nuclear Fusion Could Become Key to Powering Future AI Data Centers

SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son said at the SoftBank World annual event in Tokyo on July 14 that as electricity demand from AI data centers continues to rise, nuclear fusion technology is expected to become one of the most realistic power solutions in the near future. Son believes that most of the current electricity demand from data centers will still be met by natural gas, but this landscape could change over the next 15 years. He predicted that by 2040, global data center capacity demand will reach 3 terawatts, with nuclear fusion playing a significant role. He said at the event that fusion will become a major source of a cheaper, cleaner, and safer new form of energy on Earth, and asked rhetorically: Now...

2026-07-15

Rosatom Says Small Nuclear Power Development Requires Regulatory Reform

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said on July 5 that if Russia hopes to maintain its global leadership in the small nuclear power market, nuclear regulations and standards also need to keep pace with technological changes, particularly by revisiting the licensing and approval process for small nuclear power plants. In an article published in the Rosatom Corporate Newspaper, Likhachev stated that small nuclear power plants are expected to become a significant new form of energy in the coming decades, but their deployment still faces considerable regulatory challenges. Due to the relative novelty of such facilities to regulators, approval approaches tend to be cautious. He believes that accelerating the licensing and construction process while ensuring safety has become a task of national importance.

2026-07-06