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Japanese Nuclear Regulator Inspects Horonobe Geological Disposal Research Facility for High-Level Radioactive Waste

On August 28, Shinya Nagasaki and other members of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) inspected an underground research facility in Horonobe Town, Japan. The facility, operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), conducts technical research on deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste involves encapsulating the waste and burying it deep underground, achieving long-term isolation through engineered and natural geological barriers. During the inspection, Nagasaki and his delegation examined test facilities used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of iron containers. The tests simulate the environment of containers holding heat-generating radioactive waste after being buried underground...

2026-08-30

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

UK JET Decommissioning Project to Trial Asset-Based Decommissioning Approach

The JET Decommissioning and Repurposing (JDR) project recently announced that it will trial an asset-based decommissioning approach in three areas of the JET facility during the next phase of work. These areas were once part of the power supply infrastructure during JET plasma operations. This trial work will support the overall development of the Culham Campus and, in conjunction with the Strategic Investment and Development for Energy and AI (STRIDE) programme, facilitate land remediation to create conditions for the installation of a fourth supergrid transformer. JDR has signed a contract with Ramco UK to undertake the relevant trial work. JDR Engineering Integration Manager Steve...

2026-08-28

Auburn University Installs 200 MeV Superconducting Proton Accelerator to Build First University-Led Space Electronics Radiation Testing Facility in the U.S.

Auburn University's Applied Research Institute has announced the installation of a new 200 MeV superconducting proton accelerator, advancing the construction of the nation's first university-led proton testing facility dedicated to space electronics qualification. The system, a RAD-FX-200 superconducting synchrocyclotron manufactured and installed by Mevion Medical Systems, serves as the core component of Auburn University's new radiation-hardening facility. According to reports, the facility will help address gaps in U.S. space qualification testing capacity, providing radiation testing services for microelectronics to government agencies, aerospace, and defense-related industries. Systems such as satellites, missile defense interceptors, spacecraft, and launch vehicles rely on microelectronics, which may be affected by proton radiation in orbital environments. A single radiation-induced failure can cause system loss, and such failures are typically difficult to repair once in orbit...

2026-08-28

Construction Advances for Holtec's SMR-300 Test Facility at Idaho National Laboratory

Holtec International recently announced that construction of its HI-TEST test facility, supporting the SMR-300 small modular reactor, is advancing at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with manufacturing of key test components and preparation for facility installation already underway. The facility simulates the SMR-300 plant at approximately one-third scale and is designed to quantify reactor design and operational performance margins, providing a test basis for potential future power uprates. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), the HI-TEST facility's primary mission is to validate SMR-300 design margins under steady-state and transient conditions, offering physical test data for the plant's power generation capacity, resilience, and operability...

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

Russia and Egypt Plan to Jointly Establish Additive Manufacturing Center in Egypt

According to the fuel division of Rosatom, it has signed a joint statement of intent with the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Construction Supervision and Execution Authority (EA-SNPP), with both sides planning to cooperate in establishing an additive manufacturing center in Egypt. The statement said that Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, visited the Moscow Additive Manufacturing Center under the fuel division of Rosatom during his visit to Russia. Following the visit, the Russian fuel division and the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant Project Supervision and Execution Authority signed the aforementioned statement, clarifying their cooperation in building an additive manufacturing center in Egypt. The cooperation revolves around additive manufacturing...

2026-08-28

Japan Extends Deadline for Anti-Terrorism Facility Construction at Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has officially decided to revise relevant regulations to extend the deadline for installing anti-terrorism facilities, specifically "facilities for responding to specified severe accidents," at nuclear power plants. Under the new rules, the deadline will be adjusted from "within five years after the construction plan is approved" to "within five years after the start of commercial operation." The revised regulations are expected to take effect in September. This change will affect Tohoku Electric Power's Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2. The unit, which had faced the possibility of shutdown by December 2026 due to difficulties in completing the required facilities by then, will now be able to continue operating beyond that date. Tohoku Electric Power...

2026-08-28

South Korea's Pohang to Build Core Component Factory for Small Modular Reactors

The city of Pohang and North Gyeongsang Province recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Heavy Industries Turbomachinery Co., Ltd. to build a large-scale production plant for eco-friendly turbomachinery and core components for small modular reactors (SMRs) at the fourth comprehensive industrial complex in Pohang's Yeongil Bay, with an investment of approximately 100 billion KRW. Under the agreement, Hyundai Heavy Industries Turbomachinery plans to carry out the project between 2026 and 2029, constructing related production facilities on a 101,128-square-meter site within the complex. Upon completion, the project is expected to create approximately 100 new jobs and boost the local manufacturing sector...

2026-08-28

3D Systems Collaborates with Savannah River National Laboratory to Advance 3D Printing in Nuclear Energy Systems

3D Systems Corporation of the United States announced on August 27 that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), under which the two parties will conduct joint research and development on additive manufacturing technology to advance its application in advanced energy production, nuclear energy systems, energy infrastructure resilience, and related mission scenarios. Under the agreement, the two parties will leverage SRNL's Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) to advance work in advanced materials development, equipment upgrades, AI and machine learning-assisted process optimization, manufacturing systems, cybersecurity, and workforce development. Collaboration goals include developing next-generation additive manufacturing materials, real-time process optimization tools, and scalable production solutions...

2026-08-28

Japan Extends Deadline for Mandatory Anti-Terrorism Facility Installation at Nuclear Power Plants

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan formally decided at its regular meeting on August 26 to revise relevant regulations, extending the deadline for the mandatory installation of anti-terrorism facilities at nuclear power plants. The revised system is expected to be implemented in September. Under Japan's current regulatory requirements, nuclear power plants must be equipped with "specified severe accident response facilities" to address serious accidents that could potentially be triggered by extreme scenarios such as terrorist attacks. This revision shifts the starting point of the 5-year grace period from the date of approval of the detailed design and construction plan for the nuclear power plant to the date the plant officially commences commercial operation. This adjustment effectively relaxes the installation deadline requirements. The new rules will apply to nuclear power units that have not yet reached their installation deadlines. East...

2026-08-27

Belarus Advances Preparations for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

Belarus is advancing preliminary work on the construction of a centralized radioactive waste disposal facility. Mikhail Kisel, Director of the Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization, recently stated at a public discussion on the environmental impact assessment report held in Mstsislaw that, according to the country's radioactive waste management strategy through 2050, existing storage facilities will need to be decommissioned in the future, and the new radioactive waste disposal facility is planned to be completed by 2030. Kisel noted that the sources of radioactive waste are not limited to the nuclear energy sector, but also include healthcare, industrial, and scientific research activities. Currently, centralized long-term storage of such waste is handled by the specialized enterprise Ekores. Belarusian radioactive waste...

2026-08-27

South Korea Joins IAEA-Facilitated International Framework ATLAS for Maritime Nuclear Energy Cooperation

The international cooperation framework for maritime nuclear energy, ATLAS, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has recently been launched. The framework aims to promote international discussions on safety, security, safeguards, and legal and regulatory standards concerning nuclear applications in the maritime sector, including nuclear-powered ships and floating nuclear power plants. A South Korean government delegation attended the launch event held in Washington, D.C., on August 26-27 (local time). South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) stated that with the development of next-generation nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors, the international shipping industry is increasingly focusing on utilizing nuclear energy for ship propulsion and offshore power supply, with a view to exploring new technological pathways toward carbon neutrality.

2026-08-27

U.S. Research Reveals Diamond Melting Mechanism at High Pressure, Potentially Enhancing Inertial Confinement Fusion Performance

A research team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the U.S. recently published a study in Nature Physics reporting that the latest dynamic compression experiments have, for the first time, directly recorded atomic structural changes during diamond melting under extreme high pressure. The experiments showed that under high-pressure conditions, solid diamond can float in liquid metallic carbon, similar to ice floating on water. Diamond is not only a high-hardness carbon material but is also used as the fuel target capsule shell in inertial confinement fusion experiments. When intense lasers drive the capsule implosion, the compression and melting behavior of the diamond shell can affect whether the fusion fuel reaches the required high-temperature, high-pressure state. Meanwhile, the planetary science community has long focused on the high-pressure behavior of carbon in the deep interiors of ice giant planets...

2026-08-26

Bitumen Solidification Facility at Unit 2 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Normal

Shikoku Electric Power Co. reported on August 25, 2026, that the bitumen solidification facility at Unit 2 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, currently in a decommissioned state, had returned to normal operation at 10:45 a.m. that day. The gasket at the joint of the mixer top cover, where the earlier abnormality had been detected, had been replaced, and trial operation results showed no abnormalities. The incident occurred on April 28. On that day, when operators started the bitumen solidification facility in the controlled area of the reactor auxiliary building, they observed a steam-like phenomenon near the mixer thermometer, which subsequently disappeared on its own. Maintenance personnel later inspected and confirmed at 3:05 p.m. that the steam-like gas originated from inside the mixer and had escaped through the joint of the mixer top cover; at 5:06 p.m., the bitumen solidification facility was shut down.

2026-08-26