NucNet: Global Nuclear News

Russia’s First VVER-TOI Nuclear Plant Completes Pilot Operation

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:33:33 +0000

The first VVER-TOI unit at the Kursk 2 nuclear power station in Russia has completed pilot operation and is ready for commercial operation, state nuclear corporation Rosatom announced.

Rosatom said checks and tests were carried out at various capacity levels before the unit, Kursk 2-1, was allowed to increase to 100% capacity, which it reached last month.

During pilot operation the new unit, the first of Russia’s Generation III+ VVER-TOI design to begin operation, has already generated more than a billion kWh of electricity, according to Rosatom.

NRC Issues Environmental Impact Statement For Perry Nuclear Plant Licence Renewal

Mon, 05 May 2025 13:18:28 +0000

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued its final environmental impact statement for renewing the operating license of the single-unit Perry nuclear power station in Ohio.

The NRC said the current operating license for Perry-1, a 1,240-MW boiling water reactor about 50 km northeast of Cleveland, will expire in November 2026.

Russia Delivers Set Of Four Steam Generators For Turkey Nuclear Power Station

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:30:02 +0000

A complete set of four steam generators has been delivered for Unit 4 of the Akkuyu nuclear power station under construction in Turkey’s southern Mersin province, project company Akkuyu Nuclear said.

The steam generators were manufactured at the Atommash plant in Volgodonsk, Russia, part of Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom’s machine-building division, and transported about 3,000 km by sea to the construction site, a statement said.

In a pressurised water reactor (PWR) system, the steam generators transfer heat produced by the nuclear reaction to turn demineralised water into steam which is used to power the turbines.

WNTI Signs Nuclear MOU With New Institute At Liverpool University

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 08:35:29 +0000

The University of Liverpool’s Chadwick Institute for Nuclear Innovation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection to collaborate in key areas of nuclear research and education.

London-based WNTI, which represents companies and organisations involved in the transport of nuclear and radioactive materials, said the MOU commits the partners to establishing a framework for collaboration in research, including doctoral research programmes, professional development, summer schools, skills enhancement and knowledge exchange.

Russian Drone Hits Building Storing Spent Nuclear Fuel Near Chornobyl

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:46:31 +0000

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday (7 June) it had been informed by Ukraine of a drone attack early this morning on the central spent fuel storage facility within the Chornobyl nuclear power station exclusion zone.

The IAEA said the attack, which took place at about 02:00 local time, caused significant damage to the facility’s fuel reception building – including to the facade, windows and doors – and nearby buildings were also affected by the blast wave.

A fire covering about 40 square metres broke out after the attack and was extinguished, said state nuclear power operator Energoatom. No personnel were injured.

Japan Aims To Replace 14 Ageing Nuclear Reactors By 2050s

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:42:09 +0000

Japan plans to rebuild between two and five ageing nuclear reactors by the 2040s and as many as 11 to 14 by the 2050s as it aims to secure stable power supply, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing a draft policy presented on 5 June.

The proposal, outlined by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti) at a meeting on nuclear policy, reflects a shift towards greater reliance on nuclear energy to help meet rising power demand and reduce costly fuel imports.

It is the first official numerical target for reactor replacement released since the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company.

By setting a concrete goal, the ministry will make it easier to secure human resources in the nuclear power industry, a statement said.

Antares Achieves Initial Criticality Of Privately Developed Advanced Nuclear Reactor

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:10:10 +0000

US nuclear reactor company Antares announced on 4 June that its Mark-0 microreactor achieved initial criticality at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), making Antares the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to criticality under the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) push to deploy advanced plants.

The California-based company said the demonstration, backed by the DOE under its Reactor Pilot Program, meets an ambitious objective set by president Donald Trump and the DOE to reform how the federal government tests advanced reactors, and it establishes a replicable licensing pathway that the DOE and industry can use to accelerate future reactor demonstrations on commercial timelines.

“Today’s achievement is a historic moment for American nuclear energy,” said energy secretary Chris Wright.

Tepco Announces Start Of Spent Fuel Removal From Fukushima-Daiichi Unit 2

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:48:59 +0000

The long-running decommissioning effort at Japan’s Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station has reached an important milestone with the start of removal of nuclear fuel from the spent fuel pool of Unit 2.

The operation is one of the most technically challenging phases of the site’s decades-long cleanup programme following the catastrophic 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident.

Owner and operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) intends to complete the removal of all fuel assemblies from the Unit 2 pool by fiscal year 2028.

The Unit 2 reactor’s spent fuel pool currently stores 587 spent fuel assemblies, which are highly radioactive, and 28 unused fuel assemblies, according to Tepco. The unused fuel is being removed first because it poses a lower risk in the event of an accident.

New York Takes ‘Significant’ New Steps Towards Governor’s Plans For Nuclear Deployment

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:37:32 +0000

New York state governor Kathy Hochul took two “significant” steps on 2 June towards her goal of deploying new commercial nuclear reactors, announcing solicitations for work force training and for a developer to start construction of at least one new reactor by 2032.

The state-owned New York Power Authority (NYPA) will spend up to $40m (€34m) to develop training programmes for a wide variety of nuclear jobs, ranging from welders and pipefitters to engineers and radiation protection technicians, Hochul announced.

The power authority issued a request for applications from colleges, trade unions, community-based organisations or others interested in providing the training.

NYPA also issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for firms who are interested in building 1 GW (1,000 MW) of new nuclear power that Hochul has ordered the power authority to develop. The document states that firms must be able to begin construction no later than 2032 so they would qualify for federal tax credits.

Urenco USA Plans Major Expansion of New Mexico Uranium Enrichment Capacity

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:57:02 +0000

Urenco USA announced today that it will expand the capacity of the United States’ only commercial uranium enrichment facility by nearly 50%, marking a major commitment to strengthening the US nuclear fuel supply chain as the country expands the use of nuclear power.

The company said the multi-billion-dollar investment will fund the construction of a new enrichment plant at its National Enrichment Facility, in Eunice, New Mexico, enabling the increased production of low-enriched uranium (LEU) vital to the nation’s energy security.

Urenco USA is a supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products and part of the Urenco Group, which is majority owned by the governments of the Netherlands and the UK with minority shares controlled by German electric utilities E.ON and RWE.

Canada’s Cameco Increases Ownership Of Cigar Lake Uranium Mine

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:16:20 +0000

Cameco and Orano Canada have reached agreement with Tepco Resources, a subsidiary of Japan-based Tokyo Electric Power Company, to acquire Tepco’s 5% participating interest in the Cigar Lake joint venture in Canada.

Upon closing, Cameco's ownership stake in the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan will increase to 57.4% for a consideration of CAD115m (€71m, $83m), while Orano's share will increase to 42.5%.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of the year.

“Cigar Lake is among the world’s best uranium mines, producing the highest-grade uranium ore from a safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation,” said Cameco’s chief executive officer Tim Gitzel.

China Announces Milestones At Two Nuclear Power Plants

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:48:42 +0000

Two Chinese nuclear power projects have reached construction milestones with completion of the reactor building’s outer containment structure at Lianjiang-1 and installation of a section of the inner steel containment at Taipingling-3, local reports said.

At Unit 1 of the Lianjiang nuclear power station in Guangdong province, southern China, workers completed installation of the outer containment dome, marking completion of the main civil structure of the reactor building and allowing the project to move from civil construction to large-scale equipment installation, said the official China National Nuclear Power News Network (CNNPN).

Lianjiang-1 is the first of two CAP1000 pressurised water reactor (PWR) units planned as the initial phase of the station, which will eventually house six such reactors. Construction of Lianjiang-1 began in late September 2023.

World’s Largest Crane Lifts RPV Into Place At Hinkley Point C-2

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:40:29 +0000

The second reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has been lifted into place by the world’s largest crane at the Hinkley Point C nuclear site in southwest England.

Hinkley Point C said the “Big Carl” crane had lifted the 500-tonne RPV into place before its precision installation inside the reactor building.

Using Big Carl to lift the RPV was an innovation for Unit 2 and another example of the project finding ways to improve performance between Units 1 and 2. The RPV for Unit 1 was lifted using a large temporary overhead lifting system. The new method saved space, time and money, Hinkley Point C said.

Drone Strike Causes Damage To Turbine Building At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:04:08 +0000

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it has been informed by the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that a drone struck a turbine building at the site on 30 May, causing a hole in its wall.

The agency’s director-general Rafael Grossi expressed “serious concern” about the incident.

“Attacking nuclear sites is like playing with fire,” Grossi said. He said the strike was a serious incident that endangered key nuclear safety principles.

“Attacks on nuclear sites are unacceptable and must stop in order to prevent the very real risk of a nuclear accident that would benefit no one,” Grossi said.

Eden Radioisotopes Files Construction Permit Application For New Mexico Facility

Fri, 29 May 2026 12:38:24 +0000

US-based Eden Radioisotopes has filed a construction permit application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an isotope production complex near Eunice, New Mexico.

This purpose-built facility is designed to produce a domestic source of life-saving medical isotopes – something currently unavailable at scale in the US.

The company proposes to use a small, nonpower, open-pool reactor design that is optimised for high-yield isotope production. The reactor will use low-enriched uranium and operate at 1.8 MWt. Eden expects to operate it for 22 hours per day, using the downtime to replace targets.

Eden will use an “all-target” reactor concept exclusively licensed from Sandia National Laboratories and optimised for high-yield isotope production. The company said the technology generates no spent fuel, and with a co-located processing facility, improves the domestic supply of isotopes for US patients.