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Ghana Says Nuclear Energy Key to Meeting Future Electricity Demand

Ghana's Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, stated that Ghana will diversify its energy mix through nuclear power development, providing affordable, reliable, and low-carbon electricity for industrialization and economic growth. Speaking recently at the opening ceremony of the third U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit in Accra, Jinapor said that Ghana's electricity demand continues to grow, hydropower development potential is becoming limited, and thermal power generation costs are relatively high, prompting the country to explore other affordable energy options, including nuclear energy. The summit's theme was "Building and Sustaining Africa's Nuclear Workforce." He noted that when the Akosombo Dam was first completed, Ghana's peak electricity demand was approximately 300 megawatts, while the dam's generating capacity exceeded 1,000 megawatts; currently, Ghana's peak electricity demand has risen to about 4,500 megawatts. Rising thermal power generation costs have pushed up overall energy costs, making energy mix diversification a practical necessity.

2026-08-24

Ukrainian Foreign Minister and IAEA Director General Discuss Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Safety in Phone Call

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on August 22 that he had a phone call with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, during which the two sides focused on the current nuclear safety situation in Ukraine, particularly the safety status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Sybiha stated that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is currently under Russian control, and the related military presence remains a major source of nuclear safety risk. The two sides exchanged views on issues related to the plant and emphasized the need for close coordination based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and international law. Sybiha also noted that he values Grossi's personal engagement in relevant matters, as well as...

2026-08-24

UK Wylfa SMR project early works package valued at up to £1.1 billion

Great British Energy–Nuclear (GBE-N) has launched market engagement for an early works package, with the proposed scope covering civil engineering, infrastructure, building and mechanical & electrical engineering, and earthworks. According to the prior information notice published on 20 August, the contract is estimated to be worth between £730 million and £1.1 billion. The notice states that the package falls within GBE-N's owner's scope of work, primarily intended to prepare the site for subsequent main construction and support technology partners in installing and commissioning small modular reactor (SMR) technology. Related preparatory activities include planning, permitting, design, and construction. ...

2026-08-24

Russian Scientists Propose New Scheme for Measuring Proton and Deuteron Electric Dipole Moments in a Single Storage Ring

August 21 news, researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences have proposed a new experimental scheme to study the electric dipole moments of protons and deuterons in a single storage ring. The scheme can be implemented both in specially constructed new facilities and, potentially, in upgraded existing accelerator complexes. The electric dipole moments of protons and deuterons reflect the asymmetry of the internal charge distribution relative to the spin direction. According to Standard Model predictions, their values are non-zero but extremely small, on the order of 10⁻³¹ e·cm, far below current experimental sensitivity...

2026-08-24

CERN Large Hadron Collider Data Challenge Models of Oxygen and Neon Nucleus Structure

Physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), analyzing a new batch of collision data from the CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, have found that oxygen and neon nuclei do not behave entirely as predicted by existing models in high-energy collisions. This result indicates that the scientific community's understanding of the shapes and internal structures of certain light nuclei still requires further refinement. In high-energy nuclear collisions, a quark-gluon plasma is briefly formed in the collision region. This state of matter decays rapidly, but the collective flow characteristics of its particles can be used to infer the collision geometry and indirectly provide information about nuclear structure. Researchers believe that symmetric collisions of light ions help better control the initial collision conditions, making them suitable for studying collective responses in small systems.

2026-08-24

U.S. Plans to Launch Nuclear Fission-Powered Spacecraft to Fly by Mars by End of 2028

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is advancing the Space Reactor-1 "Freedom" (SR-1 Freedom) mission, with the goal of launching a nuclear fission-powered spacecraft by the end of 2028 to validate deep-space nuclear electric propulsion technology. According to existing mission documentation, the mission plans to fly by Mars in 2029 and deploy the SkyFall payload. The SR-1 Freedom is neither a fusion spacecraft nor a crewed Mars vehicle. Its core experiment is to operate a small uranium fission reactor, an energy conversion system, and Hall-effect thrusters in coordination beyond Earth orbit, accumulating engineering data for future higher-power deep-space missions...

2026-08-24

Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake in South Korea Does Not Affect Safety of Nuclear Facilities

On August 23, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea reported that at 6:43 a.m. that day, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred approximately 21 kilometers northwest of Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It was confirmed that all nuclear reactors and related nuclear facilities in South Korea were operating stably, with no abnormalities detected. The nuclear facility closest to the epicenter was the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, approximately 83.2 kilometers away. The peak ground acceleration recorded at this plant during the earthquake was 0.0032g, far below its seismic design basis of 0.2g, and it is expected that the safety of the facility will not be affected. The Hanbit Regional Office of the NSSC has conducted emergency safety inspections at the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant site...

2026-08-24

Japan's GX Promotion Organization Invests in Nuclear Fusion Startups

Japan's Green Transformation Promotion Organization (GX Promotion Organization) has invested in two startups, focusing on nuclear fusion-related technology and plastic recycling businesses respectively. The public funds invested are expected to be approximately 3 billion yen; when private sector funds are included, the total related investment is expected to reach approximately 20 billion yen. The two companies are Kyoto Fusioneering and JEPLAN. Among them, Kyoto Fusioneering is primarily engaged in the development of nuclear fusion engineering technology, while JEPLAN is involved in circular economy businesses such as plastic recycling. Details of the investment are expected to be officially announced by the relevant parties. This investment is seen as part of Japan's push to industrialize its green transformation.

2026-08-24

Busan, South Korea Reports No Abnormal Radiation Detected in Seawater and Seafood Three Years After Fukushima Discharge

Busan Metropolitan City stated on August 24 that since the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant began in 2023, the city has continuously conducted radiation monitoring and analysis of coastal seawater and seafood. The results show that the safety conditions of Busan's waters and seafood remain stable with no abnormal changes detected. According to Busan Metropolitan City, seawater radioactivity testing is currently conducted at 26 coastal points. Among them, samples from 14 coastal locations including Haeundae, Gwangalli, Dadaepo, Songdo, and Songjeong are analyzed by the Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment and local university research institutions. Test results show that the concentrations of relevant radionuclides are far below the World Health Organization drinking water standards, with cesium-134,...

2026-08-24

Collective Radiation Dose of Workers at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Ranks Highest Nationwide

Japanese nuclear power plant operators are required to submit radiation management reports to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) annually, detailing the exposure status of plant workers. According to the relevant 2025 reports, the collective radiation dose of workers at Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station remains significantly higher than at other Japanese nuclear plants, indicating that the radiological impact from post-accident on-site decommissioning and management work is still ongoing. By collective dose per plant, Fukushima Daiichi recorded 20.97 person-sieverts, the highest in Japan. This figure is nine times the 2.22 person-sieverts reported at Kansai Electric Power's Takahama Nuclear Power Station...

2026-08-24

No abnormalities detected at multiple nuclear power plants after earthquake in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

At around 2 a.m. on August 23, an earthquake struck the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, with a maximum seismic intensity of 5-lower observed in parts of Ibaraki Prefecture, Tokyo Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. The Japanese government subsequently established a liaison office at the Crisis Management Center of the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that relevant departments have been instructed to verify the damage situation and promptly release accurate information to the public. The earthquake posed no risk of tsunami. Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) stated that a seismic intensity of 3 was observed in the area where the Tokai Daini Nuclear Power Plant is located in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture. The unit is currently shut down, and as of now...

2026-08-24

Calm Prevails Around Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, stated on August 22 that the situation in the area surrounding Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant remains calm. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Likhachev said the Bushehr plant has remained largely quiet. He noted that over the past few months, no concerning incidents have occurred at the plant itself, in its vicinity, or in related towns. Located in southern Iran, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is a key nuclear facility for the country. According to Likhachev, no abnormal signals have been detected in the operation and security situation of the plant and its surrounding areas.

2026-08-24

Russia Advances Development of Nuclear-Powered Underwater Natural Gas Carriers

Mikhail Kovalchuk, Director of the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute and Chairman of the Scientific Expert Council of the Russian Federation Maritime Board, recently stated that nuclear-powered underwater natural gas carriers could help Russia secure energy exports via the Northern Sea Route. Speaking at a joint meeting of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Transport, Kovalchuk reported on the project's progress, noting that the first phase of development for this type of gas carrier has been completed, with the second phase currently underway. Gazprom has allocated dedicated funding for the project. Kovalchuk indicated that the development of such vessels holds significant...

2026-08-24

Half of Turbines at Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant Back in Operation

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that the Paks Nuclear Power Plant has restored approximately half of its generating capacity, with full restoration expected to be completed earlier than originally planned. Four of the plant's eight turbines are currently in operation, and restoration efforts are ongoing. Magyar said on social media that operating conditions at the plant have improved as construction work near the Paks site progresses and the Danube River water level recovers. Based on the current pace, the Paks plant is expected to regain a generating capacity of 2,000 megawatts by Wednesday, which could meet about 35% of Hungary's electricity demand. Earlier, Unit 3 of the Paks plant was announced to resume power generation ahead of schedule on Saturday evening. Magyar noted that the unit's resumption of power generation is linked to on-site engineering measures and changes in the Danube water level.

2026-08-24

Italy's Eni Plans to Build Commercial Nuclear Fusion Power Plant in Europe by Early 2040s

Italian energy company Eni plans to build a commercial nuclear fusion power plant in Europe by the early 2040s or sooner. Francesca Ferrazza, head of Eni's magnetic confinement fusion project, stated that nuclear fusion technology has seen significant progress in recent years, and competition in the field is accelerating. Ferrazza said that nuclear fusion, which was previously confined mainly to the research stage, has now begun to meet the conditions for industrial application. She noted that Eni's goal is to promote the deployment of a commercial nuclear fusion power plant in Europe by the early 2040s, or even earlier. Eni has also shown interest in the extraction, purification, and recycling of spent fusion fuel back into reactors. Recently, Eni has...

2026-08-24