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U.S. Team Traces Source of Anomalous Gamma Rays from Zinc-70, Nuclear Magnetic Transitions May Improve Models of Heavy Element Formation

An international research team led by scientists from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University has recently identified the source of the large number of low-energy gamma rays emitted by zinc-70 nuclei. The study suggests that magnetic transitions occurring within the nucleus are the key reason for this anomalous signal enhancement. The findings were published in the journal Nature under the title "Magnetic character of the low-energy enhancement in 70Zn." Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation released when excited atomic nuclei transition to lower, more stable energy levels. For a long time, scientists have observed an anomalous increase in the number of low-energy gamma rays in some atomic nuclei, known as the low-energy enhancement (LEE), but its physical mechanism had remained unclear...

2026-08-02

NEA Advances SFCOMPO Database Upgrade to Support Spent Nuclear Fuel Nuclide Inventory and Decay Heat Validation

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) held the ninth annual meeting of the Technical Review Group (TRG) for the International Spent Nuclear Fuel Analysis Data Database (SFCOMPO) on July 9 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Thirty-three experts from research institutions, regulatory bodies, waste management organizations, and industry across 12 countries attended the meeting. The experimental and evaluated data contained in SFCOMPO are primarily used to validate computational tools related to nuclear safety and the nuclear fuel cycle, with applications including reactor physics, criticality safety, radiation shielding, and radioactive waste management. Accurate characterization of spent nuclear fuel is an essential foundation for supporting decisions on storage, transportation, reprocessing, and disposal, and is also relevant to...

2026-08-01

Romania Declares National State of Emergency for August Amid Decline in Power Generation

Romania's Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on July 31 after a cabinet meeting that Romania would enter a national state of emergency in August due to a decline in power generation caused by drought. Bolojan stated that the drought has reduced water levels in rivers, with a notable decrease in the flow of the Danube River. The flow has dropped from over 4,000 cubic meters per second to 1,600 cubic meters per second. He said that as a result, the water level in the intake basin of the Cernavodă NPP has fallen, and Unit 1 of the plant had to be shut down recently. He also noted that Unit 2 of the Cernavodă NPP faces a high risk of shutdown. Should Unit 2 go offline, Romania's total...

2026-08-01

KHNP Unveils Research Findings on High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis Demonstration Planning Integrated with Nuclear Power Plants

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently participated in the 3rd K-SOC Symposium, hosted by the Korean Ceramic Society and held at OSCO in Cheongju on July 23. During the event, KHNP held a special session on high-temperature steam electrolysis, engaging in discussions with experts from industry, academia, and research institutions on technology development directions and demonstration deployment strategies. The K-SOC Symposium is a major academic event in the field of solid-state ion engineering in South Korea, held every three years, covering topics such as materials, cells, stacks, systems, and processes for solid oxide batteries. At this special session, KHNP presented the preliminary findings of its self-conducted study on the demonstration planning of high-temperature steam electrolysis integrated with nuclear power plants...

2026-08-02

Japan's Chugoku Electric Power swings to loss in FY2026 Q1 as nuclear shutdown raises costs

Japan's Chugoku Electric Power Co. announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter (April-June) of fiscal year 2026 on July 31. During the reporting period, the company's sales increased 4.4% year-on-year to 343.9 billion yen, up 14.3 billion yen from the same period last year, mainly driven by growth in electricity sales volume. Profit performance, however, came under significant pressure. The company posted an operating loss of 5.3 billion yen, an ordinary loss of 3.2 billion yen, and a net loss of 3.7 billion yen for the first quarter, compared with a net profit of 26.8 billion yen in the same period last year, a year-on-year decrease of 30.5 billion yen. This marks the first time since the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 that the company has recorded simultaneous losses in operating profit, ordinary profit, and net profit over a four-year period. The company stated...

2026-08-02

Danube water levels continue to decline, Unit 4 of Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant reduces power output

Affected by persistent drought, water levels of the Danube in Hungary have dropped to low levels, impacting the operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, which relies on Danube water for cooling. The plant's operator announced on July 31 that, due to a further drop in the water level at the Paks section to -126 cm, experts would reduce the power output of Unit 4 by 50% starting from 22:45 local time on July 31. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is Hungary's only operating nuclear power plant, generating approximately half of the country's total electricity. Earlier announcements had mentioned that, due to the extremely low Danube water level, shutdowns of some units at the plant had become difficult to avoid. Peter Magyar stated on social media on July 30...

2026-08-01

U.S. Navy Awards General Dynamics Electric Boat Contract for Construction of 14 Nuclear Submarines

General Dynamics Electric Boat announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded it a contract package for the construction of 14 nuclear submarines, with a total contract value of $76.6 billion. According to information released by the company, under this announced U.S. Navy contract framework, General Dynamics Electric Boat will receive $29.5 billion for the construction of five Columbia-class submarines, and an additional $42.1 billion for the construction of nine Virginia-class submarines. The contract also includes funding to support shipyard infrastructure construction. General Dynamics Electric Boat serves as the prime contractor for the program. A portion of the construction work will be subcontracted to Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. ...

2026-08-01

Canadian nuclear fuel supplier Cameco announces Westinghouse Electric IPO plan

Canadian nuclear fuel supplier Cameco Corporation has announced that its joint venture, Westinghouse Electric Company, has confidentially submitted a preliminary registration statement for a proposed initial public offering. The IPO aims to further advance Westinghouse's business development in the nuclear power sector and bring new sources of funding to the company. Currently, Cameco holds a 49% stake in Westinghouse, with Brookfield Renewable Partners owning the remaining 51%. Westinghouse is one of the world's largest nuclear services companies and the supplier of the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Its technology platform covers the entire nuclear power value chain, with 41 of the...

2026-08-01

First Editorial Board Meeting of *Research & Design of Nuclear Engineering* Held in Beijing

On July 31, the first editorial board meeting of *Research & Design of Nuclear Engineering*, a high-standard English-language journal in the nuclear engineering field, was successfully held at the Beijing Nuclear Energy Building. Academician Lei Zengguang of CNNC, Editor-in-Chief, and Academician Tu Shandong of East China University of Science and Technology, Associate Editor-in-Chief, along with editorial board representatives from domestic and international universities and research institutes, including the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden and Tsinghua University, attended the meeting. Relevant leaders from China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. and CGN Engineering Co., Ltd., the journal's sponsors, as well as representatives from Science Press, the publisher, participated on-site. The meeting was chaired by Liu Liping, Director of the Science and Technology Department of CNNC Engineering. At the meeting, CNNC...

2026-08-01

The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment Successfully Held a Technical Seminar on Performance Testing of Iodine Adsorbers in Nuclear Facilities

Recently, the technical seminar on performance testing of iodine adsorbers in nuclear facilities, hosted by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as "the Center") and organized by the Key Laboratory of Radioactive Gas Purification Technology of CNNC, was held in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. Representatives from domestic nuclear facility operation, design, testing and inspection organizations, as well as relevant personnel from the Center's Reactor Department, Event Assessment Department, and General Operations Department attended the meeting. The seminar focused on core topics such as periodic testing methods for iodine adsorbers in ventilation systems of nuclear facilities, acceptance criteria, and test cycle requirements under long-term operation. Participants conducted in-depth exchanges on the advantages and disadvantages of radioactive versus non-radioactive test methods for iodine adsorber adsorption efficiency, 2-inch...

2026-08-01

Hefei Institute of Energy and Xianchu Nuclear Assembly Jointly Establish a Joint Laboratory for Tritium-Related Environmental Control Equipment for Fusion

On July 23, the Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, and Shijiazhuang Xianchu Nuclear Energy Equipment Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Xianchu Energy Development Group, held a signing ceremony in Hefei, Anhui Province, for the Joint Laboratory for Tritium-Related Environmental Control Equipment for Fusion. The collaboration will focus on the development of tritium-related environmental control equipment for nuclear fusion devices, advancing key technology breakthroughs and industrial applications. Hu Haomin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center; Chen Kun, Chairman of Xianchu Energy Development Group; Fang Yongsheng, Executive Deputy General Manager of Shijiazhuang Xianchu Nuclear Energy Equipment Co., Ltd.; and Zhao Xinhua, General Manager of China-Ukraine Xianchu Nuclear Energy Technology Co., Ltd., attended the signing ceremony. The Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive...

2026-08-01

Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station launches 22nd release of radioactive wastewater into the ocean, approximately 7,800 tons this time

On the morning of July 30, 2026, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) initiated a new round of nuclear-contaminated water discharge into the ocean at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. This marks the 4th release within 2026 and the 22nd since the discharge plan began in August 2023. According to data released by TEPCO, this discharge is expected to continue until the 17th of next month, with a total volume of approximately 7,800 tons. The total amount of radioactive substance tritium contained therein is as high as approximately 1.3 trillion becquerels. Prior to this, Japan had conducted a total of 21 rounds of radioactive wastewater discharge by the 24th of this month, with a cumulative discharge volume reaching approximately 165,000 tons. This action continues to draw attention and concern from neighboring countries and the international community. This time...

2026-07-31

Helong-2 Magnet Coil Project Kickoff Meeting Successfully Held at Lanzhou Taiji

On July 29, 2026, the Helong-2 magnet coil project kickoff meeting was successfully held at Lanzhou Taiji. This project involves core components of ENN's third-generation spherical torus hydrogen-boron fusion device, featuring extremely high technical precision, massive system integration complexity, and stringent engineering development standards. Undertaking this core development task represents ENN Group's high recognition and full trust in Lanzhou Taiji's technical capabilities, manufacturing strength, and quality control competence, laying a solid foundation for further deepening cooperation between the two parties. In the next step, Lanzhou Taiji will coordinate its premium R&D and production resources to focus on tackling core fusion technologies, implementing strict review and meticulous control throughout the entire process from structural design, multi-physics simulation, process trial production, to manufacturing...

2026-07-31

Dong Baotong, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, Led a Delegation to Attend the China-Russia Joint Coordination Meeting on Nuclear Safety

On July 27, at the invitation of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia, Dong Baotong, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, led a delegation to attend the China-Russia Joint Coordination Meeting on Nuclear Safety. During the meeting, the National Nuclear Safety Administration introduced China's latest progress in always placing nuclear safety at the highest priority, strengthening the building of nuclear safety regulatory forces, improving regulatory functions in key areas, and promoting the adaptation of regulatory capacity to the development of the nuclear industry, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and the holistic approach to national security; shared China's in-depth participation in global nuclear safety governance, as well as the Integrated Regulatory Review Service of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Russian side appreciated...

2026-07-31

The Second Symposium on Frontier Issues of Ion-Matter Interactions Successfully Held at the School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China

From July 3 to 6, the Second Symposium on Frontier Issues of Ion-Matter Interactions was held in Hengyang, Hunan Province. More than 40 experts and scholars from 15 institutions, including Beijing Normal University, Wuhan University, National University of Defense Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Lanzhou University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, North China Electric Power University, the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Beijing Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on the latest experimental and theoretical research progress in the mechanisms of energetic ion beam-matter interactions. This symposium was organized by the School of Nuclear Science and Technology of the University of South China, the School of Nuclear Science and Technology of Lanzhou University, and the Key Laboratory of Beam Technology of the Ministry of Education...

2026-07-31