Merge a multiphysics simulation with real nuclear reactor inspection data and the result is a revolutionizing tool that predicts component failure before it happens.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed an innovative framework to improve maintenance schedules for critical components in nuclear power plants. This breakthrough could save millions of dollars on operating costs while keeping power reliable.

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The recent delivery of advanced nuclear fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory’s Transient Reactor Test Facility marks a major milestone for Project Pele, a first-of-its-kind mobile microreactor prototype designed to provide resilient power for military operations.

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Security guards working for Southern Nuclear Operating Company have recently filed a petition asking the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a vote to remove the Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) union from their workplace. The guards, who filed the petition with assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, work at Plant Vogtle, a major nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia.

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The Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant is a major nuclear power station near Waynesboro, Georgia, on the Savannah River. It originally comprised two pressurized-water reactors (Units 1 and 2) built in the 1970s–80s. The reactors went into commercial operation in 1987 and 1989, respectively, and together produce around 2,430 MW of electricity.

In the early 2000s, Vogtle became the focal point of the first large-scale nuclear expansion in the United States in decades: Units 3 and 4, based on the modern Westinghouse AP1000 design.

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Small modular reactor startups are betting that mass manufacturing will help them bring costs down. But are they underestimating the challenge?

Nuclear power plants rarely resemble a Hollywood script. Yet at the Idaho National Laboratory, a simulator puts operators into a scene that could have come straight from the silver screen. Laser sensors, badge readers and biometric scanners guard the entrance. A few well-timed cyberattacks open the way for a silent physical breach.

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Two smaller companies, Oklo and TerraPower, along with Vistra, a large energy company, just signed agreements with Meta.

On Wednesday, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority announced that it is halting the relicensing process for two reactors at the Hamaoka plant after revelations that the plant's chosen operator fabricated seismic hazard data. Japan has been slowly reactivating its extensive nuclear power plant collection after it was shut down following the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. The latest scandal is especially shocking, given that the Hamaoka plant is located on the coast near an active subduction fault—just as Fukushima Daiichi is.

A whistleblower reportedly alerted the Nuclear Regulation Authority in February of last year, but the issue became public this week when the regulators halted an evaluation process that could have led to a reactor restart at Hamaoka. This prompted the company that operates the plants, the Chubu Electric Power Co., to issue a press release describing in detail how the company manipulated the seismic safety data.

Based on an English translation, it appears that seismic risks were evaluated at least in part by scaling up the ground motion using data from smaller earthquakes. This is an inexact process, so the standard approach is to create a group of 20 different upscaled earthquake motions and find the one that best represents the average among the 20.

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© Kasahara KATSUMI

As the United States accelerates deployment of advanced and small modular reactors (A/SMRs), the nuclear energy sector is embracing a digital future. While digital systems provide operators with big benefits, they can also create vulnerabilities that enable criminals to access critical infrastructure.

To protect the next generation of reactors, cybersecurity has become a critical pillar of trust, safety and resilient operations.

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