Argentina's nuclear regulator has issued a licence to Nucleoeléctrica Argentina SA for the commercial operation of the second unit of the Atucha nuclear power plant. The 745 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor has been operating on a conditional licence.

The loading of fuel into the core of the second unit at the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi province has been completed. The unit is expected to start up later this year.

The Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) newest nuclear reactor, Watts Bar unit 2, has reached first criticality. The 1165 MWe (net) pressurized water reactor is the first nuclear unit to start up in the USA since Watts Bar 1 in 1996.

Construction has been completed of China's first production line for the manufacture of fuel for AP1000 reactors. The new production line is to make two sets of dummy assemblies ahead of full production.

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has approved the formation of Nawah Energy Company to operate and maintain Barakah units 1-4. Separately, an agreement with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will give the United Arab Emirates access to software tools to assist in radiation protection and assessment.

Senior management at Omaha Public Power District have recommended that the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in Nebraska should close at the end of 2016 for economic reasons.

Fuel loading operations are under way at the second unit of the Changjiang nuclear power plant, under construction on China's southern island province of Hainan. The reactor is expected to begin operating later this year.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has instructed its staff to re-evaluate aspects of a severe accident mitigation analysis under an application to renew the operating licence of Entergy's Indian Point nuclear power plant, reversing an earlier ruling.

Proving the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel of unit 1 of Switzerland's Beznau nuclear power plant is taking longer than originally expected, owner Axpo said. It now expects to be given regulatory approval to restart the unit by the end of this year.

French utility EDF has signed an agreement to extend its cooperation with Rosenergoatom, the operator of Russia's civil nuclear power plants. The companies will cooperate in reactor operations, decommissioning and waste management.

Age is no barrier to prolonging the operation of nuclear power plants thanks to technological advances that could not have been predicted by reactor designers working decades ago. That was the conclusion of nuclear industry leaders at a conference hosted recently by EDF Energy and the World Association of Nuclear Operators in London.

Unless the deregulated US electricity markets recognize the carbon-free attributes of nuclear plants, there will be a substantial number of nuclear plant closures in the country, writes Bradley Fewell.