Chugoku Electric Power Co requested an extension to its licence for carrying out groundwork at the site of its planned Kaminoseki nuclear power plant in Yamaguchi prefecture. Although rejected, the move suggests the company still hopes to move forward with the project, despite the Japanese government recently saying that no new nuclear power plant construction projects would be approved.

An Areva-led team of companies has been selected by the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance as its commercial partner for developing the concept of a consolidated used nuclear fuel storage facility in south-eastern New Mexico.

Czech utility CEZ has informed Areva that its bid for the contract to construct two more units at the Temelin nuclear power plant has been disqualified as it "failed to meet statutory requirements." Areva said it will appeal the decision, which leaves Westinghouse and a consortium led by AtomStroyExport vying for the contract.

Three companies keen to help Poland construct its first nuclear power plant have taken further steps to strengthen their local supply chain with the signature of two separate agreements with Polish entitites.

More contracts have been awarded for components to be used in the next generation fusion reactor, Iter, being built in France. Indian, Russian and US companies will supply components and services for the experimental reactor.

As ceremonies are held in Ukraine to mark the start of work on a new Russian-built nuclear fuel plant, the countries' fuel cycle collaboration could be set to increase still further with hints of a possible conversion and enrichment joint venture.

The Australian government is expanding the country's production of medical radioisotopes and constructing a demonstration waste treatment plant for managing the subsequent radioactive by-products.

The Japan Electric Power Development Corp (J-Power) will resume construction of the Ohma nuclear power plant in Aomori prefecture. It will be the first Japanese nuclear construction project to restart since all such projects were suspended following the Fukushima accident.

A ceremony has been held to mark the formal acceptance for commercial operation of unit 4 of the Kalinin plant by its owner, Rosenergoatom.

An industry team that will review safety of new nuclear power plants before they start up has been assembled by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) at a new office in Hong Kong.

Construction of the second EPR unit at the Taishan nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province has reached a major milestone with the dome of the reactor building being lowered into place. It comes less than a year after the dome was installed at the first unit there.