Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to extend their 'temporary technical understanding' by one month, until 24 June. At a press briefing held today to announce the extension, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the understanding announced in February had "left the door ajar" and the extension meant it "stayed ajar, for now".

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj announced yesterday it has reached a consensus with the Areva−Siemens consortium regarding the terms of the Olkiluoto 3 EPR project completion. The OL3 plant, construction of which began in 2005, is scheduled to be connected to the grid in October this year and to begin regular electricity production in February 2022.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has designated Ontario Tech University as a Collaborating Centre to support IAEA activities on advanced nuclear power technology, including small modular reactors, as well as the non‑electric applications of nuclear energy. The institution is the first in Canada to receive such a designation.

A joint agreement has been reached between the State of New York, Entergy, Holtec and other stakeholders to provide for the transfer of the Indian Point nuclear power plant to Holtec for decommissioning and site remediation. It also resolves pending litigation concerning the post-shutdown transfer of plant licences when the final unit at the site shuts down later this month.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Energy Northwest, Grant County Public Utility District and X-energy to form a partnership to support the development and commercial demonstration of the USA's first advanced nuclear reactor. The TRi Energy Partnership aims to construct a plant based on X-energy's Xe-100 reactor design at Energy Northwest's existing Columbia site in Washington.

Japanese engineering, procurement, and construction firm JGC Holdings Corporation has agreed to invest USD40 million in small modular reactor developer NuScale Power. It will also partner with Fluor Corporation - NuScale's majority investor - on the deployment of NuScale power plants.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on research & development and technology exchange related to the operation of Korean-designed APR1400 reactors. South Korea's first APR1400 unit entered commercial operation in December 2015, while four such reactors are due to start up in the UAE by 2023.

Petrojet - an Egyptian petroleum sector company - is boosting cooperation with South Korean companies including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Kepco E&C, Hyundai E&C and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction to participate in Egypt's first nuclear power plant project. The El Dabaa plant is to be built by Russia's JSC Atomstroyexport as the general contractor for the project. Petrojet Chairman Waleed Lotfy signed a teaming agreement with representatives of the South Korean companies, who visited Petrojet's headquarters in Cairo on 16 March.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has entered into a teaming agreement with Fermi Energia to support the potential deployment of its BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Estonia. This follows their signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in late 2019.

NuScale Power of the USA and Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant - New Build Plc have agreed to evaluate the suitability of NuScale's small modular reactor technology for deployment at the existing Kozloduy nuclear power plant site in Bulgaria. KNPP-NB is a public limited company established to commission new nuclear power capacity at the site.

Estonia needs to put in place the necessary legislation and competencies if a small modular reactor is to be in operation by 2035, speakers at a conference organised by Fermi Energia agreed yesterday. The Baltic country aims to stop generating electricity from oil shale by 2035, but has yet to officially launch a nuclear programme.

A newly signed Memorandum of Understanding could see investment of up to GBP900 million (USD1.2 billion) in the Welsh nuclear supply chain if the Sizewell C nuclear power plant project receives the go-ahead from the UK government. The MoU between the Sizewell C Consortium and the Welsh government follows news last week that Horizon Nuclear Power had withdrawn its planning application for the Wylfa Newydd project on Anglesey.