The US Department of Energy is funding an independent review by a technical advisory body to Ukraine's nuclear regulator of the NuScale Power Module Safety Analysis Report. This review will be made available to any utility in Ukraine interested in deploying NuScale Power's small modular reactor technology.

NuScale Power, Prodigy Clean Energy and Kinectrics have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore and inform the development of a regulatory framework to address licensing and deployment of a Prodigy Marine Power Station. The MPS would integrate up to 12 NuScale Power Modules into a marine-based nuclear power plant system.

Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has submitted its 470 MWe small modular reactor design for entry to the UK's Generic Design Assessment regulatory process. The review of the SMR design - based on a small pressurised water reactor - will formally begin once the government has assessed the company's capability and capacity to successfully enter the GDA process.

The Hungarian parliament has adopted changes to the country's Atomic Act which will give the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority more control over its structure and staffing. The changes appear to be a response to missed deadlines for decision-making on the Paks II new build project.
 

Switzerland is committed to maintaining and strengthening its regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety, an International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts has concluded. The Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission team said a key challenge for the country is to keep and to build new safety competence for the future by evaluating anticipated gaps in expertise and in identifying actions required to fill them.

Kansai Electric Power Company took unit 3 of its Mihama nuclear power plant in Japan's Fukui Prefecture offline on 23 October as it could not meet today's deadline set by regulators to implement antiterrorism measures. The reactor - which was restarted in June - is expected to remain offline for 13 months whilst the measures are completed.

France's nuclear safety regulator, the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, has approved EDF's proposed solution for rectifying a design anomaly on three nozzles in the main primary system of the Flamanville EPR reactor. EDF's proposal to install a retaining collar around each of the concerned connections is not expected to delay the planned startup of the unit in late-2022.

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has said the studies included in the consultation on Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB's application to build a final repository for used nuclear fuel at Forsmark present no reasons for it to change its previous assessments of the project. The regulator was responding to the government's referral regarding the application.

The Board of Management of the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation today approved a licence for Nawah Energy Company to conduct regulated activities at unit 3 of the Barakah nuclear power plant. These include the possession, handling, storage and transfer of nuclear material. Barakah 3 is scheduled to start up next year.

Licensing of the planned Paks II nuclear power plant has been delayed, the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority has announced. The organisation said it needs more time "to fully verify all requirements," but did not give an updated timeline for approval to construct the new reactors.

The UK government has today published a strategy setting out how it will leverage scientific, commercial and international leadership to enable the delivery of fusion energy. It has also launched a consultation seeking views on the regulatory framework for ensuring the safe and effective rollout of fusion energy.

Canada's Bruce Power has received approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for the commercial production of the medical radioisotope lutetium-177 in its nuclear power plants. The project to produce the innovative therapeutic isotope, which is used in the treatment of prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours, is a partnership between Bruce Power, IsoGen, Saugeen Ojibway Nation and ITM.