The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has confirmed or amended orders issued to Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation related to pressure tube fitness for service following a public hearing held on 10 September. The regulator confirmed the orders issued for certain units at the Bruce, Darlington and Pickering CANDU plants, but removed Pickering units 1 and 4 from the list. It said it will consider restart requests for the reactors concerned on a case-by-case basis.

The nuclear industry will need to achieve even closer coordination among licensees, regulators and suppliers to ensure its supply chain can efficiently meet the needs of buyers, according to participants in an event held by Foratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Some of the changes instigated to deal with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including remote working and the use of digital platforms, are here to stay.

Ostrovets 2 is at the hot test stage of commissioning and should begin generating electricity next year, Belarusian energy minister Viktor Karankevich said on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference yesterday. "Nuclear and radiation safety is an unconditional priority for our country, and we strictly adhere to it, developing cooperation with our international partners on the principles of openness and transparency," Karankevich stressed in a speech at Belarus' exhibition stand.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority today formally accepted a report concluding unit 2 of Chugoku Electric Power Company's Shimane nuclear power plant meets the country's new safety standards. The utility must still obtain local consent before the 789 MWe boiling water reactor can be restarted.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a licence to Interim Storage Partners LLC to construct and operate a consolidated interim storage facility for used nuclear fuel in Andrews, Texas. Interim Storage Partners is a joint venture of Waste Control Specialists LLC and Orano USA.

Finnish utility Fortum today submitted its environmental impact assessment report for the Loviisa nuclear power plant to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The report assesses the environmental impacts of a potential extension of the operation of the plant's two VVER-440 pressurised water reactors or, alternatively, the decommissioning of the plant, as well as the environmental impacts of the final disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group has started its second review at Belarus' Ostrovets nuclear power plant. Experts from eight European countries will spend three days verifying that recommended safety improvements have been carried out.

NAC International has announced that its Optimus-H system for packaging radioactive waste has been certified for use in Canada. Optimus-H is more heavily shielded than the Optimus-L version which was certified last year, and is suitable for a broader range of higher activity wastes.

The project to dismantle the historic Chernobyl Shelter Object can begin, after Chernobyl NPP was granted the requisite licence today. The ageing Shelter has been superseded by the New Safe Confinement, which now surrounds unit 4 and contains equipment to undertake the work.

The UK has launched a consultation on proposed regulations for nuclear-powered ships that would enable UK-flagged vessels to use the power source and international vessels to visit its ports. "The UK is committed to enabling the adoption of new technologies that manufacturers and ship owners may choose to meet legal requirements relating to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore will establish a regulatory framework that will support nuclear-powered ships as an alternative fuel option," said the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

Nuclear safety regulators in Canada and the US have completed their first collaborative project on licensing of SMRs. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission have issued a joint report to provide feedback to X-energy on the manufacturing codes it proposes to use in both countries for the reactor pressure vessel of its Xe-100 design.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has discontinued work on a rulemaking that would have added a framework for licensing commercial reprocessing facilities to its regulations. In a notice published by the US Federal Register on 29 July, the regulator said its decision was based on the costs of conducting the rulemaking coupled with limited interest from industry.