The British government has asked nuclear regulators to begin a Generic Design Assessment of the UK HPR1000 reactor. This is the Hualong One design that General Nuclear Services - a subsidiary of EDF and China General Nuclear - proposes to use at a prospective new nuclear power plant in Bradwell.

The Hungarian National Atomic Energy Office has extended the operating licence of block 3 of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant by another 20 years, state news agency MTI has reported. Meanwhile, the government plans to cut the capital increase earmarked for MVM Paks II nuclear power plant - the company responsible for expansion of the plant.

Hungary's commitment to nuclear power reflects its dedication to meeting ambitious global climate change targets as outlined by the International Energy Agency, government officials told delegates at the Budapest Energy Summit last week. Hungary joined the IEA in 1997.

UK regulators expect to complete the Generic Design Assessment process for Hitachi-GE's UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor as scheduled, in December of 2017, but doubt the GDA for the Westinghouse AP1000 will be done by March as previously stated.

New York State's Court of Appeals has ruled that part of Entergy's application to renew the operating licences for the Indian Point nuclear plant must be reviewed at the state level. The New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) has already concluded that the application is inconsistent with its coastal management requirements.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not found any safety grounds that would preclude issuing construction and operation licences for the two proposed AP1000 reactors at Turkey Point in Florida.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved an extension to the operating period for Kansai Electric Power's Mihama unit 3, enabling the plant to operate for up to 60 years.

Institutional and cultural changes are needed if advanced nuclear reactor designs are to progress from development to deployment by 2030, the Global Nexus Initiative has said in a report to policymakers. The GNI has put forward ten policy recommendations to enable these changes.

The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority announced today that MVM Paks II has submitted a site licence application for two new units it plans to build at the Paks site.

A proposal to change decommissioning rules in Japan could mean that operators will contribute to funds only during operation, and not, as previously, for a decade after final shutdown.

The French nuclear safety authority has requested five of EDF's nuclear power units are taken offline for additional inspections on their steam generators within the next three months. The steel in parts of those components has been found to contain high concentrations of carbon.

Hungary's plan to build two additional reactors at Paks has reached an important milestone with the receipt of an environmental licence for the project, Attila Aszódi, the government commissioner responsible for Paks II, told World Nuclear News yesterday. It confirms the project meets the environmental requirements of both Hungary and those of the European Union.