Silex Systems Limited has abandoned its acquisition of a majority stake in GE-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment, saying there are too many risks associated with GLE's business case which includes the construction of a commercial enrichment plant in the USA. It also intends to terminate GLE's exclusive licence for the SILEX laser enrichment technology.

Developers of new nuclear power plant projects in the UK agree that an experienced supply chain, together with a stable reactor design, will be key to significantly driving down construction costs, delegates heard at the Global Nuclear Investment Summit held yesterday at London's Guildhall. The event was hosted by global nuclear energy financial services provider Ocean Nuclear and the Financial Times.

Japan's Hitachi and the UK government have decided to enter negotiations on the proposed Wylfa Newydd project. In a statement to Parliament yesterday, UK Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said actions the government is taking will support a "long-term pipeline" for new nuclear projects in the country.

Japan's Toshiba Corporation is to withdraw from the project to construct two of its advanced boiling water reactors (ABWRs) as units 3 and 4 of the South Texas Project in the USA. The company said the project, which has failed to find investors, is no longer financially viable.

Framatome has signed a contract to design, fabricate and supply fuel assemblies using enriched reprocessed uranium to French utility EDF between 2023 and 2032. Framatome noted the project is subject to administrative and regulatory authorisations.

Unit 5 of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province has been connected to the electricity grid, China General Nuclear announced yesterday. The unit - the first ACPR1000 reactor to be built and the first Chinese unit to feature a domestically-developed digital control system - is scheduled to enter commercial operation later this year.

A new long-term contract between Global Nuclear Fuel and Entergy Nuclear will see Entergy become the first customer to take delivery of GNF3 advanced fuel in reload quantities.

US utility Dominion Energy has awarded Framatome a contract to provide steam generator services for its fleet of six nuclear power reactors. The inspection and maintenance work - scheduled to take place during outage over the next two years - will partly be carried out using robots.

Canada-based L3 MAPPS has been awarded a contract to upgrade the full scope operator training simulator it supplied for unit 1 of Belgium's Tihange nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, USA-based GSE Systems has been contracted to upgrade and provide simulators to Chinese reactors.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether public support received by Romania's National Uranium Company is in line with European Union state aid rules. Romania notified the Commission in June last year of a restructuring plan for the company, which has been in financial difficulty since the loss of its main customer, nuclear utility Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA.

US enriched uranium supplier Centrus Energy Corporation has signed a long-term agreement with French company Orano to provide it with separative work units from 2020.

Swedish utility Vattenfall has signed contracts - the values of which have not been disclosed - for the supply of fuel assemblies for units at the Forsmark and Ringhals nuclear power plants. France's Framatome is to supply fuel for Forsmark 3 and Ringhals 3 and 4, while US-Spanish joint venture GNF Enusa will produce fuel for Forsmark 1 and 2.