The third stage of the generic design assessment (GDA) for the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) is to begin in September after regulators completed their initial high-level assessment of the Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy reactor design without identifying any fundamental issues to prevent it from being built in the UK.

The issuance of licences for new US nuclear power reactors and the extension of operating licences for existing ones will soon resume following the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval of a final rule on the continued storage of used fuel.

An increase in power output of over 12% at each of units 2 and 3 of the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania has been approved by the US nuclear regulator.

Belgian utility Electrabel has changed the schedule for a planned outage at unit 1 of its Tihange nuclear power plant to ensure the country's demand for electricity during the coming winter can be met. Three of Belgium's seven reactors are currently offline.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company has applied for a safety review of unit 2 of its Shika plant. It becomes the twentieth Japanese reactor to seek permission to restart.

Rostechnadzor, the Russian regulator, has granted the NIIAR research institute a license to site a multi-purpose fast neutron research reactor (MBIR) in Dimitrovgrad. The license is valid until 25 June 2019, the same year the reactor is to be commissioned.

The operator of Spain's Garoña nuclear power plant, Nuclenor, has until the end of September to provide a schedule to meet a series of requirements set by the country's nuclear regulator for its restart.

The Canadian nuclear regulator has approved a one-year extension to the operating licence of the Darlington nuclear power plant. This will allow extra time for preparation of information by Ontario Power Generation in support of its application for a licence extension to 2028.

Entergy has criticized a Department of Environmental Conservation proposal to require simultaneous annual outages at both of its Indian Point nuclear power units aimed at protecting fish in the Hudson River.

The Swedish nuclear regulator has issued a conditional licence for construction of the European Spallation Source (ESS) facility in Lund. The research facility will feature the world's most powerful neutron source.

The operator of Spain's Garoña nuclear power plant, Nuclenor, has been fined €18.4 million ($24.9 million) by the country's financial regulator for shutting down the plant six months earlier than originally authorized.

Sendai nuclear power plant units 1 and 2 have draft approval to restart and generate electricity again. The final stages in Japan's new licensing regime could be completed before September.