A new process for the chemical decontamination of the reactor cooling system and subsystems in nuclear power plants has been developed by Germany's Siempelkamp NIS Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH. The procedure - which took four years to develop - has been successfully demonstrated in a German nuclear power plant.

Costly mistakes have caused "untold reputational damage" to the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, according to a parliamentary report published yesterday. The Public Accounts Committee report also says that central government "must share the blame" for failures over a GBP6.1 billion (USD8.4 billion) Magnox contract that was terminated nine years early.

Kansai Electric Power Company has applied for Japanese government approval to decommission units 1 and 2 of its Ohi nuclear power plant. The company will later submit a detailed decommissioning plan for the two 1175 MWe pressurised water reactors.

Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania has announced the removal of the last used fuel assembly from the reactor of unit 2. Some of the used fuel was removed from the reactor after its final closure in 2009, but the remainder was left pending the launch of an Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) have both completed their investment of some EUR250 million (USD307 million) to acquire 5% stakes in Orano, the former Areva nuclear fuel cycle activities.

A small drone is to be deployed to measure radiation levels at the damaged reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The UK-developed RISER - Remote Intelligence Survey Equipment for Radiation - has already been used successfully at Sellafield, in England.

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) aims to become an innovative global energy and technology company, according to its president, Tomoaki Kobayakawa. He stressed the company will continue providing strong support for the restoration of Fukushima.

Westinghouse and EDF will provide engineering services for the dismantling of unit 1 of the Vandellós nuclear power plant under a contract awarded by Spanish decommissioning and waste management firm Enresa.

A cover has been installed over the fuel handling machine that will help remove fuel from the storage pool of unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The removal of the fuel is scheduled to start in mid-2018.

Work to dismantle the reactor pressure vessel's internals at unit 2 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden is set to begin at the end of April. Plant operator OKG AB said this will mark the start of the first major decommissioning work at the plant.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and its joint parties have announced they have accepted the California Public Utilities Commission's ruling on the retirement of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The company intends to withdraw its application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew the plant's operating licence.

France has demonstrated a comprehensive commitment to safety with a responsible approach to the management of used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, a mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded. Preparations are under way for missions to Spain later this year.