The installation of the pumps for the primary cooling circuit of Argentina's RA-10 multipurpose reactor has been completed, the country's National Atomic Energy Commission has announced. This marks completion of the assembly of the reactor's large components.

JSC Akkuyu Nuklear has announced the completion of concrete pouring of the reactor and turbine buildings' foundation slabs at unit 2 of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant under construction in Mersin province, in southern Turkey. The 4800 MWe plant will comprise four VVER1200 reactors and is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs. Rosatom’s first build-own-operate venture, the USD20 billion project is based on an inter-governmental agreement signed between Russia and Turkey in May 2010.

Construction of the second reactor at the Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset, England, passed a major milestone with the lifting of the first part of the massive steel containment liner, EDF Energy announced yesterday. Lifted by the world's largest crane, 'Big Carl', just nine months after the same lift for the first reactor, construction of the 170-tonne liner cup was 30% quicker than the identical part on the first reactor.

Milestones achieved within a recent two-week period demonstrate what nuclear technology is all about, what it is doing and can do for humanity, Agneta Rising, World Nuclear Association director general, said ahead of the Association's Strategic eForum 2020.

The pouring of first safety-related concrete has started for the second Hualong One unit at the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province, China National Nuclear Corporation has announced. The units are scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Santee Cooper and Westinghouse have finalised terms of a settlement over ownership of equipment associated with the VC Summer units 2 and 3 nuclear power plant project in South Carolina, abandoned in July 2017. The terms give Santee Cooper full ownership of and the ability to begin marketing all non-nuclear equipment immediately.

Russian-owned JSC Akkuyu Nuclear has announced delivery of the core melt trap for unit 2 of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant to the construction site in Mersin Province, Turkey. The company describes the equipment as the most important part of the unit's passive safety system.

Nawah Energy Company has started up unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear power plant, located in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi. Nawah is the joint venture nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The APR1400 attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time early yesterday morning and is expected to enter commercial operation later this year.

EDF has said the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a slowdown in construction and maintenance of its nuclear power plant fleet in both France and the UK. It has warned of further delays to the schedules for completing both the Flamanville and Hinkley Point C projects.

A ceremony was held yesterday within the ITER Assembly Hall to mark the official start of the assembly of the tokamak fusion device of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor at Cadarache in south-eastern France. Assembly of the tokamak is expected to take five years to complete.

The outer safety dome has been installed on the containment building of unit 6 at the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province. The unit is the second of two demonstration Hualong One reactors under construction at the site.

EDF Energy expects 1200 new jobs and 300 apprentices to be created in the next phase of construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset, England. They will become part of the 4000 strong workforce who will fit electrical systems, cables and pipes at the plant.