Australian and Chinese researchers have made progress in understanding the mechanical properties of a new class of materials for use in molten salt reactors. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation said yesterday that NiMo-SiC alloys - prepared from nickel molybdenum metal powders with added silicon carbide particles - have superior corrosion resistance and radiation damage resistance.

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.

Unit 4 of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province has started supplying electricity to the grid, China General Nuclear announced today. The unit becomes the company's 20th operational power reactor.

Assembly of the containment building dome for unit 5 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant has been completed. The unit - the first of two demonstration Hualong One units being built at the site in China's Fujian province - is expected to start up in 2019.

Installation of the fourth and final reactor coolant pump at the Sanmen 2 AP1000 was completed yesterday, China National Nuclear Corporation announced. Meanwhile, the boron injection tank has been installed at the second demonstration Hualong One unit being constructed at the Fuqing plant.

Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL has signed a contract with the China Institute of Atomic Energy for the supply of fuel to the Chinese Experimental Fast Reactor.

The shareholders of Chinese coal miner Wintime Energy have approved its proposed investment in Hinkley Point C - EDF and China General Nuclear's project to build two European Pressurised Water reactors in Somerset, England. Wintime Energy, known as Wing Tai Energy in Chinese, announced its plan to invest up to three billion yuan ($440 million) in HPC through a wholly owned subsidiary of New Energy, Huayuan New Energy, on 13 December.

China General Nuclear has started construction of its second Hualong One reactor - unit 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in western China. Pouring first concrete began on 23 December, "marking the official start of construction on another Hualong-1 demonstration power unit, China's first homegrown nuclear power plant", CGN said the following day.

Construction of a nuclear fuel fabrication plant has begun in Kazakhstan, KazAtomProm, CGN and Areva have announced. The plant will use Areva fabrication technology and will be managed by a joint venture between KazAtomProm and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC).

Hong Kong-based power company CLP Holdings Limited has won a bid to acquire a 17% stake in Yangjiang Nuclear Power Company Limited from China General Nuclear. The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-2017.

Officials from KazAtomProm - the world's biggest uranium producer - and the Kazakh government have visited China for talks on enhanced cooperation in the uranium mining and nuclear power sectors. The Kazakh delegation was headed by Askar Mamin, first deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan.

Cold hydrostatic testing has been started at unit 3 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province, China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company Limited has announced. The Russian-supplied VVER-1000 is scheduled to start up in 2018.