Candu Energy Inc has agreed with Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company Limited to support the ongoing 30-year life extension of the two Candu reactors at the Qinshan Nuclear Generating Station, while Bruce Power has awarded a CAD700 million (USD510 million) contract to replace steam generators at Bruce units 5, 7 and 8 to the AECON-led Steam Generator Replacement Team joint venture.

The reactor removal series at Bruce unit 3 has been completed ahead of schedule thanks to experience gained from previous projects - with the removal of the calandria tubes setting a new record for Candu refurbishment.

Days after unit 3 at the Rajasthan nuclear power plant returned to service after the completion of major refurbishment, fuel loading has begun at the first of two Indian-designed and built 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors under construction at the site in Rawatbhata. Rajasthan unit 7 is expected to begin commercial operation before the end of the year.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating licences of Comanche Peak units 1 and 2 for an additional 20 years of operation. This is the first licence renewal for the two pressurised water reactors, which began operating in 1990 and 1993, respectively.

Work has begun to assess changes in the properties of the metal of the reactor vessel of unit 2 at the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia. The work is being carried out as part of preparations for extending operation of the VVER-440 unit for a further ten years.

Unit 1 of Taiwan's Maanshan nuclear power plant has been taken offline and will be decommissioned following the expiry of its 40-year operating licence, in accordance with Taiwan's nuclear phase-out policy. The closure leaves the island with just one reactor remaining in operation.

While International Atomic Energy Agency experts stationed at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have been focusing on monitoring maintenance activities across the site, agency teams at other nuclear plant sites in Ukraine say nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict.

Four years after it shut down, NextEra Energy is looking into restarting the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, CEO John Ketchum has confirmed.

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into whether the support for the lifetime extension of two of Belgium's nuclear power reactors is in line with its rules on acceptable state aid.

South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator has granted state-owned utility Eskom a licence to continue operating unit 1 of the Koeberg nuclear power plant for another 20 years until 21 July 2044.

Experiments to test the impact of load following on VVER-1200 fuel show it "did not have a significant impact on its main characteristics", Russia's nuclear power corporation has reported.

Kansai Electric Power Company has been given prior consent by Fukui Prefecture and Takahama Town for the  steam generator replacement plan for Takahama nuclear power plant units 3 and 4.