The Clinton nuclear power plant is committed to operate until 31 May 2017 after clearing the regional transmission organization's annual capacity auction, but US utility Exelon Corporation warned that the plant is still potentially facing early retirement.

Canada's L-3 MAPPS is to supply a full-scope training simulator for the Wolsong 1 Candu pressurized heavy water reactor in South Korea under a contract signed with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. It will mark L-3's first implementation of severe accident simulation for Candu plants.

The full-scope simulator at Slovenia's single-unit Krško nuclear power plant is to be upgraded by Canada-based L-3 MAPPS under a contract signed with operator Nuklearna Elektrarna Krško.

SNC-Lavalin subsidiary Candu Energy has been awarded a contract by the University of Alberta to lead the decommissioning of its Safe Low Power Kritical Experiment (Slowpoke) research reactor.

Amec Foster Wheeler has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation on cooperation in nuclear energy. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has signed contracts with China National Nuclear Corporation covering technical training.

Vincent de Rivaz, the CEO of EDF Energy, said today that the Hinkley Point C (HPC) project will "clearly and categorically" go ahead. Giving evidence to the UK parliament's Energy and Climate Change Committee, de Rivaz confirmed that, according to the French economy minister, the repeatedly postponed final investment decision on the project to build two EPR units at the site in Somerset, England would finally be made "by early May". He would not himself give a specific date and said the decision would be made "very soon".

Lightbridge Corporation has entered into a Joint Development Agreement with Areva NP to assess establishing a joint venture this year for the development, manufacture and commercialization of fuel assemblies based on Lightbridge's "next generation" metallic nuclear fuel technology.

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power has agreed to send dozens of its workers to the United Arab Emirates to assist with the commissioning of the first unit at the Barakah nuclear power plant.

A consortium of four German companies has been awarded a contract to improve infrastructure for managing radioactive waste, the rehabilitation of contaminated areas and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

A long-term supply agreement for replacement parts for nuclear power plants has been signed between Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and Westinghouse. KHNP expects the agreement to shorten the procurement process for such equipment.

India has amended its atomic energy act to enable the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to form joint venture companies with other Indian public sector units (PSUs) in a move that will help the state-owned company to secure funding for new projects.

L-3 MAPPS announced yesterday that it had participated in the official opening of EDF Energy's upgraded Sizewell B plant training simulator on January 21, in Suffolk, England. The Canadian company was awarded a contract to carry out the upgrade work in September 2014.