The UK has a strong commitment to nuclear and radiation safety and has made progress to reinforce its regulatory functions, although recruitment challenges remain, an International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts said following its completion of a follow-up Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has been awarded a GBP33.6 million (USD42.7 million) grant to support it in developing its BWRX-300 small modular reactor in the UK. The design will now enter the Generic Design Assessment process.

Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority has requested the deadline for its opinion on Posiva Oy's operating licence application for the world's first used fuel repository to be extended until the end of 2024. In September last year, it said it would not complete its review by the end of 2023 as originally planned.

Canadian regulators have concluded that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the Xe-100 small modular reactor, X-Energy Reactor Company has announced.

NAC International's patented Optimus-L packaging system to contain and transport high-assay low-enriched uranium TRISO fuel has been approved by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Such fuel will be used in advanced reactors.

The Canadian nuclear regulator has amended the licence held by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories for Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, authorising the construction of a near-surface disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste at the site.

The environmental impact assessment programme for a possible operating licence extension and power uprating of units 1 and 2 at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has been submitted by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj to Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Japanese nuclear power plant operators have reported some minor damage, but no public safety issues, following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has decided, at a meeting on 27 December, to lift an administrative order imposed on Tokyo Electric Power Company in 2021 that prohibited the company from moving nuclear fuel or loading it into reactors at the seven-unit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant.

NuScale Power's NPM-20 small modular reactor technology is compliant with Polish nuclear safety and radiological protection standards, the president of the National Atomic Energy Agency said in a general opinion.

The UK company says it is on track to regain ASME status as a supplier of heavy forgings and castings to the civil nuclear market, to position it for the proposed large-scale expansion of nuclear capacity in the country.

The operator of the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary has notified the European Union of the country's intention to extend the operating lifetime of the four units to 70 years.