A Russian government decree published yesterday indicates the country plans to construct 11 new nuclear power reactors by 2030 - including two BN-1200 sodium-cooled fast neutron reactors. The document, which covers "territorial planning for energy" for the period, also identifies six points for radioactive waste disposal.

Russia has connected its first VVER-1200 nuclear power unit to the grid. Unit 1 of the Novovoronezh II nuclear power plant in western Russia generated its first 240 MWe for the national grid after connection to the network at 3.35am local time yesterday, Rosatom announced today.

Russia's Rosatom has offered to replace the reactor shell its workers dropped during installation work last month at Belorussia's first nuclear power plant, in Ostrovets, in the Grodno region. Meanwhile Mikhail Mikhadyuk, deputy energy minister of Belarus, has said a decision would be taken on the use of the equipment only after a thorough investigation of the "abnormal situation".

The International Atomic Energy Agency has signed agreements with two Russian regulatory authorities to cooperate in enhancing the country's national radiation safety standards and the implementation of international safety standards. The agency signed a similar agreement with Rosatom last year.

An operator training simulator developed by the National Research Nuclear University has been launched at the Rostov nuclear power plant in Russia. Rosenergoatom, the nuclear power plant operator subsidiary of state nuclear corporation Rosatom, has given its permission for personnel to be trained using the new equipment.

Rosatom and the ministry of hydrocarbons and energy of Bolivia have signed a memorandum on personnel training and education in nuclear power, and a separate memorandum to cooperate on public acceptance projects. Announcing the agreements today, the Russian state nuclear corporation said the framework for cooperation had thus been set in two key areas of Bolivia's nuclear power program.

Russia has started pilot testing of its new type of nuclear fuel, REMIX, at unit 3 of the Balakovo nuclear power plant. Rosenergoatom said on 1 July the unit is being loaded with a number of fuel elements containing the fuel, and that the use of REMIX "will increase the efficiency of uranium use in the nuclear industry".

The International Court of Arbitration has ruled in favour of Russia's Atomstroyexport over its claim for compensation after Bulgaria cancelled the Belene nuclear power plant it had been contracted to build. The Bulgarian Energy Ministry has stressed however that the Court ordered the payment of half of the total sum the Rosatom subsidiary had sought to receive.

Rosatom has announced installation of the outer shell of the containment building dome at unit 2 of the Novovoronezh II nuclear power plant.

Russia's Research Institute of Atomic Reactors and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute have signed a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technical cooperation.

Rosatom estimates that the "economic potential" of agreements and memoranda signed at AtomExpo 2016 is as much as $10 billion. Its director general, Sergey Kirienko, said yesterday that about 30 documents had been signed during the three-day annual conference and exhibition the Russian state nuclear corporation is hosting in Moscow this week.

AEM-Technology has completed assembly of the reactor vessel for the VVER-1200 unit 2 of the Belarus nuclear power plant, in Ostrovets, in the Grodno region. Based in Volgodonsk, Russia, AEM-Technology is part of Atomenergomash, itself a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.