Russia's gross domestic product gains three roubles for every one invested in building a nuclear power plant in the country, and two roubles for units built abroad, Rosatom deputy director general Kirill Komarov said in an interview with Vestnik Atomproma published on the state nuclear corporation's website yesterday.

The Areva-Siemens consortium has updated its arbitration claim against Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj to some €3.52 billion ($3.96 billion). The claim relates to delays in the construction of the first-of-a-kind EPR unit at Olkiluoto.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has approved the expenditure of a further $200 million on the completion of Watts Bar 2, which would bring final spending on the project to a total of up to $4.7 billion.

Cold function tests have been completed at unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province. The unit is expected to start up in the first half of next year and will be the first EPR reactor to begin operating.

The dome has been installed upon the containment building of unit 6 at the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province. The milestone marks the end of major civil engineering works at the unit.

Areva's board of directors has given a mandate to its CEO to finalize negotiations on EDF's acquisition of a majority stake in its nuclear reactor business. The moves follows agreement by the two companies on the final valuation of Areva NP.

EDF has again delayed making a final investment decision for the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK. A decision had been expected by the end of 2015.

China General Nuclear has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China's largest shipbuilding company to work together on developing floating nuclear power plants.

Thailand's Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding has agreed to take a stake in the two Hualong One reactors being built as Phase II of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi province.

The Romanian government has written to China General Nuclear Power expressing its support for the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project. CGN announced its receipt of the letter - which was presented by energy minister Victor Vlad Grigorescu and signed by prime minister Dacian Julien Cioloș - on its website last week.

A deal between France and India for the construction of six EPR nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in India's Maharashtra state is now set to be finalized by the end of this year, the countries' leaders have said.

Excavation work has started at the construction site of the planned Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant in Pyhäjoki, Finland. A ceremony was held to mark the start of work to dig the foundation pit on 19 January.