A roadmap for the effective transfer of knowledge from the existing operators of China's Daya Bay nuclear power plant to future operators has been drawn up with the assistance of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's Technical Cooperation program has made "a valuable contribution to development", the agency's director-general Yukiya Amano yesterday told a conference to mark the program's 60th anniversary.

The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania will be permanently shut down around the end of September 2019 if there are no policy reforms, US utility Exelon announced today. The company had warned last week the plant was at risk of early retirement.

Despite Germany choosing to phase out its use of nuclear energy, the country must not lose its nuclear expertise, research and industry, writes Ralf Güldner.

Kansai Electric Power Company announced today that it had restarted unit 4 of its Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture. The reactor - which together with unit 3 has been offline since March 2016 - is expected to re-enter commercial operation next month.

Digital technology developed in Rolls-Royce's aerospace business to improve operational efficiency will be implemented across Bruce Power's nuclear fleet under a multi-year contract between the two companies. The contract will see Rolls-Royce implement its T-104 technology to optimise the operational lifetime of Bruce Power's nuclear power plants as part of Bruce's Life-Extension Program. The technology enables intelligence from world-wide nuclear operating data to be converted into insights to help improve operational efficiency.

The USA's NuScale Power has commissioned a second small modular reactor control room simulator to model the operation of its nuclear power plant design. The Portland, Oregon-headquartered company said yesterday the new simulator will be used to develop plant operating procedures and training material as well as a training platform for future nuclear plant operators at a NuScale power plant.

NuScale Power has commissioned a second control room simulator to model the operation of its small modular reactor design. The simulator will be used to train operators for the first commercial NuScale power plant.

Initial construction has been completed at the UAE's first power reactor, Barakah 1. The operating company, Nawah Energy Company, must gain approval from national regulators before the final stage of loading fuel and bringing it into service.

The Swedish framework for physical protection and computer security at nuclear power plants, other nuclear facilities and for nuclear material in transport continues to show good progress, an International Atomic Energy Agency report concludes following a mission there last year.

France's nuclear regulator, the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, has defined the preconditions for the resumption of forging operations at Areva's Le Creusot forge. The facility has been out of operation since December 2015 following the discovery of quality assurance issues.

Japan's continued use of nuclear power requires the public to be informed about the importance of the energy source and for its confidence in the industry to be restored, according to Japan Atomic Industrial Forum chairman Takashi Imai.