September, 2009

The USA and Italy have signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement, opening the door of the Italian market to US suppliers of nuclear technology and services.

India 's cabinet has confirmed two coastal sites as being reserved for nuclear power parks of up to eight US-origin reactors each. These are at Mithi Virdi in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state, and Kovada in Andhra Pradesh. The move was welcomed by the US-India Business Council (USIBC). Ron...

Thorium Power of the USA, which is developing thorium fuel technology for use in nuclear power plants, has decided to change its name to Lightbridge. Seth Grae, CEO of the company, said: "The name change to Lightbridge is a milestone event for us. We believe that the word 'Lightbridge' better...

A partnership has been formed with the aim of taking part in Indian new-build construction work by Hindustan Construction Co (HCC) and Amec of the UK. It could "catapult India to the cutting edge of nucelar power."

Exelon will not be renewing its membership in the US Chamber of Commerce in protest at the organization's opposition to climate change legislation. The company is the biggest US operator of nuclear power plants and the third energy company to take such a stance.

High-level radioactive waste from used nuclear fuel sent to the UK for reprocessing will be returned to its country of origin under a program to begin this financial year, the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has announced.

India could have 470 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2050 if it thinks big and manages its program correctly, said the country's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to a conference today.

Henri Proglio is set to take over as CEO of Electricité de France (EdF), after a board meeting last weekend. The French government has announced his nomination, which requires approval from parliament before a presidential decree completes the change. The government thanked current CEO Pierre Gadonneix...

Construction of the first two AP1000 reactors at the Haiyang nuclear power plant in eastern China's Shandong province is set to start following the issuance of a construction permit. Plans call for at least six units to eventually be built at the plant.

The project to extend the life of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant in New Brunswick has proved to be more complex than expected, with the head of AECL announcing a revised schedule.

Angela Merkel has been returned as Chancellor of Germany to form a pro-nuclear coalition and give nuclear power a future in the country. The first steps to recognising nuclear energy's role will have to come soon.

Within a day of the United Nations Security Council passing its first comprehensive action on nuclear issues since the mid-1990s, Iran has admitted it has been building a new uranium enrichment plant.

The Daya Bay nuclear power plant will continue to figure large in the Chinese region's power supplies after the approval of a 20-year contract extension.

The UK is preparing to remove and package more than 1500 tonnes of radioactive waste from its fast reactor experiments at Dounreay that has been buried in two underground vaults for up to 50 years.

Canada and Kazakhstan have concluded negotiations on the text of a nuclear cooperation agreement, ministers from the two countries have announced.

Areva Inc has announced a five-year deal that will see it become the comprehensive supplier of services and products for Progress Energy's four nuclear power plants, located in North and South Carolina and Florida.

BHP Billiton has announced significantly increased uranium ore reserves for its Olympic Dam mine in Australia due to additional mineralisation being reclassified as a result of ongoing drilling. Economic reserves are now put at 347,500 tonnes U 3 O 8 .

Processing of nuclear fuel has been granted an exemption from European Union (EU) plans to auction carbon dioxide emissions permits from 2013, although the exemption list will be reviewed before 2010.

China wants to use nuclear power vigorously to fight climate change - with financial support from wealthier nations, according to a speech delivered to the UN yesterday.

Argentina has signed an agreement with Jordan for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, while an Argentine company bids to build a research reactor in the country.

The latest shipment of low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Russia to the USA under the framework of the 1993 High-Enriched Uranium (HEU) Agreement marks the three-quarter point in implementing the deal. Under the arrangement - sometimes referred to as the 'Megatons to Megawatts' program - Russia's...

A new reactor at Dominion's North Anna nuclear plant figures in the company's long-term plans for an extra 7900 MWe of capacity to meet projected electricity demand over the next 15 years.

The search is on for a new organization to oversee decommissioning at the Dounreay site, where £155 million ($253 million) in clean-up work takes place each year. The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) launched the competition to select a Parent Body Organization (PBO) for Dounreay Site Restoration...

Design and planning work worth up to up to $40 million is being offered towards the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), which aims to use an advanced reactor to produce heat for industry.

Westinghouse subsidiary PaR Nuclear has formed a joint venture with Hutchinson Manufacturing to fabricate, assemble and test specialty cranes for nuclear power plants.