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Orano USA and Waste Control Specialists plan to form a joint venture to license a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) for used nuclear fuel at the WCS site in Andrews County, Texas. The joint venture will request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission resume its review of the CISF licence application WCS originally submitted two years ago.

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has agreed a settlement with French Areva and German Siemens in the long-running dispute over cost overruns and delays to the Olkiluoto 3 EPR project. TVO said yesterday that Areva-Siemens will pay compensation of EUR450 million (USD553.73 million).

Affiliates of Entergy Corporation and NorthStar Group Services Inc have signed agreements with State of Vermont agencies and other parties on terms for the sale approval of the shut-down Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to NorthStar. The sale will enable the accelerated decommissioning of the single-unit boiling water reactor plant.

The co-owners of the Salem nuclear power plant in New Jersey have suspended funding for future capital projects at the site after legislation to recognise the attributes of nuclear power plants faced delays in the state Senate. Similar action may be taken at the Hope Creek power plant.

A memorandum of understanding signed by Holtec International and Energoatom envisages the adoption by Ukraine of Holtec's small modular reactor technology withÌýthe countryÌýbecoming a manufacturing hub for SMR-160 reactor components. Separately, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has begun a technical review of an application by Holtec for a consolidated spent fuel interim storage facility proposed for southeastern New Mexico.

Costly mistakes have caused "untold reputational damage" to the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, according to a parliamentary report published yesterday. The Public Accounts Committee report also says that central government "must share the blame" for failures over a GBP6.1 billion (USD8.4 billion) Magnox contract that was terminated nine years early.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL) have both completed their investment of some EUR250 million (USD307 million) to acquire 5% stakes in Orano, the former Areva nuclear fuel cycle activities.

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) aims to become an innovative global energy and technology company, according to its president, Tomoaki Kobayakawa. He stressed the company will continue providing strong support for the restoration of Fukushima.

Ontario Power Generation can proceed with the refurbishment of Darlington unit 3 after receiving the go-ahead from the province's Ministry of Energy. Refurbishment of Darlington unit 2 has now passed the half-way mark.

Kyushu Electric Power Company today began loading fuel into the core of unit 3 at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Japan's Saga prefecture. The reactor, together with unit 4, is expected to be restarted later this year.

EDF expects its profit to bounce back this year thanks to higher power prices and increased availability of its French nuclear units following prolonged stoppages for safety inspections in 2017.

Bruce Power has awarded L3 MAPPS a contract to replace the digital control computer system of unit 2 of the Bruce A nuclear power plant in Ontario. Last year it was awarded a similar contract for unit 6 of Bruce B.