An agreement has been reached between Denmark and Greenland on how they will cooperate on foreign, defence and security policy issues related to the mining and commercial export of uranium from Greenland.

A demonstration floating nuclear power plant based on China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC's) ACP100S small reactor will be built by 2019, the company announced today. The move comes just days after China General Nuclear said it will build a prototype offshore plant by 2020.

Hungary has so far failed to explain how the Paks nuclear power plant expansion project does not conflict with state aid rules, the European Commission said yesterday. In response, the Hungarian government said the EC's investigation of the matter contains "a number of inaccuracies and misunderstandings" as well as "unfounded and misleading assertions".

A US House of Representatives committee has approved a bipartisan bill to support federal research and development (R&D) and stimulate private investment in advanced nuclear reactor technologies. The approval came as President Barack Obama said the country must move away from "dirty energy".

Swedish utility Vattenfall has said that low electricity prices combined with the country's nuclear output tax mean that its power reactors are operating at a loss. It warns of serious consequences to Sweden's electricity supply should it be forced to shut down its remaining reactors early.

The volume of new nuclear capacity supplying electricity to the world doubled in 2015, according to World Nuclear Association data. Last year saw new reactors with total capacity of 9497 MWe connected to the grid, up from the 4763 MWe added in 2014.

Two Chinese nuclear power companies have agreed to create a joint venture to promote China's "third-generation" nuclear reactor design, Hualong One, in overseas markets. China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group and China National Nuclear Corporation announced the plan to establish Hualong International Nuclear Power Technology Co in separate statements yesterday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has described yesterday's shipment of more than 11 tonnes (25,000 pounds) of low-enriched uranium materials from Iran to Russia as "one of the most significant steps" the Middle Eastern country has taken toward fulfilling its commitments under the nuclear accord it signed with world powers earlier this year.

South Africa's Department of Energy has received Cabinet approval to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the country's 9600 MWe nuclear new build program. The final funding model will be informed by the response of the market to the RFP and be submitted to Cabinet thereafter for final approval and implementation.

The Belgian nuclear regulator has approved the restart of units 1 and 2 of the Doel plant. The units - which were both taken offline earlier this year in accordance with the country's nuclear phase-out legislation - were required to meet new safety requirements in order to continue operating until 2025.

US nuclear energy programs, including small modular reactors and the development of new advanced reactors, are to receive $960 million under an appropriations act signed into law by President Barack Obama.

China's State Council yesterday approved the construction of two more units at each of the Tianwan and Fangchenggang nuclear power plant sites.