The coronavirus pandemic has underlined the importance of the existing Paks nuclear power plant, which accounts for about half of Hungary's electricity generation, noted János Süli. The minister responsible for the design, construction and commissioning of two new reactors at Paks said that project will maintain the country's energy security and help revive its economy in the coming years.

A planned emergency exercise coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency went ahead last week with the participation of 35 countries and two Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization. The three-day exercise - from 24 to 26 March - was conducted while the responders in many Member States and in the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre worked remotely to support measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosatom has introduced additional measures to protect the health of workers at both its operating nuclear power plants and those it is constructing around the world. In a statement, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachov said the Russian state nuclear corporation has developed additional contingency plans for various scenarios of the coronavirus pandemic.

CNNC Rössing Uranium has announced the suspension of normal mining operations at the Rössing uranium mine in Namibia from 28 March because of a partial lockdown of the Erongo region in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Elsewhere, uranium miners continue to address issues arising from the global pandemic.

Reconstruction of unit 2 at the Darlington nuclear power plant in Canada has been completed and the process to restart the reactor can now begin, Ontario Power Generation has announced. The company will delay the planned start of the refurbishment of Darlington 3, scheduled to begin in May, as part of its measures to ensure stable electricity supplies during the COVID-19 crisis.

Nuclear power has responded to the call to action in the public health crisis that each and every one of us is facing, writes World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising.

"At this time more than ever we need to be able to rely on electricity supply. The huge efforts of medical staff worldwide depend on the ventilators, the monitors and all the other electrical equipment that is proving so vital to giving people the chance to recover from this disease."

The coronavirus outbreak has impacted German utility EnBW’s deconstruction plans for its Philippsburg nuclear power plant, which is in the federal state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The controlled detonation of the plant's cooling towers will take place on 14 May at the earliest as the date may be subject to change, it said.

Five US National Laboratories will play a key role in a consortium tasked with harnessing the power of supercomputers to combat COVID-19, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said in a video address yesterday. The supercomputing facilities at the Department of Energy's national laboratories are used, amongst other things, to carry out research supporting the development of next-stage nuclear reactors and advanced nuclear fuel. President Donald Trump announced the launch of the consortium, which includes the Argonne, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Sandia labs, on 23 March.

Energoatom yesterday announced the introduction of measures to protect its key workers from exposure to COVID-19. They are being housed in separate rooms within specially appointed hotels, where all the necessary measures for disinfection and medical monitoring are being carried out, the Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator said.

The USA's clean energy sectors have outlined the government support they need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. Associations representing the nuclear, hydro, solar and wind energy industries have all written to Federal leaders for help.

French utility EDF has scrapped its nuclear generation target for 2020 on an anticipated fall in output this year because of the coronavirus crisis. Fuel cycle company Orano has likewise suspended its financial outlook for this year.

Cameco is temporarily suspending production at its Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan and placing the facility in safe care and maintenance mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. In consultation with Cameco, Orano Canada Inc is suspending production at its McClean Lake uranium mill, where ore from Cigar Lake is processed. The suspensions at both operations are expected to last at least four weeks.