The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has concluded that the highly integrated protection system (HIPS) platform developed for NuScale Power's small modular reactor is acceptable for use in plant safety-related instrumentation and control systems.

Concurrent Technologies Corp plans to launch a Centre for Advanced Nuclear Manufacturing to fill the "critical gap" that exists in providing proven applied advanced manufacturing technologies in the emerging field of small modular reactors and advanced reactors.

EDF has "taken note" of the French nuclear regulator's position indicating that the Flamanville 3 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is fit for service, but aims to prove that regular maintenance would avoid the need to change the closure head of the RPV in 2024.

The French nuclear regulator has provisionally ruled that EDF's Flamanville 3 can start up safely, but that the head of its reactor pressure vessel will need to be replaced by the end of 2024. The Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire said yesterday the unit, which is under construction in northwest France, is fit for operation despite issues with its steel.

Rosatom's deputy director-general for international business has described the World Nuclear Association's aim to add 1000 GWe of new capacity by 2050 as fully achievable and "perhaps modest". Kirill Komarov spoke to World Nuclear News during the AtomExpo conference and exhibition held last week in Moscow.

The European Commission yesterday approved EDF's takeover of Areva's nuclear reactor business under EU merger regulations. The transaction, expected to be completed by the end of this year, is "unlikely to raise competition concerns", it said.

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.

The "30-day window which ends imminently" on the fate of Westinghouse's US nuclear power plant projects is "critical" to the national interest and to the interest of the industry as a whole, Dan Lipman of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has told the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WNFC) conference in Toronto, Canada. Westinghouse said it would no longer spend money on the Summer and Vogtle projects, but reached an agreement with the utilities involved to allow them to pay costs during a 30-day interim period.

Toshiba Corp said today it will establish its four in-house companies as wholly-owned subsidiaries and aim to "to maximise the value of each business". As of 1 October, it will split off its Energy Systems & Solutions Company, and the Nuclear Energy Systems & Solutions Division, and transfer them to a newly established company.

China and Iran have signed the first commercial contract for the reconstruction of Iran's Arak heavy water reactor. The core of the reactor was removed as part of an international agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Exelon Generation and Japan Atomic Power Company have formed a joint venture company "to leverage Exelon's expertise in operational excellence and safety among international operators using Japanese reactor technologies". The new company, JExel Nuclear, is expected to sign an "advisory services" contract with Horizon Nuclear Power.

Rosenergoatom has started cold and hot function testing at unit 1 of the Leningrad Phase II nuclear power plant under construction in western Russia. The procedure at the VVER-1200 unit will take 72 days to complete and will include more than 100 pre-operational tests of reactor equipment and systems, the Rosatom subsidiary said yesterday.