A draft intergovernmental agreement on cooperation to expand and modernise Romania's nuclear power programme has been signed between Romania and the USA. Areas for cooperation could include the completion of units 3 and 4 at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant and the refurbishment of unit 1 at the plant.

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom have confirmed they have signed a final amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation. This extends the agreement through to 2040 and reduces US reliance on uranium from Russia during that time period. It is unchanged from a draft amendment released for public comment on 11 September.

The US Department of Commerce and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom have finalised their agreement to extend the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation, to 2040, Hogan Lovells said yesterday. The Washington DC, USA-based law firm represented enrichment services supplier Urenco USA Inc in its effort to extend the agreement, which has governed trade between the two countries in uranium products since 1992.

South Korea's Kepco Engineering & Construction Company and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the development of floating nuclear power plants.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the CANDU Owners Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in research and activities related to pressurised heavy water reactors. The purpose of the MoU is to advance the scientific and technical knowledge base for PHWRs and foster cooperation amongst research organisations that support PHWRs.

The USA and Bulgaria recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on civil nuclear cooperation. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov noted that nuclear energy is one of the "greenest and cleanest" energies and that is why the country wants to use "safer technology of the latest generation" and to achieve diversification of nuclear fuel.

TerraPower has announced plans to team with nuclear fuel and services provider Centrus Energy to establish commercial-scale, domestic production capabilities for high-assay, low-enriched uranium. This, it says, will be needed to fuel many next-generation reactor designs, including the recently announced Natrium Power Storage System designed by TerraPower and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

The agreement reached yesterday between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran is "very, very important" for non-proliferation, peace and security and the work of the agency worldwide, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters on his return to Vienna from Tehran last night.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran said today they had agreed to "further reinforce their cooperation and enhance mutual trust" to facilitate the full implementation of Iran’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol thereto, which has been provisionally applied by Iran since 16 January, 2016.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, has described his talks with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi as "constructive". Grossi is in Tehran today and tomorrow to discuss access for IAEA inspectors to Iran's nuclear sites.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi will travel to Tehran today, his first trip to Iran since he took office last December. During his discussions there, Grossi will address Iran's cooperation with the Vienna-headquartered agency, and "in particular Iran's provision of access to the Agency's inspectors to requested locations", the IAEA said.

Alberta is to join three other Canadian provinces to support the development of small modular reactors, its premier Jason Kenney has announced. SMRs could provide energy for on and off-grid communities as well as steam to industry, including Alberta's oil sands, he said.