Ahead of the sale of its reactor business to EDF, Areva has begun the process of splitting off its nuclear fuel cycle activities into a new entity, tentatively referred to as 'New Co'.

The High Court of Paris on 5 August rejected a request by EDF's Central Works Council to suspend the final investment decision for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant project in the UK. Meanwhile, China's ambassador to the UK has called for the UK government to make a prompt decision on the project.

France's EDF has extended the accounting depreciation period of its fleet of 900 MWe nuclear power reactors from 40 years to 50 years, the company said last week whilst announcing its results for the first half of 2016.

The European Commission has launched an investigation to determine whether the French government's contribution of €4.0 billion ($4.4 billion) towards the financing of the restructuring of Areva meets EU rules on state aid.

A serviceability certificate for one of the three steam generators installed at unit 2 of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, currently offline for maintenance, has been suspended by the French nuclear safety regulator. A number of anomalies were discovered last month in the steel of the component's lower shell.

Following a year-long international tender process, the Momentum joint venture - comprising Amec Foster Wheeler of the UK, Assystem of France and Kepco Engineering & Construction of South Korea - has been selected as construction management-as-agent contractor for the Iter fusion project.

French utility EDF and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have today signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration in civil nuclear power, including MHI taking a stake in Areva NP and joint development of the Atmea reactor design.

Parts of some steam generators at 18 nuclear power units in France may have similar anomalies discovered in the steel of the pressure vessel of the Flamanville EPR, utility EDF has informed the French nuclear regulator.

EDF has informed the French nuclear regulator that it has adopted a new strategy for decommissioning its first generation, gas-cooled reactors. Dismantling of the six reactors will take longer than previously planned as the company wants to complete the decommissioning of one unit before working on the others.

EDF has completed building a one-third scale reactor containment building that will be used to verify construction methods and to study ageing of the materials used in the structure.

France's Areva today presented plans for the sale of a majority stake of its reactor business to EDF and a restructuring through the creation of a new company focused on the nuclear fuel cycle. The process is expected to be completed next year.

Vincent de Rivaz, the CEO of EDF Energy, said today he does not want to "prejudge" the outcome of the French-owned company's consultation with the Central Works Council, which needs to be completed before a final investment decision on Hinkley Point C can be made. Giving evidence to the UK parliament's Energy and Climate Change Committee, de Rivaz said the consultation, which began on 2 May, would take at least 60 days.