Scana Corporation subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas yesterday announced its decision to cease construction of two AP1000 reactors at VC Summer. The announcement followed co-owner Santee Cooper's decision to suspend construction because of projected completion delays and cost overruns. Scana is to file for regulatory permission to abandon the project.

Toshiba Corporation has agreed to pay a maximum of $2.168 billion to South Carolina Electric & Gas and Santee Cooper under its guarantee obligations for the two AP1000 reactors under construction at VC Summer in South Carolina. The project owners say the additional cost to complete the units is expected to exceed this amount.

Toshiba Corp is now the sole owner of NuGeneration (NuGen) after completing the acquisition of French utility Engie's 40% share in the UK nuclear power plant developer yesterday. The Japanese electronics conglomerate received notice from Engie on 4 April that it had exercised its right to require Toshiba to purchase all shares held by Engie in NuGen.

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has been awarded a second final and binding partial award in the ongoing arbitration proceedings related to delays in the construction of the first-of-a-kind EPR unit at Olkiluoto. It follows the granting of a partial award to TVO last November.

Rosatom saw the value of its long-term portfolio of foreign orders "continue to grow" last year - by 20.9% to $133.4 billion. In a statement to accompany publication of its annual report for 2016, the Russian state nuclear corporation said this meant it had retained its "world-leading position" in terms of contracts to build nuclear units for overseas customers - 34 reactors in 12 countries at the end of last year.

Mistubishi Heavy Industries and Assystem have today signed binding agreements with EDF to take equity stakes in New Areva NP. Subject to approval by its board, MHI will take a stake of 15% - and potentially up to 19.5% - in New NP, while Assystem will take a 5% stake.

Bulgaria's nuclear regulatory agency plans to use €3 million ($3.42 million) in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for its role in the decommissioning of units 1-4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. The money will come from the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund that is administered by the London-based bank.

Areva NP is to supply advanced fuel to four different nuclear facilities from 2020 under recently signed contracts worth $560 million. The contracts involve the company's Atrium 11 boiling water reactor and Gaia and HTP pressurised water reactor fuel designs.

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.

More cooperation agreements and contracts have been signed by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and its subsidiaries during the IX AtomExpo International Forum it is hosting this week in Moscow. The latest agreements, with Asian and European companies, cover collaboration in a wide range of nuclear-related areas and beyond.

The most Toshiba may have to pay the owners of the Vogtle nuclear power plant construction project is $3.68 billion under an agreement signed on 9 June. Georgia Power has also finalised a new service agreement with Westinghouse allowing for the transition of project management. 

Systems design and safety analysis work has begun for a planned encapsulation plant as part of Swedish waste and fuel management company Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB's plans for managing the country's radioactive waste.