China will complete construction of five nuclear power reactors and start construction of eight more in 2017, according to plans released by the country's National Energy Administration. Planning for a further eight reactors will also be progressed this year.

China General Nuclear has listed its applied nuclear science and technology assets on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. CGN Nuclear Technology Development becomes China's first A-share listed company involved in non-power nuclear technology.

Germany's KSB Group has been awarded a contract to supply six reactor coolant pumps for use in the first two units of the new Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in Fujian province. Construction of the two Hualong One units is expected to begin next year.

The two EPR units under construction at the Taishan nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province will not enter commercial operation until the second half of 2017 and the first half of 2018, respectively. This is some six months later than originally scheduled.

France's Areva and China National Nuclear Corporation have signed a framework agreement for industrial and commercial cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Australian and Chinese researchers have made progress in understanding the mechanical properties of a new class of materials for use in molten salt reactors. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation said yesterday that NiMo-SiC alloys - prepared from nickel molybdenum metal powders with added silicon carbide particles - have superior corrosion resistance and radiation damage resistance.

The British government has asked nuclear regulators to begin a Generic Design Assessment of the UK HPR1000 reactor. This is the Hualong One design that General Nuclear Services - a subsidiary of EDF and China General Nuclear - proposes to use at a prospective new nuclear power plant in Bradwell.

Unit 4 of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province has started supplying electricity to the grid, China General Nuclear announced today. The unit becomes the company's 20th operational power reactor.

Assembly of the containment building dome for unit 5 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant has been completed. The unit - the first of two demonstration Hualong One units being built at the site in China's Fujian province - is expected to start up in 2019.

Installation of the fourth and final reactor coolant pump at the Sanmen 2 AP1000 was completed yesterday, China National Nuclear Corporation announced. Meanwhile, the boron injection tank has been installed at the second demonstration Hualong One unit being constructed at the Fuqing plant.

Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL has signed a contract with the China Institute of Atomic Energy for the supply of fuel to the Chinese Experimental Fast Reactor.

The shareholders of Chinese coal miner Wintime Energy have approved its proposed investment in Hinkley Point C - EDF and China General Nuclear's project to build two European Pressurised Water reactors in Somerset, England. Wintime Energy, known as Wing Tai Energy in Chinese, announced its plan to invest up to three billion yuan ($440 million) in HPC through a wholly owned subsidiary of New Energy, Huayuan New Energy, on 13 December.