Framatome recently signed a "multi-million dollar" contract with US utility Dominion Energy to support the long-term operation of its nuclear power plant fleet. The five-year contract covers nuclear power plant outage and maintenance work, including steam generator services, refuelling services and inspections.

Barakah unit 1 entered commercial operation today, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has announced. The unit, which is operated by Nawah Energy Company, has been the single largest electricity generator in the UAE since reaching 100% power in early December. ENEC said the 1400-megawatt unit, which is in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, is now providing "constant, reliable and sustainable electricity around the clock". As a result, ENEC says it is "now leading the largest decarbonisation effort of any industry in the UAE to date". 

Bruce Power has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its site operations by 2027, building on its previously announced NZ-2050 plan. The company says it is the first nuclear operator in North America to announce such an ambitious commitment.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on research & development and technology exchange related to the operation of Korean-designed APR1400 reactors. South Korea's first APR1400 unit entered commercial operation in December 2015, while four such reactors are due to start up in the UAE by 2023.

Zio-Podolsk has started manufacturing modules for PGN-200M steam generators as part of work to upgrade unit 3 of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in the Sverdlovsk district of Russia. Zio-Podolsk is a subsidiary of Rosatom, which said the modernisation work was aimed at extending the operating life of the unit to 60 years.

The loading of fuel assemblies into the Olkiluoto 3 EPR in Finland began on 27 March, utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has announced. The move follows the receipt of a permit from the country's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority the previous day. The process of loading the fuel assemblies into OL3 is expected to take about one week, TVO said.

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has been granted a permit by the country's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority to load fuel into the reactor of the Olkiluoto 3 EPR. The unit, construction of which began in 2005, is scheduled to enter commercial operation early next year.

The second VVER-1200 reactor at the Leningrad nuclear power plant in western Russia began commercial operation today. Leningrad II-2 is the fourth VVER-1200 in operation in Russia and brings the total number of nuclear power units in the country to 38. The VVER-1200 has a 200-megawatt bigger capacity than, and a design life twice as long as, the previous VVER design.

Unit 2 of the Karachi nuclear power plant in Pakistan was synchronised with the electricity grid yesterday. The Chinese-designed Hualong One reactor - the first of two to be constructed at the site - is scheduled to enter commercial operation by the end of this year. Karachi 2 and 3 are the first exports of China's Hualong One design, promoted on the international market as the HPR1000.

The Hiroshima High Court today overturned a temporary injunction against the operation of unit 3 at Shikoku Electric Power Company's Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture. Meanwhile, the Mito District Court has ordered a suspension of the operation of unit 2 at Japan Atomic Power Company's Tokai plant in Ibaraki prefecture.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has today provided EDF with permission for Reactors 3 and 4 at the Hinkley Point B power station in Somerset, England, to return to service for a limited period of operation. This follows ONR's assessment of whether cracking observed in the graphite bricks that form the reactor core could compromise the key nuclear safety requirements.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has failed in its duty to protect nuclear materials at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, according to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority. A series of security breaches has prompted the regulator to suspend the process for inspections needed to restart unit 7 at the plant.