Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved the operation of units 3 and 4 at Kansai Electric Power Company's Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture for a further 20 years. Both reactors are currently in operation and will reach their 40th anniversaries in January and June of 2025, respectively.

Unit 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi Autonomous Region has entered commercial operation, China General Nuclear announced. The unit is the second of two CGN-designed demonstration Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors at the site.

The process of loading fuel assemblies into the core of the Flamanville 3 EPR reactor in France has been completed ahead of its start-up. The 1650 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor is expected to reach 100% output before the end of the year.

Framatome has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to carry out its first major mitigation of buried condenser feed pipes using its innovative spray-in-place structural pipe liner solution at a three-unit operating nuclear plant in the USA.

Representatives from China and Pakistan formally signed the final acceptance certificate for Karachi unit 2, just over three years after the 1100 MWe unit started up.

Expanding capacity with uprates and new build at existing nuclear plant sites are part of Constellation Energy's plans to meet growing needs for clean energy in the USA - even a restart of Three Mile Island is not ruled out - but extending the operating lives of existing nuclear plants will be vital, CEO Joe Dominguez has told investors.

The return of some former staff, the revamping of training facilities including the control room simulator, the submission of regulatory documents and the ordering of new fuel are all highlighted as part of steps taken towards the repowering of the shuttered Palisades nuclear power plant in the USA.

Brazilian nuclear power plant operator Eletrobras Eletronuclear says it is on track to complete all the steps required to get approval for extended operation of the Angra 1 unit.

French utility EDF has signed green bank loans for a total amount of about EUR5.8 billion (USD6.3 billion), which will be used to finance the life extension of its existing nuclear power plant fleet in France.

US company Holtec International has established a wholly-owned subsidiary aiming to "energise the presently placid business sector of modification and maintenance", with the initial project being the restart of the Palisades plant.

Georgia Power has announced the start of commercial operations at the second of the two AP1000 units built as an expansion of the existing two-unit Vogtle plant. The plant is now the largest generator of clean energy in the USA.

Work has started on a three-week, CAD190 million (USD138 million) overhaul of a crucial part of the safety systems at Bruce B in Canada. Inspections and maintenance to the vacuum building must be carried out once every decade, but can only take place when all four of the plant's operating units are offline.