A new study from King's College London explores how the UK's civil nuclear sector has responded to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After successful trials, a Chinese nuclear company is ready to use electron beam irradiation to ensure cold-chain packaging does not present an infection risk, the Global Times has reported.

Operation of the two demonstration Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors under construction at the Fangchenggang site in China's Guangxi Autonomous Region has been put back due to delays caused by COVID-19, China General Nuclear said.

Lessons learned through the COVID-19 pandemic have enabled Kazatomprom's assets to operate throughout recent events in Kazakhstan. The overall impact of the recent period of unrest on the company's business has been minor, but pandemic-related supply chain challenges remain a concern, it said.

All four of Rooppur 1's steam generators have been lifted into position, Russia's Rosatom has announced. Separately, Rosatom's export subsidiary Atomstroyexport is working with the Bangladesh Ministry of Health on a vaccination programme to protect workers at Rooppur from COVID-19. Bangladesh's first nuclear power reactor is slated to start up in 2023.

Nuclear reactors generated a total 2553 TWh of electricity in 2020, down from 2657 TWh in 2019, according to the latest World Nuclear Performance Report released by the World Nuclear Association. Despite the small decline, the Association's Director General, Sama Bilbao y León, said "the resilience and flexibility shown by the global nuclear fleet tell a very positive story."

Kazatomprom may buy additional material in the spot market during the second half of this year to keep its inventories within its targeted range and to meet sales commitments for the rest of 2021, CEO Galymzhan Pirmatov said as the company's half-year results were released yesterday. Pirmatov is to step down as CEO with effect from 2 September.

Electron beam technology is being used to treat medical wastewater in China for the first time. It is safer and cleaner than traditional methods as well as more effective at removing organic molecules such as viruses and antibiotics, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

Kazatomprom's 2021 production guidance remains unchanged but with Delta-variant COVID-19 cases rising and some areas of Kazakhstan going back into severe government-mandated restrictions, the uranium company yesterday said it continues to rigorously monitor the COVID-19 situation to ensure its current protocols remain effective.