The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the final licence to Holtec International to build and operate the Hi-STORE consolidated interim storage facility for used nuclear fuel in New Mexico.

The company's board has approved a plan to create two independent companies: Critical Mission Solutions will be a pure-play provider of technical consulting, applied science research, training, and other services to federal government agencies; while Jacobs will be a technology-enabled solutions provider focused on critical infrastructure and advanced manufacturing challenges.

Bruce Power has reached the major milestone of "substantial completion" of the construction phase of Major Component Replacement portion of refurbishment of Bruce unit 6 and will now begin refuelling work as the focus moves on to returning the plant to service later this year.

Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil signed four contracts and two agreements covering various aspects of nuclear fuel supplies with Westinghouse, The Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research and Rosatom.

Two South Korean national financial institutions - Korea Trade Insurance Corporation and the Export-Import Bank of Korea - have each entered into agreements with Holtec International and Hyundai Engineering & Construction to provide financial support for SMR-160 projects around the world.

The French State has requested the country's Financial Markets Authority reopens the simplified public tender offer for the outstanding shares of EDF after the Paris Court of Appeal dismissed a claim lodged by minority shareholders in EDF challenging the deal.

The supplementary joint venture agreement between NTPC - the country's largest integrated energy company - and government enterprise Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd is for the development of six 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors across two sites.

Kazatomprom plans to increase its production of sulfuric acid - the main reagent used in its in-situ leach (ISL) uranium operations - with the construction of a new 800,000 tonnes per year plant in the Sozak district of Kazakhstan's Turkestan region.

Urenco and Cameco are joining Westinghouse in the supply chain for one of the Kozloduy units in Bulgaria as the country diversifies its nuclear fuel supplies.

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation of the USA has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and SK E&C to conduct joint research and development for the commercialisation of Hydrogen Micro Hubs over the next five years.

The fresh fundraising round for the operating extension of Atucha I and construction of a second dry storage facility for used fuel at the nuclear power plant site received offers of USD93 million, 16% more than expected, Nucleoelectrica Argentina said.

Westinghouse Electric Company, Spanish engineering firm Tecnatom and US consulting and training services provider Accelerant Solutions have agreed to form the Nuclear Excellence Academy, a nuclear training programme for utilities in the USA and Canada.