| NEW NUCLEAR: |
| Construction start at Hainan plant |
| 26 April 2010 |
| The first concrete has been poured at the first unit of the Changjiang nuclear power plant on China's southern island province of Hainan, China National Nuclear Corp announced. |
| Dummy fuel for Kudankulam |
| 26 April 2010 |
| The first of India's Russian-designed nuclear power reactors has taken a step closer to start-up with the loading of dummy fuel assemblies into the core of Kudankulam 1. |
| UAE has its first nuclear site |
| 23 April 2010 |
| Braka has been named as the site for the UAE's first nuclear power plant. Limited construction licence applications and environmental assessments for four reactors have been submitted. |
| Two out of three for Finland |
| 22 April 2010 |
| Finnish leaders have made favourable decisions for two of the three nuclear projects put before them, meaning up to 4300 MWe in nuclear capacity could potentially come from private investment. |
| Amec awarded contract for new UK plants |
| 22 April 2010 |
| Engineering and project management company Amec has been awarded a contract by EDF Group to help in the construction of proposed new reactors at the Hinkley Point and Sizewell nuclear power plant sites in the UK. |
| Fuel loading starts at new Chinese reactor |
| 22 April 2010 |
| The initial loading of fuel into the reactor core has begun at Unit 1 of the second phase of the Ling Ao nuclear power plant in Guangdong province, China. The unit is due to start commercial operation later this year. |
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| WASTE & RECYCLING: |
| NRC decision on Yucca Mountain application soon |
| 26 April 2010 |
| The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission will decide in the next few weeks whether the Department of Energy can withdraw its application to construct a national spent fuel and high-level waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. |
| First contract for uranium deconversion plant |
| 20 April 2010 |
| International Isotopes Inc will provide depleted uranium deconversion services for Louisiana Energy Services' Urenco USA enrichment plant under a newly announced agreement between International Isotopes. |
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| NUCLEAR POLICIES: |
| Kazakhstan, Korea seek closer cooperation |
| 23 April 2010 |
| The signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy between state-run South Korean and Kazakh corporations came as the countries' presidents called for greater collaboration. |
| Iran works on new enrichment sites |
| 20 April 2010 |
| Iranian officials have approved work on another uranium enrichment plant, according to state media. The move is the latest in a six-month escalation ahead of possible sanctions. |
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| REGULATION & SAFETY: |
| Orphan sources in Indian scrap market |
| 23 April 2010 |
| A New Delhi scrap dealer suffered very serious exposure to radiation this month after handling a cobalt-60 source. Six pieces of the dangerous material were eventually recovered. |
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| CORPORATE: |
| Toshiba, IHI sign up to make turbine parts |
| 26 April 2010 |
| Two Japanese companies have signed a memorandum of understanding on the formation of a joint venture to manufacture steam turbine components for nuclear power plants at home and abroad. |
| Khan files Mongolian court case |
| 22 April 2010 |
| Khan Resources has filed a claim in Mongolia's administrative court challenging the legality of the invalidation of its uranium mining licence by Mongolia's Nuclear Energy Agency. |
| China's first inland cooling contract |
| 21 April 2010 |
| The first nuclear power plant to be built away from the coast in China will feature the world's largest cooling tower, courtesy of Germany's GEA Group. |
| US-Chinese valve joint venture finalized |
| 20 April 2010 |
| Flowserve of the USA has finalized its joint venture agreement with China's SUFA Technology Industry Co Ltd to produce safety-related valves, one of the few component areas lacking in the Chinese supply chain. |
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| EXPLORATION & NUCLEAR FUEL: |
| Talvivaara seeks uranium extraction licence |
| 21 April 2010 |
| A subsidiary of Talvivaara Mining has applied to the Finnish government for a permit to extract uranium as a by-product at its Talvivaara nickel and zinc mine in Sotkamo, eastern Finland. |
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| INDUSTRY TALK: |
| Areva inaugurates Namibian desalination plant |
| 20 April 2010 |
| Areva has inaugurated the first seawater desalination plant in Namibia in a ceremony attended by the country's minister of trade and industry, which will produce some 20 million cubic metres of potable water per year. |
