| ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT: |
| Czech reactors could supply heat |
| 20 August 2010 |
| Plans are under consideration for a district heating network for the city of Brno, 40 kilometres from the Dukovany nuclear power plant. |
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| NEW NUCLEAR: |
| Fuel loading starts at Bushehr 1 |
| 23 August 2010 |
| The process of loading fuel into the first unit at Iran's new Bushehr nuclear power plant began on 21 August under the supervision of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. |
| Bulgaria advances plans for new nuclear |
| 19 August 2010 |
| The Bulgarian government has moved forward the deadline for appointing a new financial consultant for the Belene nuclear project to the end of this month, following a decision to expand nuclear capacity whether a majority investor for the plant will be found or not. |
| Contracts for the next Chinese AP1000s |
| 19 August 2010 |
| A framework has been established for two AP1000 units at Xianning as well as a factory for their pre-assembled modules. Shaw will continue its role in support, but Westinghouse has no major involvement. |
| Nuclear site studies in Brazil |
| 17 August 2010 |
| Brazil has taken another step towards wider use of nuclear energy with a technical cooperation deal to examine sites for future build. |
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| WASTE & RECYCLING: |
| Contract for Chernobyl crane system |
| 19 August 2010 |
| US-based PaR Systems has been awarded a significant subcontract to supply the main cranes system to be used inside the New Safe Confinement (NSC) currently being constructed over the wrecked unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. |
| Contract for Portsmouth diffusion plant cleanup |
| 17 August 2010 |
| A joint venture between Fluor Corp and Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) has been awarded a contract by the US Department of Energy (DoE) for the next phase of the decontamination and decommissioning of the huge Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP) uranium enrichment site in Ohio. |
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| NUCLEAR POLICIES: |
| Putin told of Russian nuclear achievements |
| 20 August 2010 |
| As intergovernmental agreements are signed with Armenia and Ukraine, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the efforts to prevent wildfires reaching Russia's nuclear facilities, as well as progress on domestic and international projects. |
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| REGULATION & SAFETY: |
| Indian cabinet changes nuclear liability bill |
| 20 August 2010 |
| After debating a parliamentary panel report the Indian cabinet has agreed changes to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, which should now gain support from former opponents. |
| Repaired isotope reactor back in operation |
| 18 August 2010 |
| Canada's National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River, which has been offline for repairs for the past 15 months following the discovery of a heavy water leak, has finally resumed the production of vital medical isotopes. |
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| CORPORATE: |
| TVA looks to nuclear for cleaner future |
| 23 August 2010 |
| The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has formally adopted a vision for the future that relies more on nuclear energy and less on coal, while approving the budget to help achieve it. |
| Gentilly 2 refurbishment postponed |
| 18 August 2010 |
| Hydro-Quebec has decided to postpone the start of refurbishment work at the Gentilly 2 reactor by about one year. The company decided in August 2008 to refurbish the Candu unit as an alternative to closing it in about 2011. |
| Nuclear icebreakers clear path for gas shipment |
| 17 August 2010 |
| Two Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers will escort a tanker transporting gas condensate from Russia to China via the Arctic rather than through the Suez Canal. The trial run is aimed at slashing the time it takes to ship oil and gas to countries in the Asia-Pacific region. |
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| INDUSTRY TALK: |
| Prairie Island uprates approved |
| 23 August 2010 |
| The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved capacity uprates of 2% and 1.64% respectively to Northern States Power's Prairie Island units 1 and 2. |
| Indian workforce deal for GE-Hitachi |
| 18 August 2010 |
| A preliminary agreement has been made by GE-Hitachi to "explore potential project design and workforce development opportunities" with Tata Consulting Engineers. |
