The US Department of Energy has agreed to grant a permit to support a small modular reactor project within the boundary of its Idaho National Laboratory site. In a statement yesterday, the DOE said its newly signed agreement with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems builds on President Barack Obama's plan "to advance America's leadership in clean energy innovation".

Cold hydrostatic testing has been completed at the United Arab Emirates' first nuclear unit at Barakah, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) announced today.

The Areva-Siemens consortium has updated its arbitration claim against Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj to some €3.52 billion ($3.96 billion). The claim relates to delays in the construction of the first-of-a-kind EPR unit at Olkiluoto.

Russia is making progress with its plan to build the BREST-OD-300 reactor - part of its 'Proryv', or Breakthrough, project that aims to develop fast reactors with a closed fuel cycle. BREST is the Russian acronym for 'fast reactor with lead coolant'.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has approved the expenditure of a further $200 million on the completion of Watts Bar 2, which would bring final spending on the project to a total of up to $4.7 billion.

The dome has been installed upon the containment building of unit 6 at the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province. The milestone marks the end of major civil engineering works at the unit.

Areva's board of directors has given a mandate to its CEO to finalize negotiations on EDF's acquisition of a majority stake in its nuclear reactor business. The moves follows agreement by the two companies on the final valuation of Areva NP.

AEM Technology has completed welding of the lower half of the VVER-1200 reactor vessel for unit 2 of the Belarus nuclear power plant, in Ostrovets, in the Grodno region. The upper half of the reactor vessel was completed in December.

EDF has again delayed making a final investment decision for the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK. A decision had been expected by the end of 2015.

China General Nuclear has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China's largest shipbuilding company to work together on developing floating nuclear power plants.

Thailand's Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding has agreed to take a stake in the two Hualong One reactors being built as Phase II of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi province.

The Romanian government has written to China General Nuclear Power expressing its support for the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project. CGN announced its receipt of the letter - which was presented by energy minister Victor Vlad Grigorescu and signed by prime minister Dacian Julien Cioloș - on its website last week.