Finnish utility Fortum has awarded a contract to Doosan Škoda Power to modernise the low-pressure turbines at its Loviisa nuclear power plant as part of lifetime extension-related investments. The modernisation of the turbines will also increase the total capacity of the Loviisa power plant by about 38 MWe.

Expanding capacity with uprates and new build at existing nuclear plant sites are part of Constellation Energy's plans to meet growing needs for clean energy in the USA - even a restart of Three Mile Island is not ruled out - but extending the operating lives of existing nuclear plants will be vital, CEO Joe Dominguez has told investors.

French utility EDF has signed green bank loans for a total amount of about EUR5.8 billion (USD6.3 billion), which will be used to finance the life extension of its existing nuclear power plant fleet in France.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited has embarked on a first-of-its-kind endeavour for replacement of primary recirculation piping at units 1 and 2 of the Tarapur Atomic Power Plant.

The modernisation of existing nuclear power units in the Czech Republic has added extra capacity equivalent to the output of a large coal-fired power plant, operator ČEZ has said.

Tohoku Electric Power Company now expects to reconnect unit 2 of its Onagawa nuclear power plant in Japan's northeastern Miyagi Prefecture to the grid in September. In January, the utility said additional safety construction works had delayed the previously planned restart in May.

Three new steam generators were delivered last month to the Cruas-Meysse nuclear power plant in south-eastern France. The components will be replaced at unit 3 later this year in order to enable the 900 MWe pressurised water reactor to continue operating beyond 40 years.

The provincial government is supporting Ontario Power Generation to go ahead with the refurbishment of units 5-8 at the Pickering nuclear power plant. OPG will now begin the initiation phase of the project.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd has marked the completion at its Kobe works of three of the nine replacement steam generators ordered by the French reactor operator.

Safety upgrade work at unit 2 of the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Japan's northeastern Miyagi Prefecture will not be completed next month, as previously planned, Tohoku Electric Power Company announced. The utility had earlier expected to resume commercial operation of the reactor around May.

EDF Energy has announced it will invest a further GBP1.3 billion (USD1.7 billion) in the UK's five operating nuclear power plants over the next two years and plans to further extend the lives of the four operating Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor plants.

The environmental impact assessment programme for a possible operating licence extension and power uprating of units 1 and 2 at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has been submitted by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj to Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.