Holtec International's canister-based dry used fuel storage technology is set to be deployed in Japan following its signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy. Holtec said its technology provides an alternative option to the technologies currently used in Japan.

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organisation has shared a map showing the potential deep geological repository site in South Bruce, Ontario. The organisation has now secured just over 1500 acres (600 hectares) of land to conduct its studies.

In what Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB describes as a "historic decision", the municipal council of Östhammar yesterday voted in favour of its planned repository for used nuclear fuel at Forsmark. The final decision to authorise the project will now be made by the Swedish government.

Germany has published a list of potential storage sites for radioactive waste. The list, from waste management organisation Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung, follows parliament's approval three years ago for a science-based search for a site. It identifies 90 areas covering 54% of the country's surface area as potentially geologically suitable.

Ontario Power Generation's Centre for Canadian Nuclear Sustainability has announced a collaboration agreement between Laurentis Energy Partners and BWXT Canada to develop technology that will assist in the recycling of heavy water at OPG's nuclear facilities. Canada's Candu pressurised heavy water reactors use unenriched, or "natural", uranium oxide fuel and heavy water as both the moderator to slow down neutrons in the reactor's core and as the reactor coolant.

Sweden's radioactive waste management company generally meets the legal requirements for ensuring the safe operation of the central interim storage facility for used nuclear fuel (Clab) at Oskarshamn and the SFR repository for low and intermediate-level waste at Forsmark, the regulator said. The Radiation Safety Authority said Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB can therefore continue to operate the facilities until the next overall assessment in 2028.

An Australian Senate committee has recommended that Parliament pass legislation that would make Napandee in South Australia the site for a low and medium-level nuclear waste facility. The Senate Standing Committee on Economics issued its final report on the provisions of the National Radioactive Waste Management Amendment (Site Specification, Community Fund and Other Measures) Bill 2020 on 14 September.

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has issued a permit to SSE Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to start commissioning work at the Chernobyl Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility, which upon loading will be the world's largest dry storage installation.

Finnish waste management company Posiva announced it signed a "significant" building services agreement at the end of August related to the construction of the used fuel encapsulation plant and repository at the Olkiluoto site. The signing of the latest agreement follows that of a contract last year with the same consortium.

Excavation work has begun for a new ventilation shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, USA. The start of work on the USD75 million shaft, which is integral to increasing ventilation to the WIPP underground, is a top priority project in the US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management's plans for this year.

A USD600 million settlement reached by the State of South Carolina and the US Administration has brought to an end six years of litigation concerning 9.5 tonnes of weapons-grade plutonium at the Savannah River Site. Under the terms of the settlement, the US Department of Energy is now obligated to remove the material by 2037.

Rosatom has approved a project to upgrade an experimental shop-floor for nuclear fuel fabrication at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine, which is in Seversk, in the Tomsk region of Russia. The move will enable SCC to manufacture fuel assemblies with uranium-plutonium REMIX (regenerated mixture) fuel matrix for VVER-1000 reactors.