A new centre will develop and test remote-controlled equipment for use in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant while boosting the local economy in Fukushima prefecture.

Investments totalling some $1.2 trillion could be made in new nuclear power projects around the world, according to the latest forecast by the World Nuclear Association. More than half of this total will be made in Asia.

Bechtel and Westinghouse have launched a partnership to provide tailored decontamination, decommissioning and remediation (DD&R) services to US nuclear power plants.

Global nuclear generating capacity increased slightly in 2014 as five new reactors began supplying electricity, while just one was permanently shut down.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant closed on 29 December due to "wholesale market flaws" which owner Entergy said made its operation uneconomic. The single-reactor power plant represented 72% of electricity generated in the state.

Tepco has completed a major program of clean-up at Fukushima Daiichi - the removal of all nuclear fuel from unit 4. President and CEO of the company Naomi Hirose paid respect to the "skill and commitment of Tepco engineers and workers at every level".

The Swedish government has backed the nuclear regulator's recommendation for an almost doubling of the fees paid by utilities into the country's nuclear waste fund over the 2015-2017 period.

The UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has revealed how it intends to meet the country's nuclear decommissioning challenges over the next three years in a draft business plan that has been opened to public consultation.

Governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have approved additional bank funding for the completion of the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement on the site of the 1986 nuclear accident.

Bulgaria's nuclear regulatory agency has issued licences for the decommissioning of units 1 and 2 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

As the final removal of the iconic filters at the top of the remaining Windscale chimney draws to a close, the son and grandson of John Cockroft, at whose insistence the filters were built, have taken part in the work.

The UK's shut down Bradwell nuclear power plant is sporting a new look as cladding work progresses in preparation for care and maintenance. Meanwhile, UK construction and engineering group Costain plans to develop novel ways to treat irradiated graphite from decommissioned reactors.