Cold hydrostatic testing has been completed at unit 1 of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant in South Korea's North Gyeongsang province, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power announced today. The APR-1400 reactor is scheduled to start up in early 2018.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved an extension to the operating period for Kansai Electric Power's Mihama unit 3, enabling the plant to operate for up to 60 years.

Russia's Atomtechenergo has received a licence to provide services involving nuclear energy and sources of ionizing radiation in Belarus. The Moscow-based company is a subsidiary of Atomenergoprom, the part of state nuclear corporation Rosatom that unites Russia's civilian nuclear industry.

French nuclear power plant operator EDF has improved operational safety over the past two years, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, it noted that more time is needed for further enhancements to be made.

Institutional and cultural changes are needed if advanced nuclear reactor designs are to progress from development to deployment by 2030, the Global Nexus Initiative has said in a report to policymakers. The GNI has put forward ten policy recommendations to enable these changes.

Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator Energoatom has agreed to enhance its cooperation with Chinese, Argentinian and Spanish companies - respectively, China National Nuclear Power, Nucleoeléctrica Argentina SA and IDOM Nuclear Services.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers announced yesterday they had signed an agreement establishing practical arrangements to cooperate in sharing of best practices and documents and standards development in the area of nuclear safety and energy.

The US Nuclear Energy Institute has launched three new bulletins of efficiency recommendations to nuclear plant operators under its Delivering the Nuclear Promise, an initiative to improve operational effectiveness at plant sites. The bulletins address supply chain issues and streamlined work management.

Unit 4 of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in Russia has started commercial operation, state nuclear corporation Rosatom announced today. The BN-800 fast neutron reactor started operating at 100% power for the first time on 17 August.

Swiss utility Alpiq estimates it will face economic damages of some CHF2.5 billion ($2.5 billion) if voters back an initiative calling for the early shutdown of the country's nuclear power plants in a referendum later this month. However, it says even if the early phase-out is rejected, it cannot operate its reactors economically under current market conditions.

Unit 1 of the Novovoronezh II nuclear power plant is now operating at full power. Russia's first VVER-1200 reactor was connected to the grid on 4 August and Rosatom announced the latest milestone today, following its new director general's working visit to the plant yesterday.

EDF's Golfech nuclear power plant in France has demonstrated a strong commitment to safety, an expert team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded. However, the mission made recommendations to reinforce some safety measures.