A strategic contract has been signed between the major French industrial players, the government and trade unions aimed at coordinating the country's nuclear industry for the planned life extension of current reactors and the construction of new ones.

The Bonneville Power Administration has given the go-ahead to a USD700 million project which, together with planned energy efficiency upgrades, will add a total 186 MWe of capacity to the only operating nuclear power plant in the USA's Pacific Northwest region by 2031.

Canada's Candu Energy has signed a preferred vendor agreement with South Korea's Doosan Enerbility, allowing it to pursue collaboration on nuclear power projects worldwide, including the upgrading of Candu reactors and nuclear new-build projects.

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has signed a EUR75 million (USD85 million) loan agreement with the Nordic Investment Bank to finance safety upgrades at units 1 and 2 of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant.

Candu Energy Inc has concluded Preferred Vendor Agreements with eight Canadian companies for the refurbishment and construction of Candu reactors, while Westinghouse has signed an agreement with Chemetics to support nuclear new build projects. Meanwhile, Bruce Power has selected Trillium Flow Technologies for valve supply and related service work.

Russian nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor has approved a 15-year life extension to 2040 for the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant's unit 3, a BN-600 fast neutron reactor.

Framatome has been selected by Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG to modernise instrumentation and control systems at the Leibstadt nuclear power plant in Switzerland. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

Unit 2 of Phase II of the Qinshan nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province has been reconnected to the grid following a refuelling and maintenance outage during which the unit's net electrical power has been increased by 33 MW.

Uranium enrichment services provider Urenco has selected British construction engineering company Costain to deliver new and upgraded infrastructure at its site in Capenhurst, Cheshire, in northwest England.