Russia's A.I. Leypunsky Institute of Physics and Power Engineering has begun tests to study the neutron-physical characteristics of the VVER-S reactor with MOX fuel.

Innovative reactor developer Newcleo has acquired a site in Chusclan in the Gard department in southern France on which it will build an R&D innovation and training centre supporting the development of its future fuel assembly manufacturing facility in France.

Japan's Federation of Electric Power Companies has announced that a total of 400 tonnes of used nuclear fuel, instead of the originally planned 200 tonnes, will now be transported to Orano in France for research on the reprocessing of used mixed oxide fuel.

The third cycle of tests of MOX fuel in the MIR research reactor is to begin following the successful completion of the second phase of the programme which aims to substantiate the safety of MOX fuel for use in VVER-type reactors.

The unit for fabrication/refabrication of nuclear fuel for the BREST-OD-300 lead-cooled fast neutron reactor has been put into pilot operation, Rosatom has announced.

Innovative reactor developer Newcleo has submitted its Safety Option File to France's nuclear safety regulator, the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, for its fuel assembly testing facility.

France's Orano has signed two mixed-oxide fuel manufacturing contracts with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for a total of 64 MOX fuel assemblies for use in two Japanese nuclear power reactors.

The third 18-month phase of the pilot operation of innovative REMIX fuel has begun at Russia's Balakavo nuclear power plant's first unit. The aim is to be able to close the fuel cycle for VVER reactors.

Orano has created two specific 'sharing groups' which bring together the main designers of innovative fast neutron reactors in France. These groups, it says, are open to all designers of these types of reactors who wish to join.