Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems Inc. (MNES) has opened its Charlotte Engineering Center to support the building of new nuclear power plants and supply replacement components, engineering and maintenance services for operating nuclear power facilities.

Westinghouse Electric Co., Burns & McDonnell and General Dynamics Electric Boat will collaboratively team to support the Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor (SMR) application for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Small Modular Reactor Funding Opportunity, the companies said on May 21.

NuScale Power LLC on May 21 said it has submitted its proposal to participate in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program to accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on May 15 told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) it is making progress in its efforts to reduce fire risk and equipment reliability at the three-unit, 3,300 MW Brown Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama.

TransCanada Corp. said that the in-service date of the Bruce A Unit 2 nuclear reactor in Ontario will be delayed.

Operators at Exelon Nuclear’s 2,345 MW Limerick Generating Station, 21 miles northwest of Philadephia, Pa., removed Unit 2 from service on May 18 for a scheduled maintenance outage.

Westinghouse Electric Co. and the Missouri Electric Alliance, led by Ameren Missouri, have formed a utility participation group, the NexStart SMR Alliance, to support the deployment of the Westinghouse 225 MWe small modular reactor (SMR).

Rolls-Royce said it delivered the final components of a multimillion dollar package of automated handling, transportation and storage technology to Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL), Canada's leading nuclear science and technology laboratory.

Areva JSPM, a subsidiary of Areva, said it has successfully qualified a new hydrodynamic shaft seal system (HD seal) that can withstand station black-out (SBO) conditions for a period of 120 hours.

USEC Inc. said it has entered into a multi-party arrangement with Energy Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) to extend uranium enrichment operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Ky.

The Shaw Group Inc. said it has signed a new contract with Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp. to provide maintenance and other support services to its single-unit, 1,200 MW nuclear power plant northeast of Burlington, Kan.

Officials in the Japanese town of Ohi have approved the restart of two nuclear power reactors in Fukui prefecture.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said it will increase oversight at the North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia because of a violation of low to moderate safety significance related to the maintenance of the plant’s emergency diesel generators.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff said it is increasing its oversight of Unit 1 at Florida Power & Light (FPL)’s St. Lucie nuclear power plant in Florida as a result of the number and type of unplanned shutdowns the plant has experienced.

L-3 Mapps will proceed with two projects to update the full scope simulator at Axpo’s Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland.

Florida Power & Light (FP&L) must make changes to its application for combined construction and operating licenses to build and operate two Westinghouse AP1000 1,100 MW nuclear reactors at its Turkey Point nuclear power plant before the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can complete its review, according to a letter dated May 4 from the NRC.

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. (FENOC), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., said the 911 MW Unit 1 at the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pa., returned to service May 11, 2012 following an April 9, 2012, shutdown for refueling and maintenance.

The South Carolina Ports Authority said the first project cargo shipment for Westinghouse Electric Co. arrived at the Port of Charleston’s Columbus Street Terminal on May 9.

Czech Republic utility CEZ Energy said it intends to consider the possibility of a strategic partnership in the completion of the Temelín Nuclear Power Station.