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Disruptions in Kazakhstan, where ongoing unrest may add to pre-existing operating risks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could be a "significant catalyst" for the uranium market, Canadian uranium company Cameco has said. Kazakh uranium producer Kazatomprom has said it will meet all delivery deadlines.

A Memorandum of Understanding between Framatome and Exelon Generation will see the two companies work towards the production of cobalt-60 in pressurised water reactors for medical and industrial uses.

A programme to make Ukraine self-sufficient in uranium by 2027 has been approved by the country's cabinet. Nuclear power is planned for significant expansion beyond the 54% of electricity it already provides in Ukraine.

The US Department of Energy is asking the public for its input on plans to create a new programme to assure the availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel - needed for the demonstration and commercial deployment of advanced reactors - in the USA. Meanwhile, Centrus is working with Clean Core Thorium Energy on advanced fuel using HALEU and thorium.

Nuclear fuel cycle companies are taking steps to reduce their operational carbon emissions through recent announcements. Orano is partnering with freight rail operator Fret SNCF to develop its carbon-free transport in France and Europe; UK company Nuclear Transport Solutions' rail division has launched a new locomotive design to trial the use of a low-emission renewable alternative to diesel; and in Russia, ARMZ Mining Machinery has increased the use of battery-operated machinery at its Priargunsky mining operations.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Rolls-Royce SMR Limited and Sheffield Forgemasters to jointly explore commercial mechanisms for a long-term collaboration on the supply of forgings to the Rolls-Royce UK small modular reactor fleet. A Rolls-Royce-led UK SMR consortium aims to build up to 10 SMRs by 2035.

France's Framatome and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom have signed a new strategic cooperation agreement further expanding the companies' efforts to develop fuel fabrication and instrumentation and control  technologies. The new agreement expands the companies' existing relationship, established through a 2017 Memorandum of Understanding, creating a framework for joint work in new areas.

Westinghouse Electric Company and EDF have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to produce cobalt-60 in selected pressurised water reactors owned and operated by EDF in France. The agreement is the first step towards production in Europe of the radioisotope for medical uses, the companies said.

Russian manufacturers are dispatching several components to Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, which is currently the largest nuclear construction site in the world with 13,000 people working on a daily basis on the site that will house four large reactors.

Romania's competition commission has said it will clear Nuclearelectrica's takeover of the country's National Uranium Company. CNU is a state company that manages Romania's uranium resources and reserves.

Oklo Inc and Centrus Energy Corp have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to cooperate in the deployment of a production facility for high-assay low-enriched uranium to support the commercialisation of advanced fission plants, such as Oklo's Aurora. The companies say they are "committed" to working towards establishing domestic US HALEU production capabilities.

The Volgodonsk branch of AEM Technologies has started assembling the upper part of the reactor pressure vessel for unit 5 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant under construction in India. Two Russian-designed AES-92 VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors are being built as the third phase of the plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.