Electrabel, part of the giant French group GDF-Suez, said Friday it will restart two nuclear reactors closed down in 2012 after micro-cracks were found in them, sparking fears about their safety in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima disaster. Belgium's nuclear safety authority, AFCN, "authorises the restarting of the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactors," Electrabel said in a statement. "Electrabel will now make preparations to restart them," it added.

French energy group GDF Suez has signed a joint-venture with US firm Sempra Energy and Japanese groups Mitsubishi and Mitsui relating to the construction of a huge liquefied natural gas factory in the United States, it said on Friday. The deputy managing director responsible for gas operations at GDF Suez, Jean-Marie Dauger, said that "the Cameron LNG project will enable the group to diversify and increase its LNG (liquefied natural gas) interests and also its flexibility in supplying existing and future markets in zones of strong growth."

CALGARY - ATCO Structures Under the agreement with engineering giant Bechtel, ATCO's Australian subsidiary will design, manufacture, transport and install the units. ATCO said Thursday it expects the contract to create 137 new jobs, including 42 manufacturing jobs in Perth and Brisbane and 95 jobs on site at Ashburton North, some 10 kilometres west of Onslow in Western Australia. The units supplied will be used to form a variety of office complexes and free standing modular buildings on site, including training centres, IT buildings, guardhouses and medical centres.

The Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor will unlikely be able to resume operations by the end of the current fiscal year, the research institute that owns the facility said Thursday. The remarks were made a day after the Nuclear Regulation Authority decided not to allow the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to engage in preparatory work for resuming operations at Monju because it sees problems in its safety management.