In last year's annual roundup of nuclear news, NEI commented: "Momentum has been very much in the nuclear industry's favour." However, progress this last year has, in a number of areas, been slow, with some setbacks. The most damaging of these setbacks have been related to maintenance issues, most notable of which has been the crack inspection scandal within Tepco. The industry has also suffered from the uncertainty over concerns on potential proliferation. These concerns include those of the USA regarding Iran and North Korea. In Europe, the most encouraging news for the industry comes from Finland, where there has been significant progress on the fifth reactor. Bids for construction have been received, and a decision will soon be made by the Finnish utility TVO as to which bid it has accepted. In the UK, Galder Hall― claimed to be the world's first commercial nuclear power plant ― finally shut down on 31 March after 47 years of service. The UK government published its white paper on energy policy. It effectively rules out construction of any new nuclear plants in Britain in the foreseeable future.
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