Category: Global Bodies

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Tritium Level Far Below Japan’s Operational Limit in Tenth Batch of ALPS Treated Water, IAEA Confirms

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have confirmed that the tritium concentration in the tenth batch of diluted ALPS treated water, which the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began discharging 17 October, is far below Japan’s operational limit.

IAEA experts stationed at the Agency’s office at the site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) conducted an independent on-site analysis of samples from the treated water. The IAEA confirmed that the tritium concentration in the diluted water is far below the operational limit of 1500 becquerels per litre and is in line with international safety standards.

In line with Japan’s plans, the ALPS-treated water is being released from FDNPS in a series of batches over the next decades, following the start of the discharge in August 2023. The IAEA confirmed that the tritium concentrations in the previous nine batches, totalling approximately 72 000 cubic meters of water, were also far below operational limits.

In a comprehensive report issued on 4 July 2023, the IAEA’s safety review found that Japan’s plan for handling the treated water was consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

Earlier this month, the IAEA, with experts from third-party laboratories, performed sampling for interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) to corroborate environmental monitoring conducted by TEPCO and relevant Japanese authorities. Samples of seawater, sediment, fish and seaweed were collected from coastal and offshore locations and a fish market close to FDNPS. The IAEA also initiated the first steps of additional measures at sea near FDNPS.

Reports on sampling, independent analysis, data evaluation, as well as timeline, are available on the IAEA website.

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International Conference on Small Modular Reactors Next Week

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

More than 1000 participants from nearly 100 countries are set to attend the first IAEA International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications, from 21 to 25 October at the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna. The conference comes at a crucial time amid a new global consensus on the need to expand nuclear power to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are designed to produce typically no more than 300 MW(e), with their size making them a good option for deployment in remote areas and regions with smaller electric grids. The modularity of their design allows for their various components to be assembled in factories before transportation to deployment sites for installation, potentially reducing the time needed for construction. And with a growing number of prospective end users considering nuclear power to meet their needs, such as energy-intensive data centres, as well as the urgency to decarbonize a wide range of non-electric applications, SMRs may be in line to play a major role alongside their larger counterparts. Nuclear power generation is expected to expand significantly by mid-century, with versatile SMRs figuring to comprise a large share of the reactor fleet of the future, according to the IAEA.

“The high case scenario of the IAEA’s latest projections sees nuclear electrical generating capacity in 2050 being two and a half times bigger than today. A quarter of that new capacity is projected to come from SMRs,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “To meet the low carbon energy needs of countries and industries, we need to ensure the timely demonstration and deployment of safe and secure SMRs. For that, international cooperation and collaboration are essential.”

The conference will feature panel discussions and poster sessions covering areas within four primary topics: SMR design, technology and the fuel cycle; legislative and regulatory frameworks; safety, security and safeguards; and considerations to facilitate deployment of SMRs.

“There are around 70 active SMR designs at various stages of development worldwide, and many newcomer countries and industries are interested in SMRs,” said Aline des Cloizeaux, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Power. “This event will bring together key stakeholders to discuss the latest developments in SMRs and ways to advance their deployment.”

In parallel with the conference, the Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) will hold a plenary meeting prior to the conference opening. NHSI was launched in 2022 to facilitate the deployment of safe and secure SMRs and other advanced reactors by harmonizing regulatory approaches and standardizing industrial approaches. The initiative supports countries on two tracks. Through NHSI’s regulatory track, three technical documents have been drafted, focused on approaches for cooperation on regulatory reviews, including a multinational pre-licensing joint review process. NHSI’s industry track has produced several working papers on topics including how the production of long-lead items, such as pressure vessels, can be streamlined and how serial manufacturing of SMR components could facilitate quicker deployments. NHSI members will review work done and plan activities for the coming year.

“The broad participation in the conference highlights countries growing interest in SMRs and their applications,” said Anna Bradford, Director of the IAEA’s Division on Nuclear Installation Safety. “The IAEA remains fully committed to enabling the deployment of safe and secure advanced and innovative nuclear reactors, including SMRs.”

An ‘Industry Night’, co-organized with the World Nuclear Association (WNA), will be held on Tuesday, 22 October, and feature vendors from around the world presenting the latest reactor technology across four panel sessions. On Wednesday, a young generation event co-organized by the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) and the IAEA will facilitate a discussion on how SMRs and microreactors can contribute to a sustainable and equitable future.

IAEA assistance through the SMR Platform

The IAEA supports countries in deploying SMRs through activities including technical assistance, capacity building, information sharing and coordination of research and development efforts. The IAEA Platform on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications serves as the focal point for the IAEA’s work in this area, providing coordinated support and expertise from across the Agency in all aspects relevant to the development, early deployment and oversight of SMRs. The SMR Platform is designed to facilitate cooperation and collaboration among Member States and other stakeholders, supporting the safe and secure deployment of SMRs worldwide.  

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Media Invited to Attend IAEA’s First International SMR Conference, Industry Night

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will host the International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications next week for stakeholders to discuss opportunities, challenges and enabling conditions to accelerate the development and ensure safe and secure operation of SMRs.

The conference, which is the first IAEA conference on SMRs, will take place from 21 to 25 October at IAEA headquarters in Vienna. The Conference, including Industry Night, is open to the media.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will open the conference on 21 October at 14:00 (CET), followed by a ministerial keynote from Ghana and a high-level panel with industry and regulatory executive leaders.

Over 1000 participants from 95 countries and 17 international organizations and non-governmental organizations are registered to participate in the event. 

The conference is organized into 44 technical sessions under four main topics: SMR design, technology and fuel cycle; legislative and regulatory frameworks; safety, security and safeguards; and considerations to facilitate deployment of SMRs. In addition, five plenary sessions, four side events and about 100 posters will be presented. The provisional programme is available here. 

Plenary sessions will be livestreamed on the IAEA website (no login required). For further virtual access to technical sessions, please register online as an observer. Recordings will be available on the “IAEA Conference and Meetings” App available on Google Play and the iTunes Store.

Please note, side events will be livestreamed through the app. Industry Night will not be livestreamed.

IAEA experts will be available for interviews. Please send your request to press@iaea.org.

Industry Night

SMR developers will present their projects at all development stages during Industry Night, Tuesday, 22 October, 17:45 to 20:00. Organized by the IAEA and World Nuclear Association, about 20 companies will engage with participants to discuss topics related to specific designs.

Accreditation

All journalists – including those with permanent accreditation to the Vienna International Centre (VIC) – are requested to inform the IAEA Press Office of their plans to attend the conference in person. Journalists without permanent accreditation to the VIC must send copies of their passport and press ID to press@iaea.org by 12:00 CEST on Friday, 18 October.

We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation to request it at UNIS Vienna.

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World Food Day 2024: DG Highlights Joint IAEA and FAO Atoms4Food Initiative to Reduce Global Hunger

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

“There was a need to gather our efforts, to work in an efficient and very concrete way hence the launch of the Atoms4Food initiative. With the Atoms4Food initiative, we are able to assist Member States in their efforts in areas from soil and water management to pest control,” said Mr Grossi. “Our responsibility goes beyond policy—it’s to deal with the problem. Addressing the problems that science reveals is paramount. For over 60 years, the IAEA and FAO have been at the forefront of turning knowledge into action.”

This year, the IAEA and FAO celebrates the 60th anniversary of its Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. The Joint Centre supports countries in building capacity to apply nuclear and related techniques that help to cultivate stronger, healthier and more nutritious crops as well as build sustainable food systems that are resilient to climate change.

Addressing participants at the same event, Mr Dongyu, Director General of the FAO emphasized the collaboration and partnership between the two agencies.

“Only these two organizations in the UN system, FAO and IAEA have enjoyed more than 60 years of physical collaboration. We have done this through the Seibersdorf laboratories.”

The IAEA, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), works with scientists around the world to increase crop yields, boost biodiversity with new varieties and enhance climate smart agriculture, helping farmers use soil, water and nutrient resources more efficiently and sustainably.  They also help ensure that food is safe to eat, boosting exports and helping reduce food loss.

For example, through climate-smart agriculture, scientists in Kenya are using nuclear science to help farmers improve their planting practices and use water resources more sustainably amid changing climate patterns, bolstering food security in the country.

New crop varieties such as mung beans and chickpeas  that can withstand periods of drought, saline soils or invasive pests are being developed by the IAEA through a process called mutation breeding . This is when irradiation is used to accelerate the natural evolution of plants to create adapted varieties with improved traits. Since its first use in 1964 it helped create more than 3400 crop varieties around the world.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre sent seeds to the International Space Station in 2022 to explore the effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity on plant genetics. Scientists are now analysing the space-induced mutations to identify the specific traits it generated and compare it with these induced in laboratories. Techniques such as food irradiation, a gentle and non-invasive technology that preserves the nutritional content, flavour and overall quality of food products, exemplify nuclear science’s role in food safety.

Another way to reduce food loss is the environmentally friendly sterile insect technique (SIT). Each year, up to 40 per cent of global crop production is lost to plant pests and diseases. In Senegal, SIT has been employed to successfully control tsetse flies in the Niayes Region.

The IAEA also provides countries with the equipment and training necessary to use nuclear techniques to tackle malnutrition.

The Joint Centre cooperates with more than 400 research institutions and laboratories to support countries by providing the necessary expertise, training, and equipment .

The work of the IAEA also extends to enhancing food safety, by applying nuclear techniques to detect possible contaminants.

Growing Food Security through the Atoms4Food Initiative

The IAEA and FAO launched a flagship Atoms4Food Initiative last year to expand the use of innovative nuclear techniques through the 7 services to enhance agricultural productivity, reduce food losses, ensure food safety, improve nutrition, and adapt to the challenges of climate change. 

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2023 IAEA Annual Report Presented to the UN General Assembly

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The 2023 IAEA Annual Report contains highlights of a significant year for the Agency. (Image: A.Vargas).

The 2023 IAEA Annual Report is now available to read online, in all the official UN languages. The 2023 report was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly  today by the IAEA’s Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The 2023 IAEA Annual Report contains highlights of a significant year for the Agency. A new Atoms4Food initiative was launched by Mr Grossi, together with the Director General Qu Dongyu of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The initiative builds on the IAEA’s experience of helping countries to use nuclear techniques to help them tackle global hunger by enhancing food security and nutrition. 

At the same time, the IAEA continued to implement its existing key initiatives. These include Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All, aimed at closing the gap in cancer care in lower- and middle- income countries, its Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action initiative  (ZODIAC) tasked with preventing future pandemics and NUTEC Plastics, which fights global plastic pollution.

“Every day on every continent, the IAEA assists nations in overcoming challenges like diseases, poverty, hunger, pollution and climate change,” said Mr Grossi in his written statement to the UN General Assembly. “In partnership with our 178 Member States, we are enabling communities to improve healthcare, agriculture and energy systems through the power of nuclear science and technology.”

An important part of the IAEA’s work in 2023 was to ensure transparency around the discharge of ALPS treated water from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. In July, Mr Grossi presented to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan an Agency report that concluded the discharge approach and activities to be consistent with international safety standards.

Another key priority was to support Ukraine’s nuclear safety and security. A total of 86 IAEA missions comprising 187 staff travelled to Ukraine in 2023. The IAEA also maintained a continuous presence at all five nuclear sites in Ukraine. In May, Mr Grossi presented to the UN Security Council the five principles for protecting nuclear safety and security at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

A significant milestone for the IAEA was at last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, where leaders backed investment in nuclear as a low-carbon energy source for the first time. Further notable developments concerning nuclear energy included two interconnected mechanisms: the IAEA Platform on SMRs and their Applications and the IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative, launched together in 2023 to support its Member States with the safe and timely deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs offer a viable option to  enhance energy security while helping to achieve global climate goals for many countries worldwide. 

The IAEA’s unique laboratories at Seibersdorf achieved a milestone last year, fundraising was completed for the renewal of the Nuclear Application Laboratories (ReNuAL) initiative. In addition, the IAEA’s new Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre opened, ready to assist Member States in tackling nuclear terrorism and crime.

Mr Grossi also launched the World Fusion Energy Group in 2023, which will bringing together key stakeholders as this future technology continues its journey from experimentation to demonstration and deployment.

In addition, the IAEA celebrated achievements in promoting gender equality in the nuclear sector. By the end of 2023, the IAEA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme had 560 fellows, and the Lise Meitner Programme was also in place, offering early- and mid-career women in the nuclear sector new opportunities for career advancement. In 2023, gender balance was achieved in senior management at the IAEA.

More information about the significant activities of the Agency during the past year is available here. The 2023 IAEA Annual Report can also be read in the UN official languages of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, as well as English. Mr Grossi’s full statement can be read here.

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IAEA Initiates First Practical Steps of Additional Measures at Sea Near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International experts participated in the marine sampling, which included hands-on activities to take samples for subsequent analysis in their own laboratories. (Photo: IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiated today the first practical steps of additional measures at sea near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). The IAEA carried out marine sampling as an initial step, leveraging the presence of experts from various countries who were in Japan for a mission to collect samples for the latest IAEA interlaboratory comparison (ILC) related to the ALPS treated water discharge.

This follows last month’s announcements by China and Japan that indicated their mutual agreement to implement additional measures, which will facilitate wider participation of other stakeholders under the framework of the IAEA. The Agency confirms that this agreement is built on its existing sampling and monitoring activities in compliance with the IAEA statutory functions.

International experts from China’s Third Institute of Oceanography, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety and Switzerland’s Spiez Laboratory — members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network — participated in the marine sampling near FDNPS, which included hands-on activities to take samples for subsequent analysis in their own laboratories.

Experts from China, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland participated in the marine sampling near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. (Photo: IAEA)

“The Agency will continue to coordinate with Japan and other stakeholders, including China, to ensure that the additional measures are implemented appropriately under the framework of the IAEA, maintaining the integrity of the process with full transparency to ensure that water discharge levels are, and will continue to be, in strict compliance and consistent with international safety standards,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. 

The IAEA views this mission as a timely opportunity to initiate the first practical steps towards full implementation of the additional measures. The Agency will continue its impartial, independent and objective safety review during the discharge phase, by having a continuous onsite presence, corroborating monitoring data through ILCs and providing live online monitoring. The IAEA will continue liaising at the technical level to ensure smooth implementation of the additional measures.

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What Is Blue Carbon?

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Sediment that accumulates in the seagrasses, mangroves and marshes can be analysed to help indicate changes in the environment over periods of time, ranging from the past few years to millions of years ago. The capacity of vegetated coastal ecosystems to sequester and store carbon in their sediments can be measured by nuclear and isotopic techniques.

The IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco use these elements to determine the rates at which organic carbon accumulates in marine sediments using sediment core samples from vegetated coastal ecosystems. Sediment cores are collected by using long plastic tubes that during sampling are able to preserve the layers of sediment accumulated over time.

The naturally occurring radioactive isotope lead-210 (210Pb), in combination with some artificial radionuclides such as caesium-137 (137Cs) are used to determine the sedimentation rates in the sediments at timescales of decades – up to around 100 years, a period during which human induced impacts on the environment have dramatically increased.

These techniques encompass radiochemical separation and measurements by alpha and gamma spectrometry adapted to each isotope. This is then combined with the measurement of organic carbon contents and its isotopes along the sedimentary record by mass spectrometry methods to assess the organic carbon stocks and burial rates.

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From Preparedness to Resilience: The Role of the IAEA in Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Response

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre plays a vital role in preparing and responding to potential nuclear or radiological emergencies worldwide. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)

Ahead of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October, we look at the role played by the IAEA’s unique Incident and Emergency Centre in preparing and responding to potential nuclear or radiological emergencies.

The centre is staffed by 29 permanent experts with over 200 staff on standby in case of a major nuclear or radiological emergency, irrespective of the cause.

The centre remains operational 24/7, ready to spring into full operational mode if a report is received and meets established criteria, such as the declaration of an emergency at a nuclear power plant.

The centre is ready to respond and inform Member States and the public in any scenario that may be relevant for nuclear safety and security.  For example, on 1 January this year, at 07:10 UTC, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. Just over an hour later, the Emergency Response Manager at the IAEA received a message via the Agency’s Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE): six of Japan’s nuclear power plants had potentially been affected. Fortunately, no abnormalities were reported, detailed inspections were carried out by Japan to ensure that no plant functions had been compromised or damaged. At midday that day, an update was received from Japan that all nuclear power plants in the country were operating normally. This message was posted on USIE, and countries received the information within seconds.  The IAEA also promptly issued an update via social media, reassuring the public that it was in contact with Japanese authorities, there was no cause for concern, and monitoring would continue.

This prompt notification, proactive dissemination of information, and continuous communication with the national authorities — even in the absence of public safety impacts, as in the example above — exemplify best practices in disaster risk reduction. These lessons have been honed through responses to past emergencies, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

“Over 1500 users from 173 Member States and 21 international organizations now rely on the IAEA’s platforms and systems for prompt notification and assistance in a nuclear emergency. Over the years, the IEC has been able to build up an agile, responsive system which can respond at short notice to any event,” said Carlos Torres Vidal, Director of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre.

While major nuclear accidents are very rare, the potential for incidents or emergencies remains — especially as radiation sources are used in a variety of contexts, from medicine to industry.

For example, earlier this year in Liberia, a radioactive source was discovered in a stormwater drain at the John F. Kennedy Medical Centre, the country’s largest hospital. Prompt intervention by the IAEA prevented a potential radiological incident, allowing the hospital to continue its operations without disruption. Read the full story.

Disasters can also compound one another: for instance, an earthquake may hinder efforts to respond to a nuclear emergency. Identifying, classifying, and preparing for swift action in response to different hazard scenarios is critical. Like pandemics and natural disasters, nuclear and radiological emergencies recognize no borders, amplifying the need for international coordination and information sharing.

A row of emergency response fire trucks stand ready for action as part of the national preparedness exercise “Valahia” in Romania in October 2023. (Photo: C. Torres Vidal/IAEA)

The IAEA’s Role in Global Preparedness

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) plays a pivotal role in helping countries fulfil their obligations under the international conventions on nuclear accidents. These conventions were established in the aftermath of the 1986 Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, when the world recognized the need for a robust international framework for cooperation in the event of nuclear emergencies.

The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident ensures that countries rapidly share relevant information about nuclear accidents or radiological emergencies, minimizing the potential for transboundary radiological consequences. The Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency facilitates cooperation between countries and the IAEA to provide timely assistance during an emergency, aiming to protect lives, property and the environment.

Established in 2005, the IEC serves as the global focal point for preparedness, event reporting, information sharing, and coordinated response to nuclear and radiological emergencies, regardless of their origin.

Coordinating Global Responses

At the heart of the IEC’s work is global coordination. Under the emergency conventions, the IEC mobilizes international experts and coordinates in-house IAEA efforts in preparedness and response. It also works closely with other international organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to support a coordinated response when required.

The IEC provides 24/7 assistance to countries facing nuclear or radiological events, including security-related threats. Its central platform, the Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE), allows countries to notify the IAEA and the international community of emergencies confidentially and securely. While mandatory reporting is required for emergencies with potential transboundary impacts, countries are encouraged to report smaller events as well, even if they pose no immediate public safety risk but may cause public concern.

Through USIE, countries can access other vital IAEA tools, such as the International Radiation Monitoring Information System (IRMIS) for visualizing radiation monitoring data, as well as assessment and prognosis tools. These tools provide emergency managers with critical insights about the potential progression of a nuclear accident, allowing them to make informed decisions and take prompt protective actions.

IRMIS helps emergency managers decide the right protective actions during a nuclear emergency by showing radiation data compared to pre-calculated safety levels (Operational Interventional Levels, or OILs). For example, high radiation levels in a specific area might mean evacuation or sheltering is needed. This information is displayed using colour codes that clearly indicate the proper action, like evacuating affected areas, or asking people to shelter in place.

The Reactor Assessment Tool allows the IAEA to explain the status of nuclear facilities, like power reactors, using simple language and color-coded diagrams. It receives safety data from IAEA counterparts in Member States, helping the IAEA send clear, timely updates to all countries and the public about the emergency situation.

The IEC also maintains a Response and Assistance Network (RANET) made up of States Parties to the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency that have identified and registered in RANET national assistance capabilities consisting of qualified experts, equipment and materials that could be made available to assist another State.

Collaboration with Other Organizations

In addition to its in-house tools, the IEC collaborates with other organizations that provide essential data during emergencies. For example, the WMO offers atmospheric dispersion predictions based on real-time meteorological data, while the WHO is ready to engage specialised medical capabilities in Member States to provide assistance in cases of injuries caused by the improper use of radiation sources. This cooperation ensures that countries have access to relevant information to respond effectively in an emergency, from weather patterns to support in mitigating the consequences of nuclear or radiological emergencies. In fact, the IEC provides the Secretariat for the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies (IACRNE), which coordinates the arrangements of all these organizations for preparing for, and responding to, a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency.

Ensuring Preparedness

Preparedness is essential in ensuring that the impacts from a nuclear emergency can be adequately mitigated. The IEC plays a key role in strengthening national preparedness by providing guidance and training for a range of professionals from around the world, including emergency planners, responders, regulatory staff, and public information officers.

The centre also conducts Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) missions, which help countries evaluate and strengthen their national capabilities to respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies, aligning with international standards.

Nuclear accidents are rare, partly due to the robust safety and emergency preparedness regime in place globally. The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre, through its coordination efforts, training programmes, and international partnerships, plays a crucial role in maintaining this safety net. By fostering international cooperation and ensuring readiness at all levels, the IEC helps mitigate risks, ensuring that even in the face of disaster, effective responses are in place to protect lives and the environment.

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Update 254 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has restored its connection to a 150 kilovolt (kV) power line that could be used as a back-up option for the plant, although the supplies of electricity needed for reactor cooling and other essential functions remain fragile, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The 150 kV line was reportedly damaged in shelling late last month, further limiting the potential availability of power supplies for the ZNPP as this line connects the site to the switchyard of the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant. However, the IAEA team stationed at the ZNPP was informed this week that the repairs had been completed and the line was once again available, if needed.

During the military conflict, the ZNPP has been relying on two power lines – one 750 kV and one 330 kV – for off-site electricity but both have suffered repeated disconnections as a result of the fighting, underlining the potential importance of any additional source of electricity. Before the conflict, the ZNPP had ten power lines available.

During the past week, the IAEA team has continued to hear explosions, including some blasts close to the ZNPP, although no damage to the plant was reported.

The IAEA team conducted regular walkdowns across the ZNPP, including by the sprinkler ponds and in the turbine halls of two units, and observed ongoing maintenance activities of one main transformer as well as testing of one emergency diesel generator pertaining to part of the safety system.

The IAEA teams present at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms for several days over the past week.

At the Rivne NPP, reactor unit 2 has been reconnected to the grid following planned outage. Following an air raid alert, the IAEA team deployed at Khmelnytskyy NPP took shelter in the morning of 7 October.

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IAEA Concludes Long Term Operation Safety Review at Sweden’s Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a review of long term operational safety of the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Unit 3 in Sweden.

The Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) review mission was requested by the plant’s operator, OKG Aktiebolag. Oskarshamn Unit 3, situated roughly 300 kilometers south of Stockholm, was put into commercial operation in 1985 with a design life of 40 years. It is equipped with one boiling water reactor and has a net electrical output of 1400 MW(e). The plant operator is preparing to extend the operating lifetime to 60 years. Two other units at the power station are in permanent shutdown. Nuclear power accounts for more than a quarter of Sweden’s electricity production.

During the ten-day mission from 1 to 10 October, the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness, organization and programmes for safe long term operation (LTO), which built upon an initial IAEA pre-SALTO mission held at the plant in 2022. The mission was conducted by an eleven-person team consisting of experts from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Pakistan, Spain, and the United States, as well as three observers from Hungary and the Netherlands, and two IAEA staff members. The team met and discussed topics in depth with staff from the Oskarshamn NPP and conducted site walkdowns during the review.    

“The team observed that OKG is preparing for safe long term operation and the plant staff are cooperative, professional, and open to suggestions for improvement,” said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Bryce Lehman. “We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement the remaining activities for safe long term operation as planned.”

The team identified good performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

  • Reconstitution of design documentation in cooperation with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and securing access to the OEM archives for the period of long term operation.
  • Development of a user-friendly database that shows each user their assigned maintenance activities.
  • Regular meetings of experts from different plant departments to share experience, including international experience, and to discuss improvements to the plant for long term operation.

The team also provided recommendations and suggestions to further improve safe LTO, the most significant are the following:

  • The plant should fully justify LTO through a periodic safety review, or alternative process.
  • The plant should fully establish a comprehensive programme to identify ageing management activities for long term operation.  
  • The plant should properly implement a comprehensive process to identify components requiring ageing management (a scoping process).

The plant management expressed a determination to maintain the level of preparedness for safe LTO and further cooperate with the IAEA in this field.

“We appreciate the IAEA’s support to our plant in ageing management and preparation for safe LTO,” said Johan Lundberg, President of OKG. “It is very important for us to get an external view on our business. The competencies and experience of the IAEA team enable it to effectively identify our areas for improvements.  The results of this mission will help us to improve our activities for safe LTO and to further align them with IAEA safety standards.”

The team provided a draft report to the plant management and to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM), the country’s nuclear regulatory authority, at the end of the mission. The plant management and SSM will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant management, SSM and the Swedish Government within three months.

Background

General information about SALTO missions can be found on the IAEA Website. A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant’s overall safety status.

LTO of nuclear power plants is defined as operation beyond an established time frame determined by the license term, the original plant design, relevant standards, or national regulations. As stated in IAEA safety standards, to maintain a plant’s fitness for service, consideration should be given to life limiting processes and features of systems, structures, and components (SSC), as well as to reasonably practicable safety upgrades to enhance the safety of the plant to a level approaching that of modern plants.