Category: News Story

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is in Switzerland this week to engage with insurance executives about the potential of nuclear power. 

As part of growing interest from non-traditional audiences about the potential of expanding nuclear energy to meet climate goals, the Director General travelled to Zurich on Tuesday to address the Nuclear Pools’ Forum.

The forum, a nuclear insurance conference, was organized by the Swiss Pool for the Insurance of Nuclear Risks and hosted by Swiss Re.

Mr Grossi spoke on how a secure, thriving and sustainable future requires the use of nuclear power, calling it our opportunity and responsibility. He described the clear consensus on the necessity of using nuclear energy for the world to reach net zero climate emissions, as was agreed at COP28, the first climate change conference ever to feature nuclear in the list of low emission technologies that need accelerating. 

“We see good perspectives for nuclear but need technology, finance and regulation to continue advancing, and the IAEA is working actively on this,” he added.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

“Spent nuclear fuel has been successfully managed for many decades, and while the established practices are safe and effective, it is important for the nuclear power community to be adaptive as the energy landscape evolves,” said Amparo Gonzalez Espartero, the IAEA’s Technical Lead for Spent Fuel Management and Co-Scientific Secretary of the conference.  

“It is vital that all countries with spent fuel management responsibilities, current and future, proactively meet the moment, and this conference represents a great opportunity to share lessons learned and discuss innovative techniques as well as their potential integration in the current programmes.” 

Across the world, considerable progress is being made in the areas of both recycling and disposal of nuclear fuel after it has been used to generate power. Spent fuel retains more than 90 per cent of its potential energy even after five years of use in a nuclear power reactor. Recycling spent fuel involves recovering fissile and fertile materials, through reprocessing the spent fuel, so that they can be used as new nuclear fuel.  

Russia is looking to expand its commercial reprocessing capacity from 400 tonnes per year to up to 1600 tonnes annually over the next 10-15 years, while France announced earlier in March that it plans to extend its existing recycling facilities beyond 2040 and construct additional facilities as well. 

Operations at Finland’s Onkalo spent fuel repository, the world’s first deep geological repository for final disposal of high level radioactive waste, are set to begin around 2025, while Sweden commenced construction of its own final repository facility earlier this year. In France, the construction licence application for the Centre Industriel de stockage Géologique (CIGEO) facility for high level waste disposal was submitted in 2023, with authorization expected by 2027. Canada is preparing to select a site for its deep geological repository by the end of 2024.    

“As with spent fuel from existing reactors, and taking into account the lessons of the past, early planning for the long-term safe management of spent fuel from new technologies is a national responsibility,” said Gerard Bruno, Head of the IAEA Radioactive Waste & Spent Fuel Management Unit and Co-Scientific Secretary of the conference. “The IAEA remains available to provide appropriate support for the safe management, including disposal, of spent fuel and all types of radioactive waste.” 

The conference will consist of panel sessions on national strategies, innovation including how new technologies can be integrated into current spent fuel management strategies, and stakeholder engagement as well as technical sessions on topics including storage, recycling (current and future technologies), transportation, the impacts of advanced energy systems and integrated management of spent fuel.  

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The SIT pilot project, which was initiated n the coastal city of Fort Myers, has already been tested out on Captiva Island in Florida, around 30 miles away, during a successful pilot project between 2020 and 2022. Male mosquitoes were mass-reared and sterilized before being released to mate with wild females. At the peak of releases, approximately 400 000 sterile males were released per week in Captiva Island. The releases led to a significant reduction of the population in the first year, 2020, and complete suppression in 2021 and 2022. Scientists were able to compare ecological indexes between Sanibel Island (the control area) and Captiva Island, where the sterile mosquitoes were released. Rachel Morreale, Manager of the Applied Science and Technologies Department at LCMCD, stated “it was remarkable to see the impacts that our sterile male releases had on the population of Ae. aegypti on Captiva.” 

Hurricane Ian devastated both Captiva and Sanibel islands completely in September 2022, making it impossible to access by car, and putting an end to the pilot project.

The damage caused was so significant that LCMCD determined that the best course of action would be to move the release programme to a new area on the mainland. Using lessons learned from the pilot project on Captiva Island, LCMCD collected baseline data to better inform their releases of sterile male Ae. Aegypti in Fort Myers, which was initiated in February 2024. While the move to this new area was sooner than initially planned, the pilot project on Captiva Island allowed LCMCD to validate SIT as a component of an integrated mosquito management operation for the County. Using the knowledge gained from mass-rearing, releases, and fieldwork, LCMCD is hopeful to have similar successful outcomes in Fort Myers and provide relief and protection to local residents.

According to David Hoel, Executive Director of LCMCD, “the unique attributes of this programme and technical expertise provided to us by the IAEA is enabling LCMCD to gain a foothold in suppression of this mosquito which is difficult at best to control by conventional mosquito control techniques and shows great promise for future prevention of mosquito-borne disease threat in Lee County, Florida.”

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

In his opening statement to the IAEA’s Board of Governors today, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke of how the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) came under direct attack in April for the first time in one and a half years, describing the “precarious and very fragile situation” at the plant.  

“These attacks violated the first of the five concrete principles for protecting the Zaporizhzhya NPP that I laid out to the Board for the first time one year ago,” said Mr Grossi in his statement to the Board, which is meeting at the IAEA’s Vienna headquarters from 3-6 June. 

Mr Grossi explained he would be meeting with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine this week. He had met with Alexey Likhachev, head of Russian state nuclear company Rosatom, in Kaliningrad on May 28, to discuss factors the IAEA believes remain a challenge for nuclear safety. Although all six reactor units have been in cold shutdown since April, enhancing the overall safety of the facility, the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) has not received access to some areas of significance at the site, and has not been able to have open discussions with all relevant staff. 

The Director General presented his latest report on verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran, once more expressing his deepest condolences following the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other delegation members. 

“I was in Tehran and Isfahan in early May, discussing very concrete initiatives in the area of verification and monitoring with late Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others in the government,” he said.  

“I want to tell you that our work has continued. I had the pleasure to have a good conversation with acting minister Ali Bagheri Kani just a few hours ago. And the spirit is to continue our work as discussed in Tehran and Isfahan, which is of course extremely important.” 

Mr Grossi also spoke of how the “nuclear non-proliferation regime requires our constant efforts and determination to make sure that legitimate nuclear activities are carried out in a peaceful manner.” 

He added: “In this spirit, I met President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on 19 March and agreed a new engagement between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Agency.  As a result of those consultations, the IAEA, in coordination with the Syrian government, will undertake a process of clarification of the pending issues related to past activities in Syria that require further inquiry in order to exclude any proliferation concern.” 

The Board will also be kept updated on the IAEA’s technical consultations on naval propulsion with Australia and with Brazil, Mr Grossi said. 

Mr Grossi then drew the attention of the Board to the Annual Report for 2023, as well as the 2023 report of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme. He highlighted the progress being achieved in the implementation of the flagship initiatives of the IAEA, such as NUTEC Plastics, which aims to reduce and mitigate the impact of plastic pollution and Atoms4Food, developed in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to tackle global food insecurity.  

Last week, the IAEA hosted an International Symposium on Food Safety and Control and this year’s annual Scientific Forum, to be held on the margins of the 68th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, is entitled Atoms4Food: Better Agriculture for Better Life.  

“We are trying to deliver assistance on food security, in in many countries,” said Mr Grossi. In his written statement he elaborated: “We are stepping up our assistance to Member States through seven precise services that use nuclear technology, science and their applications to boost food security and tackle the growing hunger and malnutrition crisis.” 

More than 40 countries in Africa have already requested assistance under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to widen access to cancer care in countries with little or no access to treatments such as radiotherapy. Mr Grossi travelled to Nigeria last month to assist Nigeria and other African nations in enhancing their ability to bring cancer care to everyone who needs it. 

The Director General updated the board on how preparations for the IAEA’s Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications and the Technical Cooperation Programme in November 2024 are progressing.  

Highlighting the impact that nuclear technology and science is having around the world, Mr Grossi spoke of the first Nuclear Energy Summit, jointly organized in March with the IAEA and the Government of Belgium. The IAEA has also begun a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the G20, under the Brazilian presidency.  

“I think it is very important to see how all these political platforms in the world are looking to nuclear with a focus and very concrete interest. And, of course, the work, of the IAEA is indispensable in that regard,” said Mr Grossi.  

Mr Grossi drew the attention of the Board to the World Fusion Energy Group, due to be held in the coming months with support from the government of Italy, which currently holds the G7 presidency. He also spoke of the upcoming International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development  and the International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications later this year. 

Last month, the International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS) – Shaping the Future, was held in Vienna. Mr Grossi concluded his statement by thanking the ICONS Co-Presidents from Australia and Kazakhstan for their leadership. “The ministerial-level event assessed current priorities, prepared for new challenges, and engaged in scenario-based policy discussions,” he said in his statement. 

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Paving the way for the introduction of the new radiotherapy facility, radiation safety experts also undertook assessments of capacity and needs related to the regulatory infrastructure in The Gambia to ensure the safe use of ionizing radiation in healthcare facilities.

“Advanced medical technologies have introduced new possibilities for diagnostics and treatment. However, it is necessary to provide assurance that it can be used safely. An adequate national infrastructure for radiation safety, including a fully functional regulatory body, should be in place to ensure the protection of workers, patients, and the public,” said Jovica Bosnjak, Radiation Safety Infrastructure Specialist at the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.

As part of the mission, the team facilitated a two-day national stakeholders’ meeting where key findings from the imPACT review were incorporated into the final draft of the country’s National Cancer Control Strategy. This five-year strategy promotes cancer prevention and early detection whilst improving services for diagnosis and treatment, including palliative care. It builds on other global initiatives in the area of cancer care, including with WHO.

“We are working closely with the National Cancer Control Programme in The Gambia to prioritize the prevention and early detection of cervical, breast and child-hood cancers in line with the respective global cancer control initiatives,” said Gassama Momodou, Health Promotion Officer for The Gambia’s WHO Country Office.

Going forward, findings from the imPACT Review are expected to serve as a baseline from which to expand access to cancer diagnostic and treatment services through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme and Rays of Hope initiative.  

“The Gambia is a new IAEA Member State, and we expect the recommendations  from the imPACT Review to inform the design of priority programmes on expanding access to the use of radiation medicine under the Rays of Hope Initiative, in line with the first Country Programme Framework recently signed between the Gambia and the IAEA,” said Neil Jarvis, IAEA Programme Management Officer for The Gambia and Section Head, Division for Africa, IAEA Technical Cooperation Department. “The IAEA will assist the country to develop a strategic funding (“bankable”) document which will serve as a techno-economic feasibility study and will be useful for their resource mobilisation in the establishment of the proposed radiotherapy facility,” he added.

Helping countries to secure funding to reach their health sector developmental goals is a key support mechanism offered by the IAEA under the Rays of Hope initiative. “Through Rays of Hope, our objective is to bring together the different actors to deliver impactful and lasting change,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in his opening statement at the Rays of Hope World Cancer Day event held in Vienna earlier this year.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

“The symposium serves as a platform to explore mechanisms to enhance the resilience of food control systems and advancements in applying nuclear technologies to particularly strengthen food safety and control,” said James Sasanya, Acting Section Head, Food Safety and Control Section, at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. “The event hopes to increase the uptake of nuclear and related techniques to tackle key issues affecting food safety and quality and contribute to food security and adapt to climate change,” he said. 

With an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne diseases annually, unsafe and poor quality food is a threat to human health. This symposium will provide a forum for information sharing on cutting edge research and developments in the application of nuclear technologies for food safety and control; networking opportunities between the public and private sectors; and the chance to define future research needs and directions.

Nuclear and isotopic techniques play an important role in analytical laboratory services to ensure that safe and good quality food is consumed. Nuclear science also contributes to reducing post-harvest losses as well as controlling pests and diseases that hinder exports

Organized through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, the symposium will focus on critical topics, such as food authenticity and fighting food fraud; food and phytosanitary irradiation; chemical residues and contaminants in food and feed; preparing for and responding to emergencies and incidents affecting the food supply: detection and characterization of pathogens in food; standard setting and risk assessment; and One Health — a Holistic approach to human, animal, and environmental health. The symposium will also discuss the Atoms4Food Initiative, with focus on food safety and control. Partnerships will also be discussed.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre and its Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory coordinate and support applied research through more than 25 coordinated research projects annually, fostering cooperation between 400 international and national research institutions and experimental stations. 

Food control systems assure food safety and quality, which are vital components of food security and are both necessary to safeguard international trade in food commodities. They also fight food fraud, ensuring fair practices that foster economic opportunities for all parties along the food supply chain.

Participants include representatives of IAEA and FAO Member States and members of organizations such as scientists, researchers, laboratory analysts, policy makers, regulators, food producers and other stakeholders concerned with food safety and control systems.

The peaceful uses of nuclear technologies play a fundamental role in protecting national and international food supply chains and in enhancing their resilience to food security and climate change-related challenges. The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, along with the IAEA technical cooperation programme, assists its members in developing and adopting nuclear and related techniques to offer science-based solutions for regulating food safety and quality.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was in Finland this week to meet President Alexander Stubb, with whom he discussed nuclear policies, non-proliferation and Ukraine. Mr Grossi also participated in the Nordic Nuclear Forum in Helsinki, highlighting Finland’s steadfast support of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, key to the IAEA’s mission.

Mr Grossi addressed the Nordic Nuclear Forum with a speech on nuclear energy’s role in tackling climate change, and the importance of the IAEA’s role in promoting the safe and secure deployment of nuclear technology.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Mauritius inaugurated its new National Cancer Centre in Solferino on 8 May, marking the culmination of close to a decade of IAEA support to advance nuclear medicine in the country. Expected to radically change cancer care for patients in Mauritius, the new centre will house all oncology services under one roof, including nuclear medicine.

“This ambitious project will undoubtedly improve our healthcare delivery system, providing free healthcare to all citizens and helping position Mauritius as a centre of excellence for cancer care in the region,” said Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness of Mauritius, at the inauguration ceremony.

A small island in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius’ 1.2 million population faces a growing cancer burden. While traditional diagnostic methods like CT scans and MRIs were already available in the country, the specific nature and complexity of the cancers that are currently on the rise in Mauritius (head and neck, prostate, thyroid, and neuroendocrine tumours) have been placing a strain on existing medical facilities. The country required more advanced and precise diagnostic tools.

In 2018, a comprehensive imPACT Review carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer helped to inform the government’s policy of boosting national diagnostic capacity. Since then, the government of Mauritius has been taking steps to further expand nuclear medicine services within the national healthcare system.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Over 2000 Ministers, high-ranking officials, experts and delegates from all over the world will convene at the IAEA hosted,  International Conference on Nuclear Security: Shaping the Future (ICONS 2024), next week in Vienna. Taking place from 20 to 24 May, the focus of the conference will be on how to further strengthen global nuclear security and addressing challenges related to new risks, threats and emerging technologies.

“Nuclear security is about more than preventing nuclear terrorism. It is about providing clean energy, cutting-edge medicine, nutritious food and hope for a better tomorrow,” says IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA is where the world comes together to make sure we keep making that possible.”

As the world’s only international conference on nuclear security with a ministerial and a scientific component, ICONS 2024: Shaping the Future will provide a global forum to discuss the future of nuclear security, while providing opportunities for exchanging information, sharing best practices and fostering international cooperation.

The conference will comprise two segments: a two-day ministerial segment featuring national statements, interactive sessions, and high level policy discussions for Ministers. The four-day scientific and technical programme will start in parallel with the second day of the ministerial segment, and includes daily plenary panels with invited speakers, high level policy discussions and parallel technical sessions.

“A strong and sustainable nuclear security system has never been more imperative. Co-chaired by Australia and Kazakhstan, ICONS 2024 will bring together Ministers, policymakers, and technical and legal experts, to renew and strengthen collective nuclear security commitments. I’m excited to see countries come together to drive the nuclear security agenda forward and tackle the challenges ahead,” says Tim Watts, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia and ICONS Co-President.

Diving into nuclear security

As part of a comprehensive programme, experts will discuss a wide range of technical and scientific nuclear security topics. These include global perspectives on nuclear security regulations for small modular reactors, the role of nuclear forensics in bolstering international nuclear security, practical uses and potential threats of artificial intelligence, preparing for and defending against cyber-attacks to sensitive infrastructure and developing national strategies for nuclear security events.

The conference boasts record-breaking participation with over 700 abstracts submitted, spanning four key thematic areas including policy, technology, capacity building and cross-cutting nuclear security topics, such as communication and safety-security interface, among others. The ministerial segment, including national statements, is open to media, and they can also attend all plenary sessions throughout the weeklong conference.  The ministerial and plenary sessions will be available on live video streaming.

“ICONS 2024 is a major event for the global nuclear security community and comes at a critical time for international nuclear security. Despite some risks and challenges — from climate change and natural disasters to global pandemics — artificial intelligence products and advanced computing technologies offer new opportunities to strengthen nuclear security regimes,” says Sungat Yessimkhanov, Vice-Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The programme includes 52 technical sessions, a ministerial plenary panel on nuclear security and the Sustainable Development Goals, a ministerial interactive session on scenario-based policy, and four technical plenary sessions, each on one of the main themes of the conference. 45 side events are planned and organized by Member States, international and other organizations, working groups and networks, and the IAEA.

Additionally, the inaugural “Nuclear Security Delegation for the Future” will convene in person, providing 24 selected delegates from more than 200 applicants in the field of nuclear security the opportunity to present the results of their deliberations conducted over the previous weeks leading up to the conference.

Further, the ICONS 2024 Photography Contest “Nuclear Security Through the Lens”, aligns with the overarching goals of ICONS 2024, aiming to raise awareness of nuclear security initiatives globally and foster creative engagement of a broad audience. Eight finalists will have their photographs showcased, along with a narrative explaining their perspectives on nuclear security.

ICONS 2024 is the fourth conference in this series. Previous ICONS were hosted by the IAEA in 2013, 2016 and 2020. The conference is supported by funding from Australia, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.