Category: News Story

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Women from around the world took part in an International School on Nuclear Security at the IAEA in August. It was the fourth time the school had hosted fellows from the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) since the launch of the programme in 2020. The MSCFP aims to support the next generation of women leaders in the nuclear field through scholarships, internships, and training and networking opportunities.

“This is a unique programme introducing nuclear security to participants,” said Marina Labyntseva, Head of the Education and Training Development Unit in the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “Through a series of lectures, demonstrations and practical exercises, participants learned about the national nuclear security regimes, and what prevention, detection and response to nuclear security threats actually means.”

Within the last three years, a total of 169 MSCFP recipients from various educational backgrounds in the field of nuclear science and technology have participated in the school. This year, 56 fellows from 46 countries attended the school, both in person and virtually.

The school is designed to provide participants with a fundamental knowledge of nuclear security, and was co-funded by the European Union and the United States of America.

“As a nuclear engineering student, I have mainly focused on technical aspects of my studies and work. However, attending the school has taught me about the broader significance of nuclear security. I am now intrigued to learn more on nuclear security,” said Razia Nushrat from Bangladesh.

Throughout the two week programme from 31 July to 10 August, the fellows attended a series of training activities that paired informative lectures with hands-on demonstrations. For example, by using virtual reality tools to explore a 3D model of a nuclear facility, the fellows simulated responses to nuclear security threats. The participants also visited the IAEA Nuclear Security Detection and Monitoring Equipment Laboratory and the Incident and Emergency Centre.

“I have learned that a multidisciplinary and integrated approach is necessary for nuclear security,” said Adriana Jiménez Amorós, MSCFP fellow from Bolivia, adding that “the school helped me clarify multiple concepts used in the nuclear field.”

An integral component of the school was to bridge the gap between education, training and professional networking in the field of nuclear security. To this end, the school’s programme included a high level panel discussion on empowering and inspiring youth to lead in the nuclear sector and a Women in Nuclear Security Initiative panel discussion on the importance of gender equality and diversity in nuclear security.

“As someone who was involved in the engineering side of the nuclear industry, it was very enriching to be able to converse with highly qualified specialists with different expertise,” said Manal El Abidi, a participant from Morocco. “The nuclear security school gave me access to relevant opportunities for future training and mentorship.”

Promoting gender equality in the nuclear field

The IAEA is committed to providing early and mid-career women professionals with opportunities to advance their technical and leadership skills through programmes such as the Lise Meitner Programme and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme.

The IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme provides financial support for women enrolled in master’s programmes in the nuclear field. You can apply for the 2023 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme here until 30 September.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi descended deep underground in coastal Sweden this week to study the Nordic nation’s advanced preparations to store its spent nuclear fuel safely and securely for many thousands of years, saying they demonstrated the availability of technical solutions for managing such used radioactive material at a time of growing global interest in nuclear energy. 

On the third day and final day of his official visit to Sweden, Director General Grossi travelled to the country’s south-east yesterday to visit the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory 500 metres below ground, located on an island north of the town of Oskarshamn and near one of its nuclear power plants. Sweden has six reactors generating nearly a third of its electricity but is planning to build more.

At the laboratory, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has for decades been carrying out cutting-edge geological research in realistic conditions for the planned construction – at the Forsmark site further north – of a final repository for thousands of tonnes of spent fuel generated by Sweden’s nuclear industry over the past half century.

The Swedish government has approved the plan and SKB – owned by the nuclear plant operators – aims for the facility to be operational in the 2030s. In neighbouring Finland, the nuclear fuel repository at Onkalo is expected begin operating in the next few years. Both will use the KBS-3 method largely developed at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory and the nearby Canister Laboratory, which Director General Grossi also visited yesterday.

The method is based on three protective barriers: copper canisters, bentonite clay and bedrock. Once the final repository stands ready, the spent fuel – currently stored in an interim facility in Oskarshamn – will be encapsulated in copper canisters and transported by sea to Forsmark, where they will be placed in tunnels half a kilometre underground.

“More countries around the world are planning to introduce nuclear power or – like Sweden – expand existing programmes to fight climate change and ensure energy security. In this context, it is very important that people know that the spent fuel and radioactive waste the nuclear sector is generating is managed in a sustainable and responsible way,” Director General Grossi said.

“Countries like Sweden and Finland – with decades of nuclear power experience – are leading the way on how to do it, also ensuring that the local communities hosting the sites are engaged, informed and in favour of these important projects,” Director General Grossi said.

Opinion polls cited by SKB show that a large majority in the municipalities that will host the final repository and the associated encapsulation plant support the construction of these facilities.

“Few industries are investing as much time and resources in taking care of its waste as the nuclear sector. Engaging with local stakeholders is key in this context. Without local backing, it would be very difficult to pursue the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Sweden is showing it is possible to gain the confidence of the local communities, which is very important,” he said.

Director General Grossi said the work carried out at the two laboratories was a “magnet” for international interest and indicated that the IAEA would step up its cooperation with the facilities so that other countries could benefit from their expertise and experience.

“I’m very impressed and encouraged by what I saw here,” he said.