Category: Nuclear Control

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said the operator of two research reactors in the Islamic Republic of Iran has improved safety and implemented significant upgrades to modernize the reactor’s systems and components in recent years. The team also provided recommendations and suggestions for further enhancement of the operational organizational structure, safety documents and operational safety programmes.

The Integrated Safety Assessment for Research Reactors (INSARR) team concluded an eight-day mission today to assess the safety of the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) and Heavy Water Zero Power Reactor (HWZPR) research reactors in Iran against IAEA safety standards. The mission was conducted at the request of the government of Iran and hosted by the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Reactor and Nuclear Safety Research School, the operator of the two research reactors.

The five-member team comprised experts from Argentina, China and Jordan, as well as two IAEA officials. The team reviewed organizational and management aspects as well as technical areas including safety analysis, operation and maintenance programmes, radiation protection, and safety of modifications and experiments. The team visited the two reactors and associated facilities and met with NSTRI officials.

The MNSR and HWZPR research reactors are located in Esfahan, roughly 450 kilometres south of the capital Tehran. The 30 kilowatt (kW) MNSR was first commissioned in 1994 and is utilized mainly for education and training and neutron activation analysis – a method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of elements. Recently the facility was modified to include the installation of two vertical beam tubes for film-based neutron radiography – used to analyse the structure of a sample – as well as calibration of neutron detectors, and for prompt gamma activation analysis to measure elements.

The HWZPR was first commissioned in 1996, with a maximum rated power of 100 W and a normal operating power 10 W, and is utilized mainly for education and training programmes, research and development and applied nuclear science.

“NSTRI has shown a commitment to safety by requesting an IAEA INSARR mission”, said David Sears, INSARR team leader and senior safety officer of the IAEA’s Research Reactor Safety Section. “The recent facility modifications and safety enhancements should extend the service life and utilization of the reactors. The operating organization should continue improvements, including revision and updating of safety documents and operating procedures, to maintain continued safe operation of the facility in accordance with the IAEA safety standards”.

The IAEA team noted the effective implementation of refurbishment and upgrades to enhance operational safety performance, ageing management, and procedures for response to abnormal situations. It also observed improvement in the effectiveness of training and maintenance programmes.

The mission also made recommendations and suggestions for improvements, including:

• Enhancing the operational organizational structure by better clarifying the roles and responsibilities for safety and ensuring the independence of the safety committee from the reactor management.
• Reviewing and revising the procedures for modification of safety systems and components, as well as of implementation of new experiments.
• Reviewing and revising the operation and maintenance procedures in accordance with research reactor manufacturer recommendations, design requirements and operating experience feedback.

“We made a lot of efforts to ensure a high level of safety. I am glad to see that noted in this mission” said Dr. Seyed Amir Hossein Feghhi, the head of NSTRI. “We are grateful to the mission experts for their professional and valuable support as we are strive for continual safety improvement”.

NSTRI has indicated that they will request a follow-up INSARR mission in 2027.

About INSARR Missions

INSARR missions are an IAEA peer review service, conducted at the request of a Member State, to assess and evaluate the safety of research reactors based on IAEA safety standards. Follow-up missions are standard components of the INSARR programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission. General information about INSARR missions can be found on the IAEA Website.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed two collaboration agreements with GE HealthCare today as part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen cancer diagnosis and treatment capacity in low- and middle-income countries. GE HealthCare has agreed to contribute $50 000 of in-kind training as well as practical arrangements to further support the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative to combat a disease that kills millions of people every year.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who launched Rays of Hope in early 2022, signed an extension of an in-kind contribution for clinical education in developing countries with GE HealthCare President and CEO for Europe, Middle East and Africa Rob Walton. This agreement builds upon an existing successful collaboration launched in 2022. Director General Grossi also signed a three-year practical arrangement with GE HealthCare to strengthen cooperation in the area of cancer control in low-and middle-income countries in the framework of Rays of Hope.

The documents were signed at the IAEA office in New York on the side-lines of the seventy-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly, which Director General Grossi is attending

These collaborations are the latest in a series of IAEA agreements with key stakeholders – both in the public and private sector – to help amplify the Agency’s work on tackling a major cancer care gap in many countries, where people often die from the disease because they lack access to potentially life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic infrastructure.

“I’m very encouraged by the progress we are already seeing under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative and the considerable interest it is attracting, with several leading companies such as GE HealthCare cooperating with us to address a growing cancer burden around the world,” Director General Grossi said. “I’m grateful for their support, which will help save lives.”

“The shortage of healthcare workers is an omnipresent concern. This is particularly true for oncology in developing countries, where access to care, innovation and know-how need to be urgently improved. We are very proud to support the IAEA in its Rays of Hope initiative, by making clinical training available to nuclear medicine and radiology practitioners from low- and middle-income countries,” said Rob Walton, President and CEO EMEA, GE HealthCare. “We are grateful for and excited about the launch of our broader collaboration on Rays of Hope today.”

Under the agreed practical arrangements, the IAEA and GE HealthCare will continue to work together on enhancing the capacities of developing countries to establish or strengthen safe and effective radiation medicine capabilities for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In particular, the parties intend to cooperate in awareness raising, education and training, and research and knowledge sharing.

Rays of Hope builds on the IAEA’s six decades of experience and expertise in nuclear science to diagnose and treat different types of tumours. It aims to mobilize financial resources and partners and to galvanize political will to step up the fight against a scourge killing many who could have been successfully treated with modern medical technology.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has joined forces with Siemens Healthineers to strengthen cancer diagnosis and treatment capacity in low- and middle-income countries, harnessing each other’s technical expertise in new ways to combat the rising global burden of this disease that kills millions of people every year.  

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Siemens Healthineers CEO Bernd Montag signed a practical arrangement agreement to support low- and middle-income countries in establishing and strengthening safe and effective radiation medicine for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

The agreement will be carried out under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative and is part of the ambition of Siemens Healthineers and its Varian oncology business to increase access to quality healthcare for everyone, no matter where they live. Both initiatives seek to further the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3, whose aims include reducing by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030.

“I’m very encouraged by the progress we are already seeing under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative and the considerable interest it is attracting, with leading companies such as Siemens Healthineers cooperating with us to address a growing global cancer burden,” Director General Grossi said. “I’m very grateful for their support, which will help save lives.”

Siemens Healthineers and its Varian oncology business have a decades-long history of cooperation with the IAEA, which works to tackle a cancer care gap in many countries where people often die of the disease because they lack access to potentially life-saving nuclear medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy infrastructure.

“With our product and service portfolio spanning screening, diagnosis and therapy, Siemens Healthineers is uniquely positioned to support along the entire cancer pathway. This makes us a strong partner in expanding quality healthcare for everyone, everywhere,” Siemens Healthineers CEO Bernd Montag said.

This cooperation represents a continued significant shift in how the IAEA works with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors. It goes beyond providing equipment and includes broader strategies on early detection and treatment of cancer.

Included in the scope of the agreement, the parties intend to cooperate in raising awareness about the importance of radiation medicine in diagnosing and treating cancer. It also calls for collaboration in the areas of education, training research and knowledge sharing.

Rays of Hope builds on the IAEA’s six decades of experience and expertise in nuclear science to diagnose and treat different types of tumours. It aims to mobilize financial resources and partners and to galvanize political will to step up the fight against a scourge killing many who could have been successfully treated with modern medical technology.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Japan signed an agreement today setting out the full scope of the Agency’s comprehensive and continuous safety review of the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), paving the way for decades of independent monitoring, sampling and analysis at the site and at sea.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, nearly four weeks after the discharge of the water treated through the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) began. The IAEA has been reviewing the safety of Japan’s plan on how to handle the treated water since it was first announced in 2021 and today’s agreement focuses on the Agency’s long-term activities during the discharge itself.

It identifies five main areas of the IAEA’s safety review work: 1) monitoring and assessment, focused on the protection of people and the environment; 2) the IAEA’s presence in Japan and at the FDNPS, including for conducting onsite analysis; 3) regular Agency review missions; 4) corroboration of Japan’s source and environmental monitoring based on independent sampling and analysis; and 5) outreach and awareness activities, including sharing key information with the public.

These activities will enable the IAEA to check that the relevant international safety standards are constantly applied during the discharge, backed up with real-time and other monitoring data on the Agency’s website. In July, Director General Grossi established an IAEA office at the FDNPS.

“Today’s agreement sets the broad parameters for the IAEA’s permanent presence at the site to implement the monitoring, corroboration and assessment activities that are indispensable for transparency and for building confidence – both in Japan and abroad – that the discharge will neither harm people nor the environment,” Director General Grossi said.

“We will stay and carry out our technical work until the last drop of the treated water has been safely discharged into the sea,” he said. “Through its independent and scientific work, the IAEA will be able to provide assurances to people around the world that the discharge will cause no harm.”

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) – Fukushima Daiichi’s operator – on 24 August started discharging the ALPS treated water stored at the site. To bring the tritium levels below operational limits, the water is also diluted before it is discharged.

The Agency’s two year detailed safety review of Japan’s plan had previously concluded that the approach and activities for the discharge are consistent with relevant international safety standards and would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.

Earlier this month, the IAEA’s first independent sampling and analysis of seawater near FDNPS since the discharge started also confirmed that the tritium levels were below Japan’s operational limits.

Today’s agreement – which formalizes some activities that are already being implemented – comes just over two years after the IAEA and Japan signed the Terms of Reference for the IAEA’s assistance to Japan in reviewing the safety aspects of the handling of the ALPS treated water, and the Agency’s establishment of a Task Force for this purpose.

“As today’s Memorandum of Cooperation demonstrates, the IAEA’s work is far from over. In some respects, with last month’s start of the discharge, it is only now beginning,” Director General Grossi said.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), informed me of its decision to withdraw the designation of several experienced Agency inspectors assigned to conduct verification activities in Iran under the NPT Safeguards Agreement. This follows a previous recent withdrawal of the designation of another experienced Agency inspector for Iran. 

These inspectors are among the most experienced Agency experts with unique knowledge in enrichment technology. They have conducted essential verification work at the enrichment facilities in Iran which are under Agency safeguards.

With today’s decision, Iran has effectively removed about one third of the core group of the Agency’s most experienced inspectors designated for Iran.

This measure, while formally permitted by the NPT Safeguards Agreement, has been exercised by Iran in a manner that affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to conduct effectively its inspections in Iran.

I strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure which affects the normal planning and conduct of Agency verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the Agency and Iran.

This profoundly regrettable decision by Iran is another step in the wrong direction and constitutes an unnecessary blow to an already strained relationship between the IAEA and Iran in the implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement.

Without effective cooperation, confidence and trust will continue to be elusive and the Agency will not be in a position to discharge effectively its verification mandate in Iran and provide credible assurances that nuclear material and activities in Iran are for peaceful purposes.

Our experience demonstrates that shutting out Agency inspectors affects our essential verification mandate and is not the way of working in a cooperative manner.

I call upon the Iranian Government to reconsider its decision and to return to a path of cooperation with the Agency. I also call upon the highest authorities of Iran to engage with me at the earliest opportunity to correct course and work with the Agency for the complete clarification of the outstanding safeguards issues.

Rafael Mariano Grossi

Director General of the IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been drilling more wells at the site as part of efforts to find new sources of cooling water after the destruction of the downstream Kakhovka dam more than three months ago, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

Since last week, the ZNPP has built another two groundwater wells to supply the sprinkler ponds that cool the six reactors and spent fuel, bringing the total of new wells to nine.

Together they pump around 200 cubic metres of water per hour into the sprinkler ponds, representing almost all the cooling needs of the six shutdown reactors. The remainder of the water comes from the drainage system and clean water that is periodically discharged from the plant’s chemical water treatment facility. The IAEA has been informed that the water supply situation will be assessed after a tenth well has been constructed to see if more will be needed.

“Following the loss of the Kakhovka reservoir, actions have been taken to stabilise the site’s water resources, which are currently sufficient for several months of its cooling requirements in the current conditions,” Director General Grossi said.

“However, the challenges the site has been facing in this regard are further adding to the generally precarious nuclear safety and security situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, especially as our experts are reporting about further indications of increased military activities in the region,” he said.

Underlining the potential dangers for nuclear safety and security during the conflict in Ukraine, the IAEA experts have continued to hear numerous explosions some distance away from the ZNPP, which is located by the frontline.

They were also informed by the ZNPP about further drone attacks, on 11 September, in the nearby city of Enerhodar where many staff live with their families, causing minor damage to two buildings. The ZNPP informed the IAEA experts that there were no casualties reported at that time.

“No action should be taken that could imperil nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in any way. We remain determined to do everything we can to help prevent a nuclear accident during this tragic war. The risks continue to be all too real,” Director General Grossi said.  

At the ZNPP, the IAEA experts have continued to conduct walkdowns of specific areas at the site and meet with staff there.

They have not observed the presence of any new mines or explosives but confirmed the continued presence of mines in the buffer zone between the site’s internal and external perimeter barriers. The IAEA continues to request access to the rooftops of reactor units 1, 2, 5 and 6, and to all six turbine halls, one after the other.

Over the past week, the experts visited the isolation gate at the large cooling pond and confirmed the integrity of the gate and observed the reinforcements that had been made on the side of the Kakhovka reservoir following the dam’s collapse in early June.

The IAEA team also went to the main control room of unit 4, the reactor hall of unit 3, the turbine hall of unit 2 and a liquid waste treatment facility.

The six reactor units remain in shutdown, with units 1 to 5 in cold shutdown and unit 6 in hot shutdown to generate steam for various nuclear safety functions. For example, the steam from unit 6 is used in the liquid waste treatment facility that the IAEA experts visited this week.

During the visit and through discussions with ZNPP staff, the IAEA experts were informed that the inventory of liquid waste on site varies, due to the routine generation of waste together with the subsequent treatment of the waste. Currently, there is liquid waste to be treated, after which the site will also treat more such waste resulting from the regeneration of ion exchange resins, which are essential for maintaining the purity of the water, including that needed for the cooling of the spent fuel.

As previously stated, the IAEA experts have strongly been encouraging the ZNPP to investigate all possible options to install an external boiler to generate the steam required, which would enable the plant to bring all units into a cold shutdown state. Also as reported earlier, the Ukraine national regulator – SNRIU – has issued regulatory orders to limit the operation of all six units to a cold shutdown state.

At Ukraine’s three other nuclear power plants and the Chornobyl site, the IAEA teams based at these facilities reported no new nuclear safety and security issues over the past week. A rotation of IAEA experts was successfully conducted at the Chornobyl site earlier this week.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission found Poland’s nuclear regulatory framework to be in line with IAEA safety standards and said its regulatory body is competent and prepared for the launch of the country’s nuclear power programme. The team also said the government must take robust measures to ensure the regulatory body is independent and properly resourced.

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team today concluded a mission to Poland, conducted at the request of the Government of Poland and hosted by the Państwowa Agencja Atomistyki (PAA), the main regulatory body. Using IAEA safety standards and international good practices, IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety, while recognizing the responsibility of each country.

The 12-day mission – taking place from 4 to 15 September – reviewed Poland’s governmental, legal and regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety against IAEA safety standards. It was the second IRRS mission to Poland, following one held in 2013.

Construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant is planned to begin in 2026 at Lubiatowo-Kopalino in the province of Pomerania. As set out in Polish Nuclear Power Programme, there will be up to six reactors in two or three locations in the country with total generation capacity of 6 to 9 GWe. All units are expected to be online by 2040.

Poland currently operates a single research reactor, MARIA, has a research reactor, EWA, under decommissioning and two spent fuel storage facilities, all located in Otwock, near Warsaw. Industry, medicine and research applications of radioactive sources are widely used. The National Radioactive Waste Repository, located in the town of Rozan, is a near-surface repository for radioactive waste and sealed radioactive sources disposal operated by Radioactive Waste Management Plant (ZUOP).

The mission team consisted of 15 senior regulatory experts from 14 countries, as well as four IAEA staff members and one observer from the European Commission. The team met with the PAA and also held meetings with the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Military Preventive Medicine Centre of the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the State Regional Sanitary Inspection in Warsaw and the National Centre for Radiation Protection in Health Care. The experts also observed regulatory inspections and oversight activities at the MARIA Research Reactor operated by the National Center for Nuclear Research, the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology medical facility and the EWA research reactor under decommissioning, operated by ZUOP. These visits included discussions with management and staff of the facilities.

The team concluded that the PAA is a competent regulatory body whose staff are committed to deliver their regulatory statutory obligations effectively and to prepare to embark on a nuclear power programme in line with international safety standards.

“This is a major milestone for Poland, which has been considering a nuclear power programme for many years. The PAA’s commitment to safety, as demonstrated throughout this second IRRS mission, is essential to ensuring that any nuclear power plants built in Poland are operated safely and securely,” said Mike King, Deputy Office Director for Reactor Safety Programs and Mission Support at U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the IRRS Team Leader. “I would like to express my appreciation to the international team of experts who conducted this very thorough review.  Their findings show that the PAA is a competent regulatory body with dedicated staff who are committed to meet the highest safety standards.”

Poland’s simulation exercise of the regulatory assessment of an application for a license to build and operate a nuclear power plant, and the issuance of such a license – including participation from international experts – in 2018 and 2019 was signalled as a good practice by the IRRS team. The team said it enabled the PAA to enhance its competences for the licensing of a nuclear power programme, to identify priorities for further developing the safety infrastructure and to better prepare for several practical issues that may be encountered during licensing of the first nuclear plant in Poland.

In addition, the team identified good practices and performances conducted by Poland, including:

• The training of 300 Regional Sanitary Inspectorates staff on how to effectively inform the public on radon related issues.
• The communication strategy of the PAA to interact effectively with its interested parties, including information published on its website in relation to the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine.
• The installation of thirty additional radiation monitoring stations close to its border to improve radioactivity detection capability.

The IRRS team considers that the main challenge in Poland is to implement robust measures to ensure that the PAA is effectively independent and continues to be properly resourced. Additionally, the IRRS team said the government should:

• Ensure the availability of financial resources to enable the timely decommissioning of research reactors.
• Improve coordination and cooperation between different regulatory authorities with responsibilities for facilities and activities in Poland.
• Address the need for additional medical physicists for ensuring radiation protection of workers, patients and the public in medical treatments using radiation.
• Provide the PAA with the authority to amend licenses on its own initiative without the documented consent from the authorized party.
• The team added recommendations for the PAA including its need to establish an integrated overarching human resource plan, including the identification of financial resources to implement it.

“We would like to thank the IRRS team for their intensive work during last two weeks, the results of which will help us to further enhance the overall effectiveness of the regulatory system in Poland,” said Andrzej Głowacki, President of PAA. “The PAA has been identified as a competent regulatory body with staff committed to deliver their regulatory functions effectively. It will allow Poland to safely develop its nuclear power programme,” added the head of the Polish regulator.  “The IAEA’s recommendations and suggestions are very valuable to any country that is embarking on nuclear power, and identified areas of good practice and performance can only confirm that we are truly devoted to the development of our regulatory competences”.

The final mission report will be provided to PAA in about three months. Poland plans to make the report public.

Background

General information about IRRS missions can be found on the IAEA website. IRRS are used to advise Member States on ways to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of national regulatory frameworks for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety while recognizing the ultimate responsibility of each State to ensure safety in these areas.

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.