Category: Nuclear Control

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IAEA at COP29: Time to Deliver Nuclear Solutions

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Momentum for nuclear energy as a key driver toward net-zero is stronger than ever. Now is the time to turn last year’s historic consensus in Dubai into action, advancing nuclear solutions to ensure energy security, achieve climate targets and promote sustainable development.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is bringing this message to the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).

This year’s COP has climate finance at the top of the agenda. Building on the back of the historic inclusion of nuclear in the COP28 Global Stocktake and the first ever Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Director General Grossi will attend COP29 with a call to increase climate finance for nuclear. At the Financing Low Carbon Technology, Including Nuclear Energy event on 13 November at 16:00, Director General Grossi, as well as the COP29 presidency, ministers, heads of international organizations, multilateral development banks and the private sector will discuss scaling up the financing necessary to expand all low carbon energy technologies, including nuclear power.

In recently published projections, the IAEA increased its forecast for nuclear power generation for the fourth consecutive year. In its high-case scenario, global nuclear capacity by 2050 could reach two and a half times today’s levels, with small modular reactors (SMRs) contributing a quarter of this expansion. The United States Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, John Podesta, and Director General Grossi will host an event on Accelerating Early Deployment of Small Modular Reactors at 12:45 on 13 November.

Throughout the two-week conference, which runs from 11 to 22 November, the IAEA will also promote the use of nuclear science and technologies for climate change adaptation and monitoring to achieve sustainable water management, protect coastal and marine ecosystems and provide food security.

On 12 November, Director General Grossi will join leaders from UNIDO, FAO, WTO and other key sectors for a flagship event on Decarbonizing and Adapting the Cotton-to-Clothing Value Chain through Multisectoral Partnerships. The event will showcase how innovative policies, technologies and partnerships can drive decarbonization in the cotton sector and strengthen climate resilience.

Millions worldwide still face hunger, and transforming agrifood systems through science and technology is essential to address this challenge amid changing climate conditions. An event on the joint IAEA/FAO Atoms4Food initiative will take place at the China Pavilion on 12 November to present achievements in agriculture and food security in the context of national climate adaptation efforts. 

The Atoms4Climate pavilion will be hosted by the IAEA in the Blue Zone at COP and will showcase nuclear power, science and technology solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring.

The IAEA will host and participate in more than 50 events focusing on four thematic areas: energy, food, the ocean and water.

See the IAEA COP29 page for the complete list of IAEA and partner events. Check the individual event pages for updates on livestreaming opportunities.

Nuclear security measures

For the third time, the IAEA is supporting the COP host country to implement nuclear security measures during the two-week conference. In October, the Agency trained more than 100 national first responders and staff from security enforcement bodies, including through hands-on equipment training conducted at the Baku Stadium, the venue for the COP. The Agency has also supplied over 100 radiation detection devices to support the nuclear security measures throughout COP, which is expected to draw around 40 000 participants. Similar assistance was provided by the IAEA at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and COP28 in Dubai, UAE, as part of the IAEA’s two decades worth of support offered to countries, upon their request, for nuclear security at major public events.  

IAEA media team contacts

IAEA experts in climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring will be available for interviews at COP29.

For interview requests and other media-related questions, please contact Fredrik Dahl, IAEA Spokesperson, at Fredrik.Dahl@iaea.org and copy press@iaea.org.

The IAEA video team will be present at COP29. B-roll footage is available here. For additional requests of B-roll of the Director General, the IAEA pavilion or specific events, please contact multimedia.contact-point@iaea.org and copy press@iaea.org.

Registration

To attend IAEA events in person, you must register for COP29. For media accreditation and all other details concerning the attendance of COP29, please refer to the UNFCCCC online registration page. The IAEA cannot assist with accreditation to COP29.

Media kit

The COP29 media kit provides information on the four key areas highlighted at the #Atoms4Climate pavilion — energy, food, the ocean and water — along with recent reports and further background information.

The media kit also contains B-roll video footage on nuclear power and applications to tackle climate change, videos on the IAEA and climate change and high-resolution images in the IAEA Flickr account. The IAEA will take photographs at COP29 and post them on Flickr.

This material is free to use under the copyright provisions of the IAEA Terms of Use. If you have further questions, please contact us.

The IAEA’s explainer articles, podcasts and other resources on climate change are available on the IAEA website.

Follow the IAEA and #Atoms4Climate on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Weibo for updates throughout COP29.

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IAEA at COP29: Nuclear Solutions for Climate Change

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

COP29 will take place from 11 to 22 November 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

As the world grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will join global leaders and stakeholders at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP29, to highlight the vast potential of nuclear solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring.

The IAEA will showcase nuclear solutions for climate action in some 40 events at COP29, which will take place from 11 to 22 November 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Agency’s Atoms4Climate pavilion will feature an exhibit on nuclear applications, with IAEA experts ready to answer questions about how nuclear energy contributes to net-zero emissions and how nuclear science can address climate-related challenges to food security, water resources and ocean health.

COP29 will build on the global consensus that emerged at COP28 in Dubai, where the Global Stocktake marked a historic turning point with its call for accelerating the deployment of nuclear energy, along with other low-emission technologies, to help achieve deep and rapid decarbonization.

“At COP28, the world agreed nuclear power must be part of the transition to net zero,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in the runup to COP29. “We know investment in nuclear power can lower grid costs and speed up the deployment of intermittent clean-energy sources like wind and solar. As the world moves from consensus to construction, the IAEA supports newcomer countries in establishing safe, secure, safeguarded and sustainable nuclear power programmes.”

COP29 also follows on the first-ever Nuclear Energy Summit, hosted in Brussels by the IAEA and the Government of Belgium in March 2024, where leaders from more than 30 countries reaffirmed their commitment to nuclear energy as a way to reduce carbon emissions and meet development goals.

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IAEA Completes International Physical Protection Advisory Service Mission in Rwanda

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The IPPAS team visited Gisagara Thermal Power Station, which utilizes radioactive sources for measurement purposes. (Photo: Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority)

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded a two-week International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission in Rwanda. The mission, conducted at the request of the Government of Rwanda, took place from 28 October to 8 November 2024. It was the first IPPAS mission to Rwanda.

Hosted by the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), the six-person mission team reviewed Rwanda’s nuclear security regime for radioactive material, associated facilities and activities. As part of the review, the IPPAS team visited Gisagara Thermal Power Station, which utilizes radioactive sources to measure the level and consistency of peat fuel, in Southern Province of Rwanda. The team also visited the Rwanda Cancer Center, which is setting up their first brachytherapy unit, at the Kanombe Military Hospital in Kigali.

Rwanda accepted the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) in 2021. This Amendment significantly enhances the original CPPNM by broadening its scope and establishing obligations for Parties to ensure the physical protection of all nuclear facilities and nuclear material used for peaceful purposes, whether in domestic use, storage, or transport.

The IPPAS team, led by Simon Vleugels of the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection in the Netherlands, included experts from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda, as well as one IAEA staff member. The team held discussions with officials from the Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, Rwanda Defence Force, Rwanda Environmental Management Authority, Rwanda Food and Drug Authority, Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Rwanda National Police, and customs and immigration authorities.

The team commended Rwanda for its comprehensive actions taken to enhance its nuclear security regime and for the effective collaboration among different competent authorities in nuclear security. The IPPAS team provided recommendations and suggestions to help Rwanda further enhance its nuclear security procedures and practices.

Additionally, the team identified good practices that could serve as valuable examples for other IAEA Member States, contributing to long-term improvements in global nuclear security.

Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, commended Rwanda’s on-going effort to ensure that critical infrastructure and nuclear and other radioactive material used in the county are secure. “The findings of the IPPAS mission in Rwanda will further contribute to the establishment of a robust nuclear security regime in the country.”

“As Rwanda embarks on the path toward expanding its use of nuclear technology, particularly in healthcare and energy sectors, there is a huge need to strengthen its regulatory framework and build a robust infrastructure for nuclear security that will protect both our people and our environment,” said Evariste Rugigana, Director General of RURA. Earlier this year, the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board signed a memorandum of understanding for the deployment of small modular reactors.

“This IPPAS mission will be crucial in ensuring that the highest levels of security are maintained. The mission also reflects our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of nuclear materials and facilities in our country by working closely with international experts. Our collaboration with the IAEA through IPPAS will help us adopt best practices and enhance our readiness to respond to any security challenges,” he added.

Background

The mission was the 106th IPPAS mission conducted by the IAEA since the programme began in 1995.

IPPAS missions are intended to assist States in strengthening their national nuclear security regime. The missions provide peer advice on implementing international instruments, along with IAEA guidance on the protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.

During missions, a team of international experts observes a nation’s system of physical protection, compares it with international good practices and makes recommendations for improvement. IPPAS missions are conducted both on a nationwide and facility-specific basis.

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NSA Inducts Five Innovators into Cryptologic Hall of Honor

Source: National Security Agency NSA

The National Security Agency’s (NSA) Center for Cryptologic History is pleased to announce the induction of five major cryptologic figures into the Cryptologic Hall of Honor.
 
The 2024 inductees are:

  • Francis N. Allen – NSA’s analytic achievements against the Soviet target in the 1980s would not have been possible without the development work performed by Frank Allen. Allen provided key knowledge not only to analysis and reporting, but to development of sophisticated collection and processing systems. He created the series of Soviet Telecommunications Handbooks, guidebooks of the parameters of the wide variety of Soviet systems that were used worldwide by collectors and analysts alike.
  • ​Joanne B. Perriens – Perriens was a groundbreaking analyst, leader, and glass-ceiling-shattering pioneer. She began her career at Arlington Hall, then moved with NSA to Fort Meade in the mid-1950s. From her earliest assignments she worked Soviet and Eastern Bloc targets, and did so for decades in myriad positions. Perriens was a strong advocate for personnel and their career development, and aggressively supported the promotion of women into the Agency’s higher ranks. She sent official memos to three successive DIRNSAs, challenging them to increase the number of women in senior positions. Mrs. Perriens’ actions resulted in great strides forward in diversity issues.
  • James R. Child – The accomplishments of James Child, a Senior Language Research Analyst at the National Cryptologic School, have arguably affected every single government linguist since the 1970s. Child’s lasting contribution to NSA—already recognized by government and academia—was the revolution he launched in language instruction and testing, as well as the specific tools to maintain proficiency standards. 
  • ​Patrick R. Gallagher, Jr. – Gallagher, an electrical engineer, laid the foundations for what are now the Cybersecurity Directorate and the Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research. Additionally, he established NSA’s relationship with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), which is as critical today as it was in his time. Gallagher guided both the Trusted Product Evaluation Program (TPEP) and the Commercial COMSEC Endorsement Program (CCEP). These programs were the foundation of cryptographic evaluation for decades, and the underlying security principles established within them are applied to this day.
  • Theodore Eric Nave, CAPT, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Navy, OBE – CAPT Nave contributed significantly to the safety and security of Allied countries throughout a career spanning the period 1917 to 1949. His foundational work unravelling Japanese Naval telegraphy and breaking Imperial Japanese Naval codes was instrumental in supporting Allied operational forces in the South West Pacific Area, led by General Douglas MacArthur. Throughout a career in both the Australian and British navies, Nave played a foundational role in training Allied analysts, which was just as critical to allied codebreaking success as his individual achievements. A passionate advocate for an Australian peacetime SIGINT capability, Nave was closely involved in establishing the Defense Signals Bureau at the end of World War II (now the Australian Signals Directorate). In 1946, he led the delegation that ensured Australia’s inclusion in the Five Eyes signals intelligence arrangements, which continue to this day.

​The next call for nominations will be issued in early 2025, but any individual or group can make a nomination at any time.
 
Individuals or groups nominated for the Cryptologic Hall of Honor must have made a significant contribution through cryptology to America’s national security. This may have been through a single event or a lifetime of superior achievements in cryptology. Individuals who worked for the government must have departed government cryptologic service at least 10 years prior to the nomination. Non-U.S. individuals or groups are also eligible for consideration, and their achievements, too, must have occurred at least 10 years prior to the nomination.

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Update 258 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

A new expert team from the International Atomic Energy Agency crossed the frontline this week to travel to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), replacing colleagues who have been monitoring nuclear safety and security at the site over the past several weeks as part of the IAEA’s non-stop efforts to help prevent a radiological accident during the military conflict.

It is the 25th IAEA Support and Assistance Mission stationed at the ZNPP since Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi set up an Agency presence there in September 2022. It was followed a few months later by the establishment of similar IAEA missions at Ukraine’s four other nuclear facilities – the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site.

Over the past week, the teams at the three operating NPPs – which currently provide much of Ukraine’s electricity supplies – also rotated successfully.

“We will stay at these sites for as long as it is needed to help avert the threat of a nuclear accident that could have serious consequences for human health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond. As the nuclear safety and security situation remains highly challenging, our experts are continuing to play a crucial stabilizing role at all these facilities,” Director General Grossi said.

In their daily work, the IAEA teams assess nuclear safety and security at the five sites, provide relevant information to the public and the international community, and deliver on a comprehensive programme of technical support and assistance to Ukraine that includes nuclear safety and security-related equipment as well as expertise and advice. The IAEA also provides medical assistance.

At the ZNPP, reactor unit 1 was returned to cold shutdown mode on 2 November after welding and radiography tests were successfully completed on one leaking impulse line, as reported last week. The plant continues to analyse the underlying cause of the defect, which had no direct nuclear safety impact.

Over the past week, the IAEA team members examined the current power configuration at the ZNPP, an area which remains a deep source of concern for nuclear safety and security. They were informed that two backup transformers had resumed operation after successful high voltage testing in late October, and that maintenance would be carried out on the four remaining backup transformers by the end of the year.

With the ZNPP, they have also discussed the plant’s preparations for the cold winter months, receiving confirmation that all six reactors will remain in cold shutdown, with required heating provided by on-site boilers instead.

The IAEA team also visited the reactor and containment building of unit 4 without identifying any nuclear safety and security issues, as well as some of the emergency diesel generators of units 1 and 5.

During the past week, the team has continued to hear frequent explosions, some distance away from the ZNPP. No damage to the ZNPP was reported.

The IAEA teams 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.

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World Fusion Energy Group Kicks Off in Rome

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Government ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries convened at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome for the inaugural ministerial meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group (WFEG) on 6 November, underscoring the growing interest and progress in developing fusion technology to provide a clean, safe and limitless source of energy.

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Fusion Energy Momentum Highlighted at Ministerial Meeting Hosted by IAEA and Italy

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Government ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries convened at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome for the inaugural ministerial meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group (WFEG) today, underscoring the growing interest and progress in developing fusion technology to provide a clean, safe and limitless source of energy. 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and – on behalf of the Italian President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni – Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Minister Alfredo Mantovano delivered the opening speeches together with the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and the Italian Minister of Environment and Energy Gilberto Pichetto Fratin.

During the WFEG ministerial discussions, co-organized by the IAEA and Italy, participants widely agreed that cross-border collaboration is essential to accelerate the transition from fusion research to commercialization. Speakers highlighted the need to work together to establish international supply chains and develop the required specialised workforce.  

The meeting – the first of its kind – showed how recent developments and technical breakthroughs in the fusion sector have generated new momentum, making the deployment of fusion plants in the near future increasingly plausible. 

In a further sign of increased interest, the IAEA launched two fusion publications – the World Fusion Outlook 2024 and Fusion Key Elements – on the occasion of today’s meeting.

“The fusion sector is experiencing an unprecedented transformation, driven by scientific breakthroughs, combined with a surge in private sector investment,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who presented the two publications at the WFEG.

“The IAEA has intensified its involvement, resulting in the World Fusion Outlook and Fusion Key Elements, as well as the expansion of our activities devoted to advancing fusion engineering, ensuring safety, addressing environmental concerns, developing regulatory frameworks, and examining the socio-economic dimensions related to fusion energy,” Director General Grossi said. 

“It is no coincidence that the World Fusion Energy Group is gathering for the first time in Italy. We are here thanks to our tradition, our prestige in the field of scientific research and the key contribution that Italy has made to global technological progress,” Undersecretary Mantovano declared. “We are endowed with top level technological expertise. Our university system trains a significant number of internationally renowned nuclear engineers and physicists, and our centres of excellence stand out with large research and development projects.” 

Discussions at the WFEG meeting were focused on three main topics: the status of fusion energy; global collaboration and public-private partnerships; and sustaining resources and exploring alternative business opportunities. 

“The strong attendance at today’s meeting clearly demonstrates the growing optimism about the immense potential of fusion energy as a long-term clean energy solution,” Director General Grossi said. “Until recently, fusion energy had been a distant dream, but now with burgeoning private sector involvement and major technical breakthroughs, it seems fusion’s realization is now within reach.” 

“The atom can be a safe, effective and clean source for the future. It is a concrete prospect, in which we can and must believe. Today we want to start an ambitious path of sharing and discussion that will concern not only the current situation of fusion energy, but also the path to follow in order to reach this momentous goal,” Undersecretary Mantovano stated. “The Group encourages each of us to look beyond our own borders and to lay the foundations of a new energy and environmental diplomacy that multiplies the opportunities for cooperation between the North and the South of the world.”

World Fusion Outlook 2024 

In its second edition, the World Fusion Outlook 2024 provides an overview of the current state and direction of the fusion field. It highlights emerging plant concepts, projected development timelines, policy frameworks and trends in both public and private investment. It also covers research output metrics and offers regional and sectoral outlooks. 

At least 20 fusion energy plant concepts are at various stages of development in ten countries with the target completion dates ranging between the late-2020s and mid-2050s. The concepts featured in this year’s outlook are being developed by governments, private companies and public–private joint ventures. 

Fusion Key Elements  

Fusion Key Elements highlights the importance of sharing a common vision and understanding of the path leading to commercialization of fusion energy among all stakeholders involved. It is structured around six key elements, each addressing facets of the fusion energy paradigm. These include: 

  1. Research, development and demonstration priorities and metrics, and commercialization milestones 
  2. Resources, workforce and knowledge management for industrialization 
  3. Safety, security and non-proliferation 
  4. Global collaboration 
  5. Roles of stakeholders 
  6. Public engagement, outreach and communication 

Together, these six elements form the foundation of a unified strategy to navigate challenges and seize the opportunities inherent in fusion energy development. Experts from around the world, including members of the International Fusion Research Council (IFRC) contributed to the publication.  

“The IAEA remains steadfast in its support of fusion energy development, championing initiatives that bring us closer to realizing the dream of limitless, clean energy,” Director General Grossi said. “Together, let us embrace the promise of fusion energy, forging a path towards a brighter, more sustainable future for all.” 

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IAEA Launches World Fusion Outlook 2024 and Fusion Key Elements

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched today two fusion publications – the World Fusion Outlook 2024 and Fusion Key Elements – underscoring the growing interest and progress in developing fusion technology to provide a clean, safe and limitless source of energy. 

“The fusion sector is experiencing an unprecedented transformation, driven by scientific breakthroughs, combined with a surge in private sector investment,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who presented the two publications at the inaugural ministerial meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group (WFEG) in Rome.

In its second edition, the World Fusion Outlook 2024 provides an overview of the current state and direction of the fusion field. Fusion Key Elements highlights the importance of sharing a common vision and understanding of the path leading to commercialization of fusion energy among all stakeholders involved.

“The IAEA has intensified its involvement, resulting in the World Fusion Outlook and Fusion Key Elements, as well as the expansion of our activities devoted to advancing fusion engineering, ensuring safety, addressing environmental concerns, developing regulatory frameworks, and examining the socio-economic dimensions related to fusion energy,” Director General Grossi said. 

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IAEA’s First Cuban Collaborating Centre for Coastal and Marine Health

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Florence Descroix Comanducci, Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, presents Alejandro Garcia Moya, Director of the Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos (CEAC), with a plaque recognizing the designation of CEAC as an IAEA Collaborating Centre,  June 2024, Monaco. (Photo Credit E. McDonald/IAEA)

The first IAEA Collaborating Centre for marine research in a small island developing state has been officially designated in Cuba. The Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos has been working with the IAEA for many years, applying nuclear and isotopic techniques to manage fragile Cuban marine environments more effectively. It will now strengthen this collaboration and apply these techniques to the study of marine-coastal ecosystems in the Latin American and Caribbean Region.

The Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos (CEAC) will serve as a hub for research, development and capacity building, focusing on marine and coastal pollution, harmful algae blooms, ocean acidification and carbon sequestration, among others. The five-year Collaborating Centre agreement will support IAEA’s efforts to enhance countries’ capacity to use nuclear tools and techniques for regional marine monitoring, strengthening seafood safety programmes and building resilience in coastal communities. Small island developing states (SIDS) are heavily dependent on the ocean for environmental and economic prosperity, making them particularly vulnerable to ocean changes. Monitoring the impacts of ocean changes is crucial to ensuring that communities have the information they need to identify potential threats and mitigate negative effects.

“The centre will support studies relevant to the identification of sources and effects of pollutants in the environment, using isotopic, nuclear and molecular techniques,” said Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories. “The progress we have already made in collaboration with CEAC is a testament to what science can achieve, and I look forward to the advances that will come as a result of this new agreement.” To commemorate CEAC’s designation as an IAEA Collaborating Centre, Descroix-Comanducci presented CEAC Director Alejandro Garcia Moya with a plaque in June 2024 at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories.

CEAC has long been involved in IAEA trainings and coordinated research projects (CRPs) to develop capacity and improve scientific understanding of marine plastic pollution. CEAC is also involved in the IAEA’s NUClear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) initiative, for the assessment and monitoring of microplastics in the marine environment.

“Successful sustainable ocean management can only be achieved through collaborative efforts. This agreement is an inter-institutional framework to contribute to research and human resources capacity-building of Caribbean and Latin American scientists in using nuclear and isotopic techniques,” said Alejandro Garcia Moya, Director of CEAC. “Becoming an IAEA Collaborating Centre is another step towards improving our scientific capacities, locally, regionally and globally.”

CEAC Researchers take samples of microorganisms that may produce toxins. (Photo: Cienfuegos Center for Environmental Studies)

As part of the agreed workplan, CEAC will analyse pollutants, assess the impacts of microplastic pollution and use Polonium 210 and Caesium 137 to date sediment cores for the purpose of determining rates of carbon sequestration in marine sediments. Additionally, CEAC will undertake field studies to better understand the occurrence of biotoxins, HABS and eutrophication processes in aquatic ecosystems. The collection and compilation of data addressing these issues is crucial to ensuring that stocks of seafood are maintained and safe to consume. CEAC’s designation as an IAEA Collaborating Centre is another step towards enhancing capacity in Cuba and the Latin America and Caribbean region, supporting local, regional and national institutions and advancing global scientific progress.

About Collaborating Centre

An IAEA Collaborating Centre is a national institution, department or laboratory, which focuses on research, development and training and which has been designated by the IAEA to support the IAEA’s programmatic activities by implementing an agreed work plan. The designation of such a Centre is done through an IAEA Collaborating Centre Agreement. This Agreement is a legally binding document signed by both parties, which contains the undertakings of the parties and the duration of designation as well as the objectives, activities and expected results and outcomes.

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IAEA Launches New App to Help Assess Radiation Threat Following Alarm

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Radiation detection systems at airports can be triggered by people who recently received medical treatment with radiopharmaceuticals, causing an ‘innocent alarm’ that can be assessed with a new app. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

The IAEA has launched a new app to help frontline officers assess radiation alarms triggered by people at airports, border crossings and other points of entry – and ease delays. 

Passing through fixed radiation detection portals at airports has become part of travelers’ routines, as well as a standard security precaution. But what happens if an alarm is set off? The priority is to answer the question on why the person triggered an alarm, to understand quickly if there is a nuclear security threat or not.  

The new mobile application – the Personnel Alarm Assessment Tool (PAAT) – helps frontline officers, such as customs or law enforcement personnel, make those decisions.  

“PAAT is now added to the IAEA suite of science and technology tools available to support countries in implementing nuclear security measures,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “PAAT is another example of the different ways in which the IAEA is working to give countries the technology and training they need to improve their nuclear security measures.” 

When a radiation alarm is triggered, customs officers or other specialized personnel follow a set procedure to assess the nature of the alarm and determine whether it is an actual security threat or not. In most cases, the alarms are ‘innocent’ and are set off by people who have recently undergone a medical treatment or a diagnostic procedure that involved the use of  radiopharmaceuticals.

PAAT users insert data obtained from a brief interview with the person involved plus a radiation measurement. PAAT includes a catalogue of 70 radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine, and the measurement plus the interview produces a quantitative assessment of the likely source of the radiation that has been detected. The application tool gives a red, yellow or green signal and provides important and immediate support for frontline officers in the assessment of the radiation source.  

The use of PAAT is expected to minimize the time required for this alarm assessment. “PAAT allows for a fast and accurate assessment to reduce unnecessary delay for the person who has undergone a medical procedure and minimize the impact of innocent alarms on normal operations of busy places like airports,” added Buglova.  

PAAT is part of the overall IAEA toolkit provided to countries to improve radiation detection operations in a variety of scenarios. “The idea behind PAAT is similar to the Tool for Radiation Alarm and Commodity Evaluation (TRACE) mobile application, launched by the IAEA in 2017. The difference is that PAAT is about alarms caused by people, while TRACE is used in cases of alarms caused by vehicles carrying commodities passing through radiation detection portals,” said Itimad Soufi, Head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Security of Materials Outside of Regulatory Control Section. “Both mobile applications are easy to use and do not collect personal data.”  

PAAT can be used also for supporting nuclear security measures during major public events, where radiation detection may also result in alarms requiring further assessment.  

PAAT is available for download on Apple and Android devices in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.