Category: Nuclear Energy

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

A reactor unit of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) temporarily lost power earlier this week, forcing it to rely on an emergency diesel generator for the electricity it needs for cooling and other vital functions, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The ZNPP is investigating the cause of the 90-minute power outage that occurred late on Wednesday at reactor unit 6. The IAEA experts at the site are also gathering information to make their own independent assessment. The affected unit is in cold shutdown, but still needs access to power. None of the ZNPP’s five other reactors lost power, three of which are also in cold shutdown, while two are in hot shutdown to generate steam and heating.

“While this was not a total loss of off-site power, as we have seen seven times before during the conflict, it once again highlights the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant,” Director General Grossi said. “The IAEA will continue to collect information so we can inform the international community about the situation at the plant.”

The day after the power outage, the ZNPP informed the IAEA experts that part of the safety system of the same unit was placed under planned maintenance.

The ZNPP continues to be connected to the electricity grid through a single 750 kilovolt (kV) main power line – out of four before the conflict – as well as a back-up 330 kV line, compared with six less than two years ago.

IAEA experts present at the ZNPP are continuing to hear explosions on a near-daily basis some distance away from the site, on the frontline of the conflict.

Separately, the IAEA experts have been informed that the chemical boron has been detected in the secondary cooling circuit of one of the steam generators of reactor unit 5, which is currently in hot shutdown. Borated water is used in the primary coolant to help maintain nuclear safety. The site has increased the frequency of boron measurements in the secondary cooling circuit of unit 5. The measurements remain relatively stable and are within the limits permitted by the reactor’s technical specifications. No radioactivity has been detected in the secondary cooling circuit.

The ZNPP stated that, as the boron concentration remains within the allowable limits, the site intends to keep unit 5 in hot shutdown, which will be reassessed after all the boilers, used for heating in the nearby town of Enerhodar, have started operating. At that time, the site will determine whether to move unit 5 to cold shutdown.

The ZNPP has been keeping reactor units 4 and 5 in hot shutdown to provide heating and steam for nuclear safety purposes on site, as well as heating for Enerhodar, where most plant staff live. The IAEA continues to follow the ZNPP’s progress to find an alternative source of steam generation. Ukraine’s national regulator, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), issued regulatory orders in June to limit the operation of all six units of the ZNPP to a cold shutdown state.

In other activities conducted by the IAEA experts over the past week, the team performed – for the first time – a walkdown on Wednesday of all six main reactor control rooms at the ZNPP, one after the other. It provided the team with an opportunity to gather more information about staffing there and to confirm the status of each reactor unit.

“This has been a positive development regarding access. I strongly encourage the plant to ensure that timely access and information sharing take place regularly. It will enhance our capability to report about the overall situation at the plant,” Director General Grossi said.

The same day, the IAEA experts also conducted a walkdown of the turbine hall of unit 5, but their access was partially restricted, as was the case also during a visit to the turbine hall of unit 1 last week, and of the turbine halls of units 1, 2, 4 and 5 during walkdowns in October. The IAEA experts continue to request access to all six turbine halls together as part of their activities to monitor compliance to the seven indispensable pillars and the five concrete principles for protecting the ZNPP.

Following last month’s closure of the reactor vessel of unit 3, the plant informed the IAEA experts this week that testing of the reactor’s primary cooling circuit was completed, and pressure testing of the secondary cooling circuit is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Over the past week, up to seven of the nine mobile diesel boilers installed at the ZNPP to provide additional heating during the winter have been in operation most days. Their usage depends on the requirements for steam at the plant and for heating in Enerhodar.

Elsewhere in Ukraine this week, IAEA experts observed an emergency exercise conducted at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on 15 and 16 November, which also included support from staff at the South Ukraine and Khmelnitsky NPPs. The IAEA has teams continually present at these three plants, who followed the different aspects of the exercise, at the Rivne NPP from both the onsite and offsite emergency control room.

During the exercise, the SNRIU – the Ukrainian Competent Authority under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency – shared information with the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre.

Following the emergency exercise, the Rivne NPP conducted a debriefing to discuss the conduct of the exercise, document lessons learned and to identify areas for improvement.

The ZNPP plans to conduct an emergency exercise next week, which the IAEA team will also observe.

The IAEA teams at the Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site report safe and secure operations of these nuclear facilities despite the continuation of the conflict.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have been informed that 21 natural gas boilers have been installed at the industrial zone nearby Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) as part of measures to provide additional heating during the winter, including for the nearby city of Enerhodar, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team confirmed that the new gas boilers can provide an extra 57MW of heating. In addition, all nine mobile diesel boilers, located at the ZNPP, have been in operation most days to generate the heating needed as the autumn weather gets colder prior to the onset of winter for the plant and the nearby city of Enerhodar.

The ISAMZ team have learned that the three large capacity diesel boilers located at the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) and at the industrial zone are planned to be converted to natural gas within the next month. Additional heating is provided by the ZNPP units 4 and 5 in hot shutdown, which also produce the steam required for nuclear safety and security related activities at the ZNPP, and by over 50 mobile boilers located throughout the city of Enerhodar.

Ukraine’s national regulator, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), issued regulatory orders in June to limit the operation of all six units of the ZNPP to a cold shutdown state. Units 1, 2, 3 and 6 are currently in cold shutdown.

“With the continuing precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the team will monitor closely the efforts taken to prepare for the difficult coldest months of the year,” Director General Grossi said. “Our presence remains essential.”

During the past week, the new team of IAEA experts who recently crossed the frontline to begin their rotation at the ZNPP heard explosions outside the plant on a near-daily basis, highlighting the dangers posed by an armed conflict in such close proximity to a nuclear power plant.

The team was informed of the maintenance activities being performed in recent days. Pressure testing of unit 3’s steam generators – a necessary procedure following the closure of its reactor vessel, which had been left open for over 18 months – was completed successfully and sealing of the steam generators is being performed. The ZNPP informed the IAEA experts today that maintenance is being performed on the primary circuit this week, after which final pressure testing will be conducted on it.

ZNPP also informed the IAEA that maintenance of the number 1 safety train of unit 6 would take place in the near future. ZNPP reactors each have three separate and independent redundant systems – known as safety trains – comprising the units’ safety systems, which are normally in stand-by mode ready to activate if needed to maintain safety. Maintenance on the other two safety trains was conducted in October.

During the past week the team was informed that maintenance of the main unit transformers of units 1, 2 and 3 will commence this week, similar to that recently performed on the unit transformers of units 4, 5 and 6.

The IAEA has been concerned that some of the maintenance activities that have been carried out on the safety systems of the reactor units may have been  incomplete, warranting additional maintenance to be carried out. This was apparent in July and August after unit 4 was placed in hot shutdown following maintenance on its safety systems. However, after unit 4 was returned to cold shutdown in August due to a water leak in one of the steam generators, further maintenance was also required to clean the heat exchangers of the unit’s safety systems.

“As a result of the ongoing conflict, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, has not been able to maintain a comprehensive systematic maintenance programme, especially due to the reduction of experienced maintenance staff,” Director General Grossi said. “Nuclear safety and security remain at risk the longer the plant has reduced levels of trained and experienced staff. It is not a sustainable situation for Europe’s largest nuclear power plant”.

The IAEA team at the site continues to perform daily walkdowns. On 7 November, during a visit to the main control room, emergency control room and electrical room of unit 3, the team confirmed the unit’s cold shutdown status. A walkdown of the emergency diesel generators of units 1 and 2 was conducted on 8 November and on 10 November, respectively, the IAEA experts also visited the ZNPP cooling pond and cooling towers and confirmed the integrity of the isolation gates.

The Agency continues to stress that it needs access to all six turbine halls to assess safety but again on November 10 the experts at the site were prevented from visiting parts of the turbine hall of unit 1, after receiving similar restricted access to the turbine halls of units 1, 2 and 4 during walkdowns in October.

During walkdowns of the site perimeter on 3 and 5 November, the team did not observe any mines or explosives, including in areas where they had been previously observed.

Outside of the perimeter of the site, the IAEA visited the three large diesel fuel storage tanks at the storage facility. This stored fuel is required to run the 20 emergency diesel generators at the ZNPP for at least 10 days. The storage facility is also being used to supply fuel for the mobile diesel boilers. The team was informed of the amount of fuel in the tanks and observed the filling of trucks taking diesel fuel to the mobile boilers.

Regarding the water used at the site for reactor cooling and other nuclear safety and security functions, the ZNPP confirmed that insulation of the 11 groundwater wells was ongoing. The wells feed approximately 250m³/h of cooling water to the sprinkler ponds for reactor cooling. Insulation works are planned to be completed by the end of November. The IAEA experts were also informed that the power supply for the pumps in the wells is provided by the essential electricity consumer outlets. In case of a loss of off-site power, the IAEA experts were informed that the pumps from the wells can be powered through the two common emergency diesel generators, thus ensuring the availability of cooling water if all off-site power was lost.

The IAEA team at the site learned that the ZNPP emergency exercise is planned to be conducted later in November. The last major exercise at ZNPP was conducted in November 2021, prior to the start of the conflict. Since that time, there has been an unprecedented change in the number of the ZNPP staff which could impede the site’s ability to be able to effectively respond to emergency situations. The Agency stresses the need for the ISAMZ team to be permitted to observe the upcoming exercise and to receive the lessons learned from the exercise.

As part of its work at the site, the IAEA continues to gather information on the status and condition of staff. This includes building an understanding of the training and licensing of operating staff at the plant under Russian Federation regulations.  The IAEA experts visited the ZNPP training centre on 7 November and gathered more information regarding the number of trainers and their training processes.

In terms of regulatory functions at the site, the IAEA was also informed this past week that Rostekhnadzor, the Russian regulatory body for nuclear and radiation safety, is establishing a more permanent presence at the ZNPP with the arrival at the site of the Head of ZNPP Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspections. The team was informed that the intent is to provide constant supervision and regulatory control of the nuclear power plant (NPP), in accordance with Russian state laws and to give licenses to the employees.

Separately last week, the IAEA conducted successful rotations of its teams at the Chornobyl site, and the Rivne, Khmelnitsky and South Ukraine NPPs. The teams each reported the safe and secure operations of these nuclear facilities.

The IAEA team at Khmelnitsky NPP observed a plant-wide emergency response exercise on 11 October, noting at the time that the exercise was well planned and implemented and that emergency response arrangements appeared to be effective. During the past week the Agency’s experts were informed that the follow-up activities for the exercise were conducted and an action plan has been developed for the identified areas of further improvement, including on- and off-site communication, fire protection, and decontamination.

Additionally, over the last week, the IAEA conducted a medical and coordination assistance mission in Ukraine. The team visited the Chornobyl site, Slavutych Municipal Hospital and the Slavutych local center that provides mental health support for staff at Chornobyl. The team also met various authorities in Kyiv to discuss the coordination and collaboration on the overall technical support and assistance to Ukraine, including on the mental health support programme.

The team noted progress in recent months in various areas impacted by the armed conflict owing to the support provided through the Agency, as well as through other bilateral or multilateral arrangements and from the national authorities, but noted the difficult and improvised living conditions of the operating staff at the Chornobyl site. Staff are required to sleep in adapted living conditions and in unventilated and humid premises, in rooms often accommodating six persons or more, which lack the basic supplies.

“Such a situation is taking its toll on the physical and mental health of the operating staff and is not sustainable in the longer term” Director General Grossi said.

Also in the last week the Agency arranged the 32nd delivery of equipment to Ukraine. The equipment was donated by Canada under the IAEA Response and Assistance Network, RANET. This delivery was the second shipment of equipment from Canada, and one additional and final shipment is in preparation. With this delivery the Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs, Chornobyl, as well as the Public Health Centre of Ministry of Health, the State Register of Ionizing Radiation Sources and Individual Radiation Doses and SNRIU, received personal protective equipment, IT equipment, potassium iodide pills, first aid kits and similar items.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have agreed to enhance their cooperation around the transport of radioactive materials by air, notably to improve the efficiency and speed of these shipments that are vital for cancer care and other medical uses around the world.

In a joint statement signed today, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar and underscored that the agreement also “highlights the importance of adherence to the IAEA safety standards for the safe use of radioactive materials and to ICAO standards for global civil aviation safety and security.”

The agreement builds on the cooperation between both UN bodies on matters of common interest that began in 1960.

Nuclear medicine is based on access to radiopharmaceuticals for a variety of diagnostic uses and specific therapies. Getting radiopharmaceuticals from the manufacturer to hospitals and medical clinics depends on fast and reliable transport, including by air. Over 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine, mostly for diagnosis.

“The IAEA’s role in ensuring the safe transport of radioactive material by air is essential in the carriage of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals and other crucial radioactive materials,” remarked ICAO Secretary General Salazar. “ICAO welcomes the heightening of our collaboration in this vitally important area of mutual interest.”

IAEA Director General Grossi said: “It is very important that the work the IAEA and ICAO undertake in developing and strengthening the implementation of international standards is complementary. The IAEA greatly values ICAO’s long-standing contribution to the development and review of IAEA safety standards. We can work even more closely together in other areas of common interest, such as in reducing denials of, and delays in, shipment of radioactive material by air.”  

The agreement encompasses the development and review of relevant IAEA safety standards and the harmonization of best practices globally, with the IAEA and ICAO collaborating to collect and analyse associated information.

Raising stakeholder awareness through education, training, and outreach are also foreseen, including around emergency preparedness.

Radiation research and information exchange towards radiation protection in civil aviation, especially regarding cosmic radiation exposure to flight crews, is a further focus of the agreement.

Today’s joint statement highlights that the “stronger mutual cooperation will create a conducive environment for countries to harness the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” and helps set the stage for deeper collaboration in the near future.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said Romania is committed to maintaining and strengthening its regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety. The team commended the Romanian authorities for their effective preparations for the future deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) while recommending improving the coordination amongst Government agencies concerned with radiation source facilities and activities.

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team concluded the twelve day mission to Romania today. The mission was conducted at the request of the Government of Romania and hosted by the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN), the national regulatory authority for the safety and security of nuclear facilities and activities.

Using IAEA safety standards and international good practices, IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national regulatory infrastructure while recognizing the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.

The 20 member team, comprised of 16 senior regulatory experts from 15 countries, as well as three IAEA staff members and one observer from the European Commission, reviewed facilities and activities regulated by CNCAN. The review included meetings and visits at nuclear and radiation sources facilities, where team members could observe the conduct of regulatory inspections. 

Romania operates two 720 megawatts electric (MW(e)) pressurized heavy water reactors at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, providing around 20% of the country’s electricity production. Fuel for the reactors is produced domestically. Preparations for constructing two more 720 MW(e) units at Cernavoda and a 462 MW(e) small modular reactor power plant at Doicești are underway.

Romania also operates one dual core TRIGA Mark II research reactor which produces radioisotopes for industrial applications and is used for research and training. Another research reactor has been decommissioned and a zero-power research reactor is in safe shut-down. The country will host a demonstrative lead-cooled fast reactor for the development of a Generation-IV Lead-cooled Fast Reactor technology. In addition, medical and industrial applications of radioactive sources are widely used. Romania operates one waste disposal facility and plans to build two more, including one deep geological repository.

The mission marks the start of the third IRRS mission cycle to Romania after previous missions in 2006 and 2011. This latest mission is a full-scope mission and covered all the country’s facilities and activities.  

“Romania has a comprehensive and mature regulatory infrastructure for nuclear safety. CNCANs challenge will be to prepare itself for the expected expansion of Romania’s nuclear power programme,” said IRRS team leader Peter Elder, Vice-President of Technical Support with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). “We recommend that Romania further improves its radiation protection framework, especially in the medical sector.”

During the mission, the team conducted interviews with management and staff from CNCAN, the Ministry of Health, nuclear and radiation facilities, and a representative of the Government. The team also accompanied CNCAN staff during their inspection and oversight activities at regulated facilities.

The mission identified several good performances, including:

• The performance, during a CNCAN inspection, of an on-the spot written test for the authorized staff dedicated to radiation safety and emergency preparedness.
• The development of a detailed cooperation protocol between CNCAN and the Romanian customs authority to ensure the safe inspection of radioactive packages.
• The prompt update of the regulation for reactors and installations with multiple modules, after the signature of a memorandum of understanding between CNCAN and NuScale power, to evaluate small modular reactors.
• The systematic and holistic approach of CNCAN to address the interface of safety and security in its regulatory oversight programme for NPPs.

“We would like to thank the IRRS team and Romanian counterparts for their intensive work during the last two weeks. The IRRS mission confirms our commitment for continuous improvement of nuclear and radiation safety. CNCAN will use the outcomes of the mission to update its action plan to strengthen the regulatory capabilities and national infrastructure for safety,” said Cantemir Ciurea-Ercau, President CNCAN.

The IRRS team recognized Romania’s inclusion of medical exposure oversight in the scope of this mission as a sign of openness, transparency, and commitment to continuous improvement for safety.

However, the team said that one of the country’s key challenges was better defining and coordinating radiation protection roles and responsibilities between CNCAN and the Ministry of Health, which both deal with radiation source facilities and activities.

The other main challenge was for the Government to ensure adequate resources for CNCAN, while CNCAN should assess its organizational structure and develop a comprehensive human resource plan to manage available resources efficiently.

The IRRS team identified several recommendations and suggestions, including:

• CNCAN should implement its systematic training programme including inspector qualification and enhance its inspection programme to be used in the planning and conduct of inspections, in accordance with a graded approach.
• The Ministry of Health should revise and implement the regulatory requirements on radiation protection, including justification of practices, dose constraints for the public exposure and consumer products provision consistent with IAEA safety standards.

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

IAEA Safety Standards

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 concluded an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) follow-up mission in Switzerland today. The mission, conducted from 30 October to 10 November 2023, was carried out at the request of the Swiss Government and was hosted by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).  

The twelve-day mission concludes the cycle initiated with the IPPAS mission to Switzerland, conducted in 2018. For the first time, this IPPAS mission covered all five modules of the IPPAS programme, with a review of the security of radioactive material, associated facilities and associated activities conducted in addition to reviews of the nuclear security regime, nuclear facilities, transport and information and computer security.  

The team visited the nuclear power plants in Leibstadt and Beznau and the Central Interim Storage Facility (ZWILAG) in Würenlingen, all located in the northern canton of Aargau. Concerning the security of radioactive material, the team conducted in-depth discussions at the Federal Office of Public Health in the federal city of Bern and visited the University Hospital of Lausanne and the Non-Destructive Testing company LorNDT in the western part of Switzerland.  

Switzerland ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) on 15 October 2008. The Amendment significantly strengthens the original CPPNM, mainly by extending its scope and setting out obligations for Parties to ensure physical protection of all nuclear facilities and nuclear material used for peaceful purposes in domestic use, storage and transport. 

The team identified significant progress in addressing the findings of the 2018 mission and observed how the nuclear security regime has been enhanced in Switzerland since then. It was noted that Switzerland has a strong nuclear security regime and is committed to continuous improvement in the security of nuclear and other radioactive material.  

The review team, led by Pedro Lardiez Holgado, Head of the Nuclear Security Division of the Nuclear Safety Council of Spain, included eight experts from Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and one IAEA staff member. The team met with officials from the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the Federal Office of Police, the Aargau Cantonal Police and the operators of the visited facilities. 

“The follow-up mission in Switzerland shows its commitment to nuclear security and its openness in receiving an external review of the national nuclear security regime,” said Arvydas Stadalnikas, Head of the Integrated Nuclear Security Approaches Unit at the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, during the mission closing ceremony. “The inclusion of one additional module on the security of radioactive material underscores Switzerland’s integrated approach towards physical protection. The mission’s findings indicate a well-established national nuclear security regime and its alignment with the IAEA nuclear security guidance.” 

 “I would like to thank everyone involved in Switzerland for their great commitment to the extensive preparations and for their dedication during the two-week peer review,” said ENSI Director General Marc Kenzelmann at the end of the mission. “We are very grateful to the IPPAS team for their critical scrutiny of the security measures. The recommendations of the international experts are extremely important for ENSI, the Federal Office of Public Health, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and for further partners in the nuclear security domain. We need to work together to systematically and consistently strengthen nuclear security in Switzerland.” 

Background 

The mission was the 102nd 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.