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Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Watch IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and nuclear science communicator Alfredo García (Operador Nuclear) unpack the expansive role of nuclear technology in our world today. From driving clean energy initiatives to advancing medical treatments, they explore how nuclear energy sparks solutions for pressing global issues.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is continuing to monitor observance of the five concrete principles aimed at protecting Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) during the military conflict, where nuclear safety and security remain precarious, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.
Over the past week, the IAEA team of experts stationed at the ZNPP have heard military activities on most days, including artillery and rocket fire some distance away from the plant, as well as small arms fire both near to and further away from the site.
Yesterday, the IAEA experts reported that there was an air raid alarm with restrictions on movement outside of buildings for about 90 minutes, which the ZNPP informed the team was allegedly due to drones being present in the area of the cooling pond. The experts did not hear any explosion during the period of the restriction on movement. Earlier today, another air raid alarm was heard, again restricting outside movement and resulting in the team’s planned walkdown within the site perimeter being postponed.
The persistent dangers facing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) were underlined early last month, when the site was targeted in several drone strikes. As stated last week, the IAEA is also aware of reports alleging that a training base for drone operators as well as drone launch pads have been deployed near the ZNPP’s reactor unit 6 and its training centre. The IAEA experts have not seen any evidence of drones being launched, or the presence of training facilities or launching pads, within the site perimeter, but have requested access to the rooftop of a nearby laboratory building. The ZNPP has informed the IAEA team that the request is under consideration.
“The five concrete principles – widely supported by the members of the United Nations Security Council – are very clear in this regard. There must be no attack of any kind from or against this major nuclear facility,” Director General Grossi said.
The IAEA team has continued to conduct regular walkdowns across the site this week, including to its two fresh fuel storage facilities as well as within the site perimeter where the experts performed radiation monitoring, with all the measured values being within the normal range.
The experts also measured the water levels of the site’s sprinkler ponds, confirming that there is enough water available to provide cooling to the reactor units in their current cold shutdown state.
Regarding the staffing situation at the plant, the ZNPP informed the IAEA team that it currently has about 5,000 staff, which represents an increase from last year, but still significantly fewer than it had before the conflict.
As previously reported, the ZNPP has informed the IAEA that that nominal staffing levels for nuclear power plants (NPPs) operated by Rosatom are significantly lower than the corresponding staffing levels of Ukraine. The plant said it was continuing to hire personnel and currently has 800 open positions. Nevertheless, the ZNPP said that it has recruited enough qualified staff, including the required number of authorised operators for the main control rooms, for the current shutdown status of the units.
However, the IAEA experts continue to be prevented from freely talking to main control room staff, affecting the Agency’s ability to independently assess the knowledge and experience of these personnel that are essential to maintaining nuclear safety at the ZNPP.
For maintenance of equipment and systems, the ZNPP said it was using more contractors than in the past. The ZNPP also said it had hired some more training instructors.
“We are continuing to monitor the staffing situation closely, as it is of vital importance for nuclear safety and security. For this purpose, our experts would also require an opportunity to discuss with the operators of the main control rooms, and other qualified staff,” Director General Grossi said.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, and South Ukraine NPPs as well as at the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security continues to be maintained. The IAEA team stationed at Chornobyl was replaced by a new team earlier today. The IAEA experts stationed at these facilities also perform regular walkdowns including periodic visits to the plants’ emergency response centres, environment monitoring laboratories and off-site emergency response facilities to discuss their current capabilities.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
The IAEA profiles employees to provide insight into the variety of career paths that support the Agency’s mission of Atoms for Peace and Development and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or STEM-adjacent fields. Read more profiles of women at the IAEA.
Growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay, Inés Sanz Alvarez never thought she would work in a marine science laboratory, much less in Monaco. Originally working in pharmaceutical chemistry, she is now an integral member of a team of scientists studying blue carbon – the carbon captured by the ocean and coastal ecosystems, in a natural system which helps mitigate climate change – at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, the only marine science laboratory in the UN system. The daughter of a lawyer and an administrator, Sanz Alvarez was not exposed to science as a child, but in high school, she began to learn about chemistry and biology.
“Chemistry was attractive because of the lab. I loved the idea of chemistry experiments, and we got to create cool products, with different colours and smells. I was so curious about that,” she said. “With biology, I remember when I started learning about how the body works, I was fascinated by it. So I wanted to learn as much as I could about both, because they inform each other.”
When the time came to study at university, she decided to pursue chemistry and biology, graduating from the Universidad de la República in Uruguay with a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry, a science that uses both chemistry and biology to create medicinal drugs and to study how they interact with the human body.
It was at university that Sanz Alvarez first learned about nuclear science and met the professor who would eventually become her most influential mentor. It was also where she benefitted from the legacy of women trailblazers who demonstrated the possibilities for women in science and, particularly, in radiochemistry. In fact, the department where Sanz Alvarez studied radiochemistry is named after the chemist Estrella Campos, a pioneer in Uruguayan radiochemistry.
“I knew that women were underrepresented in this field, in nuclear science. In my experience however, I never felt a limitation. My radiochemistry professors were women; my mentors are women,” Sanz Alvarez said. “The professor that truly motivated me when I was at university was Soledad Fernandez, whom I will always remember. She trained me in radiochemistry and showed me how to handle radioactive material in the lab. I learned a lot from her, and she inspired me because she was very young and a very motivated person. She was so passionate about academia and doing research. I was not used to seeing that.”
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
IAEA efforts to support the career development of women professionals in the nuclear sector has taken another step forward, with experts from the IAEA Lise Meitner Programme visiting the Republic of Korea to advance their skills and knowledge.
Over a two-week period, 12 participants from 11 countries took part in technical visits and discussions across the country, which currently has 26 operating nuclear power reactors.
The IAEA Lise Meitner Programme (LMP), named after the Austrian-Swedish physicist, aims to boost women’s career development in the nuclear sector through professional visits hosted by IAEA member countries. This third LMP visit, which focused on nuclear power plant operations, took place from 25 March to 5 April 2024 and was hosted by the Korea Nuclear International Cooperation Foundation (KONICOF).
”The Lise Meitner Programme provided me with a unique and invaluable opportunity to connect with women nuclear professionals from across the globe. Through engaging in technical workshops, presentations, professional development activities, and facility tours, I was able to build meaningful bonds and exchange knowledge and experiences with fellow professionals in the field,” said Yasemin Balci, a researcher at the Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency. “This experience not only enhanced my technical skills and understanding but also fostered a supportive network of colleagues and mentors, creating a lasting impact on my professional development.”
During the technical portion of the programme, participants had the opportunity to visit nuclear facilities, which included a trip to the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant. Currently, there are two reactors under construction at Saeul, which is owned and operated by the largest electric power company in the Republic of Korea, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP). KHNP hosted a tour of their facilities for LMP participants to learn more about the monitoring system used for the operational status of Korean nuclear power plants.
“The commitment and diligence of the IAEA Lise Meitner Programme visiting professionals have left a lasting impact on us. We trust that the knowledge and insights gained during the LMP visit in the Republic of Korea will propel their careers forward and contribute to shaping a more sustainable future,” said Jun Ho SHIN, President of KONICOF.
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) also hosted the LMP professionals at a number of centres including the Nuclear Training Center, which provided hands-on exercises with a KAERI pressurized water reactor (PWR) simulator. During the technical tours, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) Nuclear Fuel and KEPCO Engineering and Construction facilities invited the women professionals to take a closer look at the APR-1400 design technology (a pressurized water reactor producing up to 1,400 Megawatts of electricity per unit).
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will brief journalists about his official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on 6-7 May.
The press conference is expected to take place upon his return from Iran around 18:15 CEST today, 7 May, at Vienna Airport’s VIP Terminal (Niki Lauda Allee, Objekt 140, 1300 Wien).
A live video stream of the press conference will be available.
Video footage and photos from the press conference will be distributed via email after the press conference.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Women energy experts from 11 countries in Africa have received specialised training on energy planning from the IAEA to empower them to create sustainable energy policies.
Decisions on energy demand and supply infrastructure need to involve all stakeholders, consider all possible energy options, and be consistent with sustainable development goals and often use complex modelling tools. However, many countries lack robust long-term energy planning capacity, which can result in short-term and more expensive solutions. The IAEA helps member countries, such as these in Africa, develop capacity to chart out their own energy strategies, including whether or not to include nuclear energy.
The course, Train the Trainers Course on Energy System Analysis and Use of the IAEA’s Tools, allowed participants to enhance their skills in the use of the IAEA’s MESSAGE energy planning tool. This designs long term energy plans and assesses costs, security, and environmental impacts to guide smart, sustainable energy strategies.
The newly trained experts will strengthen the capacity of African energy institutions in energy planning and support the development of energy policies and strategies tailored to meet the diverse needs of African nations.
“The training served as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and benchmarking among women professionals from diverse backgrounds within the energy sector,” said Elisabeth Amalaman, a participant from Ivory Coast. “I can use the MESSAGE tool to calculate energy demands and supply and implement the government policy on energy,” she said. The participants also learned about other tools such as the Energy Balance Studio (EBS) methodology for compiling energy data and balances, and the Model for Analysis of Energy Demand (MAED). The IAEA offers targeted energy planning tools that are used by over 135 countries and 20 international organizations.
“In our journey towards achieving global energy goals, it is imperative that we create spaces for women to excel and lead,” said Wei Huang, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Planning, Information and Knowledge Management. “Providing women with access and expertise enhances their technical capacities and amplifies their voices. Empowering women through specialised training in energy systems not only bridges the gender gap in the nuclear and energy sector but also symbolises the IAEA’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives lead to innovative approaches in tackling global energy challenges,” Huang highlighted.
“In our journey towards achieving global energy goals, it is imperative that we create spaces for women to excel and lead,”
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts reported hearing over 100 rounds of gunfire in the vicinity of the Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on Tuesday, allegedly in response to drones flying near the plant’s training centre, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.
The IAEA is aware of reports alleging that a training base for drone operators and drone launch pads have been deployed near unit 6 and the training centre at ZNPP. “The IAEA experts at the ZNPP have not seen any evidence of drones being launched, or the presence of launching pads, within the site perimeter. Furthermore, and according to the five concrete principles, an attack of any kind from the plant is strictly forbidden,” Director General Grossi said.
The IAEA team continues to report almost daily military activities at various distances from the site. On three separate occasions within a one-hour period on Tuesday afternoon, the IAEA team at the ZNPP, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP), heard a total of over 100 rounds of rifle fire. On Thursday, the ZNPP informed the IAEA experts that Russian Federation troops were engaging with drones near the ZNPP training centre and that there was no damage nor any casualties. The IAEA experts did not have the opportunity to confirm the presence of drones.
“This latest military activity at the plant illustrates the persistently unstable situation that poses significant nuclear safety and security challenges for this major nuclear facility,” said Director General Grossi.
The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team continued discussions with the ZNPP this week about the maintenance activities planned for 2024 and beyond. The plant confirmed that it plans to continue postponed work on the most extensive maintenance activities to be conducted at the ZNPP since the start of the armed conflict over two years ago.
“Ensuring the reliable operation of equipment important to safety at any nuclear power plant demands rigorous procedures,” said Director General Grossi. “Maintaining equipment important to safety at the ZNPP—the first plant situated amidst an armed conflict—is both complex and paramount.”
The IAEA was informed that maintenance activities on the equipment important to safety of unit 1 are scheduled to resume in mid-May, starting with the first of the three safety trains. The maintenance works on unit 1 are planned to be completed by around the middle of the year, around the same time that maintenance will commence on unit 6 for approximately three months. Subsequently, approximately six months of maintenance activities are scheduled for unit 2, commencing later in 2024.
ISAMZ was informed that some safety systems will be serviced in a comprehensive way, including disassembly and reassembly of the components. The IAEA experts will be requesting to observe some of these maintenance activities, where practical.
The ISAMZ team continued its regular walkdowns this week at the ZNPP site. Yesterday, the team visited the 750 kilovolt (kV) open switchyard where they observed that only one of its four main 750 kV power lines remains connected. The team again was informed that there are no activities being performed to restore connections of the other lines to the plant, due to the ongoing conflict. The IAEA experts continue to request approval to visit the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) 330 kV open switchyard, but such requests continue to be denied.
The team visited the ZNPP cooling pond and waterworks facilities earlier today, where they were able to confirm the integrity of the ZTPP discharge channel isolation gate and view the measuring point of the ZNPP cooling pond. However, the team’s request to visit the ZNPP cooling pond isolation gate was not approved due to “security reasons”, therefore the team was unable to confirm the status of the reinforcement and the overall integrity of the gate. The IAEA was last permitted to visit the ZNPP cooling pond in November 2023.
Over the past week, the IAEA experts visited the unit 1 and unit 5 reactor buildings and safety system rooms, where they observed the cooling pumps for the reactor and spent fuel pool in operation. No nuclear safety issues were observed by the team. In unit 1, the team observed some preparatory work for upcoming maintenance on the safety systems heat exchangers. The team also visited the turbine halls of unit 1 and unit 2 where they were able to observe some of the equipment, but were, once again, not granted access to the western side of the halls.
Furthermore, this week, the ZNPP informed ISAMZ that it would be permitted to observe the emergency drill based on a scenario related to the cooling systems at the site, planned for mid-May.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, the IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, and South Ukraine NPPs as well as at the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security continues to be maintained. The IAEA team at the Rivne NPP was informed that one of the two 750 kV lines was unavailable for a few hours from the early morning to approximately 13:00 on 26 April, which did not affect the safe operation of the plant.
This week the Agency arranged two new deliveries of nuclear safety and security related equipment to Ukraine, bringing the total number of deliveries to 46. The South Ukraine NPP received a video surveillance system for use in high radiation field and gamma spectrometers. The equipment was purchased with funding from Australia and the European Union and is envisaged to help enhance nuclear safety and security at the site.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Mr Grossi toured the Centre for Nuclear Studies (CEN) in La Reina during his visit to Chile. (Photo: IAEA)
During the Chile visit, Mr Grossi congratulated the CCHEN, which recently marked its 60th anniversary.
He said: “The IAEA and I are proud to support their impactful work with nuclear that advances Chile’s progress and well-being. An example of that is their reactor, crucial in producing essential radioisotopes for healthcare.”
Chile will host the next International Conference on Effective Nuclear and Radiation Regulatory Systems in January 2026, the first in Latin America, a reflection of the region’s expanding role in global nuclear safety and regulation.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Europe and Central Asia’s first Anchor Centre has been officially inaugurated in Türkiye, as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s flagship initiative Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All. Rays of Hope aims to expand cancer care in low- and middle- income countries, where currently around half of cancer patients who need radiotherapy cannot access this lifesaving treatment. The inauguration ceremony at Ege University Faculty of Medicine this month was followed by the first regional workshop at an IAEA Anchor Centre, where cancer experts from around the world developed a roadmap for strengthening paediatric radiation oncology services in Europe and Central Asia.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “Cancer kills far too many people, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. As an Anchor Centre, Ege University will be supported by the IAEA to increase its training and research activities, adopt cutting-edge treatments and bring together international experts and partners to tackle this growing cancer burden.”
Ege University Faculty of Medicine in Izmir was one of five Anchor Centres announced during the IAEA’s 67th General Conference in 2023, set up with the aim of boosting regional capacity for the delivery of cancer care. These centres will help to establish or expand capacities in radiotherapy and medical imaging as well as providing international research, networking and mentorship opportunities.
The inauguration ceremony on 15 April was followed by a four-day IAEA workshop at Ege University on paediatric radiotherapy services in Europe and Central Asia. It drew key stakeholders from across the region to develop a blueprint for strengthening paediatric radiation oncology services, including 100 participants from 28 Member States, senior radiotherapy professionals, World Health Organization (WHO) representatives and other key collaborators such as St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Ege University provides medical education and clinical training in Western Türkiye, where it serves around 10 million people. It has cooperated with the IAEA since 2007, participating in numerous technical cooperation and coordinated research projects, as well as clinical trials.
“As capacity building and knowledge hubs for their respective regions, these centres play a pivotal role in advancing care,” said May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the IAEA Division of Human Health. “By providing targeted support to neighbouring countries in key areas such as education, training, research, innovation and quality assurance, these centres promise an enduring impact for Rays of Hope. Through them, the progress that has been achieved – in every clinic, community and country – can be sustained and scaled up, ensuring a brighter future of equitable cancer care for all.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the Rector of Ege University, Necdet Baduk, said: “Education and training, research and innovation, high quality integrated clinical care should be the priority in cancer management. Ege University is ready to provide its capacity in education, training, research and innovation for the benefit of the cancer patients in its region.”
Eve-Külli Kala, Director of the IAEA Division for Europe in the department of Technical Cooperation added: “The inauguration of Ege University and its Faculty of Medicine as an Anchor Centre marks not just the unveiling of a new centre. This event reaffirms our shared commitment to combating cancer and alleviating the heavy burden it places on individuals, families and communities in our Member States.”
The paediatric radiotherapy services workshop identified priority actions to integrate paediatric radiation oncology within comprehensive care, to provide better care for children with cancer in the region. It explored how radiotherapy service delivery can be optimized to efficiently use existing resources at the national level; and shared best practices and solutions for patient-centred care.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Vandenhove’s early studies were strongly influenced by her childhood setting, growing up on a farm in Julémont, southern Belgium. This, combined with her natural love for science, her godfather’s experiences in international development projects, and her father’s guidance to “find joy” in her work, led her into agricultural engineering.
Specifically, Vandenhove focused on soil science and phytotechnics, the use of plant systems to improve the environment. At university in Leuven (KU Leuven) she earned an engineering degree in 1988 and then signed up for her PhD in Agricultural Engineering.
Her internal drive also resulted in obtaining a Fellowship in Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of British Columbia, after which Vandenhove was back in Belgium, looking for jobs. She says she created the opportunities that came next by “picking up the phone and asking”.
One of those calls was to the “brilliant” late Professor Adrien Cremers, whom Vandenhove said was the person who introduced her to the nuclear field. Together, they proposed a research project to the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) on soil–plant transfer of radiocaesium, against the background of the 1985 Chornobyl accident. At the same time, Roel Merckx, professor emeritus of soil science at KU Leuven asked Vandenhove to coordinate a project on use of rock phosphate as fertilizer for rice in Sri Lanka — she took on both projects. “A daunting task she was eager to embrace,” Merckx said.
Reaching Sri Lanka in 1993, Vandenhove was confronted with an unexpected challenge: “I didn’t know anything about rice, I didn’t know anything the science of phosphorous, I didn’t know anything about working in Sri Lanka and on my second day my local counterpart said, ‘I’m leaving’.” Vandenhove found herself leading a team of 20 people on her own, setting up rice cultivation trials with different fertilizer regimes in different regions in Sri Lanka. She describes this period as one of “steady learning” to understand the system in which to execute the project and to design a path forward towards project realization, with a team who “thrived in the process”.
In 1994, Vandenhove returned to Belgium, to join SCK CEN, where she began the next stage of her career by patenting a new method for the fixation of trace amounts of radiocaesium — a discovery that she says could have been easily missed had she not revisted and thoroughly explored the data. “The backing of the SCK CEN Director General contributed to me fulfilling my potential,” says Vandenhove.
Over the next 28 years at SCK CEN, Vandenhove helped pave the way for women — as the first woman in higher managerial roles, including as Head of the Biosphere Impact Studies Unit, and then as Deputy Director of the Environment, Health and Safety Institute and then as SCK CEN Institute Director, for an eight year period. She led over 270 staff on projects related to radiation protection, waste and disposal, and decommissioning. Former colleague and SCK CEN Institute Director Frank Hardeman speaks of Vandenhove as a “visionary”.
Vandenhove echoes the hard work involved as well as a willingness to “evolve as a scientist” in becoming a project coordinator and leader, which has led to some of the experiences she says she values the most: human connection across cultures.