Category: Nuclear Industry

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission in the United States of America.

The IPPAS mission was conducted from 26 February to 8 March 2024 and was hosted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The nine-person team reviewed the country’s nuclear security regime for nuclear material and nuclear facilities. This included an assessment of the governmental organizations and legislation relevant to physical protection, the regulatory role and processes, procedures and practices for inspection and enforcement and the sustainability of the regime. The team also made a comprehensive review of physical protection systems at a nuclear facility. As part of the review, the team visited the Sandia Pulsed Reactor Facility – Critical Experiments (SPRF/CX) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the US.  This facility performs criticality benchmark experiments and hands-on safety training to support efficient and reliable nuclear operations.

This is the second time the US has requested an IPPAS mission, with the first being in 2013. The US ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) in 2015.

At the end of the mission, the team reported that the US has a robust nuclear security regime. The team made recommendations and suggestions aimed at supporting the US to further strengthen its nuclear security procedures and practices. Good practices were identified, which may be used by other IAEA Member States to build long term improvement in global nuclear security.

The team – led by Kathleen Heppell-Masys, Vice-President of Nuclear Operations Oversight at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited – included experts from Argentina, Australia, Czech Republic, Japan, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as one IAEA staff member. They met in Washington DC and Albuquerque, New Mexico with representatives from the US DOE, the National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia National Laboratories and the Sandia Field Office among others.

“The IPPAS mission in the United States, conducted just before the International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS 2024), sets an example of national commitment towards nuclear security for countries to follow,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, during the closing session. “This commitment is also reflected in the country’s support for the IAEA’s nuclear security programme which has an immense impact on all Member States. The openness and cooperation of the US authorities and the facility operator throughout the preparation phase and the mission itself are commendable”.

NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby said one of NNSA’s fundamental missions is to reduce global nuclear threats by preventing the theft and sabotage of nuclear materials and by responding to nuclear or radiological incidents both domestically and around the world.  “As such, the IPPAS Mission closely aligns with NNSA’s continued efforts to strengthen the global nuclear and radiological security regime,” she added. 

Background

The mission was the 103rd 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.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, met Russian President Vladimir Putin this week as part of the IAEA’s persistent efforts to help prevent a nuclear or radiological accident during the ongoing conflict.

Director General Grossi described Wednesday’s meeting with President Putin as “professional and frank”, with the discussions focused on the paramount importance of reducing the still significant nuclear safety and security risks at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, controlled by Russia for the past two years.

It was their second meeting, following one in Saint Petersburg in October 2022, and it took place a month after Director General Grossi on 7 February crossed the frontline to travel to the ZNPP for the fourth time during the war. On the way to the plant, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

“As I have repeatedly stated, I must talk to both sides to help reduce the danger of a potentially severe nuclear accident that would recognize no borders. No one stands to gain from a nuclear disaster, and we must do everything possible to prevent it. This was also my message to President Putin and other senior Russian officials this week,” the Director General said after his meetings in the Russian town of Sochi.

During his discussions in Sochi, Director General Grossi emphasized once again that the nuclear safety and security situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) remains precarious, with six out of the seven pillars of nuclear safety and security that he outlined early during the conflict being compromised fully or partially.

He also reiterated his call for maximum military restraint and strict observance of the five concrete principles established at the United Nations Security Council on 30 May 2023.

At the ZNPP this week, the IAEA experts stationed at the site have continued to hear explosions and other indications of military activity not far away from the facility. Three times this week, they reported hearing several successive explosions within a few minutes, as well as one explosion yesterday evening and multiple explosions this morning, possibly indicating the use of heavy weapons from an area close to the plant.

On 1 March, the IAEA experts heard an explosion some distance away from the ZNPP. The following morning, the team was informed by the plant that there had been shelling in parkland a few hundred metres away from the city hall administrative building of the town of Enerhodar, where many plant staff live. On arrival at the location, later the same day, the IAEA experts were informed that debris from the alleged munitions used had already been removed. While the team observed some damaged trees and marks on the ground, it was not possible to conclude whether or not shelling had actually occurred.

Further underlining the fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the ZNPP, the plant remains without back-up external power after the only remaining 330 kilovolt (kV) line was disconnected more than two weeks ago, on 20 February. As a result, the ZNPP remains dependent on its only functioning 750 kV power line, out of four such lines available before the conflict. The IAEA team was informed that the 330 kV line is not expected to be reconnected for at least another week.

The ZNPP informed the IAEA team that it has commenced maintenance activities on reactor unit 1, except for those planned to be performed on safety systems and electrical equipment, which have been postponed until the 330 kV line is reconnected.

The IAEA experts also continue to collect information on the authorizations of operating staff in the ZNPP’s main control rooms. The regional head of ZNPP Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspections of Rostekhnazdor, the Russian regulatory body, late last month informed the IAEA team during a visit that a total of 143 applications for authorizations of operating personnel had been received, of which 91 authorizations had so far been issued. The ZNPP says it has sufficient staff for the current shutdown status of the plant’s six reactors.

“The staffing situation at the plant remains a vital issue for nuclear safety and security that we will continue to monitor closely,” Director General Grossi said.

During their walkdowns at the site this week, the IAEA team visited the temporary emergency response centre and were informed that the emergency preparedness and response arrangements at the ZNPP continue under a temporary emergency plan, while a new plan is expected to be completed this year. The team was also informed that a major exercise is being planned for late 2024.

In addition, the IAEA experts visited the ZNPP’s electrical and mechanical warehouses to assess the availability of spare parts essential for maintenance, observing some spare parts in each warehouse. The plant informed the team that the site has spare parts for upcoming maintenance and for the reactors in their current shutdown states, adding that the spare parts are provided from the Russian Federation.  

During other walkdowns this week, the team observed the current management of solid radioactive waste at the ZNPP and also went to the turbine halls of reactor units 3 and 5. Once again, access was restricted. The IAEA experts were not able to access the western part of the halls nor the plant equipment on the ground floor of the turbine building of unit 5. The IAEA expert team expects to gain access to these areas soon.

The IAEA teams present at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs as well as at the Chornobyl site have reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the challenging war-time circumstances, including the frequent sound of air raid alarms at some of the facilities. The IAEA experts at Chornobyl rotated earlier this week.

This week, the IAEA made its 38th delivery of equipment to Ukraine aimed at assisting in maintaining nuclear safety and security. Contamination survey meters and physical protection equipment were delivered to VostokGOK and to the Chornobyl NPP site, with support from the contributions made by the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a review of long term operational safety at Unit 1 of the Atucha Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Argentina.

The Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) mission was requested by plant operator Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A (NA-SA). It continues a comprehensive IAEA evaluation of the unit in recent years. Two IAEA Pre-SALTO missions in 2016 and 2018, followed by a Pre-SALTO follow-up in 2021, were previously conducted to review the long term safety of the unit.

NA-SA is currently preparing to submit a license renewal application to the Argentinian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) to extend the operating lifetime of the 362 Megawatt electric (MWe) Unit 1 by 20 years. The plant, located 100 km north-west of Buenos Aires, went into commercial operation in 1974 and its current operating licence expires in 2024. The 745 MWe Unit 2 of Atucha NPP started its commercial operation in May 2016 and was not part of the review.

During the ten-day mission from 27 February to 7 March, the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness, organization and programmes for safe long term operation (LTO). The mission was conducted by a twelve-person team comprising experts from Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United States, and two IAEA staff members. The team had in depth discussions with staff from the Atucha NPP and conducted plant walkdowns during the review.

“The team noted the measures taken by the operator to ensure the safe LTO of the plant. Additionally, the professionalism, openness and receptiveness exhibited by the plant staff towards suggestions for improvement are commendable,” said Gabor Petofi, team leader and IAEA Senior Nuclear Safety Officer. “Many of the ageing management and LTO activities are already in alignment with IAEA Safety Standards. We encourage the plant to address the review findings and proceed with the implementation of all remaining activities for safe LTO.”

The team identified good practices and good performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

• The qualification of coatings designed to ensure integrity of the containment building.
• Comprehensive condition assessment reports for safety related structures, systems and components.
• Objective score cards used for evaluation of applications for internal vacancies.

The team also provided recommendations to further enhance the preparations for LTO safety, including:

• The plant should provide a systematic safety assessment to identify reasonable safety improvements for the operation period beyond 2024.
• The plant should complete and implement the qualification programme for electrical components inside the containment.
• The plant should improve the implementation of ageing management of civil structures.

The plant management expressed a determination to address the areas identified for improvement and invite a SALTO Follow-up mission in 2026.

“The IAEA and NA-SA teams showed a strong commitment to the successful implementation of the SALTO mission, working in a professional and collaborative environment, sharing information and experience,” said Eduardo Arostegui, site manager at Atucha NPP. “The SALTO findings will help us to ensure a safe and reliable development of LTO activities and will also improve performance for the second cycle of operation of Atucha I”.

The team provided a draft report to the plant management and ARN at the end of the mission. The plant management and ARN will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant management, ARN and the Argentinian Government within three months.

Background

Information on SALTO missions can be found here.

A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant’s overall safety status.

LTO of nuclear power plants is defined as operation beyond an established time frame determined by the license term, the original plant design, relevant standards or national regulations. As stated in IAEA safety standards, to maintain a plant’s fitness for service, consideration should be given to life limiting processes and features of systems, structures and components (SSC), as well as to reasonably practicable safety upgrades to enhance the safety of the plant to a level approaching that of modern plants.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a review of long term operational safety at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Unit 1 in Romania.

The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation) review mission that took place from 27 February to 7 March was requested by the plant’s operator, SN Nuclearelectrica.

Unit 1 at the Cernavoda NPP, Romania’s only nuclear power plant, went into commercial operation in 1996. It is one of two 700 megawatt electrical (MW(e)) pressurized heavy water reactors of the CANDU (CANadian Deuterium Uranium) 6 design at the NPP. The operator is planning to refurbish the reactor and extend the total operating lifetime to approximately 60 years.

The Pre-SALTO team assessed the strategy and key elements for safe long term operation of nuclear power plants based on the IAEA safety standards. During the ten-day mission from 27 February to 7 March, the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness, organization and programmes for safe LTO. The mission was conducted by a ten-person team comprising experts from Argentina, Ireland, Pakistan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States of America as well as two observers from India and the Republic of Korea and two IAEA staff members. The team had in depth discussions with staff from the Cernavoda NPP and conducted a plant walkdown during the review.

“The team observed that SN Nuclearelectrica is implementing preparations for safe LTO in a timely manner and the staff at the plant are professional, open and receptive to suggestions for improvement,” said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Martin Marchena. “Some ageing management and LTO activities already meet IAEA safety standards. We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement all remaining activities for safe LTO as planned.”

The team identified good practices and good performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

• The plant has established partnerships with high schools, trade schools and universities including knowledge and skill development for high school students as well as internships and scholarships. The plant has utilized these approaches to proactively   support future staffing needs.
   
• The plant implemented a sound programme for managing the ageing of steam generators, including design modifications for improved access and assessment of their condition.
   
• The plant implemented a well-established database for cable management. This database facilitates the configuration management and safety assessments that affect cable systems.

The team also provided recommendations to further improve the preparations for LTO safety:

• The plant should fully develop and complete the Ageing Management Review process for mechanical, electrical, and Instrumentation and Control (I&C) components and civil structures.
   
• The plant should improve the programmes designed to confirm the resistance of components to harsh conditions, a so-called equipment qualification programme.

The plant management expressed a determination to address the areas identified for improvement and to continue its cooperation with the IAEA.

“The senior management at the Nuclear Power Plant believes that the Pre-SALTO review is instilling confidence among all staff members in our commitment to safe and reliable operations over the long term,” said Valentin Ovidiu Nae, the NPPs Site Vice President. “The findings from this review will enable our team to pursue further improvements and excellence. The Cernavoda team extends its gratitude to the organization for its unwavering dedication and ongoing support,”

The team provided a draft report to the plant management and to the Romanian National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) at the end of the mission. The plant management and CNCAN will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant management, CNCAN and the Romanian Government within three months.

Background

A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant’s overall safety status.

LTO of nuclear power plants is defined as operation beyond an established time frame determined by the license term, the original plant design, relevant standards, or national regulations. As stated in IAEA safety standards, to maintain a plant’s fitness for service, consideration should be given to life limiting processes and features of systems, structures, and components (SSC), as well as to reasonably practicable safety upgrades to enhance the safety of the plant to a level approaching that of modern plants.

More information on SALTO missions can be found here.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) works to address the underrepresentation of women in the nuclear field through the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) and the Lise Meitner Programme (LMP). By enabling more women to enter and pursue careers in the nuclear field, the programmes help build the future nuclear workforce.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, the IAEA will host an event, For More Women in Nuclear: IAEA Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship and the Lise Meitner Programmes, on 7-8 March. Over 400 programme recipients will participate in career talk sessions and networking activities, including with senior experts and representatives of the nuclear industry.

Director General Grossi will open the event on 7 March at 14:00 CET in Boardroom B, on the first floor of the M-Building of the Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria. The opening session, which is open to the media, will include a high-level panel discussion. The panel will focus on breaking barriers and supporting the next generation of women leaders.

The plenary sessions of the event are open to media and will also be live streamed. Click here for more information.

There will be a group photo opportunity with Director General Grossi on 7 March at 13:30 CET, from the first floor of the VIC Rotunda. At the closing session, also open to the media, a “Statement for more Women in Nuclear” will be presented by the programme recipients to the IAEA and will be published here.

This event will bring together MSCFP students and alumnae, and the LMP participants, to exchange ideas and to strengthen their network and leadership skills. This is also an occasion for industry to meet with this rapidly growing community of women nuclear experts and explore opportunities to advance their careers.

Watch the announcement of the event made by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on 7 November 2023, the birthday of these two great scientists.

The IAEA welcomes partnering with public and private sectors, academia and civil society to work together for more women in nuclear. The programme is being finalized and will be made available here.

For more information and information on how to participate in the event, please contact press@iaea.org and  IWD2024@iaea.org.