Category: Nuclear Weapons

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Eswatini Finalizes Funding Framework for its First Public Radiotherapy Centre

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Mobile units such as this one are raising awareness of cervical cancer screening in the country. (Photo: A. Karagu/ IAEA)

Eswatini is taking tangible steps to prepare for its first public radiotherapy centre to enable cancer patients to be treated in-country, according to a team of international experts. 

The experts, appointed by the IAEA, World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to carry out an imPACT Review in the country, found that Eswatini has finalized a strategic funding proposal, enacted a Nuclear and Radiation Safety Law, and surveyed potential sites for geotechnical suitability. 

The mission in August 2024 built on a 2017 imPACT Review that laid the foundations for the development and implementation of the National Cancer Control Plan 2019-2023.  

Other achievements since that period include the establishment of the National Cancer Control Unit at the Ministry of Health; the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination into the National Immunization Programme; the recruitment of a clinical oncologist and a medical physicist; the creation of  a 60-bed chemotherapy unit operating at Manzini Government Hospital; and the development of a draft Nuclear Bill that currently awaits approval by the National Assembly.  

Of Eswatini’s 1.2 million people, over 1000 were diagnosed with cancer in 2022, and close to 700 people died of the disease (Globocan). Cancers of the breast, cervix and prostate accounted for more than 50 per cent of these cases. With no radiotherapy services available within the country, the government currently helps patients access this treatment in South Africa using the country’s Phalala Medical Referral Fund.   

“This solution is not sustainable,” said Mduduzi Matsebula, Eswatini’s Minister of Health. “Our government is working hard to build a first radiotherapy facility so that our patients can be treated at home, committing already one million euros to the success of this project,” he added.  

In support of this goal, Eswatini is in the process of finalizing a strategic funding document to mobilize domestic and international funds. The imPACT Review mission was an opportunity to update key sections of this ‘bankable’ document, including the country’s cancer profile and available infrastructure, as well as requirements for equipment and human resources, and estimated preliminary costs.  

The development of strategic funding documents is one of the ways the IAEA provides support to countries. These documents come under the ownership of the country, and are validated by the IAEA through technical and economic feasibility assessments. They provide comprehensive insights into the requirements of proposed projects – tailored to the country’s cancer profile, control plan, existing physical infrastructure and human resource capabilities. They help government decision-makers and funding partners to identify the needs and funds required to set up a radiotherapy facility. In the case of Eswatini, the bankable document represents an important preliminary step towards the establishment of the country’s first radiotherapy centre. 

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VIDEO: The IAEA’s Achievements in 2024

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

2024 has been a year of deliver and innovation. From Antarctica to Ukraine, from cancer care to tackling the world’s growing hunger, the IAEA successfully continued its mission to bring the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology to the world.

Drone footage – CTBTO/Pablo Mehlhorn.

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Update 267 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team is in Ukraine this week to assess the nuclear safety impact of recent attacks on its increasingly fragile energy infrastructure, travelling to seven electrical substations on which the country’s nuclear power plants (NPPs) depend to safely generate electricity, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

NPPs need reliable connections to the grid both to deliver the electricity they produce and to receive off-site power for reactor cooling. But repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the substations, have weakened its electrical grid and reduced its ability to provide stable off-site power to the NPPs, potentially endangering nuclear safety.

Based on the IAEA’s safety standards, the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security that Director General Grossi outlined early during the military conflict stressed that “there must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites”.

“The IAEA’s safety standards stress that it is of paramount importance to ensure the availability of a stable off-site power supply system. In addition, fundamental safety principles state that all efforts must be made to prevent nuclear accidents. A reliable transmission system is a significant contributor to defence in depth for nuclear safety,” Director General Grossi said today.

For the third time during the military conflict, the IAEA sent a team of specialists to substations that have been identified as essential for maintaining nuclear safety at the three sites that are currently producing power – the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs – and the Zaporizhzhya NPP and the Chornobyl site, which do not.

The substations function as key nodes in the energy transmission and distribution network and are located at various distances away from these sites in different parts of Ukraine.

The previous IAEA missions to assess the situation at substations in Ukraine, conducted in September and October, documented extensive damage, and also gathered important evidence regarding the vulnerability of the electricity grid.

“During this week’s visits to seven substations, the IAEA’s team is observing and collecting information on the impact on nuclear safety as a result of the latest attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including those on 28 November. The growing instability of the grid is a major challenge for nuclear safety and the IAEA is taking action to help address this precarious situation,” Director General Grossi said. 

“We will analyse the data that our experts are gathering this week, follow up with technical advice to Ukraine and also identify what additional assistance we can offer to help prevent a nuclear accident during the war,” he said.

The IAEA team is also meeting experts from Ukraine’s grid operator, national nuclear plant operator and nuclear regulator during this week’s mission.

A few days after they reduced electricity output for a third time in less than a month due to renewed attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, most of its nine operational nuclear reactors are once again generating electricity at full power, demonstrating the operators’ resilience in difficult circumstances. As of today, two units are still operating with reduced power due to the reduced grid capacity.

In what has become a frequent occurrence, the IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site all reported air raid alarms over the past week.

The team at the Khmelnytskyy site was required to shelter on Monday morning due to the presence of drones in the area, the closest 900 metres away. In addition, the Ukrainian regulator informed the IAEA that cruise missiles were recorded 3.7 kilometres from the same site last Friday.

At Ukraine’s largest NPP, Zaporizhzhya, the IAEA team reported hearing explosions on most days over the past week at various distances from the site. No damage to the plant, whose six reactors are in cold shutdown, was reported.

The IAEA team based at the Zaporizhzhya NPP (ZNPP) has continued to observe the availability of off-site and on-site power. However, a planned visit to the ZNPP 750 kilovolt (kV) open switchyard today was cancelled by the plant, citing security reasons.

The ZNPP informed the team that newly arrived mobile diesel generators would be used in case of a station blackout, with a total loss of off-site power and inability of the site’s 20 emergency diesel generators to provide enough power to maintain nuclear safety.

Separately this week, as part of its comprehensive programme of assistance in support of nuclear safety and security, the IAEA arranged two new deliveries to Ukraine, bringing the total number of deliveries to 91 since the start of the armed conflict.

The Rivne NPP received medical equipment and supplies such as oximeters, defibrillators, electrocardiographs and similar equipment and the Netishyn hospital received digital X-ray devices. The deliveries were supported with funding from Norway.

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IAEA Profile: Be Open to Possibilities – Lisa Stevens

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Lisa Stevens has been with the IAEA for six years. She is the Director of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). Here she is photographed at the Technical Cooperation Departmental meeting in summer 2019. (Photo: D. Calma/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.   

“I want every country to have a cancer plan and more people to know about the cancer work that the IAEA does,” says Lisa Stevens, who has spent a quarter of a century working in the field of cancer control and now leads the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) at the IAEA.  

Stevens’ career has been informed by her background in science. The oldest of three children, she was first inspired to pursue a scientific career by her parents, who both had careers in the STEM disciplines. Her mother worked in the medical and scientific field, having trained as a mammography and X ray technician, and her father was an engineer.  

Learning about her parents’ work helped Stevens to understand the opportunities available if she chose a career in science.  

“You have to excite the young mind; show and promote opportunities in science while they are young,” she said. “In any field, you want the best. Making sure that young children, girls and boys, have opportunities is important. Diversity is important.” 

Stevens always had a deep interest in biology and enjoyed science classes in high school. “I liked studying about the human body, liked chemistry, physics and the scientific methods,” Stevens said.  

From a young age, Stevens was also interested in an international career. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and Spanish because she thought she might work as a physician overseas one day. She attended a small liberal arts school in the farmlands of Illinois in the United States of America, where she discovered the joys of DJing and philanthropy, as well as scientific studies. She continued her studies in molecular and cellular biology in graduate school at the University of Maryland, carrying out her thesis research at the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) and graduating with a PhD in 1999. 

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New IAEA Publication on the Security of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material in Transport

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The new publication aims to ensure the security of nuclear and other radioactive material during transport

A new IAEA publication on the security of nuclear and other radioactive material in transport has been released.  

“It is essential that nuclear and other radioactive material is managed securely and is properly protected against criminal or intentional unauthorized acts during their transport,” said Heather Looney, Head of the Nuclear Security of Materials and Facilities Section in the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “Transport-related incidents account for more than 50 per cent of all thefts reported to the IAEA’s Incident and Trafficking Database since 1995, which highlights the importance of strengthening transport security measures,” she added.  

The publication is designed to assist countries in establishing robust transport security measures against potential threats such as theft or sabotage. Such measures range from administrative procedures, to protecting the confidentiality of transport routes and operations, to the physical protection of shipments.  

The guidance is aimed at those responsible for transport security, including law enforcement, customs and border control, intelligence and security agencies, as well as operators, shippers and others.  

Both domestic and international transport are covered by the guidance, as well as all modes of transportation, including road, rail, sea, inland waterways and air.  As part of the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series, it promotes an internationally consistent approach to the secure transport of nuclear and other radioactive material. Additionally, it serves as a valuable resource for shippers and carriers, helping them develop appropriate transport security systems.  

The publication offers detailed guidance on categorizing nuclear and other radioactive material from a nuclear security perspective and addresses the interface between nuclear safety and security measures. It also outlines a country’s responsibilities in establishing a regulatory framework for transport security, highlighting the importance of communication during transport, training and qualification of personnel, secure measures for the conveyance and escort of shipments and the role of transport control centres. 

The publication builds on available nuclear security guidance, including Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities and Nuclear Security Recommendations on Radioactive Material and Associated Facilities.  

The new publication is available free of charge here. Further information on the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series, including resources in six languages, can be found here.  

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How the IAEA Advises Countries on the Protection of Nuclear Sites

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Keeping nuclear facilities safe from internal or external threats is of paramount importance. A team of international security experts has visited Romania’s Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant as part of an IAEA IPPAS mission to advise Romania on the security of its nuclear facilities. IPPAS missions are designed to help countries strengthening their national nuclear security regime. 

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Update 266 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Most of Ukraine’s operating nuclear power reactors once again reduced their electricity output early this morning following renewed attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, further underlining persistent risks to nuclear safety during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

For the third time in less than a month, several units of the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine nuclear power plants (NPPs) lowered their power levels during widespread military activities in the country, while air raid alarms sounded at the three sites, Director General Grossi said.

One of the IAEA teams deployed in Ukraine was forced to shelter and reported hearing explosive detonations at mid-distance. Additionally, the team at the South Ukraine NPP was informed that military objects were observed flying approximately 300 metres from the site. 

“Our teams deployed in Ukraine have witnessed how the growing instability of Ukraine’s power infrastructure, as a result of frequent military attacks in recent months, is impacting the ability to safely operate the country’s nuclear power plants,” Director General Grossi said.

Ukraine’s operating NPPs have a total of nine reactors, of which five decreased output this morning following instructions from the operator of the national grid, including one unit that was temporarily disconnected from the grid. Two other units were already operating below nominal full capacity following military strikes on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure in late November.

Three of the affected units subsequently returned to nominal full capacity.

There were no reports of direct damage to the NPPs because of today’s attacks and disruption to the electrical grid. While there were no reports of any additional power lines being disconnected, some lines remain disconnected following the previous attacks on 28 November.

NPPs need reliable connections to the grid both to transmit the electricity they produce and to receive off-site power for reactor cooling. The increasing fragility of the electrical infrastructure means that attacks can cause significant fluctuations in the grid, which can affect the availability of safety systems, reducing defence in depth and impacting the nuclear safety of the reactors. The availability and stability of off-site power continues to be one of the main challenges for nuclear safety and security throughout the armed conflict.

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IAEA Completes International Physical Protection Advisory Service Mission in Romania

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The IPPAS team visited the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant in Romania to assess the nuclear security measures in the facility. (Photo: IAEA)

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

The IPPAS mission was conducted from 2 to 13 December and was hosted by Romania’s National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN). The ten-person team evaluated the country’s nuclear security regime for nuclear material and nuclear facilities. The scope of the mission also included reviews of physical protection and computer security measures in nuclear facilities, and physical protection during transportation of nuclear material.

As part of the review, the IPPAS team visited the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant and the Pitesti Nuclear Fuel Plant in Mioveni. Romania operates two nuclear power units at Cernavoda, which supplied about 19 per cent of the country’s total energy in 2023. Romania is also planning to expand its nuclear power programme.

This is the fourth IPPAS mission to Romania, with the previous missions taking place in 1997, 2002 and 2012. Romania ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (A/CPPNM) in 2007. 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 included experts from Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as one IAEA staff member.

Nancy Fragoyannis, Senior Level Advisor for Nonproliferation and International Nuclear Security in the Office of International Programs of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, led the team. “One of the benefits of hosting an IPPAS mission is to engage with the international team of experts and share experiences and good practices from their respective security programmes. Hosting the fourth IPPAS mission is a strong indicator from Romania of their willingness to continuously assess its nuclear security regime,” she said.

The team held discussions with officials from CNCAN, General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, Ministry of Defence, Romanian Gendarmerie, Romanian Intelligence Service, Romanian Police and Nuclearelectrica.

The team commended Romania for its comprehensive efforts to enhance its nuclear security regime and effective collaboration among different competent authorities in nuclear security. The team also recognized the enhancement of nuclear security measures in Romanian nuclear facilities. They provided recommendations and suggestions to support Romania in enhancing and sustaining nuclear security. Good practices were identified that can serve as examples to other IAEA Member States to help strengthen their nuclear security activities.

“Evolving threats and a changing security situation internationally require vigilance from countries to prevent, detect and respond to malicious acts,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “Romania’s continued efforts to strengthen physical protection and computer security in critical national infrastructure are important and contribute to maintaining the highest levels of nuclear security.”

Cantemir Ciurea Ercau, President of CNCAN, said, “I would like to express our gratitude to the IPPAS mission team for their detailed analysis and the professionalism demonstrated during this intensive review period. The recommendations and suggestions provided through this mission are of utmost importance for strengthening Romania’s nuclear security regime. CNCAN is committed to implementing the necessary measures to address these recommendations and to continuing our efforts to improve the physical protection of nuclear and radioactive materials, as well as associated facilities. This mission underscores our commitment to collaboration with the international community to ensure the highest standards of nuclear security.”

Background

The mission was the 108th 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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IAEA Task Force Confirms Japan’s ALPS Treated Water Release Continues to Comply with International Safety Standards

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

IAEA Task Force performed a walkdown of the water tanks used in the ALPS treated water discharge process. ( Photo: TEPCO)

The discharge of the ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) is progressing in line with international safety standards, the Task Force set up by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed this week following its latest four-day mission to Japan.

From December 9 to 12, the Task Force conducted a mission to evaluate the technical aspects of the ALPS treated water release, including an on-site inspection of the facilities used for the discharge at the FDNPS.

Accompanied by TEPCO staff, the Task Force performed a walkdown of the water tanks used in the discharge process, as well as the emergency isolation valves, the sea water dilution system and the radiation monitors and flow rate detectors which feed live data to the IAEA’s dedicated real time monitoring page.

This week marks the third mission of the Task Force to Japan since the start of the ALPS treated water releases on 24 August 2023. Since the beginning of the IAEA’s multiyear review that began two years before the water release, the Task Force has carried out  eight missions. In the IAEA Comprehensive Report on the Safety Review of the ALPS-Treated Water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station that was released prior to the discharge, the IAEA found Japan’s approach to discharging the treated water to be consistent with international safety standards. It also confirmed that the results of the radiological environmental impact assessment performed by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) – operator of the plant – and the Government of Japan showed that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

As part of the comprehensive report, the Task Force – comprised of IAEA and 11 international experts from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam – set out the topics that it would review during the discharge of the ALPS treated water. 

Whilst visiting the plant on 11 December, the Task Force also engaged in technical discussions with TEPCO with reference to available source and environmental monitoring data and operational experience. The IAEA has experts stationed at FDNPS since July last year when Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi established an IAEA office there.  The IAEA’s onsite laboratory has analysed the first ten discharges that occurred from August 2023 to October this year and have confirmed the tritium concentration in each batch of the ALPS treated water released to date is far below Japan’s operational limit.

During the four-day mission, the Task Force also spoke to officials from the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) to gather updates on technical topics important for safety. In Tokyo, it met with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Gustavo Caruso, Chair of the Task Force, said, “The Task Force missions ensure that we stay updated on the ALPS treated water release and directly observe the status of the discharges. We confirm that the release continues to comply with international safety standards, and we remain committed to ongoing assessments to ensure this remains the case in the future.”

The main outcomes from the Task Force’s mission this week will be summarized in a report to be made publicly available early next year. The reports on the first two review missions held by the Task Force since the start of the water releases are available online.

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Update 265 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remains committed to maintaining a presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to help prevent a nuclear accident during the military conflict, despite this week’s drone attack on one of its armoured vehicles during a regular rotation of IAEA teams stationed at the site, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The 26th team of IAEA staff sent to the ZNPP since the mission was established more than two years ago began their work to monitor and assess nuclear safety and security at the plant immediately after arriving on Tuesday, replacing colleagues who had been there for the past several weeks.

The drone strike took place later the same day, targeting an official vehicle – with the IAEA logo clearly visible – that formed part of a convoy preparing to pick up the departing IAEA team at a handover point on the frontline. No one was harmed in the attack.

“This week’s attack was a stark reminder of the potential dangers our staff are facing as they carry out their important nuclear safety and security work in an active war zone. They deserve all our sincere gratitude for helping to keep the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant safe,” Director General Grossi said.

The drone used was of a model designed to explode on impact, leaving no discernible debris to be recovered for an investigation into the incident.

“Whoever did this knew exactly what was being done. It was our vehicle that was hit. There was a clear intention to intimidate us. But we will not be intimated by this brazen and deplorable attack. We will stay as long as it is needed and continue our indispensable work,” he added.

At the site, the IAEA has continued to monitor maintenance of elements of the ZNPP’s safety systems, particularly that being performed in reactor units 2 and 6.

During the past week, the ZNPP once again utilized some of its nine mobile diesel boilers to provide part of the heating for the plant and the city of Enerhodar, where most staff live, during the winter.

Separately, the IAEA team has observed three new mobile diesel generators located adjacent to the turbine buildings of three of the reactor units. The ZNPP informed the IAEA team that these new generators are in accordance with the regulations of the Russian Federation, as part of post-Fukushima Daiichi accident measures and in addition to those previously implemented by Ukraine.

These three new mobile generators are also in addition to the site’s 20 fixed emergency diesel generators that are designed to provide on-site power, in case of a total loss of off-site power, which has occurred on eight occasions since the start of the armed conflict. In late 2022, the ZNPP received seven other mobile diesel generators, which are now disconnected and not in use.

The IAEA team reported hearing explosions each day over the past week, at some distance away from the ZNPP. No damage to the ZNPP was reported to the team.

Despite the effects of the military conflict, the IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security at these facilities is being maintained.

All nine reactor units at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs are operating and generating electricity for the national grid. However, two units are operating below full capacity due to limitations within the electrical grid, with some off-site power lines still disconnected following recent attacks on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure.

The teams continued to report air raid alarms throughout the week, with IAEA personnel at the Khmelnytskyy NPP having to shelter on one occasion. The team at the South Ukraine NPP was informed of multiple missiles and drones detected several kilometers from the site.

As part of its comprehensive programme of assistance in support of nuclear safety and security, the IAEA has arranged three new deliveries to Ukraine over the past week, bringing the total to 89.

The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center and Hydrometeorological organizations of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine received video conferencing equipment while the Slavutych City Hospital close to Chornobyl and the Varash Hospital near the Rivne NPP received medical equipment such as oximeters, blood pressure monitors, defibrillators, patient monitors and glucometers. The equipment was procured with funds from Belgium and the United States.