Publications

After spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is discharged from a nuclear reactor, fuel composition and reactivity continue to vary as a function of time due to the decay of unstable nuclides. Accurate predictions of the concentrations of long-lived radionuclides in SNF, which represent a significant potential hazard to human beings and to the environment over a very long period, are particularly necessary for radiological dose assessments.
This report assesses the ability of existing computer codes and associated nuclear data to predict isotopic compositions and their corresponding neutron multiplication factor (keff) values for pressurised-water-reactor (PWR) UO2 fuel at 50 GWd/MTU burn-up in a generic spent fuel cask configuration. Fuel decay compositions and keff values have been calculated for 30 post-irradiation time steps out to one million years.

The way in which nuclear licensees’ organisations are structured and resourced clearly has a potential impact on nuclear safety. As experience has continually demonstrated, operating organisations with a strong training programme for personnel, adequate resourcing and overall effective leadership and management perform more effectively in times of crisis than those lacking in one or more of these areas. In parallel, the nuclear industry is developing new resource deployment strategies which are making increased use of contractors and leading to changes in organisational structure, which in turn create challenges for the continued safe operation of nuclear facilities. This technical opinion paper represents the consensus among human and organisational factor specialists in NEA member and associated countries on the methods, approaches and good practices to be followed in designing an organisation with a strong safety focus while meeting business needs. It also considers some of the attributes that an organisation which is effectively managing its resources and capabilities might demonstrate.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is increasingly being adopted in nuclear reactor safety (NRS) analyses as a tool which enables a better description of specific safety-relevant phenomena occurring in nuclear reactors. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) has in recent years conducted important activities in the CFD area, including the organisation of three workshops. The CFD4NRS-3 workshop was the third in the series and was held in Bethesda, Maryland, USA on 14-16 September 2010. A total of 200 experts participated. These proceedings contain the 4 keynote lectures, including the synthesis of results for the Tee-junction Benchmark, and the 57 technical papers presented at the workshop.

The International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP), originally initiated at the national level by the US Department of Energy in 1992, became an official activity of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in 1995.

This handbook contains criticality safety benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments performed at various critical facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by criticality safety engineers to validate calculation techniques used to establish minimum subcritical margins for operations with fissile material and to determine criticality alarm requirement and placement. Many of the specifications are also useful for nuclear data testing. Example calculations are presented; these calculations do not, however, constitute a validation of the codes or cross-section data.

The evaluated criticality safety benchmark data are presented in nine volumes, containing over 58 000 pages and 533 evaluations with benchmark specifications for 4 552 critical, near-critical or subcritical configurations, 24 criticality alarm placement/shielding configurations with multiple dose points for each, and 200 configurations that have been categorised as fundamental physics measurements that are relevant to criticality safety applications.

New to the handbook are benchmark specifications for the GROTESQUE: Complex Geometric Arrangement of Unreflected HEU (93.15) Metal Pieces experiment (see front cover) that was performed by John T. Mihalczo at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Critical Experiment Facility in June 1964.

Cost estimation for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities can vary considerably in format, content and practice both within and across countries. These differences may have legitimate reasons but make the process of reviewing estimates complicated and the estimates themselves difficult to defend. Hence, the joint initiative of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Commission (EC) was undertaken to propose a standard itemisation of decommissioning costs either directly for the production of cost estimates or for mapping estimates onto a standard, common structure for purposes of comparison. This report updates the earlier itemisation published in 1999 and takes into account experience accumulated thus far. The revised cost itemisation structure has sought to ensure that all costs within the planned scope of a decommissioning project may be reflected. The report also provides general guidance on developing a decommissioning cost estimate, including detailed advice on using the structure.

The Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion File is an evaluated library produced through international collaboration among Data Bank member countries co-ordinated by the NEA Data Bank. As of February 2012, JEFF 3.1.2 is the latest update of the general purpose neutron data library.

This DVD contains:
• General purpose incident neutron data in ENDF-6 and ACE formats
• Activation data
• Thermal scattering data
• Incident proton data
• Radioactive decay data
• Neutron-induced fission yields data
• Spontaneous fission yields data

One of the major achievements of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is the knowledge it has helped to generate through the organisation of joint international research projects. Such projects, primarily in the areas of nuclear safety and radioactive waste management, enable interested countries, on a cost-sharing basis, to pursue research or the sharing of data with respect to particular areas or issues. Over the years, more than 30 joint projects have been conducted with wide participation of member countries.
The purpose of this report is to describe the achievements of the OECD/NEA joint projects on nuclear safety research that have been carried out over the past three decades, with a particular focus on thermal-hydraulics, fuel behaviour and severe accidents. It shows that the resolution of specific safety issues in these areas has greatly benefited from the joint projects’ activities and results. It also highlights the added value of international co-operation for maintaining unique experimental infrastructure, preserving skills and generating new knowledge.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) first published in 2000 Nuclear Education and Training: Cause for Concern?, which highlighted significant issues in the availability of human resources for the nuclear industry. Ten years on, Nuclear Education and Training: From Concern to Capability considers what has changed in that time and finds that, while some countries have taken positive actions, in a number of others human resources could soon be facing serious challenges in coping with existing and potential new nuclear facilities. This is exacerbated by the increasing rate of retirement as the workforce ages. This report provides a qualitative characterisation of human resource needs and appraises instruments and programmes in nuclear education and training initiated by various stakeholders in different countries. In this context, it also examines the current and future uses of nuclear research facilities for education and training purposes. Regarding the nuclear training component of workforce competence, it outlines a job taxonomy which could be a basis for addressing the needs of workers across this sector. It presents the taxonomy as a way of enhancing mutual recognition and increasing consistency of education and training for both developed and developing countries.

The Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law. It provides subscribers with authoritative and comprehensive information on nuclear law developments. Published twice a year in both English and French, it features topical articles written by renowned legal experts, covers legislative developments worldwide and reports on relevant case law, bilateral and international agreements as well as regulatory activities of international organisations.

Feature articles in this issue include "The status of radioactive waste repository development in the United States", "The Radioactive Waste Directive: a necessary step in the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste in the European Union", "The continuing role of item-specific agreements in the IAEA safeguards system" and "Fukushima: liability and compensation".

The most widely adopted solution for the definitive management of high-level radioactive waste involves its emplacement in deep geological repositories whose safety should not depend on the active presence of man. In this context, national programmes are considering whether and how to incorporate the concepts of reversibility of decisions and retrievability of waste, including to what extent retrieval can or should be facilitated at the design stage of a repository, and if so over what timescales.
This brochure delivers the key findings and observations of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) project on reversibility and retrievability conducted from 2007 to 2011 with the participation of 15 countries and 2 international organisations. It outlines the activities undertaken and points to further resources. While focused on deep geological disposal, the pragmatic and precise information provided may also be pertinent to sub-surface disposal and to decision-making processes more generally. This brochure, and related project documents, will be of interest to technical and policy professionals and civil society stakeholders concerned with radioactive waste disposal.

A central safety function of radioactive waste disposal repositories is the prevention or sufficient retardation of radionuclide migration to the biosphere. Performance assessment exercises in various countries, and for a range of disposal scenarios, have demonstrated that one of the most important processes providing this safety function is the sorption of radionuclides along potential migration paths beyond the engineered barriers. Thermodynamic sorption models (TSMs) are key for improving confidence in assumptions made about such radionuclide sorption when preparing a repository's safety case. This report presents guidelines for TSM development as well as their application in repository performance assessments. They will be of particular interest to the sorption modelling community and radionuclide migration modellers in developing safety cases for radioactive waste disposal.

Interest in expanding nuclear power to cope with rising demand for energy and potential climate change places increased attention on the nuclear fuel cycle and whether significant moves are being taken towards ensuring sustainability over the long term. Future nuclear power programme decisions will be increasingly based on strategic considerations involving the complete nuclear fuel cycle, as illustrated by the international joint projects for Generation IV reactors. Currently, 90% of installed reactors worldwide operate on a once-through nuclear fuel cycle using uranium-oxide fuel. While closing the fuel cycle has been a general aim for several decades, progress towards that goal has been slow. This report reviews developments in the fuel cycle over the past ten years, potential developments over the next decade and the outlook for the longer term. It analyses technological developments and government actions (both nationally and internationally) related to the fuel cycle, and examines these within a set of sustainability parameters in order to identify trends and to make recommendations for further actions.

Acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems (ECCS) define the maximum temperature and degree of oxidation in order to avoid excessive embrittlement and hence failure of the fuel cladding, which would affect core cooling in the case of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The criteria are mainly based on experimental data obtained in the 1970s-80s. Several types of tests have been performed to evaluate structural integrity and embrittlement of the cladding under LOCA conditions, and consequently different test methodologies have been used for determining the cladding embrittlement criteria. The current trend towards high burn-up and the use of new cladding alloys has increased the need for international discussions on these test methodologies and acceptance criteria. In response, the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and its Working Group on Fuel Safety produced this technical opinion paper, which should be of particular interest to nuclear safety regulators, nuclear power plant operators and fuel researchers.

This study assesses the competitiveness of nuclear power against coal- and gas-fired power generation in liberalised electricity markets with either CO2 trading or carbon taxes. It uses daily price data for electricity, gas, coal and carbon from 2005 to 2010, which encompasses the first years of the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the world’s foremost carbon trading framework. The study shows that even with modest carbon pricing, competition for new investment in electricity markets will take place between nuclear energy and gas-fired power generation, with coal-fired power struggling to be profitable. The outcome of the competition between nuclear and gas-fired generation hinges, in addition to carbon pricing, on the capital costs for new nuclear power plant construction, gas prices and the profit margins applied. Strong competition in electricity markets reinforces the attractiveness of nuclear energy, as does carbon pricing, in particular when the latter ranges between USD 40 and USD 70 per tonne of CO2. The data and analyses contained in this study provide a robust framework for assessing cost and investment issues in liberalised electricity markets with carbon pricing.

Radiological protection philosophy, regulation and application have evolved significantly over the last 30 years, adapting to the ever-changing landscapes of scientific understanding and societal values. This report provides a methodical assessment of these changes. Starting with radiological protection in the 1970s, it describes the philosophical differences between International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 26, issued in 1977, and ICRP Publication 60, issued in 1990, as well as the regulatory evolution that was necessary to effectively implement the changes. It then examines the philosophical and regulatory changes between ICRP Publication 60 and ICRP Publication 103 of 2007. Although the regulatory changes needed to implement Publication 103 are, in practice, yet to come, the report provides a seasoned view of what these changes will most likely be, and what efforts will be necessary to successfully implement them.

This report provides an overview of experimental facilities that can be used to carry out nuclear safety research for sodium fast reactors and identifies priorities for organising international co-operative programmes at selected facilities. The information has been collected and analysed by a Task Group on Advanced Reactor Experimental Facilities (TAREF) as part of an ongoing initiative of the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) which aims to define and to implement a strategy for the efficient utilisation of facilities and resources for Generation IV reactor systems.

A common theme throughout the series of NEA regulatory guidance reports, or “green booklets”, is the premise that the fundamental objective of all nuclear safety regulatory bodies is to ensure that nuclear facilities are continuously maintained and operated in an acceptably safe manner. In meeting this objective the regulator must bear in mind that it is the operator that has responsibility for safely operating the nuclear facility; the role of the regulator is to assess and to provide assurance regarding the operator’s activities in terms of assuming that responsibility.
The full series of these reports was brought together in one edition for the first time in 2009 and was widely found to be a useful resource. This second edition comprises 14 volumes, including the latest on The Nuclear Regulator's Role in Assessing Licensee Oversight of Vendor and Other Contracted Services. The reports address various challenges that could apply throughout the lifetime of a nuclear facility, including design, siting, manufacturing, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. The compilation is intended to serve as a knowledge management tool both for current regulators and the new nuclear professionals and organisations entering the regulatory field.

Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s annual compilation of statistics and country reports on nuclear energy, contains official information provided by OECD member country governments on plans for new nuclear plant construction, nuclear fuel cycle developments as well as current and projected nuclear generating capacity to 2035. For the first time, it includes data for Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia, which recently became OECD members. Key elements of this edition show a 2% increase in nuclear and total electricity production and a 0.5% increase in nuclear generating capacity. They also show excess conversion and enrichment capacities in OECD Europe, and insufficient capacity to meet requirements in the North American and Pacific regions. Further details are provided in the publication’s numerous tables, graphs and reports.
This publication contains “Statlinks”. For each StatLink the reader will find a url which leads to the corresponding spreadsheet. These links work in the same way as an Internet link.

Les Données sur l'énergie nucléaire, la compilation annuelle de statistiques et de rapports nationaux de l'Agence de l'OCDE pour l'énergie nucléaire, présentent des informations communiquées par les gouvernements des pays membres de l'OCDE sur les projets de construction de centrales nucléaires, les évolutions du cycle du combustible ainsi que la puissance nucléaire installée actuelle et projetée jusqu'en 2035. Cette édition comprend pour la première fois des données sur le Chili, l'Estonie, Israël et la Slovénie qui sont récemment devenus membres de l'OCDE. Des données clés de cette édition montrent une progression de 2 % de la production d'électricité totale et nucléaire et de 0,5 % de la puissance nucléaire installée. Les capacités de conversion et d'enrichissement de l'uranium sont excédentaires dans les pays européens de l'OCDE et insuffisantes dans les pays d'Amérique du Nord et la région Pacifique. Le lecteur trouvera de plus amples détails dans les nombreux tableaux, graphiques et rapports que contient cet ouvrage.
Cette publication inclut des « Statlinks ». Pour chaque StatLink, une adresse internet pointe vers la feuille de calcul correspondante. Cela fonctionne de la même manière qu’un lien internet.

The Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law. It provides subscribers with authoritative and comprehensive information on nuclear law developments. Published twice a year in both English and French, it features topical articles written by renowned legal experts, covers legislative developments worldwide and reports on relevant case law, bilateral and international agreements as well as regulatory activities of international organisations. Feature articles in this issue address the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, Japanese legislation in light of the Fukushima Daiichi accident and the long-term operation of nuclear power plants.

This report provides a comparative analysis of different studies performed to assess the potential impact of partitioning and transmutation (P&T) on different types of geological repositories for radioactive waste in various licensing and regulatory environments. Criteria, metrics and impact measures have been analysed and compared with the goal of providing an objective comparison of the state of the art to help shape decisions on options for future advanced fuel cycles.
P&T allows a reduction of the inventory of the emplaced materials which can have a significant impact on the repository. Such a reduction can also make the uncertainty about repository performance less important both during normal evolution and in the case of disruptive scenarios. While P&T will never replace the need for waste repositories, it has the potential to significantly improve public perception regarding the ability to effectively manage radioactive waste by largely reducing the transuranic (TRU) waste masses to be stored and, consequently, to improve public acceptance of the geological repositories. Both issues are important for the future sustainability of nuclear power.

One of the most important aspects of post-accident consequence management is the involvement of stakeholders: in the planning, preparation and execution as well as in sustaining efforts over the long term. Having recognised the significance of stakeholder participation in several International Nuclear Emergency Exercises (INEX), the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) decided to organise the Practices and Experience in Stakeholder Involvement for Post-nuclear Emergency Management Workshop to explore these issues. This summary highlights the key issues discussed during the workshop, which brought together 75 emergency management and communication specialists from 16 countries. In light of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the experience shared during this workshop will be central to further improving national emergency management arrangements.

Decisions regarding radiological protection are informed by science, including its uncertainties, influenced by stakeholder concerns, driven by prevailing circumstances, and broadly based on values and judgments. However, the processes by which protection decisions are taken do not always sufficiently articulate the scientific and value-judgment elements on which decisions are based. To assist decision makers at all levels to further clarify the various aspects of their decisions, and to assist scientists and regulators in better understanding each other’s contributions to radiological protection decisions, the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has held two workshops addressing science and values in radiological protection. This report summarises the discussions and conclusions of the first two workshops in this innovative series, and suggests the way forward in preparing the discussions at the third science and values workshop.

The accelerator-driven system (ADS) is a potential transmutation system option as part of partitioning and transmutation strategies for radioactive waste in advanced nuclear fuel cycles. These proceedings contain all the technical papers presented at the workshop on Technology and Components of Accelerator-driven Systems held on 15-17 March 2010 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The workshop provided experts with a forum to present and discuss state-of-the-art developments in the field of ADS and neutron sources. It included a special session on the EUROTRANS as well as four technical sessions covering current ADS experiments and test facilities, accelerators, neutron sources and subcritical systems.

Contracted services are an integral part of the design, construction and operation of a nuclear facility. Changes in the nuclear industry sector, including varied availability of nuclear expertise, the expansion of the international supply market and the introduction of new technologies, have tended to increase licensees’ use of contracted services. These changes have created challenges for licensees and regulators related to the retention of nuclear expertise, the effective management of the interfaces between the licensees and contractors, and the oversight of contractor manufacturing quality in the context of greater multinational diversity. The regulatory body must address these challenges to provide assurance that the licensees maintain their responsibility for the safety of the facilities, regardless of who provides goods and services or where the activities involved in the supply chain take place. This report is intended to assist regulatory bodies in assessing their current practices for the regulatory oversight of licensees’ use of contractors, and adapting them where necessary to meet the evolving situation.

The reliable supply of molybdenum-99 (99Mo) and its decay product, technetium-99m (99mTc), is a vital component of modern medical diagnostic practices. Disruptions in the supply chain of these radioisotopes can delay or prevent important medical testing services. Unfortunately, supply reliability has declined over the past decade, due to unexpected or extended shutdowns at the few ageing, 99Mo-producing, research reactors and processing facilities. These shutdowns have recently created global supply shortages.

This report provides the findings and analysis of two years of extensive examination of the 99Mo/99mTc supply chain by the OECD/NEA High-level Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR). It puts forth a comprehensive policy approach that would help ensure long-term supply security of 99Mo/99mTc, detailing the essential steps to be taken by governments, industry and the health community to address the vulnerabilities of the supply chain, including its economic structure.

Interest in expanding nuclear power to cope with rising demand for energy and potential climate change places increased attention on the nuclear fuel cycle and whether significant moves are being taken towards ensuring sustainability over the long term. Future nuclear power programme decisions will be increasingly based on strategic considerations involving the complete nuclear fuel cycle, as illustrated by the international joint projects for Generation IV reactors. Currently, 90% of installed reactors worldwide operate on a once-through nuclear fuel cycle using uranium-oxide fuel. While closing the fuel cycle has been a general aim for several decades, progress towards that goal has been slow. This report reviews developments in the fuel cycle over the past ten years, potential developments over the next decade and the outlook for the longer term. It analyses technological developments and government actions (both nationally and internationally) related to the fuel cycle, and examines these within a set of sustainability parameters in order to identify trends and to make recommendations for further actions.

For the successful deployment of the advanced fuel cycle, it is important to apply partitioning and transmutation (P&T) technologies to radioactive waste management. In order to provide experts with a forum to present and to discuss the latest developments in partitioning and transmutation, the NEA has organised, since 1990, a series of biennial information exchange meetings on actinide and fission product P&T.

These proceedings contain all the technical papers and posters presented at the 10th Information Exchange Meeting, which was held on 6-10 October 2008 in Mito, Japan. The meeting addressed the following technical issues: the impact of P&T on waste management and geological disposal; transmutation fuels and targets; partitioning, waste forms and management; materials, spallation targets and coolants; transmutation physics experiments and nuclear data; and transmutation systems design, performance and safety.

Experience from decommissioning projects suggests that the decommissioning of nuclear power plants could be made easier if it received greater consideration at the design stage and during the operation of the plants. Better forward planning for decommissioning results in lower worker doses and reduced costs. When appropriate design measures are not taken at an early stage, their introduction later in the project becomes increasingly difficult. Hence, their early consideration may lead to smoother and more effective decommissioning.

It is now common practice to provide a preliminary decommissioning plan as part of the application for a licence to operate a nuclear facility. This means, in turn, that decommissioning issues are being considered during the design process. Although many design provisions aiming at improved operation and maintenance will be beneficial for decommissioning as well, designers also need to consider issues that are specific to decommissioning, such as developing sequential dismantling sequences and providing adequate egress routes. These issues and more are discussed in this report.

In the field of coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics computation there is a need to enhance scientific knowledge in order to develop advanced modelling techniques for new nuclear technologies and concepts, as well as for current applications.

Recently developed “best-estimate” computer code systems for modelling 3-D coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics transients in nuclear cores and for coupling of the core phenomena and system dynamics (PWR, BWR, VVER) need to be compared against each other and validated against results from experiments. International benchmark studies have been set up for that purpose.

The present volume is the last in a series of four and summarises the results of the third benchmark exercise, which analyses a turbine trip (TT) in a BWR in its entirety, involving pressurisation events in which the coupling between core phenomena and system dynamics plays an important role. Exercise 3 also analyses four extreme scenarios which allowed participants to test the capabilities of their code(s) in terms of coupling and feedback modelling. The data made available from experiments carried out at the plant make the present benchmark particularly valuable. The data used are from events at the Peach Bottom 2 reactor (a GE-designed BWR/4).

Nuclear accident risks are raised frequently in discussions of the acceptability of nuclear power generation, often framed in the context of the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. In reality, the safety record of nuclear power plants, by comparison with other electricity generation sources, is very good. This report describes how safety has been enhanced in nuclear power plants over the years, as the designs have progressed from Generation I to Generation III, and why it is important that safety remain the highest priority. This is illustrated by considering core damage frequencies and large radioactive release frequencies for each generation of nuclear power plants. It also compares severe accident data (those resulting in five or more fatalities) between different energy sources, both for immediate fatalities and for delayed (latent) fatalities, recognising that the latter data are often more difficult to estimate. Finally, it uses results of opinion surveys to analyse public confidence in nuclear operations and how this is correlated with trust in legislation and regulatory systems. It has been written for a general audience.

This report is based on a study carried out by the NEA Decommissioning Cost Estimation Group (DCEG) on decommissioning cost elements, estimation practices and reporting requirements. Its findings indicate that cost methodologies need to be updated continuously using cost data from actual decommissioning projects and hence, systematic approaches need to be implemented to collect these data. The study also concludes that changes in project scope may have the greatest impact on project costs. Such changes must therefore be identified immediately and incorporated into the estimate. Finally, the report notes that more needs to be done to facilitate the comparison of estimates, for example by providing a reporting template for national estimates.

Experience from decommissioning projects suggests that the decommissioning of nuclear power plants could be made easier if this aspect received greater consideration at the design stage and during operation of the plants. Better forward planning for decommissioning results in lower worker doses and reduced costs. When appropriate design measures are not taken at an early stage, their introduction later in the project becomes increasingly difficult. Hence, their early consideration may lead to smoother and more effective decommissioning operations. This report provides an overview of key decommissioning issues which are useful to consider when designing new nuclear power plants.

Since 2002, the NEA has been actively facilitating the detailed discussion of the evolving system of radiological protection in an Asian context. Its work in this area has included four previous conferences to discuss various International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) draft general recommendations. The Fifth Asian Regional Conference on the Evolution of the System of Radiological Protection was the first in this series to be focused directly on the implementation of the new ICRP recommendations. This conference report provides very useful, practical insight into the Asian approach to implementing this new radiological protection philosophy.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is to an increasing extent being adopted in nuclear reactor safety (NRS) analyses as a tool that enables a better description of specific safety-relevant phenomena occurring in nuclear reactors. The NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) has in recent years conducted important activities in the CFD area, including the organisation of two workshops. The “XCFD4NRS” workshop was the second in the series and was held in Grenoble, France in September 2008. A total of 147 experts from 22 countries took part. These proceedings contain the five keynote lectures, summaries of the activities of three CFD writing groups and the 59 technical papers presented at the workshop.

Radioactive waste is associated with all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle as well as the use of radioactive materials in medicine, research and industry. For the most hazardous and long-lived waste, the solution being investigated worldwide is disposal in engineered repositories deep underground. The importance of geoscientific information in selecting a site for geological disposal has long been recognised, but there has been growing acknowledgement of the broader role of this information in assessing and documenting the safety of disposal. The OECD/NEA Approaches and Methods for Integrating Geological Information in the Safety Case (AMIGO) project has demonstrated that geological data and understanding serve numerous roles in safety cases. The project, which ran from 2002 to 2008, underscored the importance of integrating geoscientific information in the development of a disposal safety case and increasingly in the overall process of repository development, including, for example, siting decisions and ensuring the practical feasibility of repository layout and engineering.

The NEA International Nuclear Data Evaluation Co-operation programme brings together evaluation projects being carried out in Japan (JENDL), the United States (ENDF), Europe (JEFF) and non-OECD countries (BROND, CENDL and FENDL). The Nuclear Data Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sponsors the participation of evaluation projects from non-OECD countries.

The Co-operation programme was established to promote the exchange of information on nuclear data evaluations, measurements, nuclear model calculations, validation and related topics, as well as to provide a framework for co-operative activities among the participating projects. The Co-operation programme assesses needs for nuclear data improvements and addresses those needs by initiating joint evaluation and/or measurement efforts. Expert groups are established to solve specific common nuclear data problems. Each expert group produces a final report of its findings.

This CD-ROM contains the full collection of the expert group reports as of January 2010.

This publication commemorates the International School of Nuclear Law which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010. The purpose of the publication is to provide an overview of the international nuclear law instruments, their background, content and development over the years and to present an outlook on future needs in the field of international nuclear law. Renowned experts in the nuclear law field have contributed scholarly papers on the various aspects of international nuclear law, including international institutions, protection against ionising radiation, nuclear safety, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and safeguards, nuclear security, transport of nuclear material and fuel, management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, liability, compensation and insurance for nuclear damages, environmental protection and international trade in nuclear material and equipment. This publication is dedicated to the school’s 500+ alumni from all around the world.

The Joint Evaluated File (JEF) project was started in 1982 as a collaborative project among NEA Data Bank member countries. The main objective is to provide participating countries with a common and unique source of nuclear data for the calculation and prediction of different nuclear applications. The first version of the JEF file was issued in 1985, and was followed in spring 1993 by a second version (JEF-2.2). An improved, third version was developed in collaboration with the European Fusion File (EFF) project and released in 2005 as the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion file (JEFF-3.1). Further updates of the radioactive decay data and neutron data sub-libraries were successively released in 2007 and 2009 as JEFF-3.1.1.

This CD-ROM contains the complete collection of JEF(F) Reports as of January 2010. Among the various JEF(F) publications, reports and documents, only the JEF(F) reports should be used as an official reference.

Key concepts of radioactive waste management, such as safety, risk, reversibility and retrievability, carry different meanings for the technical community and for non-technical stakeholders. Similarly, socio-economic concepts, including community, landscape and benefit packages, are interpreted differently by diverse societal groups. Opinions and attitudes are not simply a faithful reflection of decision making, actual events and communicated messages; perceptions and interpretations of events and objects also play a role. This report presents key issues and examples in order to build awareness of the importance of symbols and symbolism in communicating about perceptions and interpretations. It adds to the recognition that dialogue amongst stakeholders is shaped by dimensions of meaning that reach beyond dictionary definitions and are grounded in tradition and social conventions. A better understanding of these less obvious or conspicuous realities should help find additional ways of creating constructive relationships amongst stakeholders.

The government of Japan and the Japanese Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) have released high-quality data, based on a series of void measurements using full-size mock-up tests for boiling water reactors (BWRs), with the aim of assisting the scientific community to advance its understanding of the two-phase flow (a system containing both gas and liquid) in BWR fuel bundles.

An international benchmark, based on the NUPEC data, has been defined to encourage advancement in the development of two-phase flow theory, which is of importance, for example, for the evaluation of the safety margins in a reactor. The benchmark specifications are being designed so that it systematically assesses and compares the capability of the numerical models to predict detailed void distributions and critical powers.

This report is the second in a series and describes the specification of the sensitivity and uncertainty analysis exercises undertaken to assess the accuracy of the results obtained when modelling basic thermal-hydraulics in a single channel relative to void fraction and critical power. Further volumes will be published, with a synthesis showing to what extent the most recent models are capable of predicting two-phase flow in BWR fuel bundles.

Many countries have been performing a wide range of research on the partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of minor actinides and fission products. The aim is to provide greater flexibility in terms of radioactive waste management strategies and deploying advanced nuclear fuel cycles. This report describes recent and ongoing national research programmes related to chemical partitioning in the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Russian Federation, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. European Commission research programmes are also included.

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s annual compilation of official statistics and country reports on nuclear energy, provides key information on plans for new nuclear plant construction, nuclear fuel cycle developments as well as current and projected nuclear generating capacity to 2035 in OECD member countries. This comprehensive overview provides authoritative information for policy makers, experts and other interested stakeholders.

Cette nouvelle édition des Données sur l'énergie nucléaire, la compilation annuelle de l'Agence de l'OCDE pour l'énergie nucléaire contenant des statistiques officielles et des rapports nationaux sur l'énergie nucléaire, présente des informations clés concernant les projets de construction de centrales nucléaires, l'évolution du cycle du combustible ainsi que la puissance nucléaire installée et projetée dans les pays membres de l'OCDE jusqu'en 2035. Ce panorama complet constitue une source d'informations officielles pour les décideurs politiques, experts et le public intéressé

This nuclear energy roadmap has been prepared jointly by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). Unlike most other low-carbon energy sources, nuclear energy is a mature technology that has been in use for more than 50 years. The latest designs for nuclear power plants build on this experience to offer enhanced safety and performance, and are ready for wider deployment over the next few years. Several countries are reactivating dormant nuclear programmes, while others are considering nuclear for the first time. In the longer term, there is great potential for new developments in nuclear energy technology to enhance the role of nuclear power in a sustainable energy future.

Considerable experimental and analytical work has been performed in recent years which has led to a broader and deeper understanding of phenomena related to reactivity-initiated accidents (RIAs). Further, newly designed fuels – such as mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel and rods with new cladding – have been introduced which might behave differently than those used previously, both under normal operating conditions and during transients. Compared with 20 years ago, fuel burn-up has been significantly increased. These and other factors have led the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and its Working Group on Fuel Safety to produce this state-of-the-art report. The report should be of particular interest to nuclear safety regulators, nuclear plant operators and fuel researchers.

The Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law. It provides subscribers with authoritative and comprehensive information on nuclear law developments. Published twice a year in both English and French, it features topical articles written by renowned legal experts, covers nuclear legislative developments worldwide and reports on relevant case law, bilateral and international agreements and regulatory activities of international organisations.

Feature articles in this issue address the independence of the nuclear regulator, the European nuclear safety directive, the nuclear renaissance in Italy and the Temelín case in the European Court of Justice.

The Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law. It provides subscribers with authoritative and comprehensive information on nuclear law developments. Published twice a year in both English and French, it features topical articles written by renowned legal experts, covers legislative developments worldwide and reports on relevant case law, bilateral and international agreements as well as regulatory activities of international organisations.

Feature articles in this issue address the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, competition law and the nuclear sector, and third party liability for nuclear damage (jurisdiction and enforcement, and compensation for environmental damage).

Hydrogen has the potential to play an important role as a sustainable and environmentally acceptable energy carrier in the 21st century. This report describes the scientific and technical challenges associated with the production of hydrogen using heat and/or electricity from nuclear power plants, with special emphasis on recent developments in high-temperature electrolysis and the use of different chemical thermodynamic processes. Economics and market analysis as well as safety aspects of the nuclear production of hydrogen are also discussed.

The Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) was created by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency in 1992 to promote and co-ordinate international co-operative undertakings in the area of occupational radiological protection at nuclear power plants. ISOE provides experts in occupational radiological protection with a forum for communication and exchange of experience.

At the end of 2008, the ISOE programme included 59 participating utilities in 26 countries (278 operating units and 32 shutdown units), as well as the regulatory authorities of 22 countries. The ISOE database, publications, annual symposia and ISOE Network website facilitate the exchange amongst participants of operational experience and lessons learnt in the optimisation of occupational radiological protection.

The Eighteenth Annual Report of the ISOE Programme summarises occupational exposure data trends and ISOE achievements made during 2008. Principal developments in ISOE participating countries are also described.

ISOE is jointly sponsored by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

ISOE Network: www.isoe-network.net

Global demand for electricity continues to grow and numerous new nuclear power plants (NPPs) are being planned or constructed in NEA member countries. Most of these new NPPs will be of the third generation, and will be designed for as long as 80 years of operation. The successful design, construction and operation of these plants will depend broadly on appropriately implementing the lessons from experience accumulated to date.

This case study introduces a policy and technical framework that may be used when formulating technical assistance and guidance for senior managers of NPPs, designers, manufacturers, contractors and authorities responsible for regulating occupational radiation exposure. It is aimed in particular at assisting design and license assessments of new NPPs. Although not targeting the needs of countries introducing nuclear power for the first time, this case study can also provide valuable input on occupational radiological protection issues for the implementation of new nuclear energy programmes.

As national geological disposal programmes progress towards implementation, the concept of “optimisation” and related requirements are receiving increased attention. Exchanges within NEA expert groups have shown that both regulators and implementers would benefit from a review of the relevant concepts and available guidance and experience. This report summarises and reviews the concepts relevant to the “optimisation” of geological disposal systems as they are outlined in national and international guidance. It also presents a set of observations and key questions. Overall, the report shows that, when addressing “optimisation”, there is ample scope for clarifying concepts, facts and possibilities and for ensuring that regulatory guidance is sufficiently precise and implementable. The intention is that this report should serve as a basis for discussion within and beyond NEA committees and expert groups.

National radioactive waste management programmes are in various phases of siting facilities and rely on distinct technical approaches for different categories of waste. In all cases, it is necessary for institutional actors and the potential or actual host community to build a meaningful, workable relationship. Partnership approaches are effective in achieving a balance between the requirements of fair representation and competent participation. With host community support, they also help ensure the desirable combination of a licensable site and management concept as well as a balance between compensation, local control and development opportunities. This report provides up-to-date information on experience with local partnership arrangements in 13 countries. The characteristics, advantages and aims of community partnerships are also described in addition to the concept's evolution over the past decade.

This joint report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is the seventh in a series of studies on electricity generating costs. It presents the latest data available for a wide variety of fuels and technologies, including coal and gas (with and without carbon capture), nuclear, hydro, onshore and offshore wind, biomass, solar, wave and tidal as well as combined heat and power (CHP). It provides levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) per MWh for almost 200 plants, based on data covering 21 countries (including four major non-OECD countries), and several industrial companies and organisations. For the first time, the report contains an extensive sensitivity analysis of the impact of variations in key parameters such as discount rates, fuel prices and carbon costs on LCOE. Additional issues affecting power generation choices are also examined.

The study shows that the cost competitiveness of electricity generating technologies depends on a number of factors which may vary nationally and regionally. Readers will find full details and analyses, supported by over 130 figures and tables, in this report which is expected to constitute a valuable tool for decision makers and researchers concerned with energy policies and climate change.

Public attitudes to nuclear power are critical in shaping nuclear policies in OECD/NEA countries and the latter will only be able to make use of this energy source if a well-informed public considers that its benefits outweigh its risks. This report provides a number of insights into public attitudes towards nuclear power. Support for nuclear energy is generally correlated with the level of experience of and knowledge about nuclear power. Interestingly, while the public is generally aware of the contribution of nuclear power to ensuring security of energy supply, its potential contribution to combating climate change is less well recognised. Solving the waste disposal issue would also significantly increase the level of public support. Furthermore, OECD/NEA governments may wish to reflect carefully on how to react to these results as, according to the surveys, they are the least trusted source on energy issues, far behind regulators, non-governmental organisations and scientists.

This 7th Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC) workshop focused on the territorial implementation of France’s high-level and long-lived intermediate-level waste management programme. Sessions addressed the French historical and legislative context, public information, reversibility, environmental monitoring and the issue of memory. Amongst the participants were representatives of local and regional governments, civil society organisations, universities, waste management agencies, institutional authorities and delegates from 13 countries. This report provides a synthesis of the workshop deliberations.

Large volumes of hazardous wastes are produced each year, however only a small proportion of them are radioactive. While disposal options for hazardous wastes are generally well established, some types of hazardous waste face issues similar to those for radioactive waste and also require long-term disposal arrangements. The objective of this NEA study is to put the management of radioactive waste into perspective, firstly by contrasting features of radioactive and hazardous wastes, together with their management policies and strategies, and secondly by examining the specific case of the wastes resulting from carbon capture and storage of fossil fuels. The study seeks to give policy makers and interested stakeholders a broad overview of the similarities and differences between radioactive and hazardous wastes and their management strategies.

Disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in engineered facilities, or repositories, located deep underground in suitable geological formations is being developed worldwide as the reference solution to protect humans and the environment both now and in the future. Assessing the long-term safety of geological disposal requires developing a comprehensive understanding of the geological environment. The transport pathways are key to this understanding. Of particular interest are fractures in the host rock, which may be either naturally occurring or induced, for example, during the construction of engineered portions of a repository. Such fractures could provide pathways for migration of contaminants.

In argillaceous (clay) formations, there is evidence that, over time, fractures can become less conductive and eventually hydraulically insignificant. This process is commonly termed “self-sealing”. The capacity for self-sealing relates directly to the function of clay host rocks as migration barriers and, consequently, to the safety of deep repositories in those geological settings.

This report – conducted under the auspices of the NEA Clay Club – reviews the evidence and mechanisms for self-sealing properties of clays and evaluates their relevance to geological disposal. Results from laboratory tests, field investigations and geological analogues are considered. The evidence shows that, for many types of argillaceous formations, the understanding of self-sealing has progressed to a level that could justify its inclusion in performance assessments for geological repositories.

Particle accelerators have evolved over the last decades from simple devices to powerful machines, and are having an increasingly important impact on research, technology and daily life. Today they cover a wide range of applications including material science and medical applications. In recent years, requirements from new technological and research applications have emerged while the number of accelerator facilities in operation, being commissioned, designed or planned has significantly grown. Their parameters (such as the beam energy, beam currents and intensities, and target composition) vary widely, giving rise to new radiation shielding aspects and problems.

Particle accelerators must be operated in safe ways to protect operators, the public and the environment. As the design and use of these facilities evolve, so must the analytical methods used in the safety analyses. These workshop proceedings review the state of the art in radiation shielding of accelerator facilities and irradiation targets. They also evaluate progress on the development of modelling methods used to assess the effectiveness of such shielding as part of safety analyses.

The collective experience of the NEA Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Matters (WPNEM), and in particular, the experience from the International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX) series, has shown that it is important to plan and to implement emergency response actions based on a guiding strategic vision. Within this context, Strategic Aspects of Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Management presents a framework of strategic planning elements to be considered by national emergency management authorities when establishing or enhancing processes for decision making, and when developing or implementing protection strategies. The focus is on nuclear or radiological emergency situations leading to complex preparedness and response conditions, involving multiple jurisdictions and significant international interfaces.

The report is aimed at national emergency management authorities, international organisations and those who are seeking to improve the effectiveness of emergency management. Its goal is to provide insights into decision-making processes within existing emergency planning arrangements. It also highlights common areas of good practice in decision making. Specific areas for improvement, identified during the INEX-3 consequence management exercise, are included, particularly in support of decision making for countermeasures for consequence management and the transition to recovery.

What contribution can nuclear energy make to improve the security of energy supply? This study, which examines a selection of OECD member countries, qualitatively and quantitatively validates the often intuitive assumption that, as a largely domestic source of electricity with stable costs and no greenhouse gas emissions during production, nuclear energy can make a positive contribution. Following an analysis of the meaning and context of security of supply, the study uses transparent and policy-relevant indicators to show that, together with improvements in energy efficiency, nuclear energy has indeed contributed significantly to enhanced energy supply security in OECD countries over the past 40 years.

The reliable supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and its decay product, technetium-99m (Tc-99m), is a vital component of modern medical diagnostic practices. Disruptions in the supply chain of these radioisotopes – which cannot be effectively stored – can suspend important medical testing services. Unfortunately, supply reliability has declined over the past decade, due to unexpected or extended shutdowns at the few ageing, Mo-99 producing, research reactors and processing facilities. These shutdowns have created global supply shortages.

The full study offers a unique analysis of the economic structure and present state of the Mo-99/Tc-99m supply chain. It finds that the shortages are a symptom of a longer-term problem linked to insufficient capital investment, which has been brought about by an economic structure that does not provide sufficient remuneration for producing Mo-99 or support for developing additional production and processing infrastructure. To assist governments and other decision makers in their efforts to ensure long-term, reliable supply of these important medical isotopes, the study presents options for creating a sustainable economic structure. The study will also enhance understanding amongst stakeholders of the costs of supplying Mo-99 and ultimately contribute to a better functioning market.

The reliable supply of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) and its decay product, technetium-99m (Tc-99m), is a vital component of modern medical diagnostic practices. Disruptions in the supply chain of these radioisotopes – which cannot be effectively stored – can suspend important medical testing services. Unfortunately, supply reliability has declined over the past decade, due to unexpected or extended shutdowns at the few ageing, Mo-99 producing, research reactors and processing facilities. These shutdowns have created global supply shortages.

This study offers a unique analysis of the economic structure and present state of the Mo-99/Tc-99m supply chain. It finds that the shortages are a symptom of a longer-term problem linked to insufficient capital investment, which has been brought about by an economic structure that does not provide sufficient remuneration for producing Mo-99 or support for developing additional production and processing infrastructure. To assist governments and other decision makers in their efforts to ensure long-term, reliable supply of these important medical isotopes, the study presents options for creating a sustainable economic structure. The study will also enhance understanding amongst stakeholders of the costs of supplying Mo-99 and ultimately contribute to a better functioning market.

Currently, the format, content and practice of cost estimation vary considerably both within and between countries, which makes it very difficult to compare estimates, even for similar types of facilities. The reasons are largely due to different legal requirements in different countries and to historical custom and practice, leading to variations in basic assumptions such as the anticipated decommissioning strategy and end state of the site, and to different approaches to dealing with uncertainties. While attaining harmonisation across national approaches to cost estimation may be difficult to achieve, standardising the way decommissioning cost estimates are structured and reported will give greater transparency to the decommissioning process and will help build regulator and stakeholder confidence in the cost estimates and schedules.

This booklet highlights the findings of the NEA Decommissioning Cost Estimation Group (DCEG) which recently studied cost estimation practices in 12 countries.

As part of its activities, the Regulators’ Forum of the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee has been examining the regulatory criteria for the long-term performance of geological disposal. In this context, it organised a workshop entitled “Towards Transparent, Proportionate and Deliverable Regulation for Geological Disposal”, which served to verify current status and needs. Participants included regulators, implementers, policy makers, R&D specialists and academics. Themes addressed included duties to future generations, timescales for regulation, stepwise decision making, roles of optimisation and best available techniques (BAT), multiple lines of reasoning, safety and performance indicators, recognition of uncertainties and the importance of stakeholder interactions. The workshop highlighted the significant amount of work accomplished over the past decade, but also identified important differences between national regulations even if these are not in contradiction with international guidance. Also highlighted was the importance of R&D carried out on behalf of the regulator. In addition to the contributed papers, these proceedings trace the numerous discussions that formed an integral part of the workshop. They constitute an important and unique documentary basis for researchers and radioactive waste management specialists.

With several countries currently building nuclear power plants and planning the construction of more to meet long-term increases in electricity demand, uranium resources, production and demand remain topics of notable interest. In response to the projected growth in demand for uranium and declining inventories, the uranium industry – the first critical link in the fuel supply chain for nuclear reactors – is boosting production and developing plans for further increases in the near future. Strong market conditions will, however, be necessary to trigger the investments required to meet projected demand.

The “Red Book”, jointly prepared by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, is a recognised world reference on uranium. It is based on information compiled in 40 countries, including those that are major producers and consumers of uranium. This 23rd edition provides a comprehensive review of world uranium supply and demand as of 1 January 2009, as well as data on global uranium exploration, resources, production and reactor-related requirements. It provides substantive new information from major uranium production centres around the world, as well as from countries developing production centres for the first time. Projections of nuclear generating capacity and reactor-related uranium requirements through 2035 are also featured, along with an analysis of long-term uranium supply and demand issues.

Recently developed best-estimate computer code systems for modelling 3-D coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics transients in nuclear reactors need to be validated against results from experiments and compared with each other to help understand how the different modelling methods adopted affect the accuracy of the simulation. This benchmark was set up for that purpose.

This report is one of a series covering benchmarks designed to test modelling methods for a range of transient scenarios in a VVER-1000 reactor. In this case, the transient is initiated by isolation of one steam generator causing asymmetric loop heat-up. The benchmark is based on experiments conducted at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

High-level political, governmental and regulatory decision makers, as well as representatives of economic and social groups and implementing organisations met in Berne, Switzerland to present and to reflect on their collective experience towards meeting the challenge of implementing national disposal projects for placing radioactive waste in deep geological formations. These proceedings include the papers presented at the conference as well as a summary which highlights the main lessons to be learnt and final recommendations to assist future developments in national radioactive waste management programmes seeking to meet both technical and social imperatives of modern society.

High-level political, governmental and regulatory decision makers, as well as representatives of economic and social groups and implementing organisations met in Berne, Switzerland to present and to reflect on their collective experience towards meeting the challenge of implementing national disposal projects for placing radioactive waste in deep geological formations. This summary highlights the main lessons to be learnt and final recommendations to assist future developments in national radioactive waste management programmes seeking to meet both technical and social imperatives of modern society.

A cornerstone of national decision making and societal acceptance of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste is confidence that such repositories can protect humans and the environment both now and in the future. The “safety case” is the synthesis of evidence, analyses and arguments that quantify and substantiate a claim that the repository will be safe after closure and beyond the time when active control of the facility is ensured. For deep geological disposal, studies of the geosphere form a principal component of the safety case. Geoscientific information is unique in that it can offer evidence and lines of reasoning that span geological timescales (millennia and even longer).

The NEA Approaches and Methods for Integrating Geological Information in the Safety Case (AMIGO) project addresses the collection and integration of geoscientific evidence, analyses and arguments that contribute to an understanding of long-term safety. The third and final AMIGO workshop on “Approaches and Challenges for the Use of Geological Information in the Safety Case” underscored that geoscientific information plays a fundamental role in safety assessments. It is also increasingly used in the wider context of the safety case to provide evidence and arguments for the intrinsically favourable properties of a site, including its long-term stability. No single geoscientific argument “proves” safety, but rather each supports some key element of the safety case and provides enhanced confidence in the safety case. The workshop also considered the links and feedback among the safety case; design, engineering and construction issues; and geoscientific investigations.

Nuclear power plant modifications may be needed for a number of different reasons. These include physical ageing of plant systems, structures and components; obsolescence in hardware and software; feedback from operating experience; and opportunities for improved plant safety, reliability or capability. However, experience has also shown that weaknesses in the design and/or implementation of modifications can present significant challenges to plant safety. They can also have a considerable impact on the commercial performance of the plant. It is therefore important that the plant modification process reflect a recognition of the potential impact of human errors and that it incorporate suitable measures to minimise the potential for such errors.

In this context, the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and its Working Group on Human and Organisational Factors organised an international workshop in 2003 to discuss the role of human and organisational performance in the nuclear plant modification process. This technical opinion paper represents the consensus of specialists in human and organisational factors (HOF) in the NEA member countries on commendable practices and approaches to dealing with nuclear plant modifications. It considers factors that should be taken into account when developing a modification process and identifies some lessons learnt from application of the process. The paper should be of particular interest of nuclear safety regulators and nuclear power plant operators.

Errors during maintenance and periodic testing are significant contributors to plant events. These errors may not always be revealed by post-maintenance tests and may remain undetected for extended periods until the affected system is called upon to function. It is therefore important that the plant maintenance process take into account the potential impact of human and organisational errors, and that it incorporate suitable measures to minimise the potential for such errors.

The NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and its Working Group on Human and Organisational Factors organised an international workshop to discuss the role of human and organisational performance on maintenance. This technical opinion paper represents the consensus of specialists on human and organisational factors in NEA member countries on commendable practices and approaches to dealing with nuclear power plant maintenance. It sets out a framework for including a systematic consideration of human and organisational factors in the plant maintenance process. The paper should be of particular interest to nuclear safety regulators and nuclear power plant operators.

It is a dynamic time for the nuclear power sector. Existing reactor control rooms are undergoing various forms of modernisation. New reactors are being built in many countries and advanced reactors are being designed through international co-operation to support power generation for decades to come. The new technologies and concepts that are being considered in this context could impact upon the roles of the plant operators and thus plant safety. It is therefore important that the potential implications – both positive and negative – are evaluated and understood.

Through this technical opinion paper, the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) has sought to identify a set of research topics that should be explored in order to enhance knowledge of the human and organisational factors concerned. Research to address the topics described in this paper will provide the technical basis to help ensure that the benefits of new technology are realised and that the potential negative effects are minimised.

This paper should be of particular interest to research organisations and other stakeholders (including regulatory agencies, international organisations and industry organisations) that could support this research and benefit from its results.

This volume is the eleventh in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) “Chemical Thermodynamics” series. It is based on a critical review of the thermodynamic properties of thorium, its solid compounds and aqueous complexes, initiated as part of the NEA Thermochemical Database Project Phase III (TDB III). The database system developed at the OECD/NEA Data Bank ensures consistency not only within the recommended data sets of thorium, but also amongst all the data sets published in the series. This volume will be of particular interest to scientists carrying out performance assessments of deep geological disposal sites for radioactive waste.

A key challenge in the development of safety cases for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste is handling the long time frame over which the radioactive waste remains hazardous. The intrinsic hazard of the waste decreases with time, but some hazard remains for extremely long periods. Safety cases for geological disposal typically address performance and protection for thousands to millions of years into the future. Over such periods, a wide range of events and processes operating over many different timescales may impact on a repository and its environment. Uncertainties in the predictability of such factors increase with time, making it increasingly difficult to provide definite assurances of a repository's performance and the protection it may provide over longer timescales. Timescales, the level of protection and the assurance of safety are all linked.

Approaches to handling timescales for the geological disposal of radioactive waste are influenced by ethical principles, the evolution of the hazard over time, uncertainties in the evolution of the disposal system (and how these uncertainties themselves evolve) and the stability and predictability of the geological environment. Conversely, the approach to handling timescales can affect aspects of repository planning and implementation including regulatory requirements, siting decisions, repository design, the development and presentation of safety cases and the planning of pre- and post-closure institutional controls such as monitoring requirements. This is an area still under discussion among NEA member countries. This report reviews the current status and ongoing discussions of this issue.

Considerable international experience gained over the last 20 years demonstrates that nuclear facilities can be safely dismantled and decommissioned once a decision is made to cease operations and permanently shut them down. This brochure looks at decommissioning across a spectrum of nuclear facilities and shows worldwide examples of sucessful projects.

This publication reports the conclusions from the work undertaken by Subgroup 23 of the NEA Working Party on International Nuclear Data Evaluation Co-operation (WPEC), whose mission was to produce an international library of neutron cross-section evaluations for the most important fission products.

These fission products are important in the operation of nuclear reactors because some of them contribute delayed neutrons that are useful for reactor control, whereas others have a very high neutron capture cross-section, thus inhibiting the nuclear reaction. The build-up of the fission product poisons determines the maximum duration a given fuel element can be kept in a reactor.

The evolution of the system of radiological protection is of great interest to governments and regulatory authorities, in particular in Asia. In this context, the Japanese government hosted a series of NEA conferences on this subject. The 4th Asian Regional Conference, held in Tokyo in December 2007, included key discussions of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Russian views on the new International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations, and on their interpretation in the international Basic Safety Standards and national regulations. This report summarises the most significant aspects of these discussions, providing keen insight into governmental and regulatory approaches to radiological protection in Asia.

This report provides an overview of experimental facilities that can be used to carry out nuclear safety research for gas-cooled reactors and identifies priorities for organising international co-operative programmes at selected facilities. The information has been collected and analysed by a Task Group on Advanced Reactor Experimental Facilities (TAREF) as part of an ongoing initiative of the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) which aims to define and to implement a strategy for the efficient utilisation of facilities and resources for Generation IV reactor systems.

A common theme throughout the series of NEA regulatory guidance reports, or “green booklets”, is the premise that the fundamental objective of all nuclear safety regulatory bodies is to ensure that nuclear facilities are operated at all times and later decommissioned in an acceptably safe manner. In meeting this objective the regulator must keep in mind that it is the operator that has responsibility for safely operating a nuclear facility; the role of the regulator is to oversee the operator’s activities as related to assuming that responsibility.

For the first time, the full series of these reports have been brought together in one edition. As such, it is intended to serve as a knowledge management tool both for current regulators and the younger generation of nuclear experts entering the regulatory field. While the audience for this publication is primarily nuclear regulators, the information and ideas may also be of interest to nuclear operators, other nuclear industry organisations and the general public.

The renewed interest in nuclear energy – to a large extent stimulated by concerns about global climate change, high volatility of fossil fuel prices and security of energy supply – has also revived discussions on advanced reactor concepts with the potential to reduce significantly the long-term radioactivity of nuclear waste. One of these concepts is an accelerator-driven system (ADS) which combines a particle accelerator with a subcritical reactor core. The Belgian research centre SCK•CEN at Mol has launched a project aiming to construct an ADS consisting of a high energy proton, linear accelerator combined with a lead-bismuth-cooled, subcritical reactor. The project is called MYRRHA (Multi-purpose Hybrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications).

The Belgian government asked the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to organise an international peer review of the MYRRHA project to provide an independent evaluation as part of the decision-making process. This report presents the findings from the review, which was conducted by a team of seven high-level experts from seven countries, assisted by the NEA Secretariat.

The NEA Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety established an Expert Group on Criticality Excursion Analysis in 2001 to explore the performance of various transient codes to evaluate criticality accidents in a fissile solution. Inter-code comparison exercises among four transient codes (AGNES, CRITEX, INCTAC and TRACE) have been carried out with typical transient experiments using uranyl nitrate fuel solution.

Two sets of benchmarks were carried out based on experimental programmes performed in the TRACY reactor in Japan, and the SILENE reactor in France. TRACY and SILENE have the same geometrical features: an annular cylinder with a central void tube for a transient rod and similar operational modes for reactivity insertion. The experiments selected are representative benchmarks for low- and high-enriched uranyl nitrate solution, about 10 wt% for TRACY and 93 wt% for the SILENE core.

This report provides an analysis of the benchmark results obtained with four different codes. It will be of particular interest to criticality safety practitioners developing transient codes, notably since little experimental data is available and the existing transient codes are presently unavailable to the public.

A “safety case” is the synthesis of evidence, analyses and arguments that quantify and substantiate a claim that a geological repository for radioactive waste will be safe after closure and beyond the time when active control of the facility can be ensured. The NEA project on International Experiences in Safety Cases for Geological Repositories (INTESC) analysed existing safety cases, and their elements, to provide an overview of progress during the last decade, to identify key concepts and to give insight into regulatory expectations on the contents and review of safety cases. This report documents the outcomes of the INTESC project. It takes account of the responses to a detailed survey of NEA member countries as well as the results of a technical workshop.

The project has shown that the purpose and concept of a safety case are generally understood, accepted and adopted by radioactive waste management programmes worldwide. Programmes are preparing safety cases in line with most of the elements suggested by the NEA, although there are some differences in interpretation and presentation. Some important trends are emerging, such as the use of safety functions and the role of a geosynthesis. Further development of some aspects and tools, such as quality assurance programmes and requirements management systems, can be expected as safety cases are further refined to support programmes moving towards implementation of geological disposal.

The plutonium produced during the operation of commercial nuclear power plants or that has become available from the dismantlement of nuclear weapons needs to be properly managed. One important contribution to the management process consists in validating the calculation methods and nuclear data used for estimates concerning power systems burning mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Another important contribution is the improved modelling of MOX fuel behaviour in such systems.

Within the framework of the NEA Expert Group on Reactor-based Plutonium Disposition, a fuel modelling code benchmark test was carried out for MOX fuel, with irradiation data on the BD8 MOX rod of the PRIMO programme provided by SCK•CEN and Belgonucléaire. This report summarises the data provided and the fuel characteristics for the irradiation, and presents the calculation results provided by the contributors.

Most experts worldwide agree that disposal of spent nuclear fuel in appropriate formations deep underground provides a suitable option. Most public discussions about these underground repositories concentrate on the radiological hazard associated with the potential leak of actinides to the biosphere. However, the radiotoxicity of the fission products dominates the total radiotoxicity of the spent nuclear fuel during the first 100 years. Thereafter, their radiotoxicity diminishes and the long-term radiotoxicity becomes dominated by the actinides, mainly by the plutonium and americium isotopes.

The aim of the international workshop on Mobile Fission and Activation Products in Nuclear Waste Disposal, MOFAP07, was to review and to identify the needs for further studies on the transport and chemical behaviour of fission products in the geosphere for the safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories. These proceedings contain 22 peer-reviewed papers from the workshop, which should be of particular interest to professionals in the radioactive waste management field.

Disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in engineered facilities, or repositories, located deep underground in suitable geological formations is being developed worldwide as the reference solution to protect humans and the environment both now and in the future. An important aspect of assessing the long-term safety of deep geological disposal is developing a comprehensive understanding of the geological environment in order to define the initial conditions for the disposal system as well as to provide a sound scientific basis for projecting its future evolution. The transport pathways and mechanisms by which contaminants could migrate in the surrounding host rock are key elements in any safety case. Relevant experiments in laboratories or underground test facilities can provide important information, but the challenge remains in being able to extrapolate the results to the spatial and temporal scales required for performance assessment, which are typically tens to hundreds of metres and from thousands to beyond a million years into the future. Profiles of natural tracers dissolved in pore water of argillaceous rock formations can be considered as large-scale and long-term natural experiments which enable the transport properties to be characterised.

The CLAYTRAC Project on Natural Tracer Profiles Across Argillaceous Formations was established by the NEA Clay Club to evaluate the relevance of natural tracer data in understanding past geological evolution and in confirming dominant transport processes. Data were analysed for nine sites to support scientific understanding and development of geological disposal. The outcomes of the project show that, for the sites and clay-rich formations that were studied, there is strong evidence that solute transport is controlled mainly by diffusion. The results can improve site understanding and performance assessment in the context of deep geological disposal and have the potential to be applied to other sites and contexts.

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, provides information on plans for new nuclear construction, nuclear fuel cycle developments and projections of installed nuclear capacity to 2035 in OECD member countries. This comprehensive overview of the current situation and expected trends in various sectors of the nuclear fuel cycle provides authoritative information for policy makers, experts and academics working in the nuclear energy field.

Cette nouvelle édition des Données sur l'énergie nucléaire de l'Agence de l'OCDE pour l’énergie nucléaire, une compilation annuelle de statistiques essentielles sur l'énergie nucléaire, décrit les projets de construction de centrales nucléaires et les développements dans le cycle du combustible et présente des projections de la puissance nucléaire installée dans les pays membres de l'OCDE jusqu'en 2035. Ce panorama complet de la situation actuelle et des tendances qui se dessinent dans divers secteurs du cycle du combustible nucléaire constitue l'ouvrage de référence pour les décideurs, les spécialistes et les chercheurs qui travaillent dans ce domaine.

Considerable experimental and analytical work has been performed in recent years which has led to a broader and deeper understanding of phenomena related to loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs). Further, new cladding alloys have been produced, which might behave differently than the previously used Zircaloy-4, both under normal operating conditions and during transients. Compared with 20 years ago, fuel burn-up has been significantly increased. These and other factors have led the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and its Working Group on Fuel Safety to produce this state-of-the-art report. The report should be of particular interest to nuclear safety regulators, nuclear power plant operators and nuclear fuel researchers.

Regional strategies can provide a useful framework for implementing innovative nuclear fuel cycles. The appropriate sharing of efforts and facilities among different countries is necessary in today’s context, as is taking into account proliferation concerns and resource optimisation. The preliminary studies examined in this report show that the expected benefits deriving from partitioning and transmutation (P&T), notably the reduction of radiotoxicity and heat load in a shared repository, can bring advantages to all countries of the region concerned, even when different nuclear energy policies are pursued. The studies also demonstrate that regional strategies tend to favour a nuclear “renaissance” in some countries.

A regional approach is proposed in order to implement the innovative fuel cycles associated with partitioning and transmutation in Europe. The impact of different deployment strategies and policies in various countries is addressed. Regional facilities’ characteristics and potential deployment schedules are also discussed. Further studies should be undertaken to investigate practical issues (fuel transport in particular) and institutional issues which will, without doubt, be very challenging.

Future nuclear fuel cycles could effectively address radioactive waste issues with the implementation of partitioning and transmutation (P&T). Previous studies have defined the infrastructure requirements for several key technical approaches. While these studies have proven extremely valuable, several countries have also recognised the complex, dynamic nature of the infrastructure problem: severe new issues arise when attempting to transit from current open or partially closed cycles to a final equilibrium or burn-down mode. While the issues are country-specific when addressed in detail, it is believed that there exists a series of generic issues related only to the current situation and to the desired end point.

These issues are critical to implementing a sustainable nuclear energy infrastructure. The present report focuses on the definition of key issues, the assessment of technologies and national scenario assessments.

Considered to be the standard reference work for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law, the Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication providing its subscribers with up-to-date information on all major developments falling within the domain of nuclear law. Published twice a year in both English and French, it covers legislative developments in almost 60 countries around the world as well as reporting on relevant jurisprudence and administrative decisions, international agreements and regulatory activities of international organisations.

Feature articles in this issue address “The Review Conference Mechanism in Nuclear Law: Issues and Opportunities”, “National Implementation and Enforcement of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaties” and “The Decommissioning of Asse II – Burden of the Past in the Federal Republic of Germany".

Considered to be the standard reference work for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law, the Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication providing its subscribers with up-to-date information on all major developments falling within the domain of nuclear law. Published twice a year in both English and French, it covers legislative developments in almost 60 countries around the world as well as reporting on relevant jurisprudence and administrative decisions, international agreements and regulatory activities of international organisations.

Feature articles in this issue include “Nuclear New Build – New Nuclear Law?”, “Directive Establishing a Community Framework for the Nuclear Safety of Nuclear Installations” and the “Harmonisation of Nuclear Liability in the European Union”.

The Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) was created by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency in 1992 to promote and co-ordinate international co-operative undertakings in the area of worker protection at nuclear power plants. ISOE provides experts in occupational radiological protection with a forum for communication and exchange of experience.

The programme includes 71 participating utilities in 29 countries (334 operating units and 45 shutdown units), as well as the regulatory authorities of 25 countries. The ISOE database, annual symposia and ISOE Network website facilitate the exchange of operational experience and lessons learnt among participants.

The Seventeenth Annual Report of the ISOE Programme summarises occupational exposure data trends and ISOE achievements made during 2007. Principal developments in ISOE participating countries are also described.

ISOE is jointly sponsored by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

ISOE Network: www.isoe-network.net

Radiation is used in many applications of modern technology. However, its proper handling requires competent knowledge of the basic physical laws governing its interaction with matter. To ensure its safe use, appropriate tools for predicting radiation fields and doses, and subsequently establishing pertinent regulations, are required.

One area of radiation physics that has received much attention concerns electron-photon transport in matter. PENELOPE is a modern, general-purpose Monte Carlo tool for simulating the transport of electrons and photons, which is applicable for arbitrary materials and in a wide energy range. PENELOPE provides quantitative guidance for many practical situations and techniques, including electron and X-ray spectroscopies, electron microscopy and microanalysis, biophysics, dosimetry, medical diagnostics and radiotherapy, and radiation damage and shielding.

These proceedings contain the extensively revised teaching notes of the latest workshop/training course on PENELOPE (version 2008), along with a detailed description of the improved physics models, numerical algorithms and structure of the code system.

In November 2006, Hungary hosted the 6th National Workshop and Community Visit of the NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC). Participants included institutional authorities, local residents and stakeholders, 11 mayors and more than 30 FSC delegates from 12 countries. The workshop focused on those factors that contribute either to the success or failure of the siting process for a radioactive waste repository. Experience gained in Hungary over the past two decades provided the context for the discussions. The workshop highlighted the role and modes of operation of local public oversight and information associations, which proved to be instrumental in reaching an agreement between the implementer and the local communities. The workshop included a visit to the community of Bátaapáti and the ongoing project site for an underground repository for short-lived, low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW).

Experimental facilities are essential research tools both for the development of nuclear science and technology and for testing systems and materials which are currently being used or will be used in the future. As a result of economic pressures and the closure of older facilities, there are concerns that the ability to undertake the research necessary to maintain and to develop nuclear science and technology may be in jeopardy.

An NEA expert group with representation from ten member countries, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Commission has reviewed the status of those research and test facilities of interest to the NEA Nuclear Science Committee. They include facilities relating to nuclear data measurement, reactor development, neutron scattering, neutron radiography, accelerator-driven systems, transmutation, nuclear fuel, materials, safety, radiochemistry, partitioning and nuclear process heat for hydrogen production.

This report contains the expert group’s detailed assessment of the current status of these nuclear research facilities and makes recommendations on how future developments in the field can be secured through the provision of high-quality, modern facilities. It also describes the online database which has been established by the expert group which includes more than 700 facilities.

Geological settings selected as potential host formations for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste are chosen for, among other assets, their long-term stability and buffering capacity against disruptive or destabilising events and processes. The NEA Integration Group for the Safety Case organised a workshop on geosphere stability to develop a better understanding of the scientific evidence and arguments that contribute to confidence in the geological stability for deep geological disposal.

These proceedings present the outcomes of a geosphere stability workshop, held in November 2007, that focused on crystalline and other types of hard, fractured rocks. The workshop underscored the fact that many such rocks are intrinsically stable environments that evolve extremely slowly and provide good buffering against external events and processes. There is a good understanding of the processes and events that can affect crystalline rocks and, although there is less confidence in predicting exactly when and where such events will occur and the volume of rock that will be affected, the extent of the impacts on a geological repository can be confidently addressed using bounding approaches supported by geological information from similar sites around the world.

The renewed interest in nuclear energy triggered by concerns about global climate change and security of supply, which could lead to substantial growth in nuclear electricity generation, enhances the attractiveness of fast neutron reactors with closed fuel cycles. Moving from the current fleet of thermal neutron reactors to fast neutron systems will require many decades and extensive RD&D efforts. This book identifies and analyses key strategic and policy issues raised by such a transition, aiming at providing guidance to decision makers on the best approaches for implementing transition scenarios.

The topics covered in this book will be of interest to government and nuclear industry policy makers as well as to specialists working on nuclear energy system analyses and advanced fuel cycle issues.

The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2007. Taking advantage of its half century of experience, the Committee took this occasion to look forward towards the next 50 years in order to identify the most significant emerging challenges to radiological protection policy, regulation and application. This report summarises the presentations and discussions of the high-level regulators and international radiological protection organisations’ leaders who attended, providing their views on how the radiological protection community can best move forward together to address emerging challenges.

 

Many countries have recognised that greater use of nuclear power could play a valuable role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. However, given the high capital cost and complexity of nuclear power plants, financing their construction often remains a challenge. This is especially true where such financing is left to the private sector in the context of competitive electricity markets.

This study examines the financial risks involved in investing in a new nuclear power plant, how these can be mitigated, and how projects can be structured so that residual risks are taken by those best able to manage them. Given that expansion of nuclear power programmes will require strong and sustained government support, the study highlights the role of governments in facilitating and encouraging investment in new nuclear generating capacity.

The JEFF-3.1.1 library is an updated version of the JEFF-3.1 Joint Evaluated File for Fission and Fusion. It consists of sets of evaluated nuclear data for reactor applications. Reliable data of this sort are necessary to improve the safety and economy of existing installations, as well as for the design and efficient operation of advanced nuclear reactors. The improvements in this latest version of the JEFF-3.1.1 library are particularly noteworthy as regards light water reactor applications and the associated fuel cycle.

The present report provides detailed information on the analysis and incremental validation process employed with regard to the JEF-2.2 library, which has provided the basis for the JEFF-3.1.1 library.

The Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion (JEFF) Project is a collaborative effort among NEA Data Bank member countries to develop a reference nuclear data library for use in different energy applications. Radioactive decay data forms an integral part of the nuclear data requirements for nuclear applications. In 2005, a completely revised library, JEFF-3.1, was made available. The updated JEFF-3.1.1 Radioactive Decay Data and Fission Yields Sub-libraries were released in 2007.

This report describes the development, contents and initial validation of the JEFF-3.1 Radioactive Decay Data and Fission Yields Sub-libraries, including the 2007 update, JEFF-3.1.1, of these sub-libraries.

Since the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) initiated a dialogue in 1999 on the evolution of the system of radiological protection, the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has actively engaged in providing the ICRP with input and views. The Committee’s work on this subject has included eight expert group reports, seven international conferences, and four detailed review and comment assessments of draft ICRP recommendations. This report presents a chronological summary of the issues, views and concerns raised by the CRPPH as the ICRP issued various draft versions of its new recommendations (ICRP Publication 103, published in December 2007), and of the response by the ICRP as seen in its subsequent draft recommendations. The interest of this summary report is that it will not only assist readers in understanding the main themes and concepts of the new ICRP recommendations, but also why and how the changes from the previous ICRP Publication 60 recommendations came about.

Since 1992, the Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) has provided a forum for radiological protection professionals from nuclear power utilities and national regulatory authorities worldwide to discuss, promote and co-ordinate international co-operative undertakings for the radiological protection of workers at nuclear power plants. The ISOE objective is to improve occupational exposure management at nuclear power plants by exchanging relevant information, data and experience on methods to optimise occupational radiological protection.

This report on work management provides practical guidance on the application of work management principles as a contribution to the optimisation of occupational radiological protection. It recognises that while work management is no longer a new concept, continued efforts are needed to ensure that good performance, outcomes and trends are maintained in the face of current and future challenges. The focus of this report is therefore on presenting the key aspects of work management that should be considered by management and workers to save time, doses and money, supported by updated practical examples from within the ISOE community.

ISOE is jointly sponsored by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

ISOE Network: www.isoe-network.net

Since its inception the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has been involved in the assessment and implementation of the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The development of new general ICRP recommendations, to replace those of the 1990 ICRP Publication 60, was thus of great interest to the NEA and its member countries. As a result, the NEA initiated a process of interaction and dialogue with the ICRP to ensure that the views and concerns of NEA member countries could be voiced and appropriately addressed in the new ICRP recommendations. The new ICRP recommendations were approved by the ICRP Main Commission in March 2007, by which point the NEA had sponsored 7 international conferences and produced 13 publications on the subject.

This report is the summary of the three international dialogue conferences (held in Tokyo, 5-6 July 2006, Washington, DC, 28-29 August 2006, and Prague, 24-25 October 2006) that were organised to provide the ICRP with feedback regarding the June 2006 draft of its new recommendations. It includes a presentation of the key points of the draft recommendations, a summary of the suggestions made during the three conferences, and an assessment of the significant evolution that has been seen in the ICRP’s presentation of its draft recommendations over the course of the conference series.
French blurb

Preservation of know-how in the nuclear field is promoted through the activities of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Data Bank. One area of importance concerns methods for solving radiation transport problems, especially with regard to neutrons. This handbook (in the form of a case study), prepared by Barry D. Ganapol, is the result of such an initiative. It is a compilation of solutions to the transport equation for which analytical representations can be found. It is designed for educational use in courses on analytical transport methods and numerical methods with application to reactor physics. In addition, it contains elements for the continuous improvement of transport methods and for computer code verification. The areas of neutron slowing down, thermalization and one-, two- and three-dimensional neutron transport theory are covered. A series of training courses, based on this compilation of solutions has recently begun.

The NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) has recently completed a study on the availability and utilisation of facilities supporting safety studies for current and advanced nuclear power reactors. The study showed that significant steps had been undertaken in the past several years in support of safety test facilities, mainly by conducting multinational joint projects centered on the capability of unique test facilities worldwide.

Given the positive experience of the safety research projects, it has been recommended that efforts be made to prioritise technical issues associated with advanced (Generation IV) reactor designs and to develop options on how to efficiently obtain the necessary data through internationally co-ordinated research, preparing a gradual extension of safety research beyond the needs set by currently operating reactors.

This statement constitutes a reference for future CSNI activities and for safety authorities, R&D centres and industry for internationally co-ordinated research initiatives in the nuclear safety research area.


Le Comité de l’AEN sur la sûreté des installations nucléaires (CSIN) a récemment achevé une étude sur la disponibilité et l’utilisation des installations en soutien aux études de sûreté pour les réacteurs nucléaires actuels et avancés. L’étude révèle qu’au cours des dernières années des mesures importantes ont été prises afin de soutenir les installations expérimentales pour la sûreté, essentiellement consistant en la mise en œuvre de projets multinationaux centrés sur le caractère unique de certaines installations dans le monde.

Au vu de l’expérience positive des projets de recherche en sûreté, il a été recommandé que des efforts soient faits pour hiérarchiser les questions techniques associées aux conceptions de réacteurs avancés (Génération IV) et de proposer des solutions pour obtenir efficacement les données nécessaires au moyen d’une recherche internationale coordonnée en préparant une extension progressive de la recherche en sûreté au-delà des besoins correspondant aux réacteurs actuellement en exploitation.

Cette déclaration constitue une référence pour les activités futures du CSIN ainsi que pour les autorités de sûreté, les centres de R-D et l’industrie en vue d’initiatives coordonnées de recherche internationale dans le domaine de la sûreté nucléaire.

This publication reports the conclusions from the work undertaken by Subgroup 26 of the NEA Working Party on International Nuclear Data Evaluation Co-operation (WPEC), which focused on the development of a systematic approach to define data needs for advanced reactor systems and to make a comprehensive study of such needs for Generation IV (Gen-IV) reactors. A comprehensive sensitivity and uncertainty study has been performed to evaluate the impact of neutron cross-section uncertainty on the most significant integral parameters related to the core and fuel cycle of a wide range of innovative systems. A compilation of preliminary “Design Target Accuracies” has been put together and a target accuracy assessment has been performed to provide an indicative quantitative evaluation of nuclear data improvement requirements by isotope, nuclear reaction and energy range, in order to meet the design target accuracies, as compiled in the present study. First priorities were formulated on the basis of common needs for fast reactors and, separately, thermal systems.

Nuclear power plants require a wide variety of specialised equipment, materials and services for their construction, operation and fuelling. There has been much consolidation and retrenchment in the nuclear industry since the 1980s, with the emergence of some large global nuclear companies. Electricity market liberalisation in many OECD countries has meanwhile placed nuclear plant operators under increased competitive pressure.

These structural changes in both the producer and consumer sides of the nuclear industry have had implications for the level of competition in the nuclear engineering and fuel cycle markets. With renewed expansion of nuclear power now anticipated, this study examines competition in the major nuclear industry sectors at present, and how this may change with a significant upturn in demand.

The NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) has underscored the environmental and ethical basis for geological disposal as well as its technical feasibility in a number of previous collective statements. In the intervening period there have been advances and evolving views regarding the appropriate methodologies, policies, and decision-making processes. In addition much further practical experience has accumulated regarding the development of geological repositories. The RWMC expresses herewith, in a concise form, its collective views on why geological disposal remains an appropriate waste management choice for the disposal of the most hazardous and long-lived radioactive wastes, on the current status of geological disposal, on challenges and opportunities for implementation, and expectations for further developments.

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New publications

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, provides information on the latest plans for new nuclear construction, nuclear fuel cycle developments and projections of installed nuclear capacity to 2030 in member countries. This comprehensive overview of the current situation and expected trends in various sectors of the nuclear fuel cycle is an authoritative reference for policy makers, experts and academics working in the nuclear energy field.

Cette nouvelle édition des Données sur l'énergie nucléaire de l'Agence de l'OCDE pour l’énergie nucléaire, une compilation annuelle de statistiques essentielles sur l'énergie nucléaire, décrit les derniers développements dans les projets de construction de centrales nucléaires et le cycle du combustible et présente des projections de la puissance nucléaire installée dans les pays membres jusqu'en 2030. Ce panorama complet de la situation actuelle et des tendances qui se dessinent dans divers secteurs du cycle du combustible nucléaire constitue l'ouvrage de référence pour les décideurs, les spécialistes et les chercheurs qui travaillent dans ce domaine.

This Nuclear Energy Outlook (NEO) is the first of its kind and responds to the renewed interest in nuclear energy by many OECD member countries. World energy demand continues to grow unabated and is leading to very serious concerns about security of supply, soaring energy prices and climate change stemming from fossil fuel consumption. Nuclear energy is being increasingly seen as having a role to play in addressing these concerns.

This Outlook uses the most current data and statistics available and provides projections up to 2050 to consider growth scenarios and potential implications on the future use of nuclear energy. It also offers unique analyses and recommendations on the possible challenges that lie ahead.

Topics covered by the NEO include nuclear power’s current status and projected trends, environmental impacts, uranium resources and security of supply, costs, safety and regulation, radioactive waste management and decommissioning, non-proliferation and security, legal frameworks, infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, advanced reactors and advanced fuel cycles.

ARTICLES
-Looking Backward, Moving Forward: Licensing New Reactors in the United States, by Stephen G. Burns
-The EU and Non-Proliferation: Need for a Quantum Leap?, by Roland Kobia
-Environmental Law Developments in Nuclear Energy, by Stanley David Berger
-Perspective on the Pros and Cons of a Pooling-Type Approach to Nuclear Third Party Liability, by Simon Carroll

Considered to be the standard reference work for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law, the Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication providing its subscribers with up-to-date information on all major developments falling within the domain of nuclear law. Published twice a year in both English and French, it covers legislative developments in almost 60 countries around the world as well as reporting on relevant jurisprudence and administrative decisions, international agreements and regulatory activities of international organisations.

The Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) was created by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency in 1992 to promote and co-ordinate international co-operative undertakings in the area of worker protection at nuclear power plants. ISOE provides experts in occupational radiological protection with a forum for communication and exchange of experience. A total of 71 utilities in 29 countries participate in the programme as well as the regulatory authorities of 25 countries. The ISOE databases enable the analysis of occupational exposure data from 401 operating commercial nuclear power plants (representing about 91% of the world's total operating commercial reactors), as well as 80 units undergoing decommissioning.

The Sixteenth Annual Report of the ISOE Programme summarises achievements made during 2006 and compares annual occupational exposure data. Principal developments in ISOE participating countries are also described.

放射線防護の科学とその適用は、放射線の身体への影響がはじめて発見された20世紀当初以降、持続的に発展してきている。過去10～15年にわたって、これらの発展を受け、そして科学的価値やその判断の最近の発展を考慮して、CRPPHは、持続的な決定に達するための新たなアプローチを必要とする継続的な挑戦と同様に、今後現れる可能性のある挑戦に注目する価値があることを感じている。

このレポートは、既に現れているか、あるいは今後現れるかもしれない放射線防護政策、規制とその適用に対するもっとも重要な挑戦へのCRPPHの考えを簡潔に記述したものである。これらの問題に対する解決策が計画されるまで、このレポートは、科学、社会や経験の発展を考慮し、政府がこれらの挑戦に対してよりよい先見をもち、必要に応じて、それらの準備が可能となるように、重要な考えや課題を述べるであろう。

The science and application of radiological protection have continually evolved since the beginning of the 20th century when the health effects of radiation first began to be discovered. Given these changes, notably over the past 10 to 15 years, and considering the recent evolution of social values and judgements, the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) felt that it would be worthwhile to identify possible emerging challenges as well as ongoing challenges that will require new approaches to reach sustainable decisions.

This report concisely describes the CRPPH views of the most significant challenges to radiological protection policy, regulation and application that are likely to emerge or are already emerging. While not proposing solutions to these issues, the report characterises key aspects and pressures, taking into account the evolution of science, society and experience, such that governments can better foresee these challenges and be prepared to address them appropriately.

The removal of fuel from a permanently shutdown nuclear facility eliminates the major source of radiological hazard, a nuclear criticality. Combined with the cessation of operations at high temperatures and pressures, the risk to public health and to the environment is thereby very significantly reduced. The process of decommissioning does however necessitate processes involving both conventional and radiological hazards such as the cutting and dismantling of structures, plant and equipment and the use of explosive cutting techniques. Some radiological hazards remain because of the possibility of coming into contact with radioactively contaminated or activated material.

This report considers how regulatory arrangements are being adapted to the continuously changing environment, and associated risk levels in a nuclear facility that is being decommissioned. It uses examples of current practices in several countries with large decommissioning programmes to illustrate emerging regulatory trends.

Regulating the long-term safety of geological disposal of radioactive waste is a key part of making progress on the radioactive waste management issue. A survey of member countries has shown that differences exist both in the protection criteria being applied and in the methods for demonstrating compliance, reflecting historical and cultural differences between countries which in turn result in a diversity of decision-making approaches and frameworks. At the same time, however, these differences in criteria are unlikely to result in significant differences in long-term protection, as all the standards being proposed are well below levels at which actual effects of radiological exposure can be observed and a range of complementary requirements is foreseen.

In order to enable experts from a wide range of backgrounds to debate the various aspects of these findings, the NEA organised an international workshop in November 2006 in Paris, France. Discussions focused on diversity in regulatory processes; the basis and tools for assuring long-term protection; ethical responsibilities of one generation to later generations and how these can be discharged; and adapting regulatory processes to the long time frames involved in implementing geological disposal. These proceedings include a summary of the viewpoints expressed as well as the 22 papers presented at the workshop.

The radiological concept of clearance can be defined as the release of radioactive materials or buildings from any further regulatory control applied for radiological protection purposes by the competent body. It is generally based on the assumption that, following clearance, any potential radiological exposure of the public will be trivial.

Clearance is now a mature concept being used for the management of large amounts of radioactive materials (including metals, building rubble, cables and plastics) and disused buildings associated with a controlled nuclear activity. There are, however, differences in the ways in which clearance is dealt with in the regulatory frameworks of various countries and the ways in which clearance has been implemented in diverse decommissioning projects.

This report provides up-to-date information on an array of national approaches to clearance. It should be of particular help to those planning the implementation of a clearance procedure, such as that for decommissioning a nuclear facility.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) hosted an international symposium on “Safety Cases for the Deep Disposal of Radioactive Waste: Where Do We Stand?” in January 2007. The NEA has spearheaded important developments in defining, and in developing methodologies to support, demonstrations of safety for deep disposal, including a similar symposium nearly two decades ago that provided the basis for a 1991 NEA collective opinion that the technical basis and methods exist for undertaking safety assessment of deep geological disposal. The 2007 symposium, co-sponsored by the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency, provided the opportunity to review progress and to identify emerging trends and challenges. It brought together experts in the field of radioactive waste disposal from waste management organisations, regulatory agencies, scientific support organisations, international agencies, private sector consultants, and public interest groups both within and beyond NEA member countries.

The symposium showed that safety cases for radioactive waste disposal have evolved to become important tools both to assess safety and to aid in decision making. There is a good, shared understanding of what a safety case is and what comprises its main components. Importantly, the concept of a safety case today encompasses not only quantitative assessments of potential repository performance but also includes additional (and often more qualitative) lines of evidence and arguments that can contribute to confidence in safety. There has been significant evolution in terms of the analytical tools, lines of evidence, range of performance indicators and communication of the safety case. The value of international co-operation and dialogue in developing the concept and methodology of safety cases was underscored. These proceedings describe the discussions and conclusions of the symposium, and provide copies of the technical papers presented.

Structural materials research is a field of growing relevance in the nuclear sector, especially for the different innovative reactor systems being developed within the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), for critical and subcritical transmutation systems, and of interest to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Under the auspices of the NEA Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) the Workshop on Structural Materials for Innovative Nuclear Systems (SMINS) was organised in collaboration with the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe in Germany. The objectives of the workshop were to exchange information on structural materials research issues and to discuss ongoing programmes, both experimental and in the field of advanced modelling. These proceedings include the papers and the poster session materials presented at the workshop, representing the international state of the art in this domain.

The fundamental objective of all nuclear safety regulatory bodies is to ensure that nuclear facilities are operated, as well as decommissioned, in an acceptably safe manner. However, in meeting this objective the regulator must keep in mind that it is the operator that has responsibility for safely operating a nuclear facility; the role of the regulator is to oversee the operator’s activities as related to assuming that responsibility.

There are currently many sources of information available to the regulator pertaining to safety at any given nuclear facility, such as inspection reports, operating experience reports, research results, periodic safety reviews, probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) results, insights from IAEA reviews and other similar information. A major challenge for the regulator is to systematically collect and analyse this information in order to arrive at an integrated assessment of the level of safety of the particular facility and then to make a judgement about its acceptability. In order to assist member countries in addressing this challenging question, the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has sponsored this report.

The primary focus of the report is on how the regulatory body can systematically collect and make an integrated analysis of all the relevant safety information available to it and arrive at a sound judgement on the acceptability of the level of safety of the facilities that it regulates. It therefore follows that the target audience for this report is primarily nuclear regulators, although the information and ideas may also be of interest to nuclear operators, other nuclear industry organisations and segments of civil society.

This workshop enabled the exchange of experience among regulators, research managers and industry on the needs, priorities and foreseeable trends for nuclear safety research in a regulatory context. It also addressed the means that are or can be used for effectively performing such research.

The presentations highlighted priority safety issues, at present and in the near term, for operating plants and new reactors. During the workshop, participants discussed the challenges that the nuclear community will face in the long term for performing safety evaluations of advanced reactor designs, and explored various avenues for organising the research and infrastructure that will be needed.

These proceedings will be of particular interest to nuclear specialists and research managers wishing to obtain an international perspective of current and foreseeable needs in regulatory-driven nuclear safety research.

This study identifies key factors influencing the timing of high-level waste (HLW) disposal and examines how social acceptability, technical soundness, environmental responsibility and economic feasibility impact on national strategies for HLW management and disposal. Based on case study analyses, it also presents the strategic approaches adopted in a number of national policies to address public concerns and civil society requirements regarding long-term stewardship of high-level radioactive waste.

The findings and conclusions of the study confirm the importance of informing all stakeholders and involving them in the decision-making process in order to implement HLW disposal strategies successfully. This study will be of considerable interest to nuclear energy policy makers and analysts as well as to experts in the area of radioactive waste management and disposal.

With several countries building nuclear power plants and many more considering the use of nuclear power to produce electricity in order to meet rising demand, the uranium industry has become the focus of considerable attention. In response to rising demand and declining inventories, uranium prices have increased dramatically in recent years. As a result, the uranium industry is undergoing a significant revival, bringing to an end a period of over 20 years of underinvestment.

The “Red Book”, jointly prepared by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, is a recognised world reference on uranium. It is based on official information received from 40 countries. This 22nd edition provides a comprehensive review of world uranium supply and demand as of 1st January 2007, as well as data on global uranium exploration, resources, production and reactor-related requirements. It provides substantive new information from major uranium production centres in Africa, Australia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and North America. Projections of nuclear generating capacity and reactor-related uranium requirements through 2030 are also featured, along with an analysis of long-term uranium supply and demand issues.

The accelerator-driven system (ADS) is one of the viable concepts for transmuting the long-lived isotopes contained in spent nuclear fuel and for this reason has been receiving considerable interest. In turn, attention must be given to the high power proton accelerators whose reliability and performance are key to the functioning of the ADS.

It is in this context that the NEA organised the fifth workshop on the Utilisation and Reliability of High Power Proton Accelerators (HPPA5) which was held on 6-9 May 2007 in Mol, Belgium. The workshop included a special session on the MEGAPIE programme as well as five technical sessions: accelerator programmes and applications; accelerator reliability; spallation target development and coolant technology; subcritical system design and ADS simulations; and ADS experiments and test facilities. These proceedings contain all the technical papers presented at the workshop and will be of particular interest to scientists working on ADS development.

Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) has the potential of significantly reducing the radiotoxicity of nuclear waste and thus minimising the amount of it that needs to be stored in deep geological repositories. In order to provide experts with a forum to present and discuss developments in the field of P&T, since 1990 the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has been organising biennial information exchange meetings on actinide and fission product partitioning and transmutation.

These proceedings contain all the technical papers and posters presented at the Ninth Information Exchange Meeting, which was held on 25-29 September 2006 in Nîmes, France. The meeting covered such issues as progress in fuels and targets, partitioning and waste forms, spallation targets, dedicated transmutation systems, coolants, and physics and nuclear data. In addition, the integration of P&T programmes within different fuel cycle strategies was discussed, as well as the potential transmutation of waste in Generation IV reactors. The implications for waste management strategies, in particular for geological disposal, were also explored. More than 100 papers were presented during the meeting.

This publication presents the conclusions of the work undertaken by Subgroup 25 of the NEA Working Party on International Evaluation Co-operation, which focused on the assessment and improvement of the evaluated decay data sub-libraries in order to obtain more accurate estimations of decay heat. Recommendations have been prepared for total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy (TAGS) measurements of specific fission product nuclides to be undertaken in close collaboration with experimentalists in Subgroup 25.

Since 1991, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has conducted a number of scientific studies to examine nuclear fuel burn-up issues as applied to criticality safety in the transportation, storage and treatment of spent fuel. They have covered a wide range of fuel types, including UOX and MOX fuels for PWR, BWR and VVER reactors.

The objective of the current study was to examine the axial burn-up profiles of PWR UO2 spent fuel assemblies and specifically the fuel assembly end effects and the axial fission density distributions. The study was based on the evaluation of a database of experimentally measured axial burn-up profiles of the Siemens Convoy fuel assemblies, irradiated in the German nuclear power plant Neckarwestheim II.

The report analyses and summarises the solutions to the specified benchmark exercises provided by ten contributors from seven countries. It shows that there is a significant correlation between the asymmetry of axial fuel assembly burn-up profiles and both the end effect and the axial fission density distribution. The results also illustrate the importance of using accurate axial fuel burn-up profiles when designing transport/storage fuel casks.

This volume provides a state-of-the-art report on the modelling of aqueous-solid solution systems by the combined use of chemical thermodynamics and experimental and computational techniques. These systems are ubiquitous in nature and therefore intrinsic to the understanding and quantification of radionuclide containment and retardation processes present in geological repositories of radioactive waste. Representative cases for study have been chosen from the radioactive waste literature to illustrate the application of the various approaches.

This report has been prepared by a team of four leading experts in the field under the auspices of the OECD/NEA Thermochemical Database (TDB) Project. The team comprised Jordi Bruno (Enviros, Spain), Dirk Bosbach (FZK, Germany), Dmitrii Kulik (PSI, Switzerland) and Alexandra Navrotsky (UC Davis, USA).

In recent years the socio-political environment of radioactive waste management (RWM) has been changing in a significant way. Stakeholder dialogue has become a leading principle. How have RWM organisations adapted to this societal transition? How do they balance the requirement of openness and the increasing concerns over the security of facilities? Are there organisations that have successfully changed from a technical- to a customer-focused culture? What resistance was met? Which tools and instruments helped organisations evolve?

This report documents the changes observed by RWM managers and sets those changes in an organisational sciences framework. All those who are intent on learning about the changes that have taken place in the field of radioactive waste management, or whose own organisations in any sector must adapt to societal demand, will be interested by the experience and insight reported here.

The presence of several barriers serving complementary safety functions enhances confidence that radioactive waste placed in deep geological repositories will be adequately isolated and contained to protect human health and the environment. The barriers include the natural geological barrier and the engineered barrier system (EBS). The EBS itself may comprise a variety of sub-systems or components, such as the waste form, container, buffer, backfill, seals and plugs. Given the importance of this subject, the Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) sponsored a series of workshops with the European Commission to develop greater understanding of how to achieve the necessary integration for the successful design, testing, modelling and performance assessment of EBS for deep underground disposal of radioactive waste.

These proceedings present the main findings from, and the papers delivered at, the fourth NEA-EC workshop on EBS, which took place in Tokyo, Japan, in September 2006. This final workshop of the series focused on strategies and methods to demonstrate that EBS designs will fulfil the relevant requirements for long-term safety, engineering feasibility and quality assurance. The workshop highlighted that large-scale experiments have confirmed the feasibility of techniques for manufacturing and installing engineered components in disposal systems and have also provided valuable lessons to improve designs and refine practical aspects to construct and implement EBS.

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has actively participated in discussions with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) regarding the development of new recommendations that will replace those in ICRP Publication 60, which has long served as the international standard in this field. Part of this development process has involved the organisation of seven international workshops, including the First and Second Asian Regional Conferences on the Evolution of the System of Radiological Protection which took place in Tokyo, Japan in October 2002 and July 2004. The Third Asian Regional Conference was held on 5-6 July 2006, also in Tokyo.

The main objective of these conferences was to ensure that the views and concerns of relevant Asian stakeholders, such as regulatory authorities, industry, professional societies and NGOs, could be expressed and discussed with the ICRP. The three conferences provided the ICRP with specific views on how new recommendations could best be developed to address regulatory and implementation needs in the Asian context. These proceedings summarise the results and key discussions of the Third Asian Regional Conference.

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has offered its member countries a forum for improving efficiency and effectiveness in nuclear emergency management, focusing in particular on the international aspects of emergency preparedness and response. A central approach to this has been the preparation and conduct of the International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX) series.

The INEX 3 consequence management exercise series was developed by the NEA Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Matters in response to its members’ desire to better prepare for the longer-term response following a nuclear or radiological emergency. INEX 3 was designed and conducted to allow participants to investigate the national and international arrangements for responding to widespread radiological contamination of the environment and the consequence management issues likely to be raised in the medium to long term following such an event. The main areas addressed included agriculture and food countermeasures, decisions on countermeasures such as travel, trade or tourism, recovery management and public information. The exercise series, conducted in 2005-2006, was followed by an evaluation workshop aimed at allowing participants to share their national experiences with INEX 3, compare approaches, analyse the implications on decision making and identify key needs in longer-term consequence management.

This report summarises the development of the INEX 3 exercise, the major evaluation outcomes of the national exercises, and the key policy-level outcomes, recommendations and follow-up activities arising from the exercise and workshop.

On 21 March 1957, the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation established the Working Party on Public Health and Safety. From this early date onwards, radiological protection formed a central part of the work of what was to become the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.

Now, 50 years later, the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has commissioned this historical review of half a century of work and accomplishments. Over this period, the key topics in radiological protection have been identified, debated and addressed by the CRPPH. This report brings this history to life, presenting the major questions in the context of their time, and of the personalities who worked to address them. The developments and views of the past condition how we are able to assess and manage radiological risks today, as well as how we may adjust to challenges that will or could emerge in the coming years. This heritage is thus an important element for the CRPPH to consider as it looks forward to its next 50 years of accomplishments.

Any long-term radioactive waste management project is likely to last decades to centuries. It requires a physical site and will impact in a variety of ways on the surrounding community over that whole period. The societal durability of an agreed solution is essential to success. This report identifies a number of design elements (including functional, cultural and physical features) that favour a durable relationship between the facility and its host community by improving prospects for quality of life across generations.

As part of the development of advanced nuclear systems, including accelerator-driven systems (ADS) proposed for high-level radioactive waste transmutation and generation IV reactors, heavy liquid metals such as lead (Pb) or lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) are under evaluation as reactor core coolant and ADS neutron target material. Heavy liquid metals are also being envisaged as target materials for high-power neutron spallation sources. The objective of this handbook is to collate and publish properties and experimental results on Pb and LBE in a consistent format in order to provide designers with a single source of qualified properties and data and to guide subsequent development efforts. The handbook covers liquid Pb and LBE properties, materials compatibility and testing issues, key aspects of the thermal-hydraulics and system technologies, existing test facilities, open issues and perspectives.

The long-term safety of deep disposal of radioactive waste will be strongly dependent on the performance of the geological setting. The geology fulfils important safety functions including isolating the waste from human contact or intrusion, providing a stable physical and chemical environment, insulating against external disturbances, and preventing or delaying the transport of radioactive materials away from the waste. Thus, a sound understanding of the geology's history and evolution is central in supporting assessments that examine the long-term performance and safety of deep disposal. Geological data can also play an important role in other related activities, such as site selection and repository design.

Through a series of technical workshops, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) project on Approaches and Methods for Integrating Geological Information in the Safety Case (AMIGO), is devoted to defining and improving the collection and use of geological evidence that contribute to the understanding of long-term safety for radioactive waste disposal. The second AMIGO workshop was organised in Canada in September 2005. It examined how geoscientific arguments and data are compiled and linked to create a unified description of the geological setting to support a safety case. It also examined practical aspects and limitations in collecting, linking, extrapolating and communicating such information. These proceedings present the outcomes of the workshop.

The plutonium produced during the operation of commercial nuclear power plants or that has become available from the dismantlement of nuclear weapons needs to be properly managed. One important contribution to the management process consists in validating the calculation methods and nuclear data used for the prediction of power in systems burning mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Another important contribution is the improved modelling of MOX fuel behaviour in such systems.

Within the framework of the NEA Expert Group on Reactor-based Plutonium Disposition, a fuel modelling code benchmark test for MOX fuel was initiated, with in-pile irradiation data on two short MOX rods provided by the OECD/NEA Halden Reactor Project. This report summarises the in-pile data and fuel characteristics, and presents the calculation results provided by the contributors.

Facts and opinions
Innovation in nuclear technology
Radiological protection and the environment

NEA updates
Fostering a durable relationship between a waste management facility and its host community
Regional development and community support in radioactive waste management
Safety cases for the deep disposal of radioactive waste: where do we stand?
SCAP: the NEA project on stress corrosion cracking and cable ageing
Seismic probabilistic safety assessment (PSA): An update

News briefs
International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation (IRPhE) Project
Legislative update: United States

New publications

Facts and opinions

Nuclear energy risks and benefits in perspective

Management of recyclable fissile and fertile materials

NEA updates
Geological disposal: key observations and lessons learnt
The impact of financing schemes and income taxes on electricity generation costs
Radiological protection at the NEA: 50 years and thriving
The International School of Nuclear Law
International Standard Problem ISP-47 on Containment Thermal-hydraulics

News briefs
Update on the Generation IV International Forum
NEA joint projects
Progress in the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP)

New publications

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers projections lengthened to 2030 for the first time and information on the development of new centrifuge enrichment capacity in member countries. The compilation gives readers a comprehensive and easy-to-access overview of the current situation and expected trends in various sectors of the nuclear fuel cycle, providing authoritative information to policy makers, experts and academics working in the nuclear energy field.

Cette nouvelle édition des Données sur l’énergie nucléaire, publication annuelle de l’Agence de l’OCDE pour l’énergie nucléaire qui rassemble les données statistiques essentielles de ce secteur dans les pays de l’OCDE, présente des prévisions qui pour la première fois vont jusqu’en 2030, ainsi que des informations sur la mise en œuvre de capacités d’enrichissement par centrifugation dans les pays membres. Cet ouvrage offre au lecteur un tour d’horizon complet et facile à consulter de la situation et des tendances dans les divers secteurs du cycle du combustible nucléaire, et notamment des informations qui font autorité à l’intention des décideurs publics, des experts et des chercheurs travaillant dans le domaine de l’énergie nucléaire.

ARTICLES
- The Universal Legal Framework Against Nuclear Terrorism, by Walter Gehr
- The Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage: Catalyst for a Global Nuclear Liability Regime, by Ben McRae
- International Pooling of Operators’ Funds: An Option to Increase the Amount of Financial Security to Cover Nuclear Liability?, by Norbert Pelzer

ARTICLES
- Judicial Progress in Germany’s Nuclear Waste Disposal Policy, The Konrad Repository Decisions of 26 March 2007, by Gunther Kühne
- Critical Reflections on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, by Quentin Michel
- The “Incentive” Concept as Developed in the Nuclear Safety Conventions and its Possible Extension to Other Sectors, by Tammy de Wright

STUDY
- The International System of Radiological Protection: Key Structures and Current Challenges, by Edward Nicholas Lazo

The NEA has studied multiple recycling issues associated with various reactor systems fuelled with mixed-oxide (MOX) and published a series of computational physics benchmarks. This has led to improvements in the nuclear data libraries and calculation methods. Several benchmarks were completed comparing those findings with data from experiments. Previous benchmarks have concentrated mainly on PWRs, BWRs, VVER-1000s and FRs.

The present report provides an evaluation and analysis of the reactor period measurements carried out in the CROCUS reactor of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) for several different delayed super-critical conditions. Two types of reactivity changes were measured employing an appropriate stable period technique in each case. The first series of experiments involved increasing the water level above the critical level. The second series was carried out by inserting/removing one of the absorber rods into/out of the core. The report also provides a benchmark model and the results obtained with different computer codes.
The report will be of interest to reactor physicists and designers.

The NEA has studied multiple recycling issues associated with various reactor systems fuelled with mixed-oxide (MOX) and published a series of computational physics benchmarks. This has led to improvements in the nuclear data libraries and calculation methods. Several benchmarks were completed comparing those findings with data from experiments. Previous benchmarks have concentrated mainly on PWRs, BWRs, VVER-1000s and FRs. The present benchmark concerns a pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) fuelled with reactor-grade plutonium.

Although the benchmark has been specifically designed to provide intercomparisons for plutonium and thorium fuels, phases of calculations for uranium fuel have also been included. The purpose of these phases is to identify any increased uncertainties, relative to uranium fuel, that are associated with plutonium and thorium fuel.

This report provides an analysis of the twelve sets of results supplied by seven experts from five countries. Participants have used nuclear data from three different evaluations having applied both Monte Carlo and deterministic methods of analysis. Participants using the same nuclear data report similar results, although some differences have been noted, particularly in relation to the fuel temperature coefficients and the whole-core xenon fission product poisoning effect. There is also evidence of good agreement between Monte Carlo and deterministic solutions for some of the participants despite the difficult nature of the problem with stochastic geometry.

The report will be of interest to reactor physicists and designers.

The science and application of radiological protection have continually evolved since the beginning of the 20th century when the health effects of radiation first began to be discovered. Given these changes, notably over the past 10 to 15 years, and considering the recent evolution of social values and judgements, the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) felt that it would be worthwhile to identify possible emerging challenges as well as ongoing challenges that will require new approaches to reach sustainable decisions.

This report concisely describes the CRPPH views of the most significant challenges to radiological protection policy, regulation and application that are likely to emerge or are already emerging. While not proposing solutions to these issues, the report characterises key aspects and pressures, taking into account the evolution of science, society and experience, such that governments can better foresee these challenges and be prepared to address them appropriately.

The sixth workshop of the OECD/NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC) was hosted by ENRESA, the Spanish agency responsible for the management of radioactive waste and the dismantling of nuclear power plants, and the Council of Nuclear Safety (CSN), with the support of the Association of Spanish Municipalities in Areas Surrounding Nuclear Power Plants (AMAC). The workshop took place at L'Hospitalet de l'Infant, Catalonia, Spain, on 21-23 November 2005.

At this workshop, Spanish stakeholders and delegates from 14 countries discussed current co-ordination of radioactive waste management decision making in Spain. Findings were shared from Cowam-Spain, a co-operative research project on the involvement of local stakeholders, the relationship between national and local levels of decision making, and the long-term sustainability of decisions regarding the siting of a centralised interim storage facility for high-level waste. These proceedings include the workshop presentations and discussions, as well as the rapporteurs' reflections on what was learned about policy making and participative decision making.

Regulating the long-term safety of geological disposal of radioactive waste poses special challenges due to the very long timescales involved. This report has been prepared to help foster a common understanding of the fundamental safety objectives of deep geological repositories and the applicable criteria. It provides important guidance for the national programmes that are developing or refining regulations. A common understanding may also contribute to clearer communication and public understanding of regulatory criteria.

In the context of sustainable development policies, decision making in the energy sector should be based on carefully designed trade-offs which take into account, insofar as feasible, all of the alternative options' advantages and drawbacks from the economic, environmental and social viewpoints. This report examines various aspects of nuclear and other energy chains for generating electricity, and provides illustrative examples of quantitative and qualitative indicators for those chains with regard to economic competitiveness, environmental burdens (such as air emissions and solid waste streams) and social aspects (including employment and health impacts).

This report will be of interest to policy makers and analysts in the energy and electricity sectors. It offers authoritative data and references to published literature on energy chain analysis which can be used in support of decision making.

Scientific knowledge is constantly evolving as more advanced technologies become available and more in-depth research is carried out. Given the potential implications that new findings could have on policy decisions, in 1998 the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) performed a survey of state-of-the-art research in radiological protection science. This study suggested that, while the current system of radiological protection was well-underpinned by scientific understanding, growing knowledge in several areas could seriously impact policy and regulation. Ten years later, the CRPPH has again performed a survey of state-of-the-art research which reiterates and clarifies its earlier conclusions.

This report summarises the results of this latest CRPPH assessment of radiological protection science. Specifically, it explains that knowledge of non-targeted and delayed effects, as well as of individual sensitivity, have been significantly refined over the past ten years. Although at this point there is still no scientific certainty in these areas, based on the most recent studies and results, the report strongly suggests that policy makers and regulatory authorities should consider possible impacts that could arise from research in the next few years. Further, the report identifies research areas that should be supported to more definitively answer scientific questions having the most direct impacts on policy choices.

Significant numbers of nuclear facilities will need to be decommissioned in the coming decades. In this context, NEA member countries are placing increasing emphasis on the involvement of stakeholders in the associated decision procedures. This study reviews decommissioning experience with a view to identifying stakeholder concerns and best practice in addressing them. The lessons learnt about the end of the facility life cycle can also contribute to better foresight in siting and building new facilities. This report will be of interest to all major players in the field of decommissioning, in particular policy makers, implementers, regulators and representatives of local host communities.

Emergency situations demand that actions be taken by the responsible organisations at the local, national and international levels to mitigate their impact on people and the environment. In order to be able to deliver an effective emergency response in both the short and long term, it is necessary to make and maintain adequate plans and arrangements. Prudence dictates that these be prepared in advance of an emergency situation, contain appropriate elements for preparedness, response and assistance, and take adequate account of international interfaces. The successful management of an emergency, along with the effectiveness of the response arrangements, will be facilitated through the use of well-planned tests and exercises.

Drawing on the collective experience of the OECD/NEA Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Matters and its International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX) series, this report aims to assist national and international emergency authorities in developing their own exercise-specific strategy by providing insights on exercise justification, design, conduct and evaluation. The focus is on providing an understanding, basis and strategy for the decision to exercise rather than detailed guidance on how to exercise.

Exercising is one tool for enhancing performance, testing plans and identifying areas for improvement; however, it is an important and resource-intensive tool. Therefore, the objective of this report is to provide a summary of strategic considerations for improving the value of planning, conducting and evaluating exercises and following up on lessons identified. This strategy may also find applicability in developing approaches for other types of non-nuclear emergency exercises.
French blurb

In parallel to the work carried out by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) to review the broad principles of protection, the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has examined how radiological protection could be better implemented by governments and/or regulatory authorities. To this end, the CRPPH has developed a concept that it calls “the process of regulatory authorisation”. It is described in detail in this report, and is intended to help regulatory authorities apply more transparently, coherently and simply the broad recommendations of the ICRP to the real-life business of radiological protection regulation and application. The CRPPH recognises the importance of an appropriate level of stakeholder involvement in the process of regulatory authorisation.

One of the main missions of nuclear regulators is to protect the public, and this cannot be completely achieved without public confidence. The more a regulatory process is transparent, the more such confidence will grow. Despite important cultural differences across countries, a number of common features characterise media and public expectations regarding any activity with an associated risk.

A common understanding of transparency and main stakeholders' expectations in the field of nuclear safety were identified during this workshop, together with a number of conditions and practices aimed at improving the transparency of nuclear regulatory activities. These conditions and practices are described herein, and will be of particular interest to all those working in the nuclear regulatory field. Their implementation may, however, differ from one country to another depending on national context.

In the field of coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics computation there is a need to enhance scientific knowledge in order to develop advanced modelling techniques for new nuclear technologies and concepts, as well as current applications.

Recently developed best-estimate computer code systems for modelling 3-D coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics transients in nuclear cores and for the coupling of core phenomena and system dynamics need to be compared against each other and validated against results from experiments. International benchmark studies have been set up for this purpose.

The present volume is a follow-up to the first two volumes. While the first described the specification of the benchmark, the second presented the results of the first exercise that identified the key parameters and important issues concerning the thermal-hydraulic system modelling of the simulated transient caused by the switching on of a main coolant pump when the other three were in operation. Volume 3 summarises the results for Exercise 2 of the benchmark that identifies the key parameters and important issues concerning the 3-D neutron kinetics modelling of the simulated transient.

These studies are based on an experiment that was conducted by Bulgarian and Russian engineers during the plant-commissioning phase at the VVER-1000 Kozloduy Unit 6. The final volume will soon be published, completing Phase 1 of this study.