The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

NEA high-level visit to Romania

NEA Director‑General William D. Magwood, IV, and senior staff visited Romania on 19‑20 February 2020 for a series of high‑level meetings. Central to his visit were discussions with Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban on Romania's energy future. Discussions also addressed electricity system costs and the decarbonisation of electricity systems. While in Romania, Director‑General Magwood toured research facilities at the Politehnica University of Bucharest. The Director‑General's visit to Romania provided an excellent opportunity to review the co‑operation between the NEA and Romania since Romania's accession the Agency in 2017, as well as to exchange views on nuclear energy innovation, education and research.

NEA launches new initiatives in nuclear innovation

NEA is organising two workshops focused on the need to bring more innovation into the nuclear energy sector. The first event is the NEA Workshop on Innovative Financing: Towards Sustainable Nuclear Financing, which will be held on 6‑7 April 2020 in Warsaw, Poland, hosted by the Polish Ministry of Energy and organised in collaboration with the Cambridge Nuclear Energy Centre and the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC). This first‑of‑its‑kind workshop will bring together experts from the nuclear energy and financing sectors to discuss approaches for financing sustainable, large infrastructure projects with a focus on nuclear new build.

The second event is the KAERI/NEA International Workshop on Disruptive Technologies for Nuclear Safety Applications, which will take place on 19‑20 May 2020 in Jeju Island, Korea. This workshop will gather experts from within and outside the nuclear sector to exchange insights on the potential for disruptive technologies to have a positive impact on the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.

These efforts will culminate in the 2020 Global Forum on Innovation for the Future of Nuclear Energy on 4‑7 October 2020 in London, United Kingdom. Organised in partnership between the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), EDF Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the NEA, this event will build on the outcomes of the workshops highlighted above and the 2019 Global Forum. The report summarising the 2019 Global Forum, which took place in June 2019 in Gyeongju, South Korea, is available here.

International co‑operation for the development and advancement of high‑level radioactive waste and spent fuel disposal

On 7 February 2020 the Agency hosted the second Roundtable on Final Disposal of High‑level Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel to facilitate an exchange of experiences and knowledge in developing final disposal policies. Jointly organised by the NEA, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan, and the Office of Nuclear Energy, United States Department of Energy, the event follows the first roundtable held in October 2019.

The objective of these roundtables is to strengthen international co‑operation for the development and advancement of high‑level radioactive waste and spent fuel disposal. Participants discussed best practices in stakeholder engagement in decision‑making related to the disposal of waste in deep geological repositories. During his opening remarks, NEA Director‑General Magwood underlined the significance of international co‑operation. "Policymakers need both adequate technical information and public confidence and trust to make nuclear decisions," he said. "Roundtables like this are very important in identifying common issues that countries can address together."

Preparedness for Post‑Accident Recovery Process: Lessons from Experience

The area of recovery management has been of interest within the NEA community for some time - in particular since the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. An aspect of recovery management that has been identified as needing further practical guidance is preparations for post‑accident recovery actions. For this reason, the NEA and the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan co‑organised the Workshop on Preparedness for Post‑Accident Recovery Process: Lessons from Experience at the University of Tokyo in Japan on 18‑19 February 2020, with the support of Nuclear Safety Research Association (NSRA). Participants included national and local governmental representatives, people from the Fukushima prefecture, and researchers. The workshop provided an opportunity to discuss the major elements of a nuclear or radiological post‑accident recovery management framework. It also served as a platform where participants were able to exchange their experiences in the recovery process. Workshop conclusions and a summary will be published in the coming months in order to assist NEA members in planning and improving their preparedness for recovery.

Global interest in the NEA International Nuclear Law Essentials course

The ninth session of the NEA International Nuclear Law Essentials (INLE) course was held on 17‑21 February 2020 with a diverse international group of 35 professionals from 17 NEA member and non-member countries. During the one‑week programme, the participants learned about the international nuclear law framework and major issues affecting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. A total of 18 lecturers from the NEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nuclear regulatory authorities and the private sector gave lectures on topics related to nuclear safety, security, non‑proliferation and liability. NEA Director‑General Magwood and Commissioner David A. Wright of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) were among those who spoke during the week. Read more about the INLE at oe.cd/inle.