Nuclear Energy Agency Online Bulletin

Covers new material for January 2009:

NEA publications

Nuclear Law Bulletin, No. 82
ISSN 0304-341X. 244 pages.

Disponible également en français :
Bulletin de droit nucléaire, n° 82
ISSN 0304-3428. 250 pages.

Chemical Thermodynamics of Thorium - Volume 11
ISBN 978-92-64-05667-1. 942 pages.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - No. 10
The Role of Human and Organisational Factors in Nuclear Power Plant Modifications
ISBN 978-92-64-99064-7. 28 pages (850 kb).

Disponible également en français :
Avis techniques du CSIN - n° 10
Le rôle des facteurs humains et organisationnels dans les modifications des centrales nucléaires
ISBN 978-92-64-99069-2. 28 pages (1 Mb).

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Transition Scenario Studies
ISBN 978-92-64-99068-5. 124 pages (2.7 Mb).

Nuclear development

NEA Workshop on Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes

Nuclear science publications and reportsRecently, the international community has become increasingly concerned about shortages of the radioisotope Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) which is widely used for medical diagnostics. More than 30 million diagnostic nuclear medical procedures using Tc-99m are carried out every year. It represents about 80% of the world's market for medical radioisotopes. Tc-99m is created from Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) which is produced in a limited number of nuclear research reactors around the world. Currently 95% of the world's needs are supplied by only five reactors, all of them over 40 years old. Outages of these reactors and of the downstream processing facilities have recently resulted in significant shortages of Tc-99m.

On 29-30 January 2009, the NEA hosted a workshop on the security of supply of medical radioisotopes. This issue is particularly sensitive as many governments are concerned with the vulnerability of the global medical isotope supply chain. The objectives of the workshop were to better identify the problems and to propose solutions to enhance security of supply in both short and longer terms.

Global Nuclear Fuel Supply Seminar

The NEA contributed to a Global Nuclear Fuel Supply Seminar organised by the Japanese Permanent Mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 26 January in Vienna, presenting a paper entitled "Current and Future Trends in Nuclear Fuel Supply", which was based on information provided in recent NEA publications. The NEA presentation was one of five made on existing nuclear fuel supply capacities and plans for expansion. The seminar was organised to provide technical information on the fuel cycle to member-state mission staff (around 150 attended) in support of the Japanese proposal: "IAEA Standby Arrangements System for the Assurance of Nuclear Fuel Supply".

Electricity Generation Cost (ECG) study

The Nuclear Development Division has begun working on a new edition of the EGC study: The Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2009 Update. The project, jointly undertaken with the International Energy Agency (IEA), will provide authoritative and up-to-date information on the costs of different power generation technologies including nuclear energy, coal, oil, gas and renewable energies. Member countries have indicated strong interest in the results of the study and the work is due for completion in early 2010.

Radiological waste management

RWM publications and reportsThe NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee Regulators' Forum (RWMC-RF) organised the first in a new series of workshops on the regulatory aspects of radioactive waste management, held in Tokyo on 20-22 January and hosted by the Government of Japan. The general purpose of the workshop was to address the question of transparent, proportionate and deliverable regulation for the long-term safety of geological disposal in as broad a fashion as possible. The workshop format was highly interactive, allowing participants to learn by exchanging experiences in small groups. The diversity of participants, including not only regulators but also implementers and academics, made for a rich exchange of experiences and viewpoints. The participants welcomed the innovative structure of the workshop, which will be continued in the future, the high quality of the supporting materials, which are also publicly available, the quality of the discussions, as well as the opportunity to learn about the Japanese waste management programme. The next workshop is scheduled to take place in the May-June 2010 time frame.

Data Bank

NEA Data Bank newsletter

Computer program services

New computer programs available

20-JAN-2009 NEA-1525 PENELOPE2008, A Code System for Monte-Carlo Simulation of Electron and Photon Transport
(Tested)
05-JAN-2009 CSNI2200 PSB-VVER, Computer code validation for transient analysis of VVER and RBMK reactors project
(Arrived)

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