Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 2020 was a very active and impactful year at the NEA. The Agency quickly adjusted to the situation, switched to virtual methods of interaction, and continued to serve its member countries. The NEA community has stayed in contact via online meetings, virtual diplomatic missions, webchats and web-based expert roundtables.
Over the course of this year the NEA released flagship reports on deep geological repositories, reducing the construction costs of nuclear, nuclear data and electricity generating costs. It also issued policy briefs on the role of nuclear energy during COVID‑19 and beyond. It organised conferences and workshops corresponding to the needs of member countries in the application and exploration of nuclear science and technology, including the NEA Workshop on Optimisation: Rethinking the Art of Reasonable and a special workshop on the human aspects of nuclear safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Agency also continued supporting nuclear capacity building efforts with events such as the WebChat on Gender Balance, a Global Nuclear Science and Engineering Commencement and the 7th International Mentoring Workshop in Science and Engineering, in which distinguished women scientists and engineers engaged with female high school students from Fukushima, Japan.
Watch our year‑in‑review video here to see the highlights and key moments of 2020.
January
NEA Workshop on Optimisation: Rethinking the Art of Reasonable
Second exploratory meeting for collaboration with universities across the globe
Resumption of NEA Data Bank Services to non-NEA/OECD Countries
February
The second Roundtable on Final Disposal of High‑level Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel
NEA high-level visit to Romania
Workshop on Preparedness for Post‑Accident Recovery Process: Lessons from Experience
Workshop on the Multifactor Optimisation of Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste
The European Nuclear Energy Tribunal holds inaugural session for its 10th mandate
Global interest in the NEA International Nuclear Law Essentials course
April
Special workshop on the human aspects of nuclear safety: Challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
May
NEA WebChat with Dr Rita Baranwal
June
NEA WebChat with H.E. Michał Kurtyka, Poland's Minister of Climate
New policy briefs on the role of nuclear energy during COVID‑19 and beyond
NEA Director-General's virtual mission to Japan
Workshop on mitigating psychological impacts of crisis response
July
The Generalised Nuclear Database Structure: Establishing an International Nuclear Data Standard
Workshop on community engagement and resilience
August
A global nuclear science and engineering commencement
September
NEA WebChat with H.E. Mohamed Al Hammadi
COG and NEA sign MOU to advance global PHWR safety research
October
International School of Nuclear Law: Hot topics, expert views
NEA WebChat with IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi
Joint Learning Forum on safety culture
NEA Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy meeting
November
Changes to the NEA Data Bank licensing framework for codes distribution
Expert Roundtable: Progress in HLW management and the sustainability of nuclear energy
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for Nuclear Reactor Safety Applications (CFD4NRS-8) workshop
December
Projected Costs of Generating Electricity – 2020 edition
Training courses on state-of-the-art computer codes
7th NEA International Mentoring Workshop in Science and Engineering
