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 area of nuclear safety, enable interested countries, on a cost-sharing basis, to pursue research or the sharing of data with respect to areas or issues of high nuclear safety relevance.
The primary motivation for Joint Safety Research Projects is to support the safe operation of nuclear installations. Typical safety research projects include:
These Joint Safety Research Projects, while distinct from the programme of work executed through the NEA Standing Technical Committees, have been of particular interest to the members of the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), and have complemented the CSNI’s programme of safety research activities. Joint Safety Research Projects principles and benefits are described in the below video and in the brochure Guidance and Principles for the Initiation and Conduct of Joint Safety Research Projects.
In addition to addressing important safety issues, Joint Safety Research Projects have also contributed to the preservation and operation of essential research facilities and capabilities. Over the past two decades, the CSNI has conducted reviews of the status of essential research facilities and capabilities, and Joint Safety Research Projects have been established to support continued availability and operation of key facilities including the maintenance of the human resources needed to conduct high quality experimental research. The latest such review is available in the report Nuclear Safety Research Support Facilities for Existing and Advanced Reactors: 2021 Update.
Joint Safety Research Projects also contribute to the development and preservation of technical capability. Together with experts, students or young professionals are also involved in projects and benefit from the sharing of knowledge and different approaches. Furthermore, participants are encouraged to use staff visits and assignments for the transfer and further development of knowledge and capability.
One of the main purposes of the Joint Safety Research Projects is the reduction or closure of knowledge gaps by obtaining unique and high-quality experimental data whose production often require significant financial and in-kind investments from the involved Parties. Special attention is paid to ensure long-term availability and usability of the received information. This is why, the project partners are asked to consider the preservation of information from the beginning and to develop a retention plan for the project information. Recognising the shared responsibility and benefits of nuclear safety, the results of Joint Safety Research Projects are generally made available after a non-disclosure period (typically three years) following the completion of a project. Once the non-disclosure period expires, the results are made available, upon request to the NEA Data Bank (list of available projects data packages), to individuals with a professional affiliation to the NEA member countries organisations.
Over the years, close to 50 joint safety research projects have been completed (Figure 1) with wide participation of both NEA member countries and non-NEA member countries (Figure 2).
Countries have benefitted from the output of joint projects for a number of decades. This is particularly true in the area of safety research where the completed projects have addressed a wide range of high-priority safety issues (NEA Nuclear Safety Research Joint projects list objectives) in different technical areas (Figure 3, complete list of Nuclear Safety Research Projects provided below) and helped preserve key safety research capability.
Accomplishments of the international community over the last four decades, through the successfully completed nuclear safety projects, have been reviewed in January 2023 during the Nuclear Safety Research Joint Projects Week webinar. The week was also the occasion to discuss how the established framework, research platforms, and networks could support future developments in the nuclear energy sector, thereby facilitating innovation and greater harmonisation. The most recent publication providing the outcomes of the 2023 Nuclear Safety Research Joint Projects Week is the Summary and Main Outcomes of the NEA Nuclear Safety Research Joint Projects Week: Success Stories and Opportunities for Future Developments.
HALDEN, Halden Reactor Project (1958-present), Fuel and Material part, current mandate 2023-2026
CIP, Cabri Water Loop International Project (2000-present), current mandate (2000-2026)
PAKS, OECD-IAEA Paks Fuel Project (2004-2007), completed
SCIP, Studsvik Cladding Integrity Project (2004-2009), completed
SCIP-2, SCIP Phase 2 (2009-2014), completed
SCIP-3, SCIP Phase 3 (2014-2019), completed
SCIP-4, SCIP Phase 4 (2019-present), current mandate 2019-2024
SFP, Sandia Fuel Project (2009-2012), completed
QUENCH-ATF (2021-present), current mandate 2021-2025
FIDES-II (2022-present), current mandate 2022-2024
FIDES INCA (2022-present), current mandate 2022-2024
FIDES P2M (2022-present), current mandate 2022-2024
FIDES HERA (2022-present), current mandate 2022-2024
FIDES INCREASE (2022-present), current mandate 2022-2024
FIDES LOCA MIR (2021-present), current mandate 2021-2024
LOFT, Loss-of-Fluid Test Project (1983-1989), completed
SETH, SESAR Thermal-hydraulics Project (2001-2006), completed
PSB-VVER Project (2003-2008), completed
PKL, Primärkreislauf-Versuchsanlage PKL facility Project (2004-2007), completed
PKL-2, PKL Phase 2 Project (2008-2011), completed
PKL-3, PKL Phase 2 Project (2012-2016), completed
PKL-4, PKL Phase 2 Project (2016-2020), completed
ETHARINUS, Experimental Thermal Hydraulics for Analysis, Research and Innovations in NUclear Safety Project (2020-current), current mandate 2020-2024
ROSA, Rig of Safety Assessment Project (2005-2009), completed
ROSA-2, ROSA Phase 2 Project (2009-2012), completed
ATLAS, ATLAS Project (2014-2017), completed
ATLAS-2, ATLAS Phase 2 Project (2017-2020), completed
ATLAS-3, ATLAS Phase 3 Project (2021-current), current mandate 2021-2024
RBHT, Rod Bundle Heat Transfer Project (2019-2022), completed
RBHT-II, Rod Bundle Heat Transfer Project (2023-present), current mandate 2023-2026
BUBCON, Bubbler Condenser Project (2001-2002), completed
THAI, Thermal-hydraulics, Hydrogen, Aerosols, Iodine Project (2007-2009), completed
THAI-2, Thermal-hydraulics, Hydrogen, Aerosols, Iodine-Phase 2 Project (2011-2014), completed
THAI-3, Thermal-hydraulics, Hydrogen, Aerosols, Iodine-Phase 3 Project (2016-2019), completed
THEMIS, THAI Experiments on Mitigation measures and source term issues to support analysis and further Improvement of Severe accident management measures Project (2020-current), current mandate 2020-2024
SETH, SESAR Thermal-hydraulics Project (2001-2006), completed, maintaining TH facilities
SETH-2, SETH Phase 2 Project (2007-2010), completed
HYMERES, HYdrogen Mitigation Experiments for REactor Safety Project (2013-2016), completed
HYMERES-2, HYMERES Phase 2 Project (2017-2020), completed
PANDA, PANDA experiments addressing complex safety issues for current water reactors and small modular reactors (2021-current), current mandate 2021-2025
RASPLAV project (1994-2000), completed
OLHF, OECD Sandia Lower Head Failure Project (1998-2002), completed
MASCA, Material Scaling Project (2000-2003), completed
MASCA-2, MASCA Phase 2 Project (2003-2007), completed
SERENA, Steam Explosion Resolution for Nuclear Applications Project (2007-2012), completed
MCCI, Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction Project (2002-2005), completed
MCCI-2, MCCI Phase 2 Project (2006-2010), completed
ROSAU, Reduction of Severe Accident Uncertainties Project (2019-current), current mandate 2019-2024
LOFT, Loss-of-Fluid Test Project (1983-1989), completed
BIP, Behaviour of Iodine Project (2007-2011), completed
BIP-2, BIP Phase 2 Project (2011-2014), completed
BIP-3, BIP Phase 3 Project (2016-2018), completed
THAI, Thermal-hydraulics, Hydrogen, Aerosols, Iodine Project (2007-2009), completed
THAI-2, Thermal-hydraulics, Hydrogen, Aerosols, Iodine-Phase 2 Project (2011-2014), completed
THAI-3, Thermal-hydraulics, Hydrogen, Aerosols, Iodine-Phase 3 Project (2016-2019), completed
THEMIS, THAI Experiments on Mitigation measures and source term issues to support analysis and further Improvement of Severe accident management measures Project (2020-current), current mandate 2020-2024
STEM, Source Term Evaluation and Mitigation Project (2011-2015), completed
STEM-2, STEM Phase 2 Project (2016-2019), completed
ESTER, Experiments on Source Term for delayed releases Project (2020-current), current mandate 2020-2024
TMI-VIP, TMI-2 Vessel Investigation Project (1988-1993), completed
BSAF, the OECD-NEA Benchmark Study of the Accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station Project (2012-2015), completed
BSAF-2, BSAF Phase 2 Project (2016-2018), completed
PreADES, Preparatory Study on Fuel Debris Project (2017-2021), completed
ARC-F, Analysis of Information from Reactor Buildings and Containment vessels of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Project (2019-2022), completed
TCOFF, Thermodynamic Characterization Of Fuel debris and Fission products based on scenario analysis of severe accident progression at Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station Project (2017-2020), completed
TCOFF-2, TCOFF Phase 2 Project (2022-current), current mandate 2022-2025
FACE, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident Information Collection and Evaluation Project (2022-current), current mandate 2022-2025
HALDEN, Halden Reactor Project – material ageing part (1958-present), current mandate 2023-2026
SMILE, Studsvik Material Integrity Life Extension Project (2021-current), current mandate 2021-2025
SCAP, Stress Corrosion Cracking and Cable Ageing Project (2006-2010), completed, integrated in CODAP
CADAK, Cable Ageing Data and Knowledge Project (2011-2014), completed
CODAP, Component Operational Experience, Degradation and Ageing Programme (2011-current), current mandate 2024-2026
COMPSIS, Computer-based Systems Important to Safety Project (2006-2011), completed, integrated in ICDE
ICDE, International Common-cause Failure Data Exchange Project (1994-current), current mandate 2023-2026
OPDE, Piping Failure Data Exchange Project (2002-2011), integrated in CODAP
PRISME, Fire Propagation in Elementary, Multi-room Scenarios Project (2006-2011), completed
PRISME-2 Project (2011-2016), completed
PRISME-3 Project (2017-2022), completed
FAIR, Fire Risk Assessment through Innovative Research Project (2013-current), current mandate 2023-2026
HEAF, High Energy Arcing Fault Events (2012-2017), completed
HEAF-2, HEAF Phase 2 (2018-current), current mandate 2018-2024
FIRE, Fire Incidents Records Exchange Project (2002-current), current mandate 2023-2025
PLASMA, Plant Safety Monitoring and Assessment System Project for VVERs (1998-2000), completed
HALDEN Reactor Project, Man Technology Organization part (till 2020), Halden HTO since 2021
HALDEN HTO, Halden Human, Technology, Organization Project (2021-current), current mandate 2024-2026
DRAGON, DRAGON HTGR Reactor Project (1958-1975), completed
LOFC, Loss of Forced Coolant Project (2011-present), current mandate 2011-2027
