NEA Mandates and Structures

Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety (WGFCS)

Mandate (Document reference):

• Summary Record of the 4^th Meeting of the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) [SEN/SIN(76)37] 
• Summary Record of the 6^th Meeting of the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety (WGFCS) [SEN/SIN(80)62]
• Summary Record of the 15^th Meeting of the CSNI [SEN/SIN(87)68]
• NEA Committee Mandates and Structures [NEA/NE(2006)8)]. Note: includes change of name.
• Summary Record of the 47^th Meeting of the CSNI [NEA/SEN/SIN(2010)2]
• Participant Status of India in the CSNI and its subsidiary bodies: 2018 Update of the NEA Participation Plan [NEA/NE(2018)8], Summary of Decisions taken at the 137th Session of the Steering Committee [NEA/SUM/DEC(2018)2] and official letter received from India on 31 October 2019 confirming its acceptance of Participant Status in the CSNI and its subsidiary bodies
• Summary Record of the 71^st meeting of CSNI NEA/SEN/SIN(2022)4
• Operating Plan and Guidelines for the Nuclear Energy Agency Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations 2017-2022 (2017-2022) NEA/CSNI/R(2017)17/REV1
• Review of the Mandate of the CSNI [NEA/SEN/SIN(2022)5]
• Mandate of the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety (WGFCS) [NEA/SEN/SIN/FCS(2023)2]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/SEN/SIN/FCS(2023)2

Background

The nuclear fuel cycle comprises a number of interrelated activities including uranium mining and milling; uranium refining and conversion to uranium hexafluoride; uranium enrichment; fuel fabrication and storage (including MOX fuel); spent fuel storage; spent fuel reprocessing; decommissioning of nuclear facilities; radioactive waste management and disposal options (including for spent fuel) and the research and demonstration facilities that support these activities.

Scope

The WGFCS addresses NEA activities related to safety aspects of fuel cycle facilities (FCF), and associated with the long and medium-term storing of spent fuel and high-level waste, as well as the safety impacts from the transportation of nuclear material. The scope does not include reactor operation and long-term management of radioactive waste that are covered in other NEA bodies.

Objective

The objective of the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety (WGFCS) is to further the understanding of relevant aspects of nuclear fuel cycle safety, from design to decommissioning in member countries. This also includes emerging safety challenges for the fuel cycle arising from design and operation of advanced and innovative nuclear technologies, including the ones used for small modular reactors.

In order to accomplish this objective, the Working Group shall:

1. Constitute a forum for exchange of information and experiences of activities related to nuclear fuel cycle safety in NEA member countries and assess the lessons learned and good practises of FCFs in order to reach mutual understanding of design philosophy and principles, licensing systems or approaches, and safety requirements related to FCFs. This forum will consider issues and challenges for existing facilities as well as for new ones including new fuel technologies and advanced fuel management techniques.
2. Encourage and support WGFCS member countries to report their events in the FINAS database. In case of an event of common interest, to organise a specific forum to share lessons learned and promote their implementation.
3. Identify new research and analysis targets, assess their priorities and prepare technical review reports of the different phases of the nuclear fuel cycle.  
4. With prior approval of the CSNI, collaborate with or assist the other CSNI Working Groups, NEA bodies or other international organisations.

Working Methods

The mode of operation of the WGFCS is based upon plenary meetings and an ongoing, project-oriented working programme. The programme of work of WGFCS will be approved by the CSNI. A Bureau including the Chair and two vice-Chairs will lead and organise the work of the WGFCS. The WGFCS will report to the CSNI Programme Review Group (CSNI PRG) at its meetings, and to CSNI at its plenary meetings, as requested.  Additionally, the WGFCS: (i) will identify resources and schedules for its activities; (ii) will form task teams to work on specific projects and to organise workshops, as appropriate; and (iii) will annually review its work programme and the effectiveness of the programme.

To complete its tasks, the Working Group shall:

1. Meet periodically to exchange information on relevant matters including licensing systems, safety philosophy and safety standards to improve mutual understanding, and to review the information from the Fuel Incident and Notification and Analyses System (FINAS), jointly managed by the NEA and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and other databases.
2. Indicate where further research is needed, review and prioritise safety issues, prepare state-of-the-art reports, hold workshops as appropriate and collaborate with other groups as necessary. Report to the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and assist that Committee with its work.
3. Ensure that unnecessary duplication of effort or scope with other CSNI Working Groups, or with other international bodies is avoided.

Membership

The WGFCS is comprised of representatives identified as senior experts in nuclear fuel cycle safety, typically from nuclear regulatory authorities, technical support organisations (TSOs), industry or academia.

Delegates from non-member partner countries (participants or invitees) may also attend WGAMA meetings (according to the Global Relations Strategic Directions of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy).

Interactions

The WGFCS will co-ordinate its work with relevant CSNI WGs and in particular with WGFS, WGHOF, WGRISK.: Co-operation with other NEA bodies will be actively pursued, as appropriate, e.g. with subsidiary bodies of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) working on fuel issues (i.e. Expert Group on Reactor Fuel Performance or EGRFP) and working on criticality safety (i.e. Working Party on Criticality Safety).

The NEA has established Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with a number of organisations such as the CANDU Owners Group (COG), Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) to promote international collaboration, particularly in the area of nuclear safety. Accordingly, representatives from these organisations can be invited to participate in the activities of the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety, consistent with the MOUs, to coordinate their work and to avoid unnecessary duplication.

The NEA provides a framework for establishing joint safety research projects, and the CSNI expects that the WGFCS will promote technical exchanges by creating opportunities with relevant projects, and provide technical support as appropriate.

Deliverables

The deliverables of the WGFCS are technical reports, proceedings of seminars or workshops, final summary reports from joint projects, state-of-the-art reports, and technical or collective opinion papers. These deliverables shall be approved by the CSNI.