OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ: The future of nuclear energy is now.   Energy ministers and heads of delegations of 20 countries issued a call to action and guiding principles in support of roadmaps for nuclear energy.   Issued at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency conference 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙉𝙪𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧, the guiding principles address: 🔵 Nuclear financing 🔵 Policy and regulation 🔵 Research and development (R&D) 🔵 Supply chains 🔵 Fuel supply 🔵 Skills 🔵 Public engagement 🔵 Energy systems innovation 🔵 International collaborations   Read the communiqué ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e4unErT8   Ministères Écologie Énergie Territoires #RoadmapsToNewNuclear

📢HAPPENING TODAY As energy demand in #Africa is predicted to more than double by 2040, deploying new clean and low-carbon energy sources represents a priority for governments across the continent to support sustainable industrial development and make progress to achieve the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs). Africa’s #sustainable development depends on combining diverse technologies according to the local context. Although renewable energy sources such as solar and wind will be a key component of Africa’s energy future, to complement such renewables, stable baseload energy sources are needed. This can be achieved by combining renewable energy with various technologies such as utility-scale battery storage, hydroelectric, geothermal energy, and #nuclearenergy. Head of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Division of Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning, Rebecca Tadesse, will discuss this - including how it has shaped the NEA 'Common Journey' initiative - as part of a panel of nuclear industry leaders in the online event 𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖’𝙨 𝙋𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙉𝙪𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙀𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 organised by the American Nuclear Society. 📅 Friday, 17 May ⏲️ 13h00 EDT | 19h00 CET Info and registrations ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ed8G9V-D

Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, the international nuclear community initiated a deep assessment of the #safety of spent fuel pools (SFPs), which store spent fuel from #nuclear reactors. As part of this objective, a new OECD Nuclear Energy Agency nuclear safety joint project called POLCA has been launched to examine the behaviour of SFPs during situations of loss of cooling through experimental analysis. 💧🧪🦺 The objectives of the POLCA project are to: ·      Enhance #knowledge of SFPs in an accident scenario; ·      Improve the physical understanding of large-scale pools to provide thermal hydraulics #data; ·      Support the thermo hydraulics model development and validation for SFP during a loss of cooling accident; ·      Evaluate some mitigation strategies for fuel assembly management. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eptKZRXF (📷 Large scale MIDI facility at IRSN)

“Many NEA member and non-member countries are taking substantial action to invest in new nuclear reactors and new technologies because nuclear energy has the ability to ensure energy security, mitigate climate change and drive economic development. Nuclear energy has this window of opportunity to make a positive difference for the future. It speaks volumes that nuclear energy is a focal part of some of the conversations happening at the G7 in Torino." OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Director-General William D. Magwood, IV was recently invited to speak alongside energy ministers at the G7 side event 'The Role of Nuclear in the Energy Transition' in Torino, Italy. Italy’s Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Pichetto Fratin, and United Kingdom’s Minister for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Andrew Bowie (UK), were some of the energy ministers who joined the event organised the Atlantic Council, the nuclear development company newcleo and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). Following the conclusion of the #G7 Ministerial Meeting on #Climate, #Energy and #Environment, G7 nations have released a communique committing to support the use of #nuclearenergy in those countries that opt to use it. More 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gZExqbka

To use the local vernacular, Howdy! We spent a few days in Texas where in collaboration with Texas A&M University we brought together more than 50 high-school students, including 5 students from Japan, for the first NEA International Mentoring Workshop in the United States. As many countries around the world are calling for tripling nuclear energy capacity, one of the biggest challenges today is to ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to make this possible. NEA International Mentoring Workshops is a pioneering initiative aimed at not only empowering and inspiring the next generation of nuclear energy professionals, but also ensuring that the future workforce is diverse and gender-balanced. Since 2017 we have organised more than 20 such workshops reaching over 550 students around the world. The latest edition in the United States last weekend provided a once in a lifetime opportunity for a talented and diverse group of young people to learn about one another and gain from the experience of highly accomplished leaders in STEM and nuclear fields from Canada, Japan, Korea, the United States and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. These “mentors” shared their personal journeys and offered insights to address the questions, concerns and uncertainties from the students participating in the workshop. My deepest thanks to all those involved in organising and supporting this workshop, particularly our dedicated partners at Texas A&M University, TAMU alums and students who gave up their weekends, and the sponsoring organisations who made this event possible. Most of all, I thank our impressive line-up of mentors whose personal experience encouraged, inspired and reassured the next generation. Led by co-chairs Annie Caputo, Commissioner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Lisa McBride, MA (Lead), Country Leader, GE Hitachi SMR Canada and current President of WiN Canada, they included: • Ai ASANUMA, International Affairs Office, Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan • Sabrina Atack, Deputy Director, Office of International Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission • Dr. Rita Baranwal, Senior Vice President AP300TM Small Modular Reactor, Westinghouse Electric Company • Aleshia Duncan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Co-operation, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) • Yeonhee Hah, Vice president for Global Activities, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety • Tatiana Ivanova, Head of the Division of Nuclear Science and Education, NEA #NEAMentoringWorkshop

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency are working with the Global Forum for Nuclear Innovation team to create an insightful programme at the upcoming conference in Miami, Florida on 24-27 June. This event will aim to provide participants with a toolkit and new ideas to tackle the barriers to #innovation within the #nuclear sector. More info available at ➡ https://lnkd.in/eDhtgr3z

Vacancy alert 💼 The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is looking for a 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 - 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙉𝙪𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 🦺 The successful candidate will assist the Head of Division in managing the division’s work programme in the field of #safety assessment, regulatory issues and safety #research. (S)he will also serve as technical support to different committees, working groups or joint projects, dealing with safety assessment issues and #regulation for nuclear power plants. 📅 Application deadline: 12 May 2024 More information ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dWSjJqsq

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Second Framework for Irradiation Experiments (FIDES-II) is a multilateral effort established to preserve and strengthen the global fuel and materials experimental capacity. ⚛️ Being the centre of gravity in the area of fuels and materials, this joint undertaking facilitates high-priority #safety and operations-related experiments that benefit a broad community of users around the world. 🌐 Members of FIDES-II from 14 countries assembled in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 15-19 April 2024 to mark an important transition for the framework to the second triennial with the launch of four new Joint Experimental Programmes (JEEPs). The project also recently welcomed a consortium of new member organisations from Korea and introduced discussion of a new cross-cutting activity on advanced instrumentation for irradiation experiments. 📍 During a site visit, FIDES-II meeting participants had a chance to see first-hand the High Flux Reactor (HFR) and hot cell facilities operated by the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG). Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gurByVTF

Nuclear facilities are not solely technical, but also part of sociotechnical systems in which the 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣, 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 can influence the system’s overall capacity to perform safely, reliably, and sustainably. 👷♀️⚛️ In this context, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Working Group on Human and Organisational Factors (WGHOF) fosters discussions and the exchange of information among the member countries. Comprised of experts from nuclear regulatory bodies, license holders, technical support organisations, research institutions and relevant international organisations, the group shares good practices and lessons learnt in order to improve the understanding of the importance of human and organisational factors. To discuss the group's programme of work, the group convened in Seoul, Korea, from 22-25 April 2024, at the invitation of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute | KAERI and the Korea Nuclear Safety Institute (KINS). The meeting also featured a visit to the advanced thermal-hydraulic Test Loop for Accident Simulation (ATLAS) and to the high-performing multipurpose research reactor with a thermal power capacity of 30 mw (HANARO) at KAERI, following by the APR-1400 MCR full-scope simulator and the Computerised technical Advisory system for a Radiological Emergency (AtomCARE) at KINS. Read more about the WGHOF activities ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eDf62cPp

As part of the NEA's mission to engage the next generation of #nuclear professionals, a special 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 will be held during the upcoming International Conference on Geological Repositories (#ICGR7). Students and young professionals are invited to explore nuclear energy education, research and career development opportunities, with a specific focus on enabling the establishment of DGR programmes.🎓⚛️☢️ The session will delve into the initiatives of OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and European Commission as well as focus on methods for further engaging youth to foster academic and career growth in this field. 📅 Registrations close 27 April! ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eWEhJCB8 (📷 ICGR-6 Youth Generation Session, 2022, Helsinki. Photographer: Krystal Kenney for the NEA)