The SMR Platform: Advances in Nuclear Technology Developments for Microreactors side event explored recent advances in microreactor development as well as security aspects and ‘safeguards by design’ approaches. The IAEA’s newly redesigned Advanced Reactor Information System was also presented. It provides comprehensive and up-to-date information about advanced nuclear plant designs and concepts.
Microreactors are generally designed to produce no more than 20 MW(e) and have been proposed as a solution for the electricity needs of remote communities and to power non-electric applications including desalination and chemical production.
The IAEA’s ten-year vision to update safety standards for advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs) was presented at a Safety of Advanced Nuclear Power Plant Designs: Enabling the Future side event. This vision is underpinned by the findings in IAEA Safety Report No. 123, which reviews the applicability of safety standards to non-water-cooled reactors and small modular reactors.
An event on The Declaration of the Arab Roadmap for Cooperation in Radiological and Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response how the State Declarations Portal (SDP) highlighted how technology can make Member States’ reporting obligations easier to deliver. By reducing paper-based processes and enhancing institutional memory, SDP has significantly improved both the efficiency and security of safeguards-related information exchange with the IAEA.
At an event on Addressing Challenges in Managing Legacy Radioactive Waste representatives of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine shared the results of successful IAEA technical cooperation projects to analyse, transfer and store radioactive waste left from historic nuclear activities.
The Powering the Future through Atoms4NetZero event illustrated the importance of energy scenario modelling for mapping out long-term energy strategies and how the IAEA’s Atoms4NetZero initiative can help countries reach their net zero targets with nuclear power.
At a Safeguards Traineeships: Forging the Future Safeguards Workforce, delegates attending the were briefed on the successes of the Safeguards Traineeship Programme and learnt about the new IAEA TechTrack initiative for young professionals.
Since 1983, the Safeguards Traineeship Programme has been instrumental in providing young people with hands-on experience in IAEA safeguards. Since its launch, 185 trainees from 77 countries have participated in the programme. In particular, the traineeship targets those from States with limited nuclear fuel cycles, and that are recipients of IAEA technical assistance.
