NEA Monthly News Bulletin - January 2013

New at the NEA

On 1 January 2013, the Russian Federation became the latest member of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and its Data Bank. The accession follows an official exchange of letters between OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andrey Denisov and Deputy Director-General of Rosatom Nikolay Spasskiy on 23 May 2012. Russia is now the 31st member country of the NEA. Read about the accession online.



New publications

The Economics of Long-term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants
ISBN 978-92-64-99205-4, 114 pages.

Énergies nucléaire et renouvelables : Effets systémiques dans les réseaux électriques bas carbone
Synthèse, 16 pages.

Nuclear Energy Today: Second Edition
ISBN 978-92-64-99204-7, 120 pages.

The Supply of Medical Radioisotopes: Market Impacts of Converting to Low-enriched Uranium Targets for Medical Isotope Production
ISBN 978-92-64-99197-2, 64 pages.

 

Nuclear safety and regulation

CSNI discusses Fukushima decommissioning and sets three new tasks

On 5-6 December 2012, the biannual meeting of the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) was attended by 57 participants from 26 countries and international organisations. The Committee discussed how it could most effectively support the Japanese government's mid- to long-term roadmap for the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi units 1-4, and heard presentations by Japan's Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The Committee also approved three new tasks directly related to the lessons learnt from the Fukushima Daiichi accident: a workshop on the robustness of electrical systems (proposed by France's Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN), a status paper on hydrogen generation, transport and management (proposed by the Working Group on Analysis and Management of Accidents, WGAMA), and another status paper on spent fuel pools under loss of cooling accident conditions (proposed by the WGAMA and the Working Group on Fuel Safety, WFES). The CSNI also agreed to hold a joint workshop on 5 June 2013 in co-operation with the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities on the topic of defence-in-depth. The CSNI elected a new Vice-Chairman, Dr. Frank-Peter Weiss from Germany's GRS (Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit). Further information on the CSNI is available online.

CNRA reviews key regulatory issues and work programme

On 3-4 December 2012, the NEA Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) Senior-level Task Group on Impacts of the Fukushima Accident (STG-FUKU) reported on its tasks and work schedule, and Committee members discussed the conclusions from the second workshop of the International Working Group on the Regulation of New Reactors. The Committee members also approved the development of a "green booklet" on the characteristics of an effective regulator, highlighting qualities such as independence, technical competency, accountability, predictability, consistency and transparency. The CNRA elected a new Chairman, Dr. Jean-Christophe Niel of France's Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN, Autorité de sûreté nucléaire). Further information about the CNRA is online.

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Radiological protection

CRPPH Bureau focuses on post-Fukushima issues

The Bureau of the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) met at the beginning of December to discuss the current status of the Committee's programme of work, to provide direction for ongoing activities and to agree on the structure of the next CRPPH annual meeting, scheduled for 14-16 May 2013. The Bureau noted that a large part of the Committee's work now focuses on post-Fukushima issues, in particular identifying lessons learnt for emergency management and recovery, but also for identifying significant issues in need of further international discussion and exchange. The Bureau approved a previous proposal from the Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Matters (WPNEM) to hold three topical sessions during the CRPPH meeting in May: the first on addressing experience from the fourth International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX-4), the second on post-Fukushima lessons and issues in emergency management, and the third on post-Fukushima recovery management. Further information about the CRPPH and its work is online.

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Nuclear law

13th session of the International School of Nuclear Law

The next session of the International School of Nuclear Law (ISNL) will take place on 26 August-6 September 2013 in Montpellier, France. The programme, now in its 13th year, is jointly sponsored by the NEA and the University of Montpellier 1. The programme brings together leading experts in nuclear safety, security, non-proliferation and safeguards to provide an in-depth exploration of the legal aspects of the use and oversight of nuclear energy. Since its inception, the ISNL has provided a unique educational opportunity to more than 600 graduate students and professionals from around the world. The summer 2012 session hosted about 55 participants from 29 countries, from academic, professional and governmental backgrounds. The deadline for applications for the 2013 session is 1 April 2013. Additional information, including application information, is online.

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Data Bank

NEA Data Bank newsletter

Computer program services

New computer programs available

14-DEC-12

NEA-1875

EACRP-D2O-LATTICES, Compilation of reactor physics measurements in HWRs lattices
(Arrived)

12-DEC-12

NEA-1873

REACTORPHYSICS-62-91, Archive of Reactor Physics Reports and Summaries of [N]EACRP (1962-1991)
(Arrived)

12-DEC-12

NEA-1874

NEACRP-H2O-LATTICES, Compilation of reactor physics measurements in LWRs lattices
(Arrived)



An online archive of previous editions is available here.

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