Category: IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was successfully re-connected to Ukraine’s electrical grid today after a month-long outage, following repairs carried out under the protection of a local ceasefire negotiated by the IAEA and observed by its teams on the ground, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. 

The restoration of off-site power to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – for the past several years located on the frontline of the military conflict – marks a significant positive step as last month’s loss of all external electricity supplies had further stoked concerns about the fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the site.

“Today is a rare, good day for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and beyond, although the overall situation of course remains highly precarious. After exactly one month without any off-site power, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is once again receiving the external electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and spent fuel,” Director General Grossi said.

“Since the plant was disconnected from its last off-site power line on 23 September, we have been working intensively with the Russian Federation and Ukraine to create the necessary security conditions for repairs to be carried out on both sides of the frontline. Despite the war, they both agreed that it was vital to restore off-site power and cooperated constructively with us to make that happen,” he said.

In the reconnection process followed by an IAEA team on the ground and from the ZNPP’s electrical control room, the newly repaired 750 kilovolt (kV) Dniprovska power line was energised by the Ukrainian grid operator at 09:30 local time and the ZNPP 750kV switchyard was fully powered two minutes later. The ZNPP then began gradually restoring power to its six reactor units and the remainder of the site.

At 13:00 local time off-site power was restored to the whole ZNPP site and the last of the emergency diesel generators – that had supplied back-up power for the past 30 days – was turned off, ending the tenth and by far the longest complete loss of off-site power suffered by the plant during the conflict.

“What was once virtually unimaginable – a nuclear power plant regularly losing off-site power – has unfortunately become a common occurrence during this devastating war. However, this was the most challenging loss of power event we have experienced so far. I would especially want to thank the technicians – on both sides of the frontline – who have been working hard in recent days to restore power in very difficult circumstances,” Director General Grossi said.   

Under IAEA monitoring, work to repair the Dniprovska and another damaged power line – Ferosplavna-1 – got underway last weekend after the establishment of temporary ceasefire zones on opposite sides of the Dnipro River. As both zones are in an active combat area, de-mining specialists conducted extensive clearance work before the actual repairs could begin.

The IAEA team based at the ZNPP monitored the work at the damaged section of the Dniprovska line, where technicians replaced several broken cables before re-attaching them to the transmission towers. A damaged metal support arm of one transmission tower was also replaced, and new insulators were installed in several towers.

The IAEA is continuing to coordinate with both sides to pave the way for further repairs of the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 line, where additional damage outside the ceasefire zone was identified this week. The IAEA was informed that two broken transmission cables were found 1.8km from the electrical switchyard of the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant, located near the ZNPP.

Before the conflict, the ZNPP had access to ten power lines. In recent years, that was reduced to two, of which Ferosplavna-1 was lost on 7 May while the Dniprovska line was disconnected late last month. Both sides blamed the damage on military activity.

The plant’s six reactors have not produced electricity for more than three years and have been shut down but they still require power to run their cooling pumps and for other nuclear safety and security equipment. Over the past month, the plant has relied on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs.

“There is still much work to do to further reduce the risks of a nuclear accident. The next step is to complete the repairs of the Ferosplavna-1 power line and then to prevent future loss of power events,” Director General Grossi said. 

“I once again call for full compliance with the IAEA’s Five Concrete Principles to prevent a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The third principle states that off-site power to the plant should not be put at risk and that all efforts should be made to ensure that off-site power always remains available and secure,” he said. “The IAEA will continue its indispensable work at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and the other nuclear sites in Ukraine until this devastating war is over.”

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Ensuring food safety is crucial for protecting public health and facilitating trade in food products. For the past decade, the IAEA has supported Costa Rica in using nuclear techniques to analyse and detect food contaminants. Effective testing has allowed Costa Rica to stay competitive and trusted in the international food trade market, resulting in greater prosperity and improved livelihoods for the country’s farmers.

The video was first published on 28 May 2024.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today that he expects repairs to start soon to restore off-site power to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), more than three weeks after the site lost the connection to the grid for the tenth time during the military conflict. 

“Immediately after the plant last month lost all off-site power, the IAEA has been engaging closely with both sides to help create the necessary security conditions on the ground so that their technicians can carry out repair work that is of crucial importance for nuclear safety and security,” Director General Grossi said.

“This region is an active war zone, and we must be very careful in how we approach this complex and sensitive matter. Repairs to the power lines are needed on both sides of the frontline, at locations several kilometres from the site itself. In line with the IAEA’s technical and impartial mission, I’m continuing to consult with the Russian Federation and Ukraine to enable this work to proceed within the next few days. They both tell me that they also want the repairs to go ahead. The current situation – with the plant relying on emergency diesel generators for weeks now – is not sustainable,” he said.

Before the conflict, the ZNPP had access to ten power lines. In recent years, that was reduced to two, of which one 330 kilovolt (kV) line was lost on 7 May while the sole remaining 750 kV line was disconnected on 23 September. It is by far the ZNPP’s longest complete loss of off-site power during the conflict.  

Seven emergency diesel generators (EDGs) are currently producing electricity for the ZNPP site, mainly for the water pumps to cool the fuel in its six shutdown reactors as well as its spent fuel. Another 13 EDGs are in standby mode, with the plant continuing to alternate the ones in use in order to carry out necessary servicing. 

The ZNPP’s safety systems continue to be in operation for all reactor units and spent fuel pools, to maintain nuclear safety.

The IAEA team at the plant has also continued to report that there has been no increase in the temperatures within the coolant in the reactors or the spent fuel pools – indicating that the nuclear fuel continues to be cooled effectively and that nuclear safety is currently maintained.

Over the past week, the team conducted a walkdown of the site and observed the EDGs in operation as well as all essential service sprinkler ponds, which provide cooling for the six shutdown reactors and spent fuel pools, noting that all were full and operating. The team also performed radiation monitoring, confirming that radiation levels were normal for the site.

While the loss of off-site power remains in focus, the IAEA team also monitors other aspects of nuclear safety and security.

Late last week, the team members met with the ZNPP’s Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Department. They were informed that the site’s EPR plan was approved and became effective from last month. The team was also informed that the ZNPP had established a new off-site emergency centre in the nearby town of Enerhodar, as the former off-site centre is inaccessible due to its location on the other side of the frontline. This facility serves as a backup to the temporary on-site emergency centre – the original on-site centre remains unavailable – and receives the same plant data, ensuring continuity in emergency coordination if needed.

Earlier this week, the team visited the six pumping stations located at the ZNPP channel that was recently isolated from the cooling pond and that supplies water for the cooling of several plant systems. The team assessed equipment status and operability. The visit confirmed that key pumps supporting service water, fire protection, and the common EDG cooling were functioning as needed. The height of the water in the channel remains about two metres above the minimum level for the pumps to operate.

The team continues to report military activities at various distances from the site.

Elsewhere, the Chornobyl site remains disconnected from the 330 kV power line, following reports two weeks ago that military strikes had damaged a nearby electrical substation, leading to a partial blackout of the site’s New Safe Confinement (NSC). The site has since successfully tested the EDGs that supply the NSC, confirming their readiness in case of a future loss of power. Fuel reserves are sufficient for over 10 days of EDG operation, with additional diesel fuel ordered to strengthen contingency capacity.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The Atoms4Food initiative, a joint IAEA/FAO initiative, helps countries boost food security.  

At a side event on advancing food security in Africa through Atoms4Food, Liberian Minister of Agriculture Alexander Nuetah and the Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations, Magdi Mofadal Elnour, highlighted the continent’s growing food security challenges and the unique solutions provided by nuclear techniques. 

A researcher from Burkina Faso described the success of the recent Atoms4Food Assessment Mission and explained how national rice yields have grown with IAEA support. 

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

After graduating, Chong quickly took up a job as an executive assistant to a local entrepreneur to repay her student loan. 

“I learned the importance of not only placing the right people in the right jobs but also ensuring the workforce can adapt to evolving business needs,” she says. The experience also taught her how business resilience and care for employees can go hand in hand as she observed how her employer, conscious of the impact on people’s lives, prioritized the company’s workforce when responding to business challenges. 

“I realized that HR decisions are more than just operational choices, but have also have the power to transform workplace culture and employee well-being” she says.

Chong’s career in HR took off as she moved into specialized roles in various industries, from property and construction to logistics and supply chain management. She gained hands-on experience across the spectrum of HR functions, from recruitment and workforce engagement to organizational transformation. 

“I was motivated by being able to contribute to different types of change, and with each move, I gained new perspectives on organizational growth and transition,” she explains. Her career spanned several countries in Southeast Asia, enriching her understanding of different workplace cultures. 

After becoming a mother, Chong decided to focus on opportunities closer to home. In 2015, she joined the World Health Organization (WHO) in Malaysia, working in the service centre that processes contracts and benefits for its staff globally. Her role enabled the timely deployment of personnel, often during emergency situations such as disease outbreaks or global health initiatives. 

After a year, she took on a more senior role as a team lead and resolved to continue a career in international organizations. “Working at an international organization was very motivating, as I felt the mandate was more meaningful than being profit centred. I felt I was contributing to something important,” she says.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has found that Hungary demonstrates a strong commitment to nuclear and radiation safety. The team’s review, held from 6 to 17 October, found Hungary’s nuclear regulator to be in high compliance with IAEA safety standards, making it a competent and trusted regulator. 

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission, conducted at the request of the Government of Hungary and hosted by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA), aimed to review Hungary’s governmental, legal and regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety.  

IRRS missions are designed to strengthen the effectiveness of the national nuclear and radiation safety regulatory infrastructure, based on IAEA safety standards, while recognizing the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.

The 12-day mission covered areas such as legal and regulatory frameworks, responsibilities and functions of the regulatory body, and the management system of a regulatory body. The team also reviewed Hungary’s oversight of facilities and activities including nuclear power plants, research reactors, radiation sources facilities and waste management facilities. It is the second full scope IRRS mission in Hungary; the country hosted its first in 2015 and a follow-up in 2018.

In Hungary, nuclear energy plays a central role in the country’s electricity generation, providing nearly half of its electricity through the Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The facility consists of four pressurized-water reactor units, each with a net capacity of approximately 500 MWe. Hungary is constructing two new nuclear power units, Paks II, alongside the existing plant. The country also applies nuclear and radiation technologies in medicine, industry and research. 

During the mission, the IRRS team – comprised of international experts from 16 countries, as well as four IAEA staff and two observers from the European Commission and from France – held meetings with officials from the HAEA, the Ministry for Energy, the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy, and the Baranya County Government Office. They also observed regulatory oversight activities at facilities, including the Paks NPP, the National Radioactive Waste Repository and the Training Reactor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. 

The IRRS team found that since the follow-up mission in 2018, Hungary has made notable progress in establishing a capable and independent HAEA. It said the establishment of a national safety policy and government support for regulatory institutions was evidence of the government’s prioritization of nuclear and radiation safety.

Several good performances were formally identified by the IRRS team, including:

• The special legal status of the HAEA – whereby it reports directly to the Parliament – allows for a high level of effective independence;
• The HAEA management’s comprehensive steps in enhancing safety culture at the regulatory body, including the 2024 “Year of Safety Culture” initiative and the development of a strategy and action plan for safety culture. 

“Hungary has established a solid foundation for regulatory oversight through its independent regulatory body, the HAEA, and demonstrated a proactive approach to continuous improvement,” said Ramzi Jammal, Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer of Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and the IRRS Team Leader. “We have found high levels of compliance with IAEA safety standards and evidence that HAEA is a competent and trusted national regulator.”

The IRRS team provided recommendations and suggestions to support Hungary in further enhancing its regulatory framework. These included:

• Clarifying allocation of tasks and responsibilities for regulatory control of medical exposures within the governmental, legal and regulatory framework for safety;
• Establishing an integrated management system;
• Documenting key regulatory processes and procedures within the management system; and
• Reviewing and improving the existing arrangements between relevant regulatory authorities, as necessary, for the effective coordination of their regulatory functions.

“The outcome of this mission demonstrates Hungary’s dedicated and strong commitment to strengthening its regulatory infrastructure and, consequently, enhancing nuclear and radiation safety nationwide,” said Karine Herviou, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.

The team also noted that the HAEA’s resources have been incrementally increased to accommodate the country’s growing nuclear industry. The IRRS team emphasized the importance of continued government support – both financial and human resources – to ensure the regulator’s capacity to fulfil its mandate. 

“Continuous improvement is of paramount importance to the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, as it strengthens the robustness of our regulatory framework and enhances nuclear safety to protect both the public and the environment,” said Andrea Beatrix Kádár, HAEA President. “The self-assessment process and the IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission provide valuable opportunities to further develop our procedures, practices and regulations, ensuring that Hungary’s regulatory system remains aligned with the ever-evolving and increasingly rigorous international standards.”

The final mission report will be provided to the Government of Hungary within about three months. Hungary plans to make the report publicly available.

IAEA Safety Standards

The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The conference will see participation from  a range of experts in nuclear safety, natural hazard analysis and mitigation. This will include owners and operators of nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities, technical experts such as structural engineers and hazard analysts, nuclear regulators and civil protection authorities and disaster managers. 

Experts will have the opportunity  to share experiences and discuss existing and new methods to evaluate the resilience of existing nuclear facilities, as well as those under design, licencing and construction. 

The conference will feature plenary sessions, keynote lectures and breakout sessions. Themes and topics will include initial identification and analysis of external hazards, data and climate modelling, safety features of advanced reactor designs, and operational measures for a real time management of emergencies, such as new monitoring systems and artificial intelligence.  Emergency preparedness and disaster response will also be addressed, with discussions on subjects such as international collaboration in emergency response and public communication. The siting and design of reactors, safety assessments and regulatory matters will also be addressed.

The conference will provide networking opportunities for safety analysts, regulators, researchers, and others engaged in the safety of nuclear installations.

It will conclude with a discussion of the Call for Action drafted by the conference President, with proposals for future involvement of the IAEA in the development of guidelines, projects and research in the area.