Category: IAEA

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Update 322 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Technical work began today to restore off-site power to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), nearly a month after its complete loss of external electricity supplies sharply deepened concerns about the precarious nuclear safety situation at the site, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

Following weeks of complex negotiations, the Russian Federation and Ukraine have both agreed to an IAEA proposal to establish temporary ceasefire zones around two specific locations on opposite sides of the frontline, to enable their respective expert teams to conduct repairs on two power lines that were recently damaged during the military conflict.

This morning, following de-mining activities, work started to repair two cables of the 330 kilovolt (kV) Ferosplavna-1 line, which was disconnected from the ZNPP on 7 May. 

Later this weekend, also after completion of the necessary de-mining of the specified area on the other side, repairs are due to begin on the damaged section of the 750 kV Dniprovska line, which was disconnected on 23 September, causing the ZNPP’s complete loss of off-site power. 

IAEA teams will monitor and report on the progress of the repair work at the two locations, both situated several kilometres from the ZNPP, whose six reactors have been shut down since 2022 but still require electricity to power water pumps for the cooling of the site’s nuclear fuel.

“Today’s start of the repairs marks a significant step forward in our determined efforts to restore off-site power to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which for the past several weeks has been forced to rely on emergency diesel generators for electricity, which is clearly not sustainable,” Director General Grossi. 

“While it will still take some time before the plant is once again reconnected to the electricity grid – the repairs are expected to last about a week – there is now finally some light at the end of the tunnel. Both sides have engaged constructively with us to make this happen. There is a general understanding that the current situation benefits absolutely no one. It has been a challenging process as the power lines are in an active war zone and we first needed to create the necessary security conditions on the ground before repairs could proceed,” he said.

Pending the restoration of off-site power, seven emergency diesel generators (EDGs) are currently operating to provide the plant with the required electricity for essential nuclear safety and security functions. Another 13 EDGs remain in standby mode. 

The current loss of off-site power at the ZNPP is the tenth during the conflict and by far the longest-lasting. 

“Depending on emergency diesel generators is the last line of defence for nuclear power plants. Virtually unimaginable before the war, it has now become an all too common occurrence. As long as this devastating conflict goes on, nuclear safety and security remains under severe threat. Today, we had some rare positive news to report, but we are far from being out of the woods yet,” Director General Grossi said.

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Azillah Binti-Othman: Her Path to a Career in Radiation Science

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Featured Story

As an IAEA Radiation Processing Officer, Azillah Binti-Othman’s work focuses on how radiation technologies can be applied to real-world settings. She reflects on her career and work at the IAEA.

Alison Gray, IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications

The IAEA profiles employees to provide insight into the variety of career paths that support the Agency’s mission of Atoms for Peace and Development and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or STEM-adjacent fields. Read more profiles of women at the IAEA.  

For Azillah Binti-Othman, IAEA Radiation Processing Officer, accounting seemed more approachable than science when she was a teenager, and she intended to study it at university—until an unexpected opportunity arose. The Japanese Government offered her a full scholarship to study chemical engineering in Japan, so she left her home country of Malaysia and moved to Tokyo. 

Building a Life Abroad

After university, Binti-Othman worked as an engineer in Japan, but after giving birth to her second child, she decided to become a stay-at-home parent. She spent three years raising her two young children and becoming fluent in Japanese. She describes this period of her life as personally enriching but professionally uncertain. “During that time, I didn’t do anything related to science or research,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could ever return to that world.”

Although Binti-Othman and her family loved life in Japan, they returned to Malaysia. “I felt it was time to go back and contribute to my home country,” she recalled. 

Navigating Career Transitions

Back in Malaysia, Binti-Othman was offered a research position at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency through a governmental Returning Expert Programme. The opportunity was not without challenges. “I was 30 years old with two children and starting from scratch. Most of my new colleagues were much younger and fresh out of university. I had to learn everything again and catch up quickly.”

A key element of her career transition was finding a mentor. “My division director took me under his wing,” she said. “Even though I was new, he brought me along to every meeting and presentation. I learned so much just by observing.”

Binti-Othman completed her PhD in 2020.Through her involvement in IAEA-supported national and coordinated research projects, she gained insight into the Agency’s work.  When she learned about an open position at the IAEA, she applied and was selected. 

Radiation Science and Applications at the IAEA

As an IAEA Radiation Processing Officer, Binti-Othman focuses on how radiation technologies can be applied to real-world settings. She primarily works on the NUTEC Plastics initiative, which uses nuclear technology to tackle plastic pollution worldwide – both through recycling and at the source. The initiative’s use of radiation technologies in sustainable materials processing aligns directly with her area of expertise. 

“Working on NUTEC Plastics allows me to collaborate with a global network of scientists, researchers and technologists, to grow professionally in a range of areas, and to contribute to innovative, radiation-based solutions for plastic pollution,” she said.

Binti-Othman also represents the IAEA at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, which is working toward an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution both on land and in the marine environment.

One of Binti-Othman’s proudest achievements at the IAEA was her key role in organizing the Third International Conference on Applications of Radiation Science and Technology (ICARST-2025). The conference, which showcases developments in radiation science and technology, attracted over 1700 in-person and virtual attendees.

Binti-Othman said that experiencing the IAEA from the inside has deepened her appreciation for its global work. “From the outside, the IAEA can seem complex. But being here has helped me better understand the systems and processes behind IAEA activities, and I can bring that knowledge back home with me,” she said.

Career Reflections

Reflecting on her journey, Binti-Othman said that both academic and life experiences have helped shape her. “Being a stay-at-home parent taught me practical skills, confidence and communication. And being a researcher taught me how to ask questions and find answers,” she said, highlighting that every experience, whether in a lab or at home, can equip you for a successful career. “Never underestimate yourself,” she said. “You can always start over. You can learn something new. Give yourself the chance.”

The IAEA’S Commitment to Gender Equality

The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to supporting the ability of all individuals, regardless of gender, to equally contribute to and benefit from its programmes and activities. 

In 2020, the IAEA launched the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme to support the next generation of women nuclear professionals by offering scholarships for master’s degrees in nuclear-related fields. The IAEA’s Lise Meitner Programme, launched in 2023, offers early- and mid-career women multi-week training visits to nuclear facilities.  

Read more about the IAEA’s work on gender equality and apply for vacancies, internships or pipelines.  

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Nuclear Energy in Focus at the G20 in South Africa

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Matt Fisher, IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy

Energy leaders from around the world convened in Durban last week for the first ever high level G20 meeting on nuclear energy, held amid rising projections for nuclear power expansion. Jointly organized by South Africa’s Department of Electricity & Energy and the IAEA, the conference brought together energy ministers and high level representatives from G20 countries, invited guest countries and the International Energy Agency (IEA).  

“In Africa, as in the rest of the world, nuclear power is increasingly recognized as a source of reliable, safe and affordable energy,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during his keynote address. “The IAEA is and will always be ready to support Africa and the G20 in turning this potential into lasting progress.” 

The global consensus on the need to bolster nuclear power capacity has been backed by efforts to increase access to financing, including by the World Bank, and efforts to streamline deployment. 

Many of the 31 nuclear operating countries, including South Africa, are looking to build new capacity and extend the lifetime of existing reactors, and around three dozen newcomer countries are either considering the introduction of nuclear power or actively preparing infrastructure. Egypt is poised to become Africa’s second operating country as the construction of its inaugural El Dabaa nuclear power plant nears completion, while Bangladesh and Türkiye plan to commission their first units within the next few years. 

The IAEA is participating in the G20 for the second year in a row, building on the cooperation that started under the G20’s Brazilian presidency last year.

According to the International Energy Agency, around half a billion Africans lack electricity access, and by 2030 the continent will be home to about 20% of the world’s population — highlighting the need to scale up clean, reliable power, including nuclear. 

In August 2025, the IAEA released the Outlook for Nuclear Energy in Africa as part of its collaboration with the South African G20 presidency. The report outlines nuclear power prospects on the continent and what is needed for it   to meet Africa’s growing energy demand. 

After a press conference with Mr Grossi and South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Henri Paillere, Head of the IAEA’s Planning and Economic Studies Section, presented a new publication Coal to Nuclear: Supporting a Clean Energy Transition, the IAEA’s latest contribution to G20 work on nuclear power. The publication explores the benefits of repurposing former coal power plant sites to support reactor deployments, such as job creation and improved air quality. It also reviews technical considerations, including site selection and the feasibility of using existing infrastructure, and financing requirements.

“This IAEA publication on coal-to-nuclear transitions is both timely and necessary,” said Ramokgopa. “It offers a practical pathway for countries, particularly those with established coal infrastructure, to accelerate their energy transitions while retaining grid stability, enabling industrialization and safeguarding jobs.”

The conference closed with a panel discussion on the role that nuclear power could play in Africa’s energy future, with a forward-looking focus on technologies, strategies and implementation. According to the latest IAEA projections, nuclear generating capacity on the continent will triple by 2030 in the high case scenario compared with 2024 capacity. That same scenario has capacity growing sixteenfold by mid-century. 

Speakers from nuclear power-related organizations in South Africa as well as the IAEA and the Electric Power Research Institute discussed enabling conditions for deployment, financing models, international cooperation and the importance of proactive stakeholder engagement for long-term success.

“Nuclear offers a huge opportunity to industrialize Africa and enable the achievement of its goal of providing a better life for its citizens,” said Loyiso Tyabashe, CEO of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation.   

Globally, at the end of 2024, 417 nuclear power reactors were operational, with a global capacity of 377 gigawatts electric (GW(e).  In the high case projection, the IAEA estimates that global nuclear operational capacity will more than double by 2050 – with small modular reactors (SMRs) expected to play a pivotal role in this expansion.

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An Important Step for the Global Nuclear Liability Regime: UK Accedes to the CSC

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The UK deposited its instrument of accession to the CSC on 3 October 2026.

The United Kingdom deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) on 3 October 2025, strengthening the global nuclear liability regime and enhancing the capacity of nuclear power to support climate change mitigation, economic development and energy security. The CSC will enter into force for the UK on 1 January 2026, by which time the UK will become the 12th Contracting Party to the Convention. 

For over a decade, the General Conference of the IAEA has called upon Member States to consider joining the international nuclear liability instruments and to work towards establishing a global nuclear liability regime, to ensure prompt, adequate and non-discriminatory compensation for damage to people, property and the environment due to a nuclear accident or incident. 

Adopted under the auspices of the IAEA on 12 September 1997 and entering into force on 15 April 2015, the CSC is a key multilateral treaty in the field of nuclear liability. It serves as an ‘umbrella’ instrument open to all States — including Parties to the 1963 and 1997 Vienna Conventions on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy, and States that are not party to any of these conventions but whose national legislation conforms to the provisions of the Annex to the CSC. The CSC also aims at increasing the amount of compensation available in the event of a nuclear incident through supplementary funds to be provided by its Contracting Parties. 

“As the first Party to the Paris Convention to join the CSC, the UK’s accession establishes – for the first time – treaty relations based on the CSC across both the Paris and Vienna regimes and States belonging to neither,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, noting this represented “an important step towards achieving a truly global nuclear liability regime.” 

The CSC is the single existing international nuclear liability convention covering the greatest number of nuclear power reactors in operation worldwide. When the UK becomes a Contracting Party, the CSC will cover approximately 190, or around 45 per cent, of such operational reactors. 

The CSC currently has 11 Parties (Argentina, Benin, Canada, Ghana, India, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, United Arab Emirates and United States of America) and 11 Signatories (Australia, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritius, Peru, Philippines, Senegal and Ukraine). The IAEA’s online CSC calculator enables countries to run scenarios of potential contributions to the CSC’s contingent supplementary international fund. The CSC Parties and Signatories hold annual meetings, with the Fifth Meeting being held on 23-26 June 2025.

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Update 320 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today that a process had been set in motion to help restore external electricity to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), following frequent contacts with both sides in recent weeks to address the site’s latest loss of off-site power during the military conflict.

Since the ZNPP last month once again lost all access to the grid, Director General Grossi has been engaging with the Russian Federation and Ukraine on concrete proposals aimed at enabling the plant to receive the off-site power it needs to cool its six shutdown reactors and its spent fuel. 

The focus has been on creating the necessary security conditions for repairs to be carried out on the damaged sections of the 750 kilovolt (kV) Dniprovska and the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 power lines, located on opposite sides of the frontline near the ZNPP. 

“Following intensive consultations, the process leading to the re-establishment of off-site power – through the Dniprovska and Ferosplavna-1 lines – has started,” Director General Grossi said.

“While it will still take some time before the grid connection of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant has been restored, the two sides have engaged with us in a constructive way to achieve this important objective for the sake of nuclear safety and security. No one stands to gain from a further deterioration in this regard,” he said.

For the tenth time during the conflict, the ZNPP lost its connection to the grid on 23 September when its last remaining 750 kV power line was cut, almost five months after the last 330 kV back-up line was also disconnected. Both sides blamed the damage on military activities.

For more than two weeks, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) has therefore been forced to rely on emergency diesel generators (EDGs) to power its cooling pumps, further challenging an already precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the site.

At the ZNPP, seven EDGs are currently operating and another 13 are on standby. The plant continues to alternate them to produce the electricity it requires, including also for the reactor safety systems.

Based on regularly received nuclear safety data, the IAEA team at the site continues to confirm that there has been no temperature increase within the coolant in the reactors or the spent fuel pools – indicating that the fuel continues to be cooled effectively.

Earlier this week, the team conducted a walkdown to observe the status of the EDGs that were in standby mode at the time. The team also confirmed that the essential service sprinkler ponds – which provide cooling to the reactors and the spent fuel pools – were operating as usual. Radiation levels at the site also remain normal, the team reported.

The team continues to report military activities at various distances from the site. On Tuesday evening, the team members heard five explosions one after the other, occurring close to the site and shaking windows in their building.

The IAEA teams based at the other nuclear sites in Ukraine – Khmelnitskyy, Rivne, South Ukraine and Chornobyl – also report military activities on most days. 

On 4 October, the team at the Khmelnitskyy NPP was informed that 16 drones were recorded near the site, the closest 5.5km away from the site. The following day, three drones were detected at the same distance north of the South Ukraine NPP.

The Chornobyl site still has no access to the 330 kV power line that was disconnected last week, reportedly due to military strikes on an electrical substation approximately 40km away, near the town of Slavutych. 

Under the IAEA’s comprehensive assistance programme for nuclear safety and security, the Khmelnitskyy NPP this week received radiation survey meters that were procured with funding from the Czech Republic and Japan. It was the 159th delivery of equipment so far, with the value of all deliveries during the conflict now totaling 20 million euros.

See more Director General updates here →

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IAEA Concludes Long Term Operational Safety Review of Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a review of long term operational safety of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) in Armenia.

During the ten-day Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) mission that ended on 9 October, the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness, organization and programmes for safe long term operation (LTO), which built upon a previous SALTO mission held at the plant in 2018 and a follow-up mission held in 2021. The review mission was requested by the ANPP and focused on aspects essential to the safe LTO of ANPP Unit 2, which is a pressurized-water reactor that went into commercial operation in 1980. ANPP Unit 1 was permanently shut down in 1989. In October 2021, the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ANRA) issued a permit for Unit 2 to operate until September 2026. ANPP has requested permission from ANRA to operate for an additional 10 years, until September 2036.

The mission was conducted by a ten-person team consisting of experts from Argentina, the Netherlands, Romania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as two IAEA staff members and two observers from Hungary and the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). During the review, the SALTO team held in-depth discussions with staff from the ANPP and conducted several site walkdowns.

The team noted the progress in measures taken by the operator to ensure safe LTO. “The plant has clearly made progress since previous missions and has done a lot to address the previous SALTO findings,” said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Bryce Lehman, who noted that many ageing management and LTO activities were in alignment with IAEA safety standards. “We encourage the plant to continue implementing the remaining activities for LTO and to address the review findings,” he added.

The team identified good performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:

  • Continuously improving organizational practices, adopting international best practices and experience from the first LTO period to improve the approach and documentation for the upcoming second LTO period;
  • Conducting periodic reviews of the seismic qualification programme, considering the latest knowledge and international operating experience; and
  • Implementing a comprehensive modernization process performed by the staff of the plant.

The team also provided suggestions and recommendations to further improve safe LTO, for example, the plant should:

  • Update the existing plant programmes to fully address ageing management for the upcoming second LTO period.
  • Complete the qualification programme for equipment in harsh environments and fully implement it for LTO.
  • Effectively implement the ageing management programmes for civil structures.

The plant management expressed a determination to maintain the level of preparedness for safe LTO and to further cooperate with the IAEA in this field.

“We appreciate the IAEA’s support in ageing management and preparation for our second LTO period,” said Artur Grigoryan, the ANPP Chief Engineer. “It is very important for us to get an external review of our ageing management activities. The competencies and experience of the IAEA team will help us identify areas for improvement. The results of this mission will help us improve our activities for safe LTO and further align our activities with IAEA safety standards.”

The team provided a draft report to the plant management and to the ANRA at the end of the mission. The plant management and ANRA will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant management, ANRA and the Armenian Government within three months.

Background

General information about SALTO missions can be found on the IAEA Website. A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant’s overall safety status.

LTO of nuclear power plants is defined as operation beyond an established time frame determined by the license term, the original plant design, relevant standards, or national regulations. As stated in IAEA safety standards, to maintain a plant’s fitness for service, consideration should be given to life limiting processes and features of systems, structures and components, as well as to reasonably practicable safety upgrades to enhance the safety of the plant.

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IAEA and OPEC Fund Conduct Technical Visit to Expand Cancer Services in the DRC

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Abdou Salam Ndiath, IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation

A team from the IAEA and the OPEC Fund for International Development alongside DCR authorities at the planned site for the country’s first public radiotherapy centre in Kinshasa. (Photo: CGEA)

The IAEA and the OPEC Fund for International Development completed a joint technical mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last week to review an investment plan to support the establishment of the country’s first radiotherapy centre in a public hospital, expected to treat at least 2000 cancer patients per year. 

The visit follows an agreement between the two organizations in 2024 to join efforts to tackle growing global challenges in health, food and energy, among others, including through the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative to expand radiotherapy in countries with limited or no access to this life-saving treatment. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with DRC President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo during his visit to the country in November 2023 and laid a symbolic foundation stone for the new radiotherapy centre. 

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking a historic step to bring radiotherapy to its people,” the IAEA Director General said. “Our strategic partnership with the OPEC Fund under the Rays of Hope initiative exemplifies how combining our strengths can unlock critical financing that will enable the country not only to establish a radiotherapy centre but also to build the national expertise and infrastructure needed to deliver sustainable cancer care for years to come.”

The mission’s objective was to visit the proposed site for the National Cancer Centre in Kinshasa, review capacities and needs and provide technical review for funding proposals. The mission team comprised radiation medicine experts from the IAEA, health sector investment and infrastructure analysts, and procurement and environmental, social and governance (ESG) advisors from the OPEC Fund. 

The DRC faces a significant cancer burden, with over 50 000 new cases diagnosed every year and very limited access to radiotherapy or medical imaging services. (Photo: CGEA)

The team visited the site of the project and met with the DRC Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovations, the Minister of Health, the Deputy Minister of Finance, and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister in charge of social affairs, as well as representatives from the Congo Cancer Control Programme (CNLC) and the Congo Atomic Energy Commission (CGEA). 

“The cooperation between the OPEC Fund and IAEA demonstrates exemplarily how joining forces in a complementary way can deepen our impact,” said OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. “IAEA’s technical expertise in the field of nuclear science and the OPEC Fund’s in-depth knowledge of countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo are becoming a powerful combination in this project to combat cancer and improve healthcare.”

During the week long visit in late September 2024, the IAEA and OPEC Fund team held discussions with high level authorities in the DRC and visited cancer related facilities in Kinshasa. (Photo: CGEA)

The DRC faces a significant cancer burden, with over 50 000 new cases diagnosed every year and very limited access to radiotherapy or medical imaging services. According to IAEA data, the country only has one private radiotherapy centre available to treat its entire population. 

“This project is a top priority for the President of the Republic, and the Government is fully committed and mobilized to ensure its successful implementation without delay,” said Sombo Therese, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovations.

In 2022, the IAEA carried out an imPACT Review and recommended the expansion and decentralization of cancer services. The Agency has also been assisting the DRC in building national capacity in nuclear and radiation medicine to support this expansion. 

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IAEA Opens New Curie-Meitner Nuclear Applications Centre, Marking Completion of Lab Modernization

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) yesterday inaugurated the new Curie-Meitner Nuclear Applications Centre at its laboratory site in Seibersdorf, marking the successful completion of the ReNuAL2 (Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories) lab project. This project aimed to modernize the Agency’s nuclear science and applications laboratories and strengthen scientific support to Member States in applying nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.

The new Curie-Meitner Nuclear Applications Centre – named after nuclear pioneers Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Lise Meitner – provides modern facilities for three of the IAEA’S eight nuclear science and applications laboratories in Seibersdorf. The Terrestrial Environment and Radiochemistry Laboratory provides support in managing radioactive, industrial, and environmental pollutants. The Plant Breeding and Genetics laboratory, one of five laboratories that make up the Joint FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories at Seibersdorf, develops high-yield, resistant crops and the Nuclear Science and Instrumentation laboratory helps countries to use a range of analytic nuclear techniques.  

At yesterday’s inauguration ceremony – attended by high level dignitaries and government representatives from 33 countries – IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the renewal of the laboratories represents a crucial investment in advancing nuclear applications. 

“This achievement is more than a renovation; it’s the result of vision, commitment and partnership,” Director General Grossi said. “The new Curie-Meitner Centre enables our scientists and partners from around the world to work together, innovate and deliver tangible solutions that improve health, food security and environmental protection.”

The completion of ReNuAL2 was made possible through the strong support of the IAEA’s Member States and partners. A total of 52 Member States contributed extrabudgetary resources, alongside in-kind and institutional support from governments and organizations. Their collective commitment and partnership have been instrumental in transforming the Seibersdorf laboratories into a modern complex equipped to meet the evolving needs of countries in applying nuclear science and technology.

Mareike Wörrle, Minister Counsellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and Co-Chair of the Friends of ReNuAL, said, “We are proud of the applied scientific work carried out at the laboratories in Seibersdorf. Serving the people is what unites us, working together to overcome the challenges we all face.” 

The IAEA’s nuclear application laboratories in Seibersdorf, roughly one hour outside of Vienna, were first built in 1959 to support the IAEA’s work in delivering to Member States the benefits of peaceful nuclear technologies through training, services, and applied research. 

“It is a model of how science and innovation can be harnessed to support our member countries in addressing global challenges in the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” FAO Director General Qu Dongyu said. “The FAO is committed to our long partnership with the IAEA and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, letting the people benefit from innovation. This is a critical partnership. We are better together, leading deliverables in the UN family, serving our Member States.”

Alongside the new Curie-Meitner Centre, ReNuAL2 also brings new state-of-the-art greenhouses essential to developing climate-smart agriculture and improved water resource management and a fully refurbished space for the dosimetry laboratory to support cancer control and ensure patients receive safe radiation doses.

“The successful completion of ReNuAL2 is a milestone for the Agency,” said Lunga Bengu, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations, Vienna. “It is a privilege to thank all the Member States for their contributions and tireless efforts in meeting the challenges and making significant advances in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and applications for all.”

Yesterday’s inauguration follows the recent opening on 17 September of the new IAEA Visitor Centre also in Seibersdorf, Austria, a first-of-its-kind space where visitors can experience the Agency’s mission and discover how nuclear science and technology is addressing global challenges. 

“I have been two times here in the last two weeks,” said Gabriela Sellner, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in Vienna. “This is a testament to the striving work of the IAEA in Seibersdorf. Austria is very proud to host IAEA laboratories since 1962.”

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ReNuAL: Renovated IAEA Labs Opened

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The IAEA inaugurated the new Curie-Meitner Nuclear Applications Centre at its laboratory site in Seibersdorf on 7 October 2025, marking a major milestone in the modernization of its laboratories. This new facility completes the ReNuAL (Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories) initiative, which began in 2014 to upgrade the Seibersdorf laboratories and strengthen the Agency’s scientific capacity to support countries in applying nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.

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IAEA Completes Integrated Nuclear Safety Assessment of Research Reactor in Romania

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts this week said the Institute for Nuclear Research (ICN) – the operator of the TRIGA MARK II research reactor in Pitesti, Romania – had continued to improve safety of the reactor by strengthening maintenance, implementing refurbishment and modernization of systems and components, and ensuring safety of experiments. The team also found the need for further safety improvements to the reactor’s organizational structure, ageing management, and operating rules and procedures.

The seven-day Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) mission was requested by ICN and the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN), Romania’s nuclear regulatory authority. The mission team comprised four experts from Argentina, Canada, France and the Netherlands, as well as two IAEA officials. 

The team visited the reactor and its associated facilities and met with ICN staff and CNCAN officials. The mission, which concluded on 7 October, covered the organizational and management arrangements in place and reviewed technical areas, including safety analysis, operation and maintenance programmes, ageing management, radiation protection, safety of reactor experiments and modifications, and emergency planning.

The reactor is used for radioisotope production, fuels and materials testing, research, and education and training. Since it became operational in 1980, the TRIGA MARK II reactor in Pitesti went through major modifications and refurbishments, including core fuel conversion from high enrichment uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) in 2006, modernization of the instrumentation and control system in 2009, and refurbishment of cooling systems in 2019. 

The reactor has undergone three IAEA INSARR missions in 1992, 2002 and 2011 and is currently permitted to operate until the end of 2027. By then, the ongoing periodic safety review of the reactor is planned to be completed, after which a decision may be taken to permit reactor operation till 2035. 

“By regularly requesting INSARR missions, ICN has already shown commitment to continued safety improvement,” said Amgad Shokr, mission team leader and Head of the IAEA’s Research Reactor Safety Section. “In addition to the identification and implementation of measures addressing the implications of the long operating period of the reactor, the ongoing periodic safety review is another opportunity for ICN to align its procedures and practices with the IAEA safety standards.”

The INSARR team observed that the management system, as well as activities and procedures related to maintenance, operational radiation protection, modifications and experiments, and emergency planning, were implemented in line with the IAEA safety standards. 

The INSARR team made recommendations and suggestions for further improvements, including the need for:

  • Strengthening the organizational structure for reactor operation by clarifying roles and responsibilities with respect to safety, enhancing the coordination of the maintenance activities and improving the functioning of the safety committee; 

  • Strengthening training and certification procedures by expanding them to cover all staff performing activities important to safety;

  • Finalizing the development and implementation of a systematic ageing management programme covering all the reactor’s structures, systems and components; and 

  • Strengthening the operational rules by improving their clarity and ensuring their alignment with the results of the ongoing review of the safety assessment.            

“We strive to continuously improve safety in accordance with the IAEA safety standards,” said Silviu Stanciu, Manager of the TRIGA MARK II reactor. “The INSARR mission provided us with valuable recommendations for further improvement, and we are committed to implementing them.”

The IAEA understands that the ICN will make the results of this mission publicly available and plans to request a follow-up INSARR mission in 2027.

Background 

INSARR missions are an IAEA peer review service, conducted at the request of a Member State, to assess and evaluate the safety of research reactors based on IAEA safety standards. Follow-up missions are standard components of the INSARR programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission. General information about INSARR missions can be found on the IAEA Website.

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.