Category: IAEA

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

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.”

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.

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.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The IAEA team at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today heard multiple rounds of incoming and outgoing shelling, adding to nuclear safety risks at a time when the plant has been without off-site power for nearly two weeks, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The shelling occurred between 14:05 and 15:30 local time, totalling about 15 rounds at near and middle distance from the site, the team reported. Some explosions triggered car alarms, the team said.

Around the same time, the ZNPP informed the IAEA team that two rounds of shelling struck around 1.25 km from the site perimeter, in the vicinity of a fire extinguisher charging station. No casualties were reported and there was no immediate information of any damages. 

While today’s shelling – a common occurrence near the ZNPP in recent years – did not have an immediate impact on nuclear safety and security, it further underlined the constant dangers facing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant during the armed conflict.

“The nuclear safety and security situation is clearly not improving. On the contrary, the risks are growing. The plant has now been without off-site power for almost two weeks, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs to cool its shutdown reactors and spent fuel. This is an extraordinarily challenging situation,” Director General Grossi said.

“I once again call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities during the war. I’m also continuing to engage with both the Russian Federation and Ukraine with the aim to restore off-site power to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible,” the Director General said.

In the tenth and longest loss of off-site power suffered by the ZNPP during the conflict, the plant lost the connection to its last remaining 750 kilovolt line on 23 September. Eight emergency diesel generators are currently operating to provide back-up electricity to the site.   

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

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-a

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) lost all off-site power yesterday, marking the tenth time the plant has faced a complete loss of off-site power since the start of the conflict in February 2022. The incident once again underlines the extremely fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the plant, IAEA Director General Grossi said yesterday. 

The IAEA team based at the ZNPP reported that the ZNPP confirmed the disconnection from its last remaining 750kV external main power line at 16:56 local time yesterday. This was confirmed separately by the Ukrainian regulatory body. Following this power loss, the team observed that emergency diesel generators (EDGs) started operating to supply the plant with power – the ZNPP later confirmed that all available EDGs had started. 

The ZNPP has been reliant on one single off-site power line to power the pumps used to  cool its six reactors and their spent fuel, almost five months after it lost the connection to its last 330 kV back-up power line. The ZNPP last faced a complete loss of off-site power on 4 July 2025 when the plant relied on diesel generators for almost four hours.

“It is deeply concerning that the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, has once again been cut off from all external power. The site, which is located on the front line, continues to be endangered. Each loss of power poses a real risk to nuclear safety and increases the likelihood of a nuclear accident,” added Director General Grossi. 

Following the loss of power on 4 July 2025, the IAEA team based at the ZNPP site was informed that the EDG fuel tanks were replenished with enough fuel to enable operation of emergency diesel generators for approximately 20 days, in case of a loss of another off-site power event. The team is investigating the cause of yesterday’s loss of power. 

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today that he is discussing detailed proposals with the Russian Federation and Ukraine on how to restore off-site power to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which has relied on emergency back-up electricity for the past ten days.

“Both sides say they stand ready to conduct the necessary repairs on their respective sides of the frontline. But for this to happen, the security situation on the ground must improve so that the technicians can carry out their vital work without endangering their lives. I’m in continuous contact with senior Russian and Ukrainian officials to achieve this important objective as soon as possible,” Director General Grossi said.

“For now, the site’s emergency diesel generators are functioning without problems, and there is also plenty of fuel in reserve. However, this is an unprecedented situation that must be resolved without further delay. It is a nuclear safety issue and it is in everybody’s interest to fix it,” he said.

Until a few months ago, two off-site power lines were still available to supply the electricity that the ZNPP requires to cool its six shutdown reactors and its spent fuel. However, it lost one of them – a 330 kilovolt (kV) line – in early May due to damage sustained on the Ukrainian side of the frontline. On 23 September, the sole remaining 750 kV line was disconnected as a result of damage on the other side of the frontline.

The resulting loss of off-site power (LOOP) is by far the longest lasting of the ten such events that the ZNPP has suffered during more than three and a half years of military conflict.

As the ZNPP’s reactors have been shut down since 2022, the nuclear safety risks are not as great or urgent as they would be for an operating nuclear power plant. However, if the emergency diesel generators (EDGs) stopped functioning for any reason, it could lead to a complete blackout and possibly causing an accident with the fuel melting and a potential radiation release into the environment, if power could not be restored in time. The site also has mobile diesel generators available in case the EDGs are not able to supply the necessary power.

“For nuclear safety, this is still a very serious situation. I’m calling on both sides to do what is necessary to prevent a further deterioration. It is a question of political will, not whether it is technically possible, which it is,” Director General Grossi said.

As of this morning, eight EDGs were operating at the plant, generating a total power output of 20-22 megawatts, sufficient to cover its nuclear safety needs. Another 12 EDGs were available and on standby. Two of the EDGs that were under planned maintenance prior to the power loss  were put back into service yesterday. The plant rotates the operating EDGs and carries out technical servicing, as needed.

The EDGs each have their own fuel tanks, which the ZNPP says can provide fuel for at least 10 days of operation, in the current operating configuration. Additional fuel supplies are delivered daily to the on-site EDG fuel tanks from the off-site diesel fuel storage facility, which houses three large tanks. 

The IAEA team at the site is receiving frequent updates of all important nuclear safety parameters, showing that the EDGs are continuing to reliably provide the power needed for cooling as there has been no increase in the coolant temperatures of both the reactor cores and spent fuel pools.

The IAEA team conducted a walkdown yesterday to monitor the operating EDGs while also observing that a diesel fuel truck was on-site, bringing fuel from the outside storage facility – also known as the diesel fuel farm. The ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the most recent delivery of diesel fuel to the outside storage facility occurred on Wednesday and that another delivery was expected today.

The team has also conducted radiation monitoring, showing no increase in radiation levels.

The ZNPP has informed the IAEA team that planned maintenance activities on one pair of backup power transformers was stopped after the LOOP, and the transformers were returned to standby mode.

Challenges related to off-site power were also in evidence at the Chornobyl site this week, where its New Safe Confinement (NSC) facility experienced a loss of power on Wednesday evening. The IAEA team based at the site was informed that the Slavutych 330 kV switchyard located around 40km away was damaged because of military activity in the area, causing the disconnection of this power line at 4:10pm local time.

Off-site power to the NSC – a large structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the reactor destroyed in 1986 and to protect it from any external hazard – was only restored some 16 hours later. During this time, the facility – which was severely damaged by a drone in February – had no access to back-up EDG electricity for some three hours on Wednesday evening, resulting in a partial blackout to the NSC. 

The IAEA team was informed that radiation monitoring and ventilation of the NSC remained operational throughout the blackout, via an interconnection to the systems of reactor units 3 and 4, which remained connected to the main electrical grid.  The team was also informed that radiation levels remained normal during the entire event, which was confirmed by the IAEA’s own measurements. 

All other nuclear facilities at the Chornobyl site continued to receive off-site power from other power lines without interruption. However, the plant reported fluctuations in off-site power affecting the other facilities at the site during the event and continues to assess the situation.

The Slavutych 330 kV power line remains disconnected, and the town with the same name – where most plant staff live – has no electricity, relying instead on diesel generators. 

The IAEA team at the Chornobyl site was also informed that temporary repairs on the outside of the NSC arch are expected to be completed today following the February attack, meaning it will be fully covered from the outside.

In the 158th delivery of equipment to Ukraine since the start of the armed conflict, the South Ukraine NPP has received two mobile portal monitors aimed at enhancing nuclear security measures at the site. The equipment was funded with contributions made by Norway.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is engaging with both sides of the military conflict to help pave the way for the restoration of offsite power to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) as soon as possible, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The Director General has in recent days met with leaders and senior officials from the Russian Federation and Ukraine to discuss the nuclear safety and security situation at the ZNPP, which on 23 September suffered its tenth complete loss of offsite power (LOOP) during the conflict.

“Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been without external power for more than a week now, which is by far the longest lasting such event during more than three and a half years of war. I’m in constant contact with the two sides with the aim to enable the plant’s swift re-connection to the electricity grid,” Director General Grossi said.

“While the plant is currently coping thanks to its emergency diesel generators – the last line of defence – and there is no immediate danger as long as they keep working, it is clearly not a sustainable situation in terms of nuclear safety. Neither side would benefit from a nuclear accident,” he said. 

According to the ZNPP, the latest offsite power cut occurred at 4:56pm on Tuesday last week when its sole remaining power line was damaged by military activity approximately 1.5 km from the plant, after which emergency diesel generators (EDGs) automatically started operating to supply the power needed for the site’s safety systems and to cool its six reactors and the spent fuel.

The ZNPP is currently operating eight EDGs, with nine additional units in standby mode and three in maintenance. Over the past week, the plant has been alternating those operating in order to service some of the idle ones and to ensure continuous availability.

The ZNPP has stated that it has the personnel and spare parts needed to repair the damaged 750 kilovolt (kV) line but that it has so far been unable to do so due to military activity in the area. 

For its part, Ukraine has said it is ready to repair a back-up 330 kV power line that has been disconnected since early May, but that the military situation has so far not allowed this either. 

As the ZNPP’s reactors have been shut down for over three years now – resulting in the cooling of the nuclear fuel and also reducing the amount of radioactive materials in the fuel – the nuclear safety situation is not as dangerous as it would have been had the plant still been generating electricity. Still, in case of a complete blackout with no off-site power and no EDGs operating, the nuclear fuel could melt if power could not be restored in time. For this reason, the ZNPP also has mobile diesel generators available.

“The current status of the reactor units and spent fuel is stable as long as the emergency diesel generators are able to provide sufficient power to maintain essential safety related functions and cooling,” Director General Grossi said.

“Nevertheless, it is extremely important that offsite power is restored. I strongly encourage both sides to work with us and enable these essential repairs to take place. As I have repeatedly stated, a nuclear accident is in no one’s interest and all efforts must be made to prevent that from occurring,” he said.

The IAEA team at the ZNPP is continuing to monitor the situation closely, receiving more frequent nuclear safety updates from the plant, including cooling water temperatures.

“Based on the plant’s information, we can conclude that the emergency diesel generators have been able to reliably provide the power needed for cooling the nuclear fuel in the reactor cores and spent fuel pools,” Director General Grossi said. 

The ZNPP informed the IAEA team that the site still has fuel reserves for more than 10 days of operation, with regular offsite supplies maintaining this level. 

In recent days, the IAEA team members at the site were able to observe the operating EDGs and to confirm that the sprinkler ponds that provide cooling water for the reactor units and spent fuel remain full.

The ZNPP’s radiation monitoring as well as the IAEA team’s own measurements have continued to show that there has been no increase above normal levels over the past week, both on and outside the site.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Nuclear material and nuclear technology are used every day around the world for peaceful purposes such as the production of electricity, adapting to and mitigating climate change, fighting cancer, and more.

And the IAEA’s safeguards activities verifies that countries are honouring their international obligations to use nuclear material and technology only for peaceful purposes.

But how does the IAEA implement safeguards, and what happens during an IAEA safeguards inspection? Watch the film below to find out more.