Category: IAEA

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Impact of IAEA Technical Cooperation Highlighted at IAEA General Conference

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. 

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IAEA Profile: Shaping the Nuclear Workforce through Data

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.

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IAEA Mission Reviews Hungary’s Nuclear and Radiation Safety Framework

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.

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IAEA Hosts International Conference on Enhancing Resilience of Nuclear Facilities Subjected to External Hazards

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.

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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.