The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) news

A comprehensive review of Spain´s nuclear safety carried out under the IAEA´s Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) has highlighted positive aspects of the country´s nuclear system and identified areas for improvement. Good practices have been found in areas such as technical competence of personnel and quality of infrastructure.

Speaking at a workshop in Seville, Spain, on lessons learned from the IRRS mission, the IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei expressed the wish that

An IAEA-lead team of international experts will visit Japan from 1-5 December 2008 to review the ongoing assessment of the impact of an earthquake on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant last year.

The seven-unit power plant, the world´s largest, has remained shut down since the earthquake on 16 July 2007.

The IAEA fact-finding mission will study the ongoing evaluation by Japan´s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), and the owner of the plant, the Tokyo Electric Power

As renewed interest in nuclear energy is sweeping the world, several countries are looking at small and medium reactors, often referred to as SMR, as alternatives to large nuclear power stations. Typically, they are defined as facilities with a power output of up to 700 MW (e). SMRs represent an attractive option for countries with limited financial resources, small electricity grids, or for those which are looking for scalable and flexible nuclear installations.

“Today, the progress of SM

The IAEA has revised upwards its nuclear power generation projections to 2030, while at the same time it reported that nuclear´s share of global electricity generation dropped another percentage point in 2007 to 14%. This compares to the nearly steady share of 16% to 17% that nuclear power maintained for almost two decades, from 1986 through 2005. In its 2008 edition of Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period to 2030, the IAEA expects global nuclear power capacity in 2030

Countries eyeing nuclear power for electricity generation for the first time face a challenging road before they reach safe and efficient power production. Over three days in July, representatives from 45 countries - nuclear power vendors, regulators, operators and `newcomers` to the world of nuclear power - reviewed their roles and responsibilities. The main message: lay the foundation for long-term nuclear safety first.

`The focus was on good practices and lessons learned about the roles a

The number of nuclear power reactors around the globe is estimated to increase up to 60% by 2030, said Mr. Yury A. Sokolov, Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy and Deputy Director General of the IAEA, at an industry event in Korea. He also remarked that the experience gained over the past decades in energy planning for sustainable development, as well as in the construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants will be crucial to help newcomers in the nuclear fie

Amid heightened international interest in nuclear energy, countries are paying closer attention to a finite resource that helps to make nuclear power possible: uranium. A report released this week finds that new discoveries and re-evaluations of known conventional uranium resources will be adequate to supply nuclear energy needs for at least 100 years at present consumption level. Growing demand and higher prices have spurred greater investment in exploration and led to larger identified convent

A German proposal calling for a multilateral approach to the matter of ensuring fuel supply to nuclear power plants will be presented at IAEA headquarters on 19 February. The plan, entitled the Multilateral Enrichment Sanctuary Project (MESP), is one among several proposals that aim to tackle the issue of assuring supply and services of nuclear fuel while seeking to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime through better control over the sensitive elements of the nuclear fuel cycle. Throu

The International Nuclear Safety School will train safety experts from around the world. A cooperation agreement between KINS and the IAEA was signed by KINS President Won Ky Shin and IAEA Deputy Director General Tomihiro Taniguchi.
 
An IAEA team has recently travelled to Korea to celebrate the opening of a center designed to advance the international education of nuclear safety experts. The International Nuclear Safety School is an initiative designed to promote nuclear safety learning