IAEA kicks off annual meeting in ViennaNuclear NewsPower & OperationsSeptember 22, 2020, 12:00PM|Nuclear News StaffIAEA General Director Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks to socially distanced attendees at the agency’s 64th General Conference plenary session on September 21. Photo: D. Calma/IAEAWith special precautions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Atomic Energy Agency commenced its week-long 64th General Conference yesterday with a plenary session that included remarks from Rafael Mariano Grossi, the agency’s director general.“The latest IAEA annual projections show that nuclear power will continue to play a key role in the world’s low-carbon energy mix, with global nuclear electrical capacity seen nearly doubling by 2050 in our high-case scenario,” Grossi said, referring to a recently released agency report. “Climate change mitigation remains a key potential driver for maintaining and expanding the use of nuclear power.”The IAEA conference runs through September 25.Grossi touched briefly on a range of topics in his comments, including:The pandemic: Grossi highlighted the IAEA’s continued verification work during the pandemic to prevent the misuse of nuclear materials, as well as the launch of what he termed “the largest operation in the agency’s history to help countries confront the coronavirus.” He said that 1,300 consignments of equipment for virus detection and diagnosis and other supplies have been delivered, or are in transit, to 123 countries.Grossi also encouraged member states to support the IAEA’s Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action project to establish a global network of national diagnostic laboratories for the monitoring, surveillance, early detection, and control of zoonotic diseases using nuclear or nuclear-derived techniques.“Member states will have access to equipment, technology packages, expertise, guidance, and training,” Grossi said. “Decision-makers will receive up-to-date, user-friendly information that will enable them to act quickly. We will work closely with partners such as the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I encourage all member states to fully support this important initiative.”Technical cooperation: The IAEA assisted 147 countries and territories last year through its Technical Cooperation Program, 35 of which were “least developed countries,” Grossi said. He added that the main focus of the agency’s work was on health and nutrition, nuclear safety and security, and food and agriculture.Safeguards: The IAEA continues to carry out all of its most time-critical in-field safeguards verification work, while rescheduling some less urgent activities, such as equipment installation and maintenance, Grossi said. He noted that for the first time the agency chartered aircraft to enable its inspectors to reach their destinations. The number of states with safeguards agreements in force stands at 184, according to Grossi,136 of which have brought Additional Protocols into force.“The performance of state or regional authorities [SRA] and state systems of accounting for and control of nuclear materials [SSAC] has a direct impact upon the effectiveness and efficiency of safeguards implementation,” he said. “I have therefore launched a new initiative, known as COMPASS, to help states further strengthen the effectiveness of their SRA and SSAC. Building on existing capacity-development programs, this initiative will offer additional, tailored assistance to member states.”Iran and North Korea: The IAEA continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its safeguard agreement, according to Grossi. “Last month, I went to Tehran for discussions with President Rouhani and other senior officials,” he said. “We reached agreement on the resolution of some safeguards-implementation issues raised by the agency. The agency subsequently conducted a complementary access, under the Additional Protocol, at one of two locations specified by us. Our inspectors took environmental samples, which will be analyzed. A complementary access at the second specified location will take place later this month.”The IAEA is also monitoring the nuclear program of North Korea, Grossi said, using open-source information, including satellite imagery. He described the country’s nuclear program as a clear violation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. “I call upon [North Korea] to comply fully with its obligations under Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the agency in the full and effective implementation of its NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] Safeguards Agreement, and to resolve all outstanding issues, especially those that have arisen during the absence of agency inspectors from the country,” he said.The ReNuAL project: Grossi lauded the modernization of the IAEA’s nuclear applications laboratories at Seibersdorf, Austria (under the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories [ReNuAL] initiative), calling it “one of the most exciting and ambitious projects” the agency has ever undertaken.In addition, he said, in June the IAEA achieved another milestone with the opening of the new Yukiya Amano Laboratories building at Seibersdorf, named after the IAEA’s previous director general, who died last year.)Grossi continued that thanks to support of member states, four of eight laboratories now occupy brand new facilities. The need to modernize the remaining four laboratories was not addressed under ReNuAL, Grossi said, but he has proposed a final phase comprising the construction of a new building to house three labs and refurbish the Dosimetry Lab wing of the existing lab building. The project also would replace aging greenhouses. "These are essential for our work on climate-smart agriculture, resource management, and food security,” he said.Climate change: The 442 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries today provide approximately 390 gigawatts of installed capacity, Grossi said, supplying more than 10 percent of the world’s electricity and about a third of all low-carbon electricity. There are also 53 reactors under construction in 19 countries, he noted, which are expected to provide 56 gigawatts of additional capacity.With special precautions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Atomic Energy Agency commenced its week-long 64th General Conference yesterday with a plenary session that included remarks from Rafael Mariano Grossi, the agency’s director general. Grossi touched briefly on a range of topics in his comments.“The latest IAEA annual projections show that nuclear power will continue to play a key role in the world’s low-carbon energy mix, with global nuclear electrical capacity seen nearly doubling by 2050 in our high-case scenario,” Grossi said, referring to a recently released agency report. “Climate change mitigation remains a key potential driver for maintaining and expanding the use of nuclear power.”The IAEA conference runs through September 25.Tags:additional protocolamanoclimate changecovid-19grossiiaeasafeguardsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
UN partners expand use of nuclear technology to combat diseaseThe IAEA headquarters. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have worked together to address the global challenges of food insecurity, climate change, animal/zoonotic diseases, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic over 57 years of partnership. On February 23, the directors general of both organizations signed a Revised Arrangement committing to upgrade their collaboration and increase the scope of their work.Go to Article
Fukiushima Daiichi: 10 years onThe Fukushima Daiichi site before the accident. All images are provided courtesy of TEPCO unless noted otherwise. It was a rather normal day back on March 11, 2011, at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant before 2:45 p.m. That was the time when the Great Tohoku Earthquake struck, followed by a massive tsunami that caused three reactor meltdowns and forever changed the nuclear power industry in Japan and worldwide. Now, 10 years later, much has been learned and done to improve nuclear safety, and despite many challenges, significant progress is being made to decontaminate and defuel the extensively damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactor site. This is a summary of what happened, progress to date, current situation, and the outlook for the future there.Go to Article
FERC to look at grid reliabilitySpurred by last week’s power grid failure in Texas, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday announced that it will open a new proceeding to examine the threat that climate change and extreme weather events pose to electric reliability. The proceeding, FERC said, will investigate how grid operators prepare for and respond to these events, including droughts, extreme cold, wildfires, hurricanes, and prolonged heat waves.Go to Article
Manchin voices strong support for nuclear energyManchinSpeaking at a U.S. Senate committee meeting this week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.V.) said that continuing support for nuclear energy would be essential in meeting the country’s goals of reducing the emissions that fuel climate change, according to the Politico Pro newsletter.Details: Manchin, who heads the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was highly critical of anyone suggesting that climate change can be addressed without nuclear energy being in the mix.Go to Article
Gates highlights nuclear’s role in fighting climate changeGatesBill Gates is making the media rounds to promote his new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need, which was released on Tuesday. Along the way, he’s been touting nuclear energy as part of his master plan for battling climate change.60 Minutes: Gates kicked off the week with an appearance on 60 Minutes on Sunday. During the nearly 15-minute segment with correspondent Anderson Cooper, Gates discussed TerraPower, the company he founded in 2006 that is dedicated to nuclear innovation. “Nuclear power can be done in a way that none of those failures of the past would recur, because just the physics of how it's built,” Gates said, referring to TerraPower’s Natrium reactor. “I admit, convincing people of that will be almost as hard as actually building it. But since it may be necessary to avoid climate change, we shouldn't give up.”Go to Article
Uranium conversion facility to reopenThe Metropolis Works plant. Photo: HoneywellHoneywell plans to resume production at its Metropolis Works uranium conversion facility in 2023 and will begin preparations for the restart this year, the company has announced. The plant is in Metropolis, Ill.Honeywell, based in Charlotte, N.C., said in a February 9 statement that it plans to hire 160 full-time employees, as well as contractors, by the end of 2022, adding, “We’re proud to bring these jobs back to the Metropolis community to meet the needs of our customers.”Idled in early 2018, the plant is the nation’s sole uranium conversion facility.Go to Article
Canada’s Darlington-1 ends record runA view of the Darlington-1 turbine hall. Unit 1 has set a new world record for continuous operation by a nuclear power reactor. Photo: OPGIn continuous operation since January 26, 2018, Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington-1 was taken off line last Friday for an inspection and maintenance outage after a record-setting run of 1,106 days, the Canadian utility has announced.On September 15 of last year, the unit set a new world record for a power reactor, with 963 days of continuous operation, breaking the previous mark of 962, set by a reactor at India’s Kaiga plant in December 2018, according to OPG.Dependable Darlington: “Unit 1’s record-setting run highlights the excellent work carried out by our dedicated nuclear professionals throughout the pandemic to ensure Ontarians and frontline workers battling COVID-19 can count on a steady supply of power 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Sean Granville, OPG’s chief operating officer. “It also highlights the effectiveness of our preventive maintenance programs and the overall reliability of our nuclear fleet.”Go to Article
Nearly 22,000 completed IAEA courses in nuclear securityThe IAEA's In Young Suh (center) demonstrates nuclear security e-learning modules to participants of the International Conference on Nuclear Security. Photo: C. Mitchell/U.S. Oak Ridge National LaboratoryAn International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear security e-learning program is celebrating its 10 years of existence by marking a milestone with nearly 22,000 course completions by nuclear operators, regulators, policy professionals, academics, and students from 170 countriesThe IAEA launched the first nuclear security e-learning course, "Use of Radiation Detection Instruments for Front Line Officers," in 2010. Since then, the agency has developed a suite of 17 nuclear security e-learning courses, which are available online at no cost.The courses include:Overview of nuclear security threats and risksPhysical protectionInsider threat and informationComputer securityOther areas of nuclear securityThe online courses combine self-paced e-learning with virtual and face-to-face classroom learning. They are frequently prerequisites to instructor-led and classroom-based nuclear security education, training, and capacity building activities, according to the IAEA.Go to Article
COVID-19 wake-up call: Doomsday Clock remains at 100 seconds to midnightBulletin members reveal the 2021 setting of the Doomsday Clock. Photo: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists/Thomas GaulkinCiting the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board kept the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight, remaining as near to midnight as it has ever been.“The mishandling of this grave global health crisis is a ‘wake-up call’ that governments, institutions, and a misled public remain unprepared to handle the even greater threats posed by nuclear war and climate change,” a press release from the Bulletin stated. The group also cited a lack of progress in 2020 in dealing with nuclear and climate perils as the reason for not moving the Doomsday Clock from its 2020 position.Go to Article
Renewable technologies can’t escape the issue of waste managementA recent article from Deseret News looks at the stark reality of hazardous waste piling up from the green energy revolution. The lengthy article, "The dark side of ‘green energy’ and its threat to the nation’s environment," was written by News reporter Amy Joi O’Donoghue and is based on an Environmental Protection Agency briefing from the Trump administration. The briefing, issued in January, outlines the difficulties the United States will face in recycling and safely disposing of the materials used for green energy technologies.Green energy’s looming waste problem: While the current fervor around the globe is to decarbonize as quickly as possible using wind and solar, the energy industry has yet to fully tackle the long-term waste stream for these systems. Many supporters think that renewable energy equals no waste, when in reality all energy-producing technologies produce waste that should be managed responsibly. That includes solar panels and wind turbines, which have their own environmental hazards such as toxic metals, oil, fiberglass, and other materials. Andrew Wheeler, EPA administrator at the time, said, “Without a strategy for their end-of-life management, so-called green technologies like solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and windmills will ultimately place [an] unintended burden on our planet and economy.”Go to Article