In many countries, Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSA) form an integral part of the methods used to analyse the safety of nuclear power plants. Accordingly, a multitude of publications offers guidance on the use and development of PSA, e. g. those published by the International Atom Energy Agency or the Nuclear Energy Agency. 

Tihange 2 entered in so-called Post Operational Phase (POP), during which the licensee prepares notably its safe dismantling.

In the context of the energy transition, there is a progressive reduction in the electricity produced from fossil fuels. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the energy transition, an assessment of the sustainability performance was conducted in frame of ECOSENS project, comparatively, encompassing the key energy technologies driving this transition—namely, intermittent renewables (wind and solar), nuclear, hydropower, and natural gas.
 

NRA analyzed the results of the heating test on flame-retardant electrical cables made of thermoplastic (TP) and thermosetting (TS) materials (i.e., TP/TS hybrid cable), recently conducted by University of Tsukuba to improve the knowledge of the electrical insulation performance of cables under elevated temperature conditions caused by nearby fires.

In the past, the Czech State office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) and its TSO – National Radiation Protection Institute (SÚRO) have participated in European Commission projects under the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC), always as members of consortia led by other organisations involved in nuclear safety.

The International Conference on Enhancing Nuclear Safety and Security through Technical and Scientific Support Organizations (TSOs) was held at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna.

In many countries, the safety of the low and intermediate level waste disposal facilities relies mainly on engineered barriers. As in Europe near-surface disposal facilities are at different stages of implementation and few of them are in operation, one of the WPs of the European Partnership on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD-2), co-financed by the European Commission, focuses on a better understanding of the behaviour of engineered barriers of these facilities in view of their optimization.

This article shows an overview of the Country-Specific Safety Culture Forum Japan in 2024 and summarizes the major findings from having participated in it.

The Radiation Protection, Environmental Protection and Civil Protection Laboratory (LRPMPC) of RATEN ICN is member of IAEA Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) Network since 2005 and is participating annually in environmental radioactivity proficiency tests organized by the Network. Recently, the RATEN ICN LRPMPC infrastructure was modernized, and now includes laboratory spaces equipped with systems that allow staff to carry out their activities in optimal conditions.

Biofilm formation and the establishment of an aerobic environment on EDZ fractures in Deep Neogene Sedimentary Rock have been observed. This aerobic environment is suggested to be formed by microbial production of dark O2.

In order to refine the 3D finite element model, it is important to verify the correspondence to the seismic observation behaviors. In this study, we analyze the basic response characteristics, such as the natural frequencies and modes of the reactor building, and evaluate the effects of the amplitude of the seismic excitation on the response characteristics based on seismic observation records.

As it has been the case with its previous editions, ETSON and its member organizations will contribute extensively to the upcoming IAEA lnternational Conference on Enhancing Nuclear Safety and Security Through Technical and Scientific Support Organizations which will take in place at the Agency´s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from December 2 to 6 and is being organized jointly by the IAEA and ETSON.

The Chinese Shidaowan nuclear power plant recently made the headlines in Germany: According to a paper published in the scientific journal Joule, tests are said to have proven that a core meltdown accident in the world's first commercially operated pebble bed reactor has been ruled out and that it is therefore ‘inherently safe’. This article describes how this type of reactor works, what follows from the experiment, and what safety challenges may nevertheless arise.

SafeG Final Workshop took place on 11th of September 2024 in Bratislava and was attended by 43 participants (+ 10 remotely connected). The aim of this event was to present the key results and outcomes of our 4 years effort within the SafeG project to nuclear community and young generation of researchers.

The SELENE project, funded by the Italian Space Agency, aims at advancing both technical and programmatic aspects needed to bring to industrial maturity a nuclear reactor-centered energy hub for a lunar outpost.