IAEA introduces tool to aid nuclear energy system planning

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently announced a new tool to help national authorities develop plans for creating sustainable nuclear power systems.

A nuclear energy system includes all nuclear facilities from mining uranium to electricity generation to radioactive waste management as well as the related institutional framework, both legal and regulatory.

Sustainability refers to the ability to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” according to the United Nations.

The tool can help nations identify how they can benefit from nuclear technology and infrastructure innovations, both nationally and through cooperation with other countries.

IAEA and experts from 16 countries developed the tool over the past four years and finalized the results of the project, Roadmaps for a transition to globally sustainable nuclear energy systems (ROADMAPS), last month.

“Undertaking roadmapping for a national nuclear energy system facilitates finding answers to several key questions,” project lead Vladimir Kuznetsov, of IAEA’s International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors (INPRO) Section, said. “The major one is how to get from the present system to a future national nuclear energy system with enhanced sustainability, and to do that efficiently – without excessive investments in national infrastructure.”

Five countries – Armenia, Belarus, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine – utilized the ROADMAPS tool on a trial basis and developed examples of national plans.

IAEA will publish the final project report, make the roadmapping tool available to Member States and provide training regarding its application.