Planning, Management and Conduct of Regulatory Safety Review and Assessment for Nuclear Power Plants
Safety Reports Series No. 125 ¦ English ¦ STI/PUB/2091 ¦ 51 pages ¦ Date published: 2025

Establishing a well-defined, well-organized and clear regulatory review and assessment process at each licensing step is key to achieving the highest level of safety throughout the lifetime of a nuclear power plant. Reflecting a project management approach adopted in many States, this publication provides practical guidance for the planning, management and conduct of the review and assessment by regulatory bodies of applications for authorization.

It is intended for the managers and staff of regulatory bodies of States, particularly those embarking on a nuclear power programme, who are involved in the regulatory review and assessment process.

Advances in Severe Accident Simulation and Modelling for Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors
IAEA-TECDOC-2077 ¦ English ¦ 198 pages ¦ Date published: 2024

This publication captures recent efforts in the development, improvement, validation, and application of severe accident codes for pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs), as well as related research and development. It summarises the information from the IAEA Technical Meeting on PHWR Severe Accident Simulation and Modelling that was held virtually on 20–23 September 2022.

The information is detailed in terms of the needs and application of severe accident simulation and modelling, regulatory aspects, updates in experimental programmes and in code development, specifically for PHWRs. The publication is intended for professionals from organizations designing, operating or providing services to PHWRs, regulatory bodies, and other technical support organizations involved in severe accident simulation and modelling of PHWRs.

Experimental Data Requirements for Fuel Performance Modelling
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency ¦ NEA/WKP(2024) ¦ 41 pages ¦ Published: December 2024

Under the guidance of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Nuclear Science Committee (NSC), the Working Party on Scientific Issues and Uncertainty Analysis of Reactor Systems (WPRS) studies the reactor physics, fuel performance, and radiation transport and shielding in present and future nuclear power systems.

The NEA WPRS Expert Group on Reactor Fuel Performance (EGRFP) performs specific tasks associated with fuel performance aspects of present and future nuclear power systems, with a focus on normal operating conditions. A key objective of the group is to help identify, evaluate and preserve experimental data necessary for developing separate-effect models and integral fuel rod codes and updating validation databases. In this context, the Expert Group monitors, steers and supports the International Fuel Performance Experiments (IFPE) data collection. This working paper on the experimental data requirements for fuel performance modelling was initiated and developed in service of the EGRFP’s stewardship of the IFPE.

Guidelines on Training Syllabi in Non-destructive Testing for Civil Engineering
Training Course Series No. 86 ¦ English ¦ 115 pages ¦ Date published: 2024

To ensure uniformity and harmonization in training related to non-destructive testing for civil engineering, this publication has been developed as a reference on training syllabi for methods and techniques used in civil structures inspection. It will not only be used as a guideline for IAEA experts in conducting training courses to provide consistency and uniformity in the training provided but will also serve as a reference for Member States in developing materials for training programmes for the competency of personnel in non-destructive testing for civil engineering.

This publication, as previous publications related to non-destructive testing published by the IAEA, will continue to play an important role in international harmonization of non-destructive testing training and certification.

Underground Research Laboratories (URLs) - 2024 Update
OECD ¦ NEA/RWM/R(2023)2 ¦ 55 pages ¦ Date published: December 2024

Since the publication, in 2001, of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) report describing the role of underground research laboratories (URLs) in nuclear waste disposal programmes and their value to build confidence in national programmes, significant progresses have been made in the development and use of URLs.

The present brochure provides an update, as of 2024, of the URL literature and the strategic outlook of NEA countries on URLs providing an easily accessible document for an audience of both specialists and non-specialists in radioactive waste disposal.

Analysis and Modelling of Severe Accidents for Liquid Metal Fast Reactors
IAEA-TECDOC-2079 ¦ English ¦ 310 pages ¦ Date published: 2025

In March 2023, the IAEA organized a Technical Meeting on the Safety Approach for Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Reactors [LMFRs] and the Analysis and Modelling of Severe Accidents. This publication summarizes the material that was presented during this meeting, related to the analysis and modelling of severe LMFR accidents. It covers knowledge on the physical phenomena and the development of models and numerical tools, and their validation through experimental data related to the progression of severe accidents.

This publication is intended for public and private sector organizations developing LMFRs, research facilities, organizations responsible for designing LMFRs, operators and contractors, including prospective operators, and regulatory bodies.

Unlocking the Hidden Value of Nuclear Fuel: The Societal Benefits of Diverse Material Recycling
OECD ¦ NEA No. 7674 ¦ 100 pages ¦ Published date: January 2025

Once irradiated or “spent” nuclear fuel is unloaded from a reactor it is usually stored at the reactor site for between five and ten years. It is then ready for long-term storage or for reprocessing if a closed or partially closed fuel cycle with recycling is being pursued. Beyond conventional reprocessing to reuse uranium and plutonium as new nuclear fuels, there are also opportunities to recycle other materials from nuclear fuels.

In the process, this recycling could address societal needs in industrial, medical and space applications. This publication explores how this might be done. It examines actinide elements, noble gases, platinum group metals, rare earth elements and zirconium. It emphasises the economic, environmental, and societal impacts, aligning with sustainability goals and the circular economy, offering a forwardthinking perspective for future nuclear energy strategies. It was produced by the NEA Expert Group in Fuel Recycling and Waste Technology (EGFRW) to reflect the changing landscape of nuclear fuel cycle chemistry.

Criticality Calculations in Random Geometries
OECD ¦ NEA No. 7678 ¦ 112 pages ¦ Published date: January 2025

Several applications of interest in nuclear criticality safety involve random media, which are media where the geometrical and/or material properties can only be described by assigning some probability of finding a given nuclide concentration at a given position within the system under consideration. Prominent examples of applications involving random media include the modelling of the random fragmentation of fuel elements following in-pile fuel degradation after partial core melt-down during severe accidents, with melting, re-solidification and relocation, as occurred in the Three Mile Island and Fukushima Daiichi accidents.

. In this context, the Nuclear Energy Agency Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety has decided to bring together specialists from several countries to investigate the impact of stochastic media on the calculation of key quantities in nuclear criticality safety, including effective multiplication factor, effective delayed neutron fraction and effective mean neutron generation time, for a simple, yet nontrivial benchmark configuration consisting of uranium oxide or mixed oxide fuel assemblies.

Life Cycle Management Approaches for Nuclear Facility Instrumentation and Control Systems
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series NR-T-1.23 ¦ English ¦ STI/PUB/2100 ¦ 118 pages ¦ Date published: 2025

The aim of the publication is to provide an overview on the current knowledge, up to date best practices, experiences, benefits and challenges related to the subject approaches on instrumentation and control (I&C) systems life cycle management. This includes the coordination of life cycle management methods applied to I&C systems and those applicable to any safety systems that they might interconnect or otherwise interface with.

The report is intended to be used by Member States to ensure that appropriate considerations are made to support the introduction of life cycle management approaches for all relevant stakeholders involved in the development of I&C for nuclear facilities and to discuss how these activities can support their safe, reliable and long-term operation. The publication is intended for all personnel involved in the design, development, verification and validation, manufacturing, licensing, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plant instrumentation and control systems and equipment.

Syllabus for the Training of Radiation Protection Officers: Industrial Radiography
Training Course Series No. 85 ¦ English ¦ 44 pages ¦ Date published: 2024

This publication has been developed to support training providers in Member States as they design, develop, implement and evaluate training courses for radiation protection officers designated to oversee the safety of industrial radiography sources.

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