Interested contributors have until November 23 to submit an abstract to present at the IAEA International Conference on Topical Issues in Nuclear Installation Safety – Safety Demonstration of Advanced Water Cooled Nuclear Power Plants, to be held in Vienna, Austria, from 6 to 9 June 2017.
"A nuclear accident anywhere, is a nuclear accident everywhere! Consequently, to present and discuss the latest thinking on how to significantly enhance and demonstrate nuclear safety for both new and existing nuclear power plants is of utmost importance," said Cornelia Spitzer, Head of the Safety Assessment Section at the IAEA.
Safety assessment of advanced reactor designs, design safety principles, licensing of advanced reactor designs and safety reinforcement of existing installations are the four topical issues that will be discussed.
Industry professionals, scholars, senior regulators and plant operators will exchange information on the latest approaches, advances and challenges in the demonstration of the safety of nuclear power plants that are planned to be licensed and constructed in the near future, in particular those using water cooled reactors.
Participants will also discuss safety topics for existing installations, as well as for small and medium-sized or modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs are receiving increasing interest in many Member States, including those introducing nuclear power for the first time, above all for niche but important energy markets where large reactors would not be viable. "The conference represents a great opportunity to discuss the specific safety features and licensing issues of these advanced reactors," said Stefano Monti, Head of the Nuclear Power Technology Development Section at the IAEA.
Through the interchange of experiences from different countries, the conference is expected to provide substantial benefits to a broad range of stakeholder organizations in Member States, Spitzer said. "It will contribute to the harmonization of approaches and methods applied for the safety demonstration of nuclear power plants worldwide."
The conference will comprise of a mix of plenary sessions, keynote statements, presentations and poster sessions on technical and scientific papers. Find out more about the conference and submission details.
"Following the recent publication of Revision 1 to the IAEA Design Safety Requirements SSR-2/1 and the adoption of the Vienna Declaration there needs to be a discussion about implementation of these new safety concepts and this conference will provide such a forum," said Petteri Tiippana, Director General at Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.
The conference is expected to provide recommendations for future IAEA activities in the areas of nuclear installation safety and for strengthening international cooperation in particular. The conference is one of the series of international conferences on nuclear safety the IAEA has hosted since 1998.
