Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.8 - Decommissioning technologies advancements during last decade
Nuclear decommissioning process is often explained by staging into 5 processes, characterization, decontamination, dismantling, waste management, and site restoration. These stages are applicable to all types of nuclear installations, though specific priorities and issues may vary depending on the facility, such as post-accidental and legacy facilities, as well as nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Advanced technologies and techniques are crucial for decommissioning different types of facilities. For instance, remotely operating in-situ characterization, advanced simulation and visualization of radiation source and dose mapping, and other emerging technologies are being developed to address specific challenges.
Recent advancements in modern and sophisticated robotics systems have also been helpful in nuclear decommissioning projects. Innovative technologies such as digital technology, robotics, drones, simulations, digital twins, and the extended reality, are being used to improve conventional applications. Over the years a significant number of nuclear decommissioning projects have been completed successfully with the help of technological advancements.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.7 - Developing Waste Acceptance Criteria for all stages of the waste lifecycle
To ensure safety, radioactive waste management has to be carried out in a regulated manner, aligning with nationally and internationally agreed-upon principles and standards. To achieve this, organizational and administrative arrangements must be in place, clearly defining the competencies and responsibilities of the responsible institutions involved. Radioactive waste management encompasses all administrative and operational activities related to the generation, pre-treatment, treatment, conditioning, transportation, storage, and disposal of various types of waste.
Often, different organizations perform various steps in the radioactive waste management process. Consequently, as the waste transitions from one organization to the next, the responsibility for safety, liability, and associated risks also shifts. Such multi-party arrangements require meticulous attention to interfaces. In the context of radioactive waste management, this involves the development and documentation of waste acceptance criteria (WAC) as the principal means of ensuring clear interfaces. WAC aims to guarantee that activities performed in one waste management step (e.g., waste conditioning) do not hinder any anticipated and necessary activities in subsequent waste management steps, such as waste storage or disposal. The key entities in radioactive waste management include the waste generator, the predisposal operator, the disposal operator, and the regulatory body; the interfaces between these entities are facilitated through the use of WAC.
This webinar will discuss the key elements in developing WAC, challenges in implementing them, as well as practical approaches in applying WAC in both predisposal and disposal phases.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.6 - Leadership in Decommissioning &Environmental Remediation
Decommissioning and environmental remediation are activities that require a range of competencies and skills associated with managing often highly complex tasks while ensuring participative and transformative processes. Leadership will be an essential component to ensure the existence of commitment, skills and the ability to make necessary changes happen.
Attributes that can be assigned to an effective leadership will include, but not limited to, having a clear vision about intended outcomes; provide for effective communication and engagement of the relevant partners; empowering people and organisations; creating short-term wins by outlining early objectives and outcomes that are easy to achieve; encourage determination and persistence; and make changes whenever needed.
The purpose of this webinar is to share experiences that illustrate how leadership can contribute to the implementation of successful decommissioning and environmental remediation projects by promoting and supporting commitment of a wide range of partners, bringing together the necessary skills and creating a working environment that can make action or change happen when necessary.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.5 - Using the BRIDE Decision Support Tool to find the Right Solution for Fissile Material Disposition
Research reactors are used by Member States for medical isotope production, education, research and development, materials testing, and other beneficial purposes. A key challenge associated with operation of research reactors is the management of the spent fuel and fissile residuals, particularly the associated infrastructure and costs of disposition. As states move forward in determining the best option for management and disposition of these materials, there are also many non-economic factors to consider, such as environmental impact, availability of human resources, legal and regulatory readiness, and political and public support.
The IAEA has developed a facilitated workshop that utilizes a Back-end Research reactor Integrated Decision-making Evaluation (BRIDE) tool to aid member states in determining the best approach to management of these materials for their situation. Using a team of experts and stakeholders, the workshop is designed to sort the many options, including assessment of both economic and non-economic factors, and result in a consensus recommendation on the best approach for that Member State to deal with their spent fuel and fissile materials. This recommendation can then be used to aid countries in their decision-making processes. This webinar will discuss the issues associated with the decision-making process and illustrate how the workshop can aid Member States in determining the best approach.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.4 - Sustainability and Circularity in the context of Environmental
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.4 - Sustainability and Circularity in the context of Environmental
At many sites, environmental remediation involves intensive, large-scale industrial activities that may extend over decades. While multiple factors can impact the adopted remediation approaches and consequently the resulting end state of a site, stakeholders, including regulators, practitioners, scholars, and the general public, argue that emphasis must be placed on remediation solutions that:
(1) Optimize the balance between the different sustainability dimensions i.e. the related environmental, economic, and social outcomes;
(2) Integrate observed and predicted effects of climate change to ensure resiliency into the future and
(3) Apply Circularity Principles to remediation projects.
The REMPLEX Global Summit organised by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL-USA) in cooperation with the IAEA had a Technical Session entitled “Ensuring Sustainability and Resiliency of Remediation Projects”. This session explored the many facets of sustainability, circularity and resiliency. Aspects such as stakeholder goals for future use of a site, resource conservation, carbon footprint reduction, cost containment, and vulnerability to climate-driven changes were addressed.
The presentations and discussion provided an overview of contrasting perspectives of stakeholders considering their diverse roles, fields of practice, and/or disciplines. The Session highlighted topics such as modelling approaches, decision-making frameworks and tools, implementation strategies, and climate vulnerability assessments. Focus was given to complex nuclear sites that entertain both demolition/decontamination/dismantling of installations, environmental remediation and waste management.
This webinar is intended to share the main findings of the above mentioned event and contribute to broaden the understanding of members within the international community regarding key aspects associated with the decision-making in the realm of sustainability, circularity, and resiliency concerning decommissioning and environmental remediation projects.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.3 - Safeguards Considerations in Radioactive Waste Management Planning
As states move to implement safe, sustainable, and secure radioactive waste management they must meet many requirements. One of the requirements that needs to be considered are the safeguards obligations on those wastes if they contain nuclear materials. These obligations can be more restrictive than even waste acceptance criteria and it is recommenced for the concepts underpinning them to be planned for as early as feasible in the waste management process. This incorporation allows States to make informed planning decisions regarding their radioactive waste management programme. This webinar gives an overview of safeguards in general and the concept of Safeguards by Design (SBD), information relating specifically to the interactions of waste and safeguards obligations including concepts relating to the termination of safeguards on conditioned waste forms, and an overview of available training and assistance available for Member States.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.2 - Nuclear Fuel Cycle Scenario Simulation
The simulation tools for estimating fuel cycle quantities in the front and back ends of the nuclear fuel cycle are important for policy makers and researchers to study the wholesome impact of a nuclear power programme in their country. IAEA’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulation System (NFCSS) tool is the only publicly available free of charge simulation tool for carrying out scenario analyses since 2005.
Recently, this simulation tool has been upgraded for improved user experience and added features. It is being expanded to include a new set of modules for Gen-IV reactor fuel cycles.
Focusing on the experience in nuclear fuel cycle scenario simulation studies, this Webinar is the 30th in the series of the IAEA Back End Wednesday Webinars. The invited international experts discuss the capabilities of different simulation codes including IAEA’s NFCSS and present current studies on FC simulation for Gen-IV reactor systems, multi-recycling and waste minimization.
Nuclear Back End Webinar Series 4.1 - Roadmap for Implementing a Deep Geological Repository Programme
Implementing a Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for radioactive waste is a central enabler of sustainable nuclear power generation and the associated fuel cycle activities.
The IAEA developed a generic Roadmap towards implementing a DGR based on practices and experiences in a range of national DGR programmes. This Roadmap describes the main phases of a national DGR programme, presents the main groups of activities and introduces a corresponding, generic suite of deliverables needed to progress the programme to the next phase. In this event, we will hear about the experiences from national programmes at different stages in the Roadmap and from IAEA technical staff on key concepts.