This publication is based on results obtained in the participating Member States during an IAEA coordinated research project (CRP) on spent fuel and storage system performance. It provides an overview of the technical issues related to wet and dry storage of spent fuel and summarizes the objectives and major findings of the research carried out within the framework of the CRP. The experience and insights provided by the participants are expected to assist readers in identifying challenges in implementing long term storage and promote understanding of the current status of spent fuel performance research.

This publication was developed in view of the growing interest from Member States in subcritical assemblies (SCAs). It supplements the IAEA safety standards by providing practical information on safety in the design and operation of SCAs. It also provides information on and examples of utilizing SCAs for various types of research and training experiments.

The compatibility of structural materials, such as steels with lead and lead-bismuth eutectic, poses a critical challenge in the development of heavy liquid metal (HLM) cooled fast reactors. Factors such as the high temperatures, fast neutron flux and irradiation exposure and corrosiveness provide a severe environment for the materials in these advanced reactor systems. The compatibility of liquid coolant with structural materials is critical for the development of innovative nuclear energy systems. To understand the current status of the research and development in this area as well as to provide a forum to exchange information on structural materials for HLM cooled reactors at the national and international levels, the IAEA organized a technical meeting. This resulted in the current publication which presents the summaries of the technical and the group sessions, conclusions and recommendations, and the papers presented at the event.

This publication, which presents the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project on financing nuclear power plants, contributes to the understanding of the specific challenges posed. Based on the experience of those Member States recently involved in financing nuclear projects, the publication identifies the lessons which could be drawn relating to the sources of financing, the nature of the financing process and the barriers to financing nuclear projects.

In the world market of power-producing nuclear reactors, there is growing interest in small and medium sized or modular reactors (SMRs). These can be assembled in-factory, transported by ship or train, installed on site and connected to the electricity grid in a short time, significantly reducing the financial burden of the investment. This publication, which is the outcome of a technical meeting, presents a detailed overview of the different concepts of fast SMRs and highlights the technological, economic and safety potential of these reactors and the associated innovative systems. Although it is mainly focused on innovative reactor solutions aimed to increase safety and simplicity of design, the parameters that contribute to the final cost of the plant are also considered.

The use of simulators for the training and qualification of nuclear power plant (NPP) control room operating personnel has become a standard practice throughout the world to develop and reinforce knowledge of plant systems and their relationships. It is an approach to increase the ability to apply plant procedures, to advance practical skills in operating the plant in normal, abnormal and emergency conditions, and to build supervisory skills and teamwork. Simulators are also utilized to conduct the authorization or licensing examinations of control room operating personnel, and there is an increasing trend in the use of simulators for non-training purposes. This publication provides Member States with comprehensive guidance on NPP operator training and describes the use of simulators in training and qualification programmes for the personnel. Current trends in the use of simulators in training programmes, as well as approaches to maintaining and upgrading simulators, are also presented.

The importance of recycling the spent nuclear fuel through partitioning processes has been recognized worldwide for increasing and sustaining nuclear energy. Therefore, the development of advanced partitioning processes, based either on hydrometallurgical or on pyrometallurgical technologies, has received an increasing interest in recent years. Moving towards industrial demonstration, partitioning processes are applied for the separation of actinides, including minor actinides, not only to reduce the burden of high level waste to be disposed of, in terms of heat-load and radiotoxicity, but also to improve the efficiency of the resources’ utilization. Furthermore, in the case of Molten Salt Reactors, whose fuel cycle is primary based on pyrochemical processes, there is a need for strengthening pyrometallurgical technologies. This publication reviews the status and trends in the development of pyrometallurgical processes and technologies for processing spent nuclear fuel and identifies gap areas requiring further development.

This publication presents the results of the INPRO collaborative project: Proliferation Resistance and Safeguardability Assessment (PROSA) Tools. The PROSA assessment process has been developed to specifically address the needs of national self-assessors performing an INPRO Nuclear Energy System Assessment of sustainability. The main objective of this project is to explore approaches to make the INPRO sustainability assessment of proliferation resistance simpler and easier to understand. In addition to lessons learned, the publication includes the results after applying the PROSA assessment to an illustrative case, demonstrating use of the refined methodology. The outcome of this project may also serve as a basis for a future revision of the INPRO methodology manual in the area of proliferation resistance.

This publication addresses relevant aspects of foreign material management for nuclear power plants, including the roles of all stakeholders at various stages during the lifetime of a nuclear power plant. The report shares knowledge on challenges, solutions and good practices based on operating experience. Providing a set of descriptive processes that integrate safety, performance and economic aspects of foreign material management, the publication supports efforts to eliminate or minimize foreign material related incidents, and to ensure reliable and efficient operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants.

Salt stress is the second most widespread soil problem after drought in arable crop production worldwide. Excess salt in soil adversely affects plant growth, development, and productivity when osmotic stress reduces water uptake by roots. This publication provides standard operating procedures for managing crop phenotyping in controlled/semi-controlled environments and natural field conditions. As a comprehensive reference, the publication will support IAEA Member States in the application of these procedures to increase the productivity of arable food crops to help withstand the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Rising operating costs and increased competition have focused attention on the need to improve thermal performance in nuclear power plants (NPPs), to ensure efficient electricity generation. Efforts to improve thermal performance require a broad understanding of NPP design, operation, maintenance, ambient conditions, and thermal sciences. This publication provides various methodologies for tracking and trending NPP thermal performance. It describes the essential elements of a thermal performance programme, providing guidelines on the design of the balance of the plant systems for new build NPPs and improvements to an existing programme for operating NPPs.

The IAEA Regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material specify test requirements for Type C packages, which are used for shipments of radioactive material by air. From 1998 to 2006, the IAEA conducted a coordinated research project (CRP) to assess aircraft accident frequency and severity in the context of Type C package test requirements. This publication presents the outcome of the original research conducted under the CRP. The results are expected to lead to increased knowledge of the post-crash survivability of packages containing high activity radioactive material.