Providing guidance to those assessing a planned nuclear energy system (or a nuclear reactor), this publication provides detail on how to apply the INPRO methodology for sustainability assessment in the area of safety of nuclear reactors. It augments the information presented in the earlier INPRO publications on the methodology for sustainability assessments. The INPRO assessment is expected either to confirm the fulfilment of all INPRO methodology criteria in the area of reactor safety, or to identify which criteria are not fulfilled and the corrective actions that would be necessary to fulfil them. The publication is intended for use by organizations involved in the development and deployment of a nuclear energy system, including planning, design, modification and technical support for nuclear power plants.

This publication presents the latest update to the INPRO methodology for Nuclear Energy Systems sustainability assessment in the area of waste management and reflects detailed discussions held at an IAEA technical meeting. Waste generated by nuclear energy systems and considered in this publication includes all classes and categories of waste from nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel cycle facilities over the course of normal operations and anticipated operational occurrences. It is anticipated that the information presented in this and other INPRO publications, for example IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NG-T-3.12, will assist in the identification of areas for improvement in nuclear energy systems.

The analysis of operating experience of regulated facilities and activities has traditionally been considered as an important source of knowledge for improving the regulatory process. Regulatory bodies are continuously exposed to learning possibilities from multiple sources of experience, such as from the implementation of regulatory functions, regulatory research, and work carried out by international committees and working groups. Taking advantage of all these learning possibilities is beneficial for further enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the regulatory process and this publication was developed to assist in this activity. It presents information about existing practices in regulatory bodies for managing regulatory experience and, through a series of experts’ meetings an assessment of that information is presented to identify possible measures that might help regulatory bodies enhance their current practices where necessary.

This publication is the outcome of an IAEA coordinated research project (CRP) on understanding and prediction of thermohydraulic phenomena relevant to supercritical water cooled reactors (SCWRs). The publication illustrates the state of the art of SCWR research and development. It is a key supporting publication for researchers and engineers pursuing the development of SCWRs or equipment/components operating at supercritical pressures. Scientific investigators from participating institutes identified specific research objectives to improve the predictive capability of key technology areas (such as heat transfer and pressure drop for SCWR fuel related geometries, parallel channel stability boundary, natural circulation flow, critical heat flux at near critical pressures, critical flow, and subchannel and plenum mixing). The publication presents the background and objectives and descriptions of the revised Canadian SCWR design concept and a new SCWR design concept being developed at the Nuclear Power Institute of China. It also presents updated information on key areas of technology, such as supercritical heat transfer in simple geometries, stability and critical flow, which have been obtained since the completion of the previous CRP. New experiments and data on supercritical heat transfer in bundles and on critical heat flux, and the application of direct numerical simulation approach for supercritical heat transfer are also detailed.

This publication represents a general consensus among participating experts of the best common practices that can be used at nuclear power plants (NPPs) in reload design and core management. It outlines the main issues to be considered when developing and improving reload design and core management and presents lessons learned, as well as detailing challenges which may be encountered. Guidance provided here also covers best practice for different reload strategies and how to optimize reactor reload design and core management during the lifetime of a NPP. The publication reflects the advice of experts with experience of reactors of various types on how the operating organization may achieve its goals.

This publication presents the performance and possibilities of radiotracer methodologies and technologies applied for monitoring and measuring the wear and corrosion, with focus on the thin layer activation (TLA) method. Different aspects of the method are discussed, and typical case studies are presented. Wear and corrosion substantially limit the endurance and reliability performance of nearly all machines, industrial equipment, transportation systems, power plants and their components. Consequently, the development of effective methods of detection, measurement and monitoring of such processes is of great importance. Appropriate methods of monitoring can prevent accidents and also economic losses due to unforeseen breakdown of machinery. When the surfaces are not accessible or are concealed by overlaying structures, nuclear methods such as charged particle and neutron activations, become the most powerful tool for measurement and monitoring of wear and corrosion. Gamma-radiation passes through the materials and even low activities can be detected with high sensitivity and precision. In the case of TLA, only the surface layers in the micrometre range (the part subject to wear or corrosion) are activated.The information provided in this publication will be a useful source for radiation and radioisotope technologists in promoting these technologies to end users.

This publication provides an overview of the latest experiences of Member States in implementing safety improvements at existing nuclear power plants. It describes in detail many of the modifications and, more generally, Member States' strategies for identifying and implementing safety improvements at their facilities. The publication aims to support practitioners in the continuous evaluation of nuclear safety at nuclear power plants. Within this publication the reader can explore a variety of technical approaches taken in retrospective assessment of safety at existing nuclear power plants and implementing safety improvements through various processes.

Since its establishment in the 1990s, nuclear forensics has developed from a nascent field focused on developing scientific methods to a mature one with national strategies concerned with implementing nuclear forensics science to meet nuclear security responsibilities. Although significant progress has been made, challenges exist when developing comprehensive national programmes. To help address those challenges, the IAEA organized a technical meeting, which provided a forum for nuclear forensics experts and stakeholders from Member States to highlight the role of nuclear forensics in the context of nuclear security, share good practices, and discuss the transition of nuclear forensics from science to practical implementation. This publication summarizes the outcomes and findings of the technical meeting but also reviews the broader themes with a focus on the consistent implementation of nuclear forensics globally.

This publication is the outcome of an IAEA meeting that provided a forum for senior regulators to share their experience and disseminate knowledge on how safety performance can be improved through effective leadership and management for safety and safety culture. The publication provides practical information for regulatory bodies on promoting and assessing safety culture within their own organizations and providing regulatory oversight of licensees' safety culture activities. Practices from Member States are summarized and common challenges faced by regulatory bodies in implementing these practices are described.

As the ion therapy treatment modality develops, knowledge of ion radiotherapy is growing and is being exchanged within the radiotherapy community. This community includes regulatory bodies, radiotherapy professionals, standards organizations, equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The exchange has contributed to the establishment of good practices to ensure the safety of ion therapy treatment facilities worldwide. The best international practices related to the regulatory control of radiotherapy facilities using ion accelerators have been summarized in this publication. It also provides information on facility authorization and inspection, as well as technical safety aspects that are typical and significant for ion accelerators. Although addressed mainly to regulatory bodies for radiation safety control, the publication can also be used by equipment vendors and organizations operating or planning to construct such facilities.

This publication presents a set of training standards and conditions, based on the internationally accepted systematic approach to training methodology, which can be used by any nuclear facility to objectively evaluate the quality of its training, learning and development infrastructure, processes and programmes. It provides informaiton on options for peer review processes, including IAEA assistance, and on creating independent validation bodies, although the main focus is the self-assessment methodology, as this is key to self-awareness and improvement. The use of the systematic approach to training offers significant advantages over more conventional, curricula-driven training in terms of consistency, efficiency and management control, leading to greater reliability of training results and enhanced safety and efficiency of the plant.