This publication presents the structure and assumptions supporting the EMPOWER tool and provides a practical guide on using EMPOWER for analysing the macroeconomic impacts associated with nuclear projects and programmes. EMPOWER stands for Extended Input-Output Model for Sustainable Power Generation. The IAEA developed this tool involving research teams from its Member States, particularly in the context of a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on "assessing national and regional economic effects of nuclear programs". EMPOWER belongs to the class of input-output models, commonly used to evaluate the impact of investments in large infrastructure projects, which offer the ability to analyse the effects of exogenous shocks in a relatively simple way. This type of model describes the interdependencies between the different sectors of the economy through an input-output table and several feedback mechanisms. This report is intended for macroeconomic analysts, energy planners and decision-makers exploring ways to inform energy policies and strategies at the governmental level as well as at ministries leading or contributing to energy planning studies.

The objective of this TECDOC is to support the guidance given in SSG-9 (Rev. 1), by providing the state-of-the-practice and detailed technical elements related to the evaluation of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) on the basis of observational data. This publication defines the methodology and provides practical guidance for evaluating the elementary and integral steps of PSHA, with the help of examples from case studies and describes the type of observational data that may be used in the evaluation. This publication also discusses the ways of using the evaluation results to check the center, body and range of the epistemic uncertainties to encourage PSHA developers to update or reconsider unrealistic assumptions or combination of unrealistic branches in the logic tree. The technical information and practical guidance provided here will be valuable to nuclear power plant operators, regulatory bodies, vendors, technical support organizations and researchers working in the field of seismic hazard assessment for nuclear installations.

This publication introduces the Holistic Approach to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) Management as being developed in the scope of the Environet NORM Project. This publication also presents an analysis of how this framework can be systematically applied to scope the way in which a given country can deal with management of NORM residues within a circular economy transition. This publication is intended for policy makers, governmental organizations, industries related to NORM, regulators, consultants in the area of NORM and members of academia.

The objective of this publication is to identify challenges and opportunities related to the work management process (WMP) that nuclear power plant (NPP) owner/ operating organizations are facing, to share best practices for addressing those challenges and to discuss considerations for effective WMP. It aims to assist leaders and managers in those organizations to improve effectiveness of the WMP and to sustain operational excellence.

The objective of this report is to provide an overview of frameworks, approaches and tools currently used in the scope of decision-making regarding environmental remediation projects. This publication also aims to identify gaps in existing knowledge and tools and make available an analysis of ways to improve the mechanisms that are currently used in decision-making in the scope of environmental remediation projects. This publication is intended for policymakers, governmental organisations, industries related to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), regulators, consultants in the area of NORM and academia.

To support Member States in elaborating integrated strategies to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the IAEA has developed the CLEW (climate, land, energy and water) framework, in cooperation with other UN organizations and scientific experts. The objective of this publication is to provide guidance on the application of the CLEW framework, which integrates quantitative tools for climate, land, energy and water modelling and facilitates collaboration between experts and policymakers in these domains. The publication is intended to serve as a reference for practitioners in Member States, international organizations, and NGOs seeking to apply integrated assessment approaches and methodologies to develop coherent sustainable and climate resilient energy, water and land use strategies.

Atmospheric methane is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. The present atmospheric burden of methane is unprecedented in the last 800,000 years and has almost tripled since the onset of the industrial revolution. Arising from an interregional technical cooperation project aiming to assist countries in building capacity in stable isotopes analysis of atmospheric greenhouse gases and accurately determine their source, this publication provides high-level guidance to laboratories that are new to the use of optical instruments to measure methane and its stable carbon isotope ratios. The publication covers analytical infrastructure, sampling strategies, as well as techniques for measurement, calibration, data processing analysis and interpretation. Further emphasis is on technical solutions that ensure that observations are accurate and comparable, as well as on sustainable data management techniques, and quality control procedures, to maximize the impact of newly generated data.

This publication provides detailed information on recent technical advancements and operational procedures achieved through the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on “Use of Long-Lived Radionuclides for Dating Very Old Groundwater”. It covers field portable membrane gas extraction devices for sampling dissolved gases from groundwater aquifers, as well as a custom-built krypton purification system for purifying krypton from field-collected bulk gas samples. Additionally, the publication offers guidelines for selecting appropriate groundwater wells and sampling tools, as well as recommendations for proper sample handling and transportation. These guidelines are essential to ensure smooth field sampling, which is vital for accurate isotope analysis and data interpretation. This publication is primarily aimed at professionals in hydrology and environmental science, including researchers and practitioners in isotope hydrology. It is also a valuable resource for groundwater resource managers and policy makers who oversee water sustainability initiatives as well as academic institutions and research labs specializing in earth sciences. It can also benefit government bodies and international organizations focused on environmental policy and water resource management.

The IAEA facilitated the co-operation of research and development among its Member States on advancing the state-of-practice in uncertainty and sensitivity methodologies for severe accident analysis in water cooled reactors. The main objective was to consolidate the existing knowledge related to uncertainty propagation in severe accident analyses in boiling water reactors (BWRs), and to enhance the expertise of practitioners in this specialized field. This publication showcases contributions from eight institutions from seven Member States, detailing their utilized methods for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in severe accidents for BWR designs.

This publication explores the variety of contracting and ownership approaches for a nuclear power plant, illustrated with recent case studies, to assist Member States in understanding the range of options available and the associated benefits and challenges of each approach. Regardless of the approach adopted, the requirements for the safe, secure and peaceful operation of a nuclear power plant remain the same. The challenge is to make sure that these requirements are adequately considered and addressed in Member State nuclear power programmes. This publication is a revision of IAEA-TECDOC-1750, Alternative Contracting and Ownership Approaches for New Nuclear Power Plants, published in 2014, which examined build–own–operate and build–own–operate–transfer models as well as regional approaches in relation to contracting and ownership.

Nuclear fuel cycle facilities (NFCFs) have played a major role in the development and application of nuclear technologies in various fields, including nuclear power and nuclear science and technologies for over seven decades. Approximately 70% of the operating NFCFs in the world are more than 30 years old, thus it is important that life management programmes are established and implemented. This publication provides practical information on factors affecting ageing and their consequences, and mitigating action required for nuclear fuel cycle facilities in the operational stage including modernization and refurbishing. It also provides the considerations for long term operation of a nuclear fuel cycle facility. The information in this publication will be useful to the operating organizations, regulatory bodies and other organizations involved in the design, construction, operation and management of nuclear fuel cycle facilities’ safety.

This publication provides practical information on establishing and implementing regulatory inspection programmes for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities (NFCFs). It covers the regulatory inspection process, the elements of a systematic regulatory inspection programme, and the interface of regulatory inspections with other functions and processes of the regulatory body. This publication is useful for regulatory bodies and their technical support organizations dealing with the regulatory inspection of NFCFs. The publication could also be useful for operating organizations in preparation for regulatory inspection, and for management review of the safety of NFCFs.