The suitable design and quality of systems, structures, and components important to safety is vital for the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. The IAEA has developed this publication to provide information on approaches to evaluating the suitability of commercial grade items for use in nuclear power plant safety systems. Nuclear power plants in long-term operation have greatly benefited from the use of commercial-grade products, while the near-term deployment of advanced reactor designs, including small modular reactors, is expected to leverage such products to a large extent. The intended audience ranges from nuclear power plant senior management to experts procuring and controlling products and services vital for safety.

The development and qualification of advanced cladding materials (including advanced zirconium cladding alloys, advanced steels, silicon carbide composite) and fuel materials (such as doped uranium dioxide, high density fuels) have made significant progress in the last decade, since the initiation of various national research and development and industry projects launched after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Written for operators and regulators of nuclear power plants and those involved in the development and qualification of advanced fuels, the aim of this publication is to review the status of development, qualification and licensing of some advanced fuel technologies for Water Cooled Reactors (WCRs); and to consider the applicability of the current IAEA Safety Requirements and Safety Guides in addressing the safety of advanced fuels in design and operation, identifying specific aspects that might evolve into recommendations in the future. The objective is primarily to identify and collect the status of knowledge in Member States on the applicability to advanced fuels of regulatory requirements, acceptance criteria and regulatory guidance documents that have been developed for the licensing of current nuclear fuel systems. It also aims to review the status of development, qualification, and licensing of some advanced fuel technologies for WCRs, with a focus on evolutionary as well as revolutionary technologies.

The use of decontamination methods and techniques are complex, and an integrated assessment of technical performance, environmental factors, and costs is necessary for selection where large decontamination projects in the Nuclear Industry requires a combination of processes. This publication focusses on decision making in the planning of nuclear and radiological decontamination projects and provides guidance on the selection of the most appropriate approach. It includes consideration of relevant factors and how individual factors are weighed, merged and combined leading to an integrated decision on the preferred approach. The publication is expected to be of use to all those involved in the planning of a decontamination project.

In response to an increase in global activities related to non-water-cooled reactors and small modular reactors, this new Safety Report documenting areas of novelty of these technologies when compared to the current fleet of reactors has been developed. The impact of these areas of novelty on the applicability and completeness of the IAEA safety standards is assessed in the publication. Gaps and areas for additional consideration are identified. The review undertaken to develop this report encompassed the safety standards related to the lifetime of these reactor technologies. The publication also considers the interface between safety, security, and safeguards in the design of these technologies.

This technical document represents a comprehensive evaluation of publicly available information on front-end uranic inventories, while considering the approach of end users towards the reliability of their once-through supply chain. Country/regional detail is provided for Africa and the Middle East; Eurasia; Europe; North America; South America; South and East Asia. This approach, rather than simply a global view, better reflects the realities of local market supply and demand conditions in 2021 for nuclear fuel. The research can therefore help inform strategies for the assurance of nuclear fuel supply for the safe and secure operation of nuclear power plants. The publication is intended for all IAEA Member States with nuclear power, and IAEA Member States that are considering the development of nuclear power and are interested in security and assurance of nuclear fuel supply.

The IAEA facilitated the co-operation on research and development, including the development and validation of computer codes for design and safety analysis of NPPs, to bring together the experts from the Member States with water cooled reactor technologies experienced in developing and using the severe accident codes to further advance the state-of-knowledge on uncertainty propagation in severe accident simulation and modelling analyses, as well as increase the sophistication and competency of the practitioners in this field. This publication is one out of five in the TECDOC Series addressing specific reactor lines and it provides descriptions by contributing institutions of their utilized uncertainty and sensitivity methods for severe accidents analysis in large Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and in Integral PWR-type Small Modular Reactors. This publication is intended for nuclear engineers, vendors, researchers, code developers, university professors and university students, regulatory experts, and nuclear power plant designers and planners.

Written to assist individuals in academia and industry and in relevant regulatory and policy roles, this publication provides a summary of the current knowledge on the status of research, technological developments, reactor designs and experiments in the area of advanced reactors that are fuelled or cooled by a molten salt. Identification of challenges and areas where research and development are still required in preparation for commercial deployment gives context to current and planned work. The aim of this publication is to share information on programmes and projects on molten salt reactors in Member States which will shape future collaborative efforts.

This publication examines the potential of nuclear power to support decarbonised, climate resilient energy systems. Nuclear energy can facilitate the integration of high shares of renewables and support long term energy security. The climate resilience of the global nuclear fleet makes it an excellent complement to other low carbon energy sources, as climate risks increase. Ensuring climate resilience of energy systems will require actions to mitigate the impact of climate change — deploying climate resilient energy technologies to act as a stabilizing mechanism — and adaptation measures like technological improvements to support operations in a climate volatile future. This publication examines the potential of nuclear power to support decarbonised, climate resilient energy systems.

This publication addresses the contribution of nuclear energy in global climate change mitigation pathways as put forth by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency. Global mitigation scenario pathways from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report and the International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook highlight an important role for nuclear energy, in combination with other low carbon energy sources, in transition pathways compatible with the 1.5 and 2°C goals of the Paris Agreement. Most low carbon pathways project a doubling or more of global nuclear electricity generation by 2050. However, beyond electricity, the mitigation potential of nuclear energy in non-electric applications, such as the use of nuclear heat and hydrogen to decarbonize hard-to-abate activities in heavy industry and transportation, may not yet be fully reflected in current scenario pathways. This identifies an opportunity to enhance future scenario analyses to better support effective climate policy action.

The decision to establish a nuclear power programme is a significant undertaking by any country. Such a decision should be based on a commitment by the government to use nuclear power safely, securely and peacefully. This commitment requires establishing a sustainable national infrastructure including robust safeguards infrastructure supporting the functions of the State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material (SSAC). The IAEA has developed the Milestones Approach to help Member States embarking on nuclear power to plan and develop the necessary infrastructure in a phased way. Safeguards is one of the 19 infrastructure issues described in the Milestones Approach. The primary objective of this publication is to provide guidance and references for safeguards related activities that need to be carried out during each of the three phases of nuclear power infrastructure development in line with the nuclear power programme implementation. This publication includes several case studies from different countries on how they developed their national safeguards infrastructure to meet the requirements of their nuclear power programmes.