Program

1.     Introduction to the Webinar, Reliable Nuclear Fuel Service Working Group Co-Chairs

2.     IAEA/INPRO,  “Enabling Flexibility in Spent Fuel Management Towards Advanced Fuel Cycles”

Mr. Christophe Xerri, Director, Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology Division, Nuclear Energy Department, International Atomic Energy Agency

While a lot of development is on-going to optimize the existing reactor technologies and bring to reality SMRs and Generation 4 reactors, it cannot be done without improving and developing associated fuel cycles and especially the spent fuel management. Operational experience of more than 60 years for wet solutions and more than 40 years for dry solutions has demonstrated the safety of spent fuel storage for long periods. Extended spent fuel storage could be considered as an opportunity to develop new technologies and move towards advanced fuel cycle strategies. This presentation provided a perspective on advanced fuel cycles, and introduce on-going IAEA work and the results of research performed on the feasibility of long term storage.

3. NEA Perspectives on the Advanced Fuel Cycle Issues

Dr. Tatiana Ivanova, Head of Division of Nuclear Science and Education, and

Ms. Rebecca Tadesse, Head of Radioactive Waste Management & Decommissioning Division, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).

In this presentation, the speakers jointly presented an overview of the scientific issues of advanced fuel cycles and the essentials for implementing a sustainable nuclear energy infrastructure.

4.     Germany, “The German Way of Nuclear Waste Management"

Dr. Silvia Stumpf, Project Management Agency/KIT p.p. BMWi

With the decision to phase out nuclear power generation, the framework conditions for nuclear research in Germany have changed fundamentally. The presentation provided an overview of the responsibilities, the research structure and the importance of international relations in the context of nuclear safety research.

5. Russia, “The Closed Fuel Cycle as a Way to Securing a Green Nuclear Power System”

Mr. Viacheslov Pershukov,  Special Representative of “ROSATOM” in International R&D Projects, Supervisor of “Proryv” Project

The speaker addressed the advances of industrial application of fast reactors for power production and nuclear waste transmutation in the Russian Federation with a special focus on closed nuclear fuel to approach radiological equivalence in spent fuel management, and proliferation resistance as a basis for future sustainable nuclear power development.

6.    China, “The Significance of the Back-End on Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development in China," 

Mr. Liu Jianquan, Director, Division of Nuclear and Radiation, CNNC Long’an Co., LTD

The presentation discussed China's nuclear power development, and the significance of back-end on that development; in the context of China’s "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" goal.

7.     Posiva (Finland), ”Posiva’s Trailblazing Mission to Plan and Construct a DGR Soon to Reach the Initial Target, Industrial Operation

Mr. Jari Makkonen, Head of Sales and Marketing,

Posiva has gone a long journey from the site selection phase to the present where we are preparing for the Trial Run of Final Disposal phase commencing by 2023. The trial run will test our entire final disposal process from encapsulation to disposal tunnel closing, machinery and personnel as they will be used in industrialized operation phase to go live beginning 2025.

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The co-chairs wish to express their appreciation for the contributions of Working Group members that made this webinar possible.