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Energoatom and IAEA Strengthen Cooperation on Nuclear Power Emergency Preparedness

Acting CEO of Energoatom, Pavlo Kovtoniuk, recently held a working meeting with representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) coordination and technical team at the company's subsidiary, the Emergency Technical Center. During the meeting, Kovtoniuk briefed the IAEA representatives on the operational status of Energoatom under the current circumstances and the main challenges facing Ukraine's nuclear power operator. He stated that the safe operation of nuclear power plants and emergency response preparedness remain among the company's top priorities, and enhancing the capabilities of the Emergency Technical Center is a key component of these efforts. Uk...

2026-08-13

IAEA Expert Team Acknowledges Safety Progress of Philippine Research Reactor

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a follow-up Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) mission to the Philippine Research Reactor-1 (PRR-1) Subcritical Assembly for Training, Education and Research (SATER) facility in Quezon City, approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Manila, Philippines, from August 10 to 12, 2026. The review was conducted at the request of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to examine the implementation status of safety recommendations made during the initial INSARR mission in 2023. The mission team consisted of two experts from Romania and the United States, along with one IAEA official. During the visit, they conducted an on-site inspection of the assembly facility, reviewed relevant documents, and engaged with the facility's management, operations, and technical staff...

2026-08-13

Syria Confirms IAEA Delegation to Visit Damascus for Talks on Nuclear Material Handling and Peaceful Use Cooperation

The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission issued a written statement confirming that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrive in Damascus in the coming days to discuss progress in Syria's nuclear energy sector and international nuclear cooperation. The visit was announced following reports that the IAEA is preparing to remove nuclear materials from secret facilities in Syria. The statement said Syria is cooperating with the United States and friendly countries on addressing the nuclear legacy left by the former regime, and is committed to promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy in fields such as health, food, and scientific research. The statement noted that Syria is working to activate its full membership status in the IAEA, and emphasized that Syria, after liberation, has...

2026-08-12

IAEA Trains Ukrainian Experts in Non-Destructive Testing Techniques to Assess Damaged Infrastructure

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently conducted non-destructive testing (NDT) training for Ukrainian civil engineering experts through the International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Kherson State (ISAMKO), to support infrastructure safety assessment and recovery efforts following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. The training was held in July 2026 at the IAEA Non-Destructive Testing Service Center in Seibersdorf, Austria, over a five-day period, with nine Ukrainian experts participating. This was also the first training program held at the center since its inauguration in 2024. The course focused on the application of NDT techniques in civil engineering for infrastructure inspection, structural diagnostics, safety assessment, and asset integrity evaluation, helping participants...

2026-08-12

Ukraine and IAEA to Strengthen Nuclear Safety Coordination

Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi held an online meeting, focusing on further strengthening nuclear and radiation safety cooperation amid the war. Ukraine hopes to achieve independent assessments of risks and operational status of critical energy infrastructure and develop more protective measures through closer international coordination. The talks come against the backdrop of sustained security pressures on Ukraine's energy facilities. The Ukrainian side emphasized that a stably operating power system is not only vital to public electricity supply but also directly affects the safety assurance of nuclear power plants and related facilities. The IAEA has previously conducted expert work at multiple energy facilities in Ukraine...

2026-08-12

Arab League Holds Second Technical Committee Meeting on Nuclear and Radiation Emergency Preparedness Roadmap, Focusing on Cross-Border Coordination and Alignment with IAEA Obligations

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States held its second open-ended technical committee meeting at its headquarters from August 9 to 10, focusing on following up on the implementation of the Arab cooperation roadmap for nuclear and radiation emergency preparedness and response. The meeting was attended by representatives of Arab member states, the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA), and relevant Arab and international organizations, indicating that this issue has risen from mere technical cooperation to an important component of regional security governance. The core objective of the meeting is to enhance the coordination capacity and response capability of Arab countries in the face of nuclear accidents and radiological emergencies. As nuclear technology continues to expand in energy, medical, industrial, and scientific research applications, nuclear...

2026-08-10

DR Congo Government Responds to Research Allegations of "Uranium" in Cobalt Products, Announces Re-Testing and IAEA Consultations

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recently responded to a study suggesting that its cobalt products may contain traces of uranium. The study, published in the journal *Nature Communications* on July 30, 2026, reported the presence of uranium traces in some exported cobalt hydroxide products from the DRC. As cobalt is a critical raw material in the global new energy battery supply chain, this claim quickly drew external attention to mineral product safety, environmental risks, and supply chain credibility. In an official statement released on August 7 by the Ministry of Communication and Media, the DRC government stated that the allegations should be understood within a scientific and geological context. The government emphasized that the natural co-occurrence of uranium in copper-cobalt deposits in Lualaba Province and Haut-Katanga Province is a geological phenomenon known for over a century, and is neither abnormal nor the result of artificial addition or deliberate manipulation. The government also noted that, under relevant International Atomic Energy Agency standards, if uranium exists only in trace amounts in ores or cobalt concentrates and is not specifically processed for uranium extraction, it should generally not be regarded as nuclear material.

2026-08-10

IAEA Publishes Technical Document on Emergency Planning Zones for Small Modular Reactors

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently released the technical document "Technical Basis for Emergency Planning Zones for Small Modular Reactors," designated as TECDOC-2134, published in Vienna in 2026. The document comprises 132 pages, includes 11 illustrations, is written in English, and is now available for download. This marks the first time the Agency has systematically documented, in publication form, the outcomes of a coordinated research project related to protective action planning zones in the deployment of small modular reactors. The document focuses on the technical basis for emergency preparedness and response for small modular reactors, with particular attention to determining the size of protective action planning zones. A protective action planning zone is an area surrounding a nuclear facility where protective measures are pre-planned in response to potential accidents...

2026-08-09

IAEA Launches Global Marine Microplastics Monitoring Platform

The International Atomic Energy Agency recently launched a global marine monitoring platform under the "Nuclear Techniques for Controlling Plastic Pollution" initiative, aiming to strengthen cooperation and data sharing among countries on the abundance, distribution, and trends of microplastics in marine and coastal areas. Scientific experts from 65 countries attended the platform launch event. The platform will serve as a repository of results from the network of marine monitoring laboratories supported by the initiative. Participating laboratories can enter monitoring data into the platform to compile global information on marine microplastic pollution; users can access relevant content after creating a free IAEA Nucleus account. Plastic pollution has become a global environmental issue. According to reports...

2026-08-09

IAEA Publishes Technical Document on Emergency Planning Zones for Small Modular Reactors

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published TECDOC Series No. 2134, "Technical Basis for the Emergency Planning Zone for Small Modular Reactors." The document was published in Vienna in 2026, comprising 132 pages with 11 illustrations, in English. This document marks the first time the IAEA has published the results of a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the technical basis for emergency planning zones for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment. The research project was conducted from 2018 to 2021, focusing on how to determine the technical basis for off-site emergency preparedness and response (EPR) arrangements in SMR deployment scenarios, particularly the requirements and scope for establishing emergency planning zones (EPZ).

2026-08-07

IAEA Supports Nicaragua in Enhancing Agricultural Health and Food Security through Nuclear Technology

The Nicaraguan Institute for Agricultural Protection and Health (IPSA) recently hosted an official visit from Raúl Ramírez García, Director of the Technical Cooperation Division for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The meeting, chaired by IPSA Executive Director Ricardo Somarriba Reyes, focused on agricultural health, food safety, and the application of nuclear science and technology in agriculture. During the working session, both parties reaffirmed Nicaragua's continued participation in national and regional cooperation projects as a member of the Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL). The core objective of such projects is to...

2026-07-09

60th Anniversary of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre: Nuclear Techniques Continue to Serve Global Agriculture and Food Safety

In 2024, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture marks its 60th anniversary. Established in 1964 through a partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Centre primarily promotes the application of nuclear science and related technologies in food security, agricultural production, and sustainable environmental development. Over the past 60 years, the Joint Centre has carried out work in areas including pest control, plant breeding and genetics, soil and water management, animal production and health, and food safety and quality control. Its Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories have long undertaken tasks in technology development, capacity building, and technology transfer,...

2024-12-27

FAO and IAEA: Nuclear Technologies Are Enhancing Agricultural Production and Food Security

On March 30, 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency presented multiple applications of nuclear technologies in agriculture and food security. The two organizations have collaborated for over 50 years in knowledge sharing and capacity building, further strengthening their partnership through the establishment of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. In the field of animal health, nuclear technologies are used for the detection, control, and prevention of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses. Belize previously had to send animal disease testing samples to overseas laboratories; with support from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority established a molecular diagnostic laboratory for animal health and adopted real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing technology. This method can detect animal diseases within 24 hours, helping frontline personnel take rapid prevention and control measures. Recently, the laboratory has also been used to assist in human COVID-19 testing, reflecting the "One Health" concept that animal, human, plant, and environmental health are interconnected.

2021-03-30

IAEA Publishes Report on Aging Management of Spent Fuel Dry Storage Systems

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published the findings of a decade-long study on aging management of spent fuel dry storage systems. According to IAEA estimates, by the end of 2024, spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants worldwide had exceeded 400,000 tonnes of heavy metal (tHM). Of this, 106,000 tHM is in dry storage, a long-term storage method that is becoming increasingly common compared with wet storage. Most IAEA member states are still decades away from commissioning permanent spent fuel repositories, which means dry storage systems will likely need to continue operating safely beyond their design lifetimes. Wet storage has been in operation for decades, and the IAEA states that aging management of such facilities is generally well understood. Utilities choose dry storage for its passive safety features, and many dry storage facilities have already received license extensions. The IAEA expects demand for dry storage to continue growing, with service periods extending well beyond the original 20-to-40-year licensing terms, potentially exceeding 120 years. Aging management programs (AMPs) are therefore needed to verify continued safe operation.

2026-08-06

IAEA Director General to Inspect Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant

Preparations are in the final stages for IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi's first inspection of Tokyo Electric Power Company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, expected to take place on August 18. Grossi has previously stated that there are "no obstacles to a swift restart," signaling a positive attitude toward the plant's reactivation. This inspection suggests that discussions surrounding the restart may accelerate. However, it is worth noting that local residents still harbor concerns, adopting a cautiously optimistic outlook on future developments. This marks Grossi's first visit to the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, making it a significant event. Against the backdrop of growing attention to nuclear safety, the IAEA's...

2026-08-06