INPRO: THE FIRST TEN YEARS

Transcription

1 INPRO History Paper INPRO: THE FIRST TEN YEARS Sustainable Nuclear Energy for the 21st Century International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles

2 International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) Department of Nuclear Energy International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) PO Box 100 Vienna International Centre 1400 Vienna Austria Tel: Internet: This paper is not an official IAEA publication. Written by Jürgen Kupitz, Elisabeth Dyck, Peter Gowin and Roberto Cirimello Editor: Elisabeth Dyck/INPRO Vienna, September

3 Table of Contents Chronology of Events and Milestones 4 1. Prologue 9 IAEA Activities leading to Establishment of INPRO 9 Three Agency Study 9 UN Millennium Summit 9 2. Establishment of INPRO 10 Inaugural Meeting of INPRO Steering Committee International Cooperation Ten Years of INPRO Activities 11 INPRO in Phase 1: INPRO in Phase 2: 2006-ongoing 13 Reorganization of Phase INPRO in 2010 and Beyond 18 Appendix I: Organization and Management of INPRO 20 Appendix II: Cost-Free Experts from INPRO Members 21 Appendix III: References 22 3

4 Chronology of Events and Milestones 2000 The 44th IAEA General Conference passes a resolution which leads to the initiation of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) - GC(44)/RES/21 A Meeting of Senior Officials from Member States determines objectives, conditions and Terms of Reference for INPRO 2001 Inaugural Meeting of the INPRO Steering Committee (SC) in May; the 2nd meeting of the INPRO SC takes place in December; both meetings are chaired by Mr. M. Acero of Spain Mr. V. Murogov, Deputy Director General, IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy, assumes the role of INPRO Project Manager, supported by Mr J. Kupitz as INPRO Coordinator Argentina, Canada, China, Germany, India, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkey and the European Commission (EC) join as the first ten INPRO members Cost-Free Experts (CFEs) from Argentina, Canada, China, Germany, India, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Spain and Turkey join the INPRO Secretariat at the IAEA Phase 1A of INPRO is launched to develop a methodology to assess the sustainability of innovative nuclear energy systems the INPRO Methodology; The 45th Meeting of the IAEA General Conference passes resolution GC(45)/RES/12 in support of INPRO 2002 Brazil, Republic of Korea and Switzerland join INPRO The Three Agency Study, conducted by OECD/NEA, OECD/IEA and the IAEA, is concluded; it examined innovative approaches and design proposals for nuclear reactors and fuel cycles Chaired by Mr. M. Acero, Spain, the INPRO SC holds its 3rd and 4th meetings in May and December. Brazil, Germany, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation nominate CFEs for the Project The 46th Meeting of the IAEA General Conferences passes Resolution GC(46)/RES/11 in support of INPRO 2003 Bulgaria and Pakistan join INPRO as members Mr Y.A. Sokolov is appointed as Deputy Director General, Department of Nuclear Energy and INPRO Project Manager, succeeding Mr. V. M. Murogov The INPRO SC meets for its 5th meeting at the IAEA in May, chaired by Mr. M. Acero of Spain CFEs from Argentina and Indonesia start working at the IAEA/INPRO Secretariat Phase 1A of INPRO is concluded with the publication of Guidance for the Evaluation of Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (IAEA-TECDOC-1362), focusing on economics, environment, safety, waste management, proliferation resistance and crosscutting issues (later to be renamed Infrastructure ) as assessment areas; over 150 experts have contribute to the development of the INPRO methodology. Results of Phase 1A are presented at international conferences Phase 1B is launched to review, test and further improve the INPRO methodology; 4

5 Six national case studies are performed by Argentina, Czech Republic, India, Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation to test and validate the INPRO methodology, using different nuclear energy systems. Eight individual case studies are performed by experts in Argentina, India, France and the Russian Federation The 47th Meeting of the IAEA General conference passes Resolution GC(47)/RES/10 in support of INPRO In December the first meeting between INPRO and the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) is held in Paris to initiate cooperation between the two activities 2004 Armenia, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Morocco and South Africa join INPRO, bringing the number of members to 22 CFEs from China, Germany, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation support INPRO s activities at the IAEA A Report on Phase 1B (Part 1) of INPRO, Methodology for the Assessment of Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (IEAE-TECDOC-1434) is published; more emphasis is given to Sustainability, Modeling and Infrastructure ; some 120 have experts contribute to the preparation of this report Mr. R. Cirimello, Argentina, chairs the 6th and 7th meetings of the INPRO SC, held in January and December 2004 respectively The 48th Meeting of the IAEA General Conference passes Resolution GC(48)/RES/13 in support of INPRO The status and outlook of INPRO is presented at three international conferences held in Slovakia and the USA 2005 Ukraine and the USA become INPRO Members Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, India, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine start national assessment studies on different aspects of nuclear energy systems A joint study is initiated by Canada, China, France, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Ukraine to assess innovative nuclear energy systems based on a closed fuel cycle with fast reactors CFEs from the Russian Federation and Spain arrive at the IAEA to contribute to INPRO s work Mr. A. Omoto, Director, Division of Nuclear Power, assumes the role of INPRO Policy Coordinator The 49th Meeting of the IAEA General Conference passes Resolution GC(49)/RES/12 in support of INPRO In December, members of the INPRO SC come together at the IAEA for their 8 th meeting, chaired by Mr. R.K. Sinha of India Results of INPRO s work are presented at five international conferences in Belgium, Czech Republic and the USA 2006 World leaders meeting at the G8 Summit in St Petersburg, Russian Federation, acknowledge the efforts of INPRO and the Generation IV International Forum Belarus, Japan and Slovakia join INPRO France and the USA provide CFEs to INPRO Fifteen papers on different aspects of INPRO s activities are presented at international conferences held in Australia and the USA 5

6 The 9th and 10th INPRO SC Meetings take place in July and December at the IAEA INPRO Phase 1 is concluded and Phase 2 of INPRO starts in July, focusing on improvements of the INPRO methodology and assessment studies, institutional-related activities and INPRO Collaborative Projects; 11 such projects are implemented starting An activity on Common User Considerations and Actions for Development and Deployment of Nuclear Energy Systems for Developing Countries is launched in response to GC(50)/RES/13, passed at the 50th Meeting of the IAEA General Conference in 2006 The 11th and 12th Meetings of the INPRO SC are held in July and December, respectively, chaired by Mr R.K. Sinha, India Volumes 1 to 7 of the INPRO Manual, Guidance for the Application of an Assessment Methodology for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems is published on CD-ROM as IAEA- TECDOC-CD 1575, including an overview of the INPRO methodology and the assessment areas of economics, infrastructure, waste management, proliferation resistance, physical protection and environment Belgium becomes the 28th member of INPRO CFEs from Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea join the INPRO Secretariat to contribute to the Project s activities Three conference papers are presented at international meetings The 51st Meeting of the IAEA General Conference passes Resolution GC(51)/RES/14 in support of INPRO 2008 The report of an independent commission on Reinforcing the Global Nuclear Order for Peace and Prosperity: The Role of the IAEA to 2020 and Beyond, requested by the IAEA Director General, recognizes INPRO s role in bringing together many states... to consider approaches to safer, cheaper, more secure, and more proliferation-resistant nuclear systems, with effective management of nuclear waste. Canada, Indonesia, Ukraine and the USA provide CFEs who work with the INPRO Group at the IAEA In July, the INPRO SC meets for its 13th meeting, chaired Mr. R.K. Sinha, India. The INPRO Group at the IAEA is reorganized: Mr. R. Beatty is appointed as INPRO Group Leader, supported by an INPRO Programme Liaison Officer, Mr. P. Gowin The INPRO Manual, Guidance for the Application of an Assessment Methodology for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems is published in nine volumes (TECDOC-1575 Rev.1), adding safety of nuclear reactors and safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities as assessment areas Results of INPRO s work are presented at two international conferences 2009 Algeria, Italy and Kazakhstan join INPRO; its membership now includes 30 countries and the EC Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation provide CFEs to the IAEA in support of the INPRO Group A Workshop jointly organized by INPRO, PESS and TC in June presents the INPRO methodology as one the IAEA tools and methodologies for energy system planning and nuclear energy assessments Results of the Common User Considerations (CUC) by Developing Countries for Future Nuclear Energy Systems: Report of Stage 1 are published in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series (NP-T-2.1) 6

7 The 14th meeting of the INPRO SC takes place at the IAEA in February, chaired by Mr R.K. Sinha of India, The 15th meeting of the INPRO SC is held in November under the chairmanship of Mr R. Calabrese, Argentina A report on Status and Trends in Nuclear Technologies (IAEA.TECDOC-1622) is published Mr. J.K. Park succeeds Mr Omoto as Director of the Division of Nuclear Power, and as INPRO Policy Coordinator in October A report on Lessons Learned from Nuclear Energy System Assessments (NESA) using the INPRO Methodology (IAEA-TECDOC-1636) is published Progress of INPRO is presented at three international conferences in France, Japan and the Russian Federation The 53rd Meeting of the IAEA General Conference passes Resolution GC(53)/RES/13 in support of INPRO 2010 CFEs from Indonesia and the Russian Federation join the INPRO Group; further experts from France, Germany, India and Pakistan are expected at the end of the year In January, the results of the Joint Study, Assessment of Nuclear Energy Systems Based on a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle with Fast Reactors are published as IAEA-TECDOC-1639; Canada, China, France, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Ukraine participated The first Workshop of the INPRO Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations takes place at the IAEA in February IAEA/INPRO and GIF strengthen cooperation by holding their 4 th Interface Meeting at the IAEA in March Three papers on INPRO s activities are presented at international meetings in Spain and the USA In June, the Interregional Workshop on Long-range Nuclear Energy Programme Planning and Strategy Development presents to Member States, in an integrated manner, how to apply the tools and methodologies available from the IAEA for long term planning of energy systems and in particular nuclear energy systems. In September, the IAEA marks the 10 th anniversary of INPRO in a ceremony with participation of IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and high level representatives from INPRO members and a technical session which discusses the future of nuclear innovations and a vision for INPRO in the next decade. 7

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9 INPRO: THE FIRST TEN YEARS 1. Prologue The beginnings of INPRO lie in the recognition that supplying the world s fast-growing energy needs is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. The 21st century promises the most competitive, globalized markets in human history, the most rapid pace of technological change ever, and the greatest expansion of energy use, particularly in developing countries. Nuclear energy has become an important energy supply option in a world that has to meet everincreasing energy needs while facing the strong initiative to reduce CO 2 emissions and dependence on dwindling fossil fuels. For a technology to make a truly substantial contribution to energy supplies, innovation is one of the determining features of a successful nuclear industry. Also, long term and strategic planning is needed to ensure the sustainability of nuclear energy as a source of energy supply in the 21st century. Both could be best achieved through international cooperation. IAEA Activities leading to Establishment of INPRO During the 42nd IAEA General Conference in September 1998, several Member States including the Russian Federation and the United States promoted international cooperation in the development of innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles. This support led to the organization of three meetings with external experts to discuss the potential role of the IAEA. All these meetings, and also several Member States directly, recommended that the IAEA help assess the potential for, and promote the exchange of information and facilitate international cooperation on the development of innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles. Three Agency Study In 1999, three key international organizations, the OECD s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA), its International Energy Agency (OECD/IEA) and the IAEA began to work together on a study 1 which was concluded in 2002 and referred to as the Three Agency Study. It examined innovative approaches and design proposals for nuclear reactors and fuel cycles. The study considered specific reactor designs and identified six core characteristics of nuclear reactors, i.e. safety, economics, proliferation resistance and safeguards, waste management, and flexibility of application. The overall objective of the Three Agency Study was to promote the development of a consistent methodology for the description and comparative assessment of innovative reactor systems, identify necessary research work and pave the way for international cooperation. The study highlighted the importance of nuclear energy technology innovations and of international cooperation to achieve those innovations. In doing so, it became one of the most important predecessor studies to INPRO. UN Millennium Summit In 2000, at the UN Millennium Summit in New York, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, called upon IAEA Member States to unite their efforts in developing innovative nuclear power technologies to further reduce nuclear proliferation risks and resolve the problem of radioactive waste. It was recognized, however, that the development of these new nuclear energy systems, would have to depart from the evolutionary approach of improvements in small steps. Rather, an innovative approach was called for, which would include radically new features and require intensive research and development. Some related research work was already ongoing in research groups working on similar or even the same innovative technologies, but without close coordination or cooperation. 1 BERTEL, E, GOWIN, P.J. and WOODRUFF, M., Innovative Nuclear Reactor Development / Opportunities for International Cooperation, OECD/NEA, IEA and IAEA, Paris, France and Vienna, Austria, (2002). 9

10 The development of such innovative reactor systems would be costly and time consuming, and only international cooperation could help make most efficient use of limited research funds and human resources. The envisaged long-term character of nuclear power required long-range planning and thinking ahead. 2. Establishment of INPRO In September 2000, the IAEA General Conference invited all interested Member States to combine their efforts under the aegis of the Agency in considering the issues of the nuclear fuel cycle, in particular by examining innovative and proliferation resistant nuclear technologies. On the occasion of this 44th Meeting of the IAEA General Conference, Mr. V.M. Murogov, who at that time headed the Department of Nuclear Energy, invited the delegations for a briefing on the need for innovative nuclear reactor and fuel cycle systems, pointing out that such systems involved radical conceptual changes likely to require a prototype or demonstration plant, and identifying five objectives, which these new technologies should meet: namely, economics, safety, spent fuel and waste management, non-proliferation and long-term sustainability. He also emphasized that the IAEA would be in the best position to offer a global forum for an international project, given its membership, mission and experience. The 44th Meeting of the IAEA General Conference passed a resolution for Member States to combine their efforts under the aegis of the IAEA to consider issues of the nuclear fuel cycle and in particular examine innovative and proliferation-resistant nuclear technology. This was the beginning of INPRO. In November 2000, the IAEA convened a meeting of senior officials from Member States and international organizations to specify and finalize conditions and terms of reference for this project. The meeting also recommended establishing a governing body for the project, the INPRO Steering Committee. Inaugural Meeting of INPRO Steering Committee The Inaugural Meeting of the INPRO Steering Committee took place in May It was chaired by Mr. Manuel Acero from Spain and attended by 43 participants from 17 countries 2, the OECD/IEA and the IAEA. The key characteristics and main objectives of INPRO were determined at that meeting and remain basically unchanged until today: To help ensure that nuclear energy is available to contribute to fulfilling energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner; and To bring together both technology holders and technology users to consider jointly the international and national actions required to achieve desired innovations in nuclear reactors and fuel cycles. INPRO was established as a membership-based project, whose members would fund the project through extrabudgetary contributions or cost-free experts (CFEs) and oversee INPRO activities through the INPRO Steering Committee, in which all members would be represented. However, since the beginning, INPRO has been implemented as an IAEA activity in full accordance with IAEA standards and regulations. The time of this meeting is the official date for the launch of the INPRO. The IAEA Bulletin 3 reported: As of August 2001, the following countries or entities have become members of INPRO: Argentina, Canada, China, Germany, India, the Netherlands, the Russian 2 Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Morocco, Russian Federation, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom 3 GOWIN, P.J., KUPITZ, J., Supporting Innovation The International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles Moves into First Phase, IAEA Bull (2001). 10

11 Federation, Spain, Turkey, and the European Commission. In total, 14 experts have been nominated by their respective governments or international organizations. Twice as many would join these first INPRO Members in the project over the next ten years, and other IAEA Member States have participated in INPRO activities as observers. Nominated by INPRO Members to work at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna for periods of three months to three years, these experts bring a wide range of expertise to the project in areas such as nuclear energy and fuel cycle technology, nuclear safety, economics, waste management and nuclear proliferation resistance. Also, an organizational structure was established, consisting of the INPRO Steering Committee, an International Coordinating Group (ICG), which implemented the project and included CFEs from INPRO Members and staff from IAEA technical departments (later on this ICG would become the INPRO Group at the IAEA headquarters); technical expert groups with representatives of INPRO Members who considered specific topics; and the INPRO Project Management, with a Project Manager and a Project Coordinator. 3. International Cooperation At the time INPRO was established, another international initiative was also set up, the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). GIF is primarily focused on the R&D of nuclear technology to meet global needs. INPRO has a broad range of activities related to the sustainable development of nuclear power. GIF membership is limited to those countries that can bring substantial resources and expertise to its R&D programmes, whereas INPRO members include both developed and developing countries interested in introducing nuclear power or planning to expand their nuclear power programme. INPRO is open to all IAEA Member States and combines technology holders and users, taking the particular needs of developing countries into account. Currently, all active members of GIF are also members of INPRO. For the past six years, GIF and INPRO have been working closely together to create synergy and to avoid overlap. Interface meetings for coordination between both initiatives were held in 2004, 2005, 2008 and In addition, INPRO participates in GIF policy meetings and selected working groups. Recently, GIF and INPRO have developed a common action plan for coordination and information exchange. This action plan includes harmonizing their methodologies concerning proliferation resistance, risk and safety, and economics; implementing information exchange workshops and seminars on various fast reactor topics, non-electrical applications, small and medium-sized reactors, reactor modeling and simulation, and reviewing the implications of advanced fuel cycles. 4. Ten Years of INPRO Activities INPRO in Phase 1: INPRO s Phase 1 of activities started in 2001 and ran until June It was divided into Phases 1A ( ) and 1B ( ). Phase 1 A set out the boundary conditions for sustainable nuclear energy systems. In the first couple of years, INPRO established several task groups to define: prospects and potential of nuclear power within the next 50 years user requirements for innovative nuclear energy systems in economics; sustainability and environment; safety of nuclear installations and waste management; proliferation resistance; and cross-cutting issues a methodology for the assessment of innovative nuclear energy systems. These activities were undertaken with contributions from technical experts of INPRO Members and through several consultant and technical meetings. Also, five more countries joined INPRO in 2002 and 2003: Brazil, Bulgaria, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Switzerland, thus increasing the pool of expertise from which INPRO s work could benefit. Altogether, over 150 experts from 11

12 Member States contributed to the development of an assessment methodology for innovative nuclear energy systems called the INPRO methodology. The INPRO methodology 4 was developed specifically to determine whether or not a given nuclear energy system would contribute, in a sustainable manner, to meeting the energy needs of the 21st century or require R&D follow-up actions to achieve a sustainable nuclear contribution. It is a tool to assess nuclear energy systems and innovative technologies, encompassing all nuclear fuel cycle facilities during their lifetime ( cradle to grave ) in the assessment areas defined by the methodology developers. The results of the first two years of work on the methodology were published by the IAEA as IAEA-TECDOC-1362, Guidance for the Evaluation of Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles in June At that time, the areas to be assessed in order to determine if a nuclear energy system was sustainable or needed further R&D to close gaps included economics, environment, safety, waste management, proliferation resistance and cross-cutting issues (later to be renamed infrastructure ). The report also defined innovative nuclear energy systems as systems that would position nuclear energy to make a major contribution to the global energy supply in the 21st century, including evolutionary as well as innovative designs. These systems comprise not only facilities of the front and the back end of the fuel cycle and electricity generating plants, but also plants of various sizes and capacity for other applications, such as high-temperature heat production, district heating and sea water desalination, to be deployed in developed regions, developing countries or countries in transition. Phase 1B started in mid-2003 and focused on case studies which would review and test the INPRO methodology. In October 2003, Mr Yuri A. Sokolov was appointed as Deputy Director General, Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, and he also assumed the role of INPRO Project Manager. Several countries became members of INPRO in 2003, including Armenia, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Morocco, and South Africa. Experts in Argentina, India, France and the Russian Federation carried out individual case studies on different aspects of innovative nuclear energy systems and provided many valuable recommendations to improve the INPRO methodology (see IAEA-TECDOC-1434, p. 17). Also, six countries applied the methodology in national case studies based on specific nuclear installations. No actual assessment of installations was carried out; rather, these case studies intended to test the INPRO methodology and identify any improvements that might be necessary. The six countries and the nuclear installations used in the assessments were: Argentina: CAREM-X system (CARM reactor and SIGMA fuel enrichment process) China: High temperature gas cooled test reactors HTR-10 Czech Republic: Evaluation and comparison of future technologies with a special view to molten salt reactors India: Advanced heavy water moderated reactor (AHWR) and its associated fuel cycle Republic of Korea: Direct use of PWR fuel in CANDU (DUPIC fuel cycle) Russian Federation: Approach to an innovative system with sodium fast reactor type BN-800. The results of these case studies led to a revision of the INPRO methodology which was documented in IAEA-TECDOC-1434, Methodology for the Assessment of Innovative Nuclear 4 A general description of the INPRO methodology is included in the brochure IAEA Tools and Methodologies for Energy System Planning and Nuclear Energy System Assessment, and on 12

13 Reactors and Fuel Cycles and published in December In comparison to the first report, several modifications and amendments were included in this publication, e.g. more emphasis was placed on sustainability, modeling and infrastructure. Some 120 individuals contributed to the preparation of this report. In 2005, Ukraine and the United States of America joined INPRO, bringing the number of INPRO members up to 24. Mr Akira Omoto became the next Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power and assumed the role of INPRO Policy Coordinator. From 2005 to early 2006, Mr Ian Facer was Acting INPRO Coordinator for Reactor Technology, followed by Mr Atam Rao, who assumed the coordination role for reactor technology as Head of the Nuclear Power Technology Development Section. INPRO Coordinator for fuel cycle technology was Mr Chaitanyamoy Ganguly, Section Head, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section. Work began on producing a comprehensive manual to provide more detailed guidance on using the INPRO methodology and to supplement TECDOC It was planned that nuclear energy system assessments would identify R&D topics that would contribute to making nuclear power a sustainable option. In addition, INPRO Members were asked to propose suitable topics for joint research, to be implemented in INPRO Collaborative Projects (CPs). Over 90 proposals for collaborative work were put forward, covering a broad range of topics related to nuclear technology innovation. In the end, the INPRO Steering Committee chose a dozen projects to be implemented as studies in the second phase of INPRO. The INPRO Manual was finalized in 2006 and published on CD-ROM in 2007 as IAEA-TECDOC-CD 1575, Guidance for the Application of an Assessment Methodology for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems (Volumes 1 to 7). It covered the assessment areas of economics, infrastructure, waste management, proliferation resistance, physical protection and environment. INPRO in Phase 2: 2006 Ongoing In July 2006, INPRO moved to the next phase of activities, which initially consisted of three major pillars of activity: 1. Further improvement of the INPRO methodology and continuation of assessment studies 2. Infrastructure and institutional related activities 3. INPRO Collaborative Projects. Three IAEA Member States became INPRO members in 2006: Belarus, Japan and Slovakia. Belgium joined the project in In response to a resolution 5 of the 50th IAEA General Conference, in 2007, INPRO embarked on a two-year activity which identified commonalities in the expectations of developing countries considering the introduction of nuclear power. Called Common User Considerations (CUC) and Actions for Development and Deployment of Nuclear Energy System for Developing Countries, the study identified the features of nuclear power technology required by potential users. From an initial 54 developing countries, seven countries were selected: Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Indonesia, Lithuania, Mexico and Malaysia. Experts from these Member States contributed to a survey and offered their perspectives regarding deployment of future nuclear power plants. The CUC study adopted the framework of the assessment areas of the INPRO methodology to structure the considerations and covered national energy planning and policy: economics, infrastructure, safety, environment, used fuel and waste management, proliferation resistance, physical protection and technical specifications. The CUC activity also promoted early and effective dialogue between technology users and technology holders. The results of this activity were published in 2009 in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NP-T-2.1, Common User Considerations (CUC) by Developing Counties for Future Nuclear Energy Systems: Report of Stage 1. 5 GC(50)/RES/13 13

14 At the end of 2007, the INPRO Steering Committee approved a detailed set of activities for the second phase of INPRO, organized as six tasks: 1) INPRO Methodology; 2) Assessment Studies; 3) Nuclear Energy Visions for the 21 st Century; 4) Infrastructure and Institutional Innovation; 5) Common User Considerations; and 6) Collaborative Projects. In mid-2008, the management structure for INPRO activities at the IAEA was reorganized and two new positions were introduced to ensure project management stability. Mr Randy Beatty was assigned to be the INPRO Group Leader and Mr Peter Gowin assumed the position of INPRO Programme Liaison Officer. By then, the INPRO methodology was established as a holistic approach and a tool in decision making on nuclear energy deployment. It allowed national assessment teams to: Assess a single nuclear energy system (or its planned deployment) to confirm that nuclear energy will contribute sustainably to the energy supply until the end of the century; Compare different nuclear energy systems to find a preferred one consistent with the sustainable development objectives of a given country; Identify gaps in nuclear power development or installation programmes, leading to follow-up R&D studies; Study the transition from a current operating nuclear system to one with significant technical or institutional innovations. In 2008, the results of six national nuclear energy system assessments were reviewed. Argentina had assessed the complete nuclear fuel cycle, considering all INPRO assessment areas, to determine additional nuclear energy capacity anticipated for Armenia had conducted a national assessment study for an innovative nuclear energy system in a country with small grids, evaluating present and future options for energy supply until 2025 with a particular focus on the security of supply and the role of nuclear power. Brazil had assessed two small innovative reactor designs: the IRIS reactor design was assessed for safety and economics, and the fixed bed nuclear reactor (FBNR) design was assessed for safety and proliferation resistance. India had conducted an assessment of a hydrogen generating innovative nuclear energy system in the national energy mix, in particular the replacement of fossil fuel by hydrogen in the transportation sector. The Republic of Korea had developed a method of qualitative analysis to determine the level of proliferation resistance of nuclear fuel cycles and then applied it to the DUPIC fuel cycle, where spent fuel from PWRs is converted to fresh fuel for CANDU reactors. Ukraine had performed a comprehensive energy planning study that defined the role of nuclear power in the country s energy mix until A Joint Study, in which Canada, China, France, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Ukraine cooperated, assessed an innovative nuclear energy system based on a closed fuel cycle with fast reactors to determine if it would meet the criteria of sustainability, identify milestones for deployment and establish frameworks for and areas of collaborative R&D work. The results were finally published in early 2010 as IAEA TECDOC-1639, Assessment of Nuclear Energy Systems Based on a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle with Fast Reactors. 14

15 The results of all assessments were documented in a manual on the INPRO methodology, which was published as IAEA-TECDOC-1575 Rev. 1, Guidance for the Application of an Assessment Methodology for Innovative Nuclear Energy Systems INPRO Manual: Overview of the Methodology. An accompanying CD-ROM includes all nine volumes of this manual, detailing the assessment areas of economics, infrastructure, waste management, proliferation resistance, physical protection, environment, safety of nuclear reactors and safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities; the latter two assessment areas were added in this version. The main differences between this manual and the previous one (TECDOC-1434) are that TECDOC 1575 Rev.1 contains more information on user requirements and criteria; additional information on how INPRO fits into national energy planning; examples of basic principles and criteria of the INPRO methodology and substantial information on the background of the individual assessment areas for educational purposes. The feedback and lessons learned from the countries that had undertaken assessments were reviewed during a workshop in February 2009 and the results were published in late 2009 as TECDOC-1636, Lessons Learned from Nuclear Energy System Assessments (NESA) using the INPRO Methodology. Nuclear Energy Visions for the 21 st Century: In 2008, work also started on investigating and formulating visions of the opportunities and challenges for nuclear energy in the 21st century. This activity was intended to support capacity building in scenario/vision analysis in Member States and establish and analyse reference scenarios for large scale global nuclear energy development. A study on Opportunities and Challenges for Large-Scale Nuclear Energy Development, first undertaken in , was continued. It covered the development of the procedures, assumptions and tools (including simulation models) for large scale nuclear energy development and included a set of assumptions for global analysis of the development of innovative nuclear energy systems. Infrastructure and Institutional Innovation: In 2008, activities in this area addressed the development and deployment of innovative nuclear energy systems, including issues such as regional approaches for smooth deployment, licensing and financing for developing countries, innovative options for nuclear fuel cycles and non-stationary small and medium sized reactors. Transportable nuclear power plants could be of particular interest for niche applications, especially for areas with limited infrastructure or for non-electric applications, for countries with small electrical grids, remote and difficult to access areas or isolated islands. A study on legal and institutional issues of small transportable nuclear power plants was undertaken in 2008 to identify possible benefits and challenges for their deployment while taking into account economic, technical, physical protection and safety aspects. INPRO Collaborative Projects: These have been key elements of Phase 2 of INPRO. At the end of 2008, twelve projects had been launched or were still under preparation. Thematically, these projects were grouped as scenarios for nuclear energy development; nuclear safety; proliferation resistance; technical challenges in reactor technologies; environment and infrastructure. They were implemented in 2009 and 2010 and will be described in more detail later on. Reorganization in Phase 2 In 2009, Algeria, Italy and Kazakhstan became members of INPRO. INPRO s activities were reorganized into four thematic and two cross-cutting programme areas and the scope of work was expanded to include Nuclear Energy Systems Assessment (NESA) using the INPRO Methodology; Global Vision, Scenarios and Pathways to Sustainable Nuclear Development; Innovations in Nuclear Technology; Innovations in Institutional Arrangements, INPRO Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations; and Policy Coordination, Communication and INPRO Management. 15

16 A: Nuclear Energy Systems Assessment using INPRO Methodology A NESA using the INPRO methodology has been developed for: nuclear technology developers, to identify possible gaps in R & D, and associated actions to fill those gaps; experienced nuclear technology users, to assist with strategic planning and decision making on the development or expansion of a nuclear energy system; prospective first time nuclear technology users, to identify issues that need to be considered when deciding on the development of a nuclear energy system for long term energy supply and to assist such users in planning and decision making. In 2009, Belarus embarked on performing a full scope comprehensive NESA in a strategic partnership with the Russian Federation. At a 2009 workshop, jointly held by INPRO, the Planning and Economic Studies Section and the Department of Technical Cooperation, on IAEA Tools for Nuclear Energy System Assessment for Long-Term Planning and Development, 50 participants from over 40 member states came together to learn about the integrated use of IAEA tools and methods for national energy and nuclear energy planning and development; this included computer models devoted to energy system analysis and planning, indicators for sustainable energy development, the INPRO methodology for NESAs, tools for analyzing nuclear fuel cycle material balance and guidance in developing a nuclear infrastructure in newcomer countries. A follow-up meeting took place in June 2010: Interregional Workshop on Long-range Nuclear Energy Programme Planning and Strategy Development, focusing on the processes of long term planning and presenting the support for these activities offered by the IAEA. Two INPRO collaborative projects have been undertaken in this area: Proliferation Resistance: Acquisition/Diversion Pathway Analysis (PRADA): This collaborative project, with participation of the Republic of Korea, Canada, China, and the USA, provides guidance on enhancing proliferation resistance of innovative nuclear energy systems and contributes to strengthening the assessment area of proliferation resistance of the INPRO methodology. It focuses on identifying and analyzing high level pathways for the acquisition or diversion of fissile material for a nuclear weapons programme, using the DUPIC fuel cycle as a case study with an assumed diversion scenario. The project will make recommendations for assessing the multiplicity and robustness of barriers against proliferation, including institutional, material and technical barriers as well as barriers resulting form the implementation of international safeguards. Environmental Impact Benchmarking Applicable for Nuclear Energy Systems under Normal Operation (ENV): Belarus, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine participate in this project to perform a benchmark of codes and methodologies to determine and rank the radiochemical toxicity of radio nuclides of interest according to their impact on humans and biota. B: Global Vision, Scenarios and Pathways to Sustainable Nuclear Development A study on Global Scenarios and Regional Trends of Nuclear Energy Development in the 21st Century was concluded with a final draft report at the end of It analyzed the global perspective for long term sustainable nuclear energy development, on the basis of scientifictechnical calculations of possible growth scenarios, which detailed interregional links in industrial capacity, resources, and flows of nuclear fuel and other nuclear material between regions. Experts from China, the Czech Republic, India, Italy, the Russian Federation, Slovakia and the European Commission joined forces with five additional Member States that participated as observers: Canada, France, Japan, Ukraine and the USA. Four INPRO collaborative projects have been contributing to establishing a global vision, scenarios and pathways for sustainable nuclear development: 16

17 Global Architecture of Innovative Nuclear Systems based on Thermal and Fast Reactors including Closed Fuel Cycles (GAINS): This is the largest INPRO collaborative project in which Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the USA and the European Commission are developing a standard framework including a methodological platform, assumptions and boundary conditions for assessing future nuclear energy systems taking sustainable development into account. The results are validated through sample analyses. Investigations of the 233 U/Th Fuel Cycle (ThFC): This project was first established by the European Commission, India, Canada and Slovakia in December Since then, China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, and the USA have also joined as partners. Several other institutes and organizations from the above Member States and Norway, Romania and Germany also participated in meetings organized by the ThFC project, which re-examines the potential of thorium-based uel cycles to support future large scale deployment of nuclear energy systems and enhance the sustainability of nuclear power. Fuel Cycles for Innovative Nuclear Systems through Integration of Technologies (FINITE): This project provides an overview of feasible technical and economically sound advanced and innovative nuclear fuel and fuel cycle options by identifying uncertainties, assessing selected fuel cycle options with the INPRO methodology and identifying measures and technical solutions for their implementation. China, the Czech Republic, India, the Russian Federation and some observer countries participate. Meeting Energy Needs in the Period of Raw Material Insufficiency during the 21st Century (RMI): This study identifies demand trends in energy markets and opportunities to meet those demands with special attention to the role of nuclear energy. Modeling will be used to evaluate the most effective solutions for selected EU countries. C: Innovations in Nuclear Technology The INPRO publication IAEA-TECDOC-1622, Status and Trends of Nuclear Technologies, published in 2009, provides an overview of the history, present situation and future perspectives of nuclear fuel cycle technologies. Five INPRO collaborative projects have been the backbone of this programme area. The studies undertaken jointly with INPRO Members address different aspects of technology innovations and cover the following areas: Investigation of Technological Challenges related to the Removal of Heat by Liquid Metal and Molten Salt Coolants from Reactor Cores Operating at High Temperatures (COOL): Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, and the Republic of Korea examine the cooling of reactor cores operating at high temperatures, focusing on liquid metal and molten salts. Decay Heat Removal System for Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors (DHR): This study analyses through benchmarking with computer codes the decay heat removal function of liquid metal cooled rectors. Participating institutions come from China, India, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the European Commission. Advanced Water Cooled Reactors (AWR): Argentina, India, and the Republic of Korea undertake experimental and analytical investigations on the steady state and stability performance of both single phase and two phase natural circulation reactor systems and on the reliability of passive systems. Performance Assessment of Passive Gaseous Provisions (PGAP) is a study to propose an internationally accepted definition for the reliability of thermohydraulic passive systems and also an assessment methodology. Participants include Belgium, France and India. Observers are Algeria, Belarus, Czech Republic, and Germany. 17

18 D: Innovations in Institutional Arrangements A study on Innovations in Institutional Arrangements addressed legal and institutional issues related to the introduction of transportable nuclear power plants (TNPPs). It assists technology developers to learn about technologies that could simplify legal and infrastructure issues, and to carefully consider technical design scenarios and options of operation and ownership that might introduce additional problems. Implementation Issues for the Use of Nuclear Power in Small Grid Countries (SMALL) are addressed in this collaborative project in which Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, the Russian Federation, the USA and Vietnam cooperate. The issues relate to countries with electrical grids of limited capacity and stability, in particular, technology issues and related institutional measures. This collaborative project investigates the deployment of nuclear power in countries with small grids, and technical and economical options for managing spent fuel and radioactive waste applicable to the conditions of such countries. E. INPRO Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations The Dialogue Forum is a continuation of the earlier CUC activity and aims at bringing together technology users and technology holders from all interested Member States and facilitate discussion so that technology holders can better understand the needs and concerns of technology users, and users can better understand the possibilities and limitations of technology holders associated with the development and deployment of innovative nuclear energy systems. In February 2010, the first workshop of the Dialogue Forum was held in cooperation with other programmes of the IAEA. The focus was on socio- and macroeconomic factors that influence decisions regarding deployment of nuclear systems; proven technology, i.e. technology in an innovative nuclear power plant system which should be proven or mature before it is included in a proposed design; and safety approaches for innovative nuclear systems. A second workshop, to be held in October 2010, will address institutional challenges of multilateral approaches to sustainable nuclear energy deployment. 5. INPRO in 2010 and Beyond In 2010, INPRO has grown from an initial 10 to 31 members, which represent 65% of the world population and 75% of the world s GDP. Several other countries have observer status as they consider membership or are participating on a working level. INPRO Members in 2010 Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States of America and the European Commission (EC) Initially concentrating on technological innovation, i.e. R&D, and a methodology to assess innovative nuclear energy systems against criteria for sustainability its main achievement to date the focus of INPRO has become much broader over the years. While INPRO continued to work on these two issues, it also addressed innovations in institutional arrangements, and has developed a dialogue between technology holders and technology users to identify primary areas where innovations are desirable. INPRO also initiated specific topical studies and finally, and most important, INPRO brought together the different existing and proposed national visions for a longer term future of nuclear energy and, to the extent possible, has sought to harmonize these visions so that the world can jointly build one nuclear future. 18

19 As the IAEA marks INPRO s 10 th anniversary during the 54 th meeting of the IAEA General Conference in September 2010, INPRO s achievements during its first decade are recognized by the IAEA through statements from Director General Yukiya Amano and Chairs of national nuclear energy commissions from INPRO Member States. A technical session with high-level participation of representatives from the INPRO community addresses the future of nuclear innovations and INPRO s role in the next decade. The results of this discussion, as well as the 16th meeting of the INPRO Steering Committee in November 2010 will be important events in charting the way forward for INPRO. The support and cooperation of Member States have been and will continue to be crucial in advancing sustainable nuclear development in the 21st century. 19