World Nuclear Association Highlights Industry Collaboration at IAEA Transport Conference
World Nuclear Association showcased industry leadership and cross‑sector collaboration at the IAEA’s International Conference on Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Material, held in Vienna from 23–27 March 2026.
The Association brought the point of view of the nuclear industry, and in particular the nuclear transport sector, into the conference programme through the contributions of Allarakha Vora, Programme Lead – Fuel Cycle, who served on the Programme Committee, reviewed technical papers, and co‑chaired technical sessions across the week. His involvement brought into the event’s strong focus on practical industry experience and collaborative approach to enhancing the global nuclear and radioactive material transport system.
The Strategic Importance of Nuclear and Radioactive Material Transport
Every year, around 15 million packages of radioactive materials move across roads, railways, air routes, and shipping lanes, supporting medicine, industry, agriculture, and clean energy. For more than six decades, the global nuclear transport community has delivered an extraordinary record of safety, security, and reliability—an achievement unmatched in any sector operating so visibly in the public domain. Therefore Safe, secure, and reliable nuclear and radioactive material transport is fundamental to enabling countries to sustain their energy needs, economies, support human health and development, and meet climate related goals.
Nuclear transport is a mature system built on robust international standards, rigorous regulatory oversight, and continuous knowledge-sharing, with an exemplary safety performance underpinned by world‑leading standards such as the IAEA’s SSR‑6, one of the most harmonised and rigorously applied regulatory frameworks in the world. This success reflects not only the technical excellence of package designers, operators, carriers, and regulators, but also the industry’s unique culture of discipline, transparency, and international cooperation. This track record provides a strong foundation and positions the sector to meet the far greater scale and complexity ahead as the world moves toward tripling nuclear capacity by 2050.
As well as expanding transport activity, this will require an increase in capability to handle more complex and diverse cargoes—including advanced fuels such as HALEU and TRISO as well as recycled fuels, and even full reactors (fuelled and unfuelled). This evolution will necessitate the development of new packaging solutions, as well as their safety reviews and regulatory approvals. It will also require the establishment of new transport routes through emerging nuclear markets, supported by investment in infrastructure, workforce development, and international collaboration to ensure that the same high standards of safety, security, and reliability are maintained worldwide.
Industry Leadership
In the conference’s opening plenary, World Nuclear Association’s Director General, Sama Bilbao y León, also emphasized the need for renewed international cooperation to overcome persistent delays and denials of shipment. World Nuclear Association spearheaded the efforts for the establishment of the Denial of Shipment Working Group at IAEA in 2023, and has worked together with World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI), International Irradiation Association (IIA), Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals (CORAR), International Source Suppliers and Producers Association (ISSPA), Nuclear Energy Institute, Edlow International, and Nordion to support financially the work of the WG. Among the Working Group's notable achievements, Director General Bilbao y Leon highlighted the appointment of 72 National Focal Points, who serve as national coordinators to facilitate communication and support the resolution of denial or delay cases.
To increase awareness on the issue, the IAEA has developed a dedicated webpage on Facilitation Of Safe And Secure Transport Of Radioactive Material. To address the Denial of Shipment issue in a sustainable and forward-looking manner, and to build on the momentum achieved to date, a group of interested Member States—including , France and Italy, are leading the development of a Joint Statement on the Facilitation of the Safe and Secure Transport of Radioactive Material, with support from IAEA and World Nuclear Association. The Joint Statement aims to reinforce practical cooperation through the designation of National Focal Points, information on their roles and responsibilities, and enhanced provisions for awareness-raising and training. Together, these elements are intended to strengthen communication channels and enable timelier and coordinated responses when instances of denial or delay arise.
A dedicated panel on the safe and secure transport of small modular reactors (SMRs) featured King Lee, Head of Policy and Industry Engagement, who underscored the Association’s active role within the IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI). The Association’s work through the CORDEL working group and report on Different Interpretations of Regulatory Requirements, demonstrates how divergent national approaches to fundamental safety standards continue to slow the deployment of reactor designs licensed outside their country of origin, effectively turning Nth‑of‑a‑Kind projects back into First‑of‑a‑Kind efforts.
World Nuclear Association will continue to work closely with the IAEA and international partners and contributing industry expertise to international dialogues shaping the next generation of nuclear transport frameworks. Ensuring safe, secure, and reliable transport is fundamental to the future growth of nuclear energy worldwide.
