The nuclear industry must stand ready to meet the challenge of supplying the growing demand for low carbon electricity that must result from the forthcoming COP 21 climate change negotiations in Paris.
This Expanded Summary will provide readers with explanations of what factors are affecting the growth of nuclear power, what new concepts were introduced in the 19th edition, and what developments the industry may require between now and 2040.
In 2018, the ICRP launched a pre-consultation, inviting its Special Liaison Organisations (SLOs), including World Nuclear Association, to comment on the draft update of ICRP Publications 109 and 111, developed by the ICRP Task Group nº 93. We have taken note of the changes between the different drafts, and we welcome this opportunity to provide further comments on the draft report “Radiological Protection of the People and the Environment in the Event of a Large Nuclear Accident”.
Policy and regulatory steps are increasingly being taken to enhance the role of the financial system in the transition towards low-carbon and sustainable economies. The ongoing evolution of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria presents both opportunities and risks to the nuclear industry.
World Nuclear Association programme leads for Supply Chain and Safety & Licensing, participated in the Nucleareurope - IAEA joint event on developing a sustainable nuclear supply chain for near deployment reactors (10-12 December).
Non-Linear Analysis Design Rules
Part 2a Specification of Benchmarks on Nozzles under Pressure, Thermal and Piping Loads
In 2022 nuclear energy supplied around 10% of the world’s electricity, and around one quarter of all low-carbon clean electricity.
World Nuclear Association’s projections for nuclear generating capacity growth have been revised upwards for the first time in eight years, following the introduction of more favourable policies in a number of countries.
Sustained and coordinated investment in the global nuclear supply chain is needed, concludes The World Nuclear Supply Chain Report 2023.
The importance of nuclear energy for the transition towards a clean and affordable energy system is being highlighted at the 24th World Energy Congress, taking place this week in Abu Dhabi.
World Nuclear Association welcomes the decision of the European Council not to exclude nuclear projects from being eligible for sustainable finance grants.
As world leaders meet at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York this week, and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publish new reports, Agneta Rising, Director General of World Nuclear Association, stresses that nuclear power is the “unsung hero” in global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Environmental and ethical aspects of radioactive waste management.
Read our highlights from May to find out where we were and how we’ve been helping drive the global nuclear agenda forward.
There has been more than 40 years of experience in applying international radiation safety regulations at uranium mines. Uranium mining companies have taken steps to reduce radiation doses wherever and whenever they can.
If we are going to stand any chance of combatting climate change and keeping global temperature increases to 1.5oC and at the same time provide reliable and affordable electricity to all that will need it, we are going to need nuclear energy.
Mineral Sands Appendix to NORM Information Paper ( March 2008 ) Australia and Africa are major producers of mineral sands containing titanium minerals and zircon. A by-product of this is monazite containing thorium, which is radioactive. Monazite is a minor constituent of many mineral sands deposits
Natural sources account for most of the radiation we all receive each year. Up to a quarter originates mainly from medical procedures.
During the course of a safety system test being carried out just before a routine maintenance outage, Chernobyl 4 was destroyed as a result of a power transient on 26 April 1986.
The health effects of the Chernobyl accident have been the subject of extensive study by health professionals and unprecedented speculation and exaggeration by parts of the media. This Appendix summarises two authoritative and expert assessments of the situation, and provides links to two others.
World Nuclear Association has released a new White Paper outlining why nuclear projects should be part of the economic and employment recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new publication highlights how nuclear technologies contribute to addressing issues such as eliminating hunger, improving health, providing access to affordable and clean energy, generating decent work and economic growth, and mobilizing climate action.
The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. Two Chernobyl plant workers died on the night of the accident, and a further 28 people died within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation poisoning.
In 2024, nuclear reactors supplied more electricity than ever before. World Nuclear Performance Report 2025 charts this record milestone and demonstrates nuclear’s endurance as part of a clean and resilient global energy mix.
Most low-level radioactive waste is typically sent to land-based disposal immediately following its packaging. Many long-term waste management options have been investigated worldwide which seek to provide publicly acceptable, safe, and environmentally sound solutions to the management of intermediate-level waste and high-level radioactive waste.
Thorium is more abundant in nature than uranium. It is fertile rather than fissile, and can be used in conjunction with fissile material as nuclear fuel. The use of thorium as a new primary energy source has been a tantalizing prospect for many years.
The publication today of The World Nuclear Supply Chain Outlook 2040 provides a market-oriented review of the opportunities and challenges for nuclear power plants and their supply chain, including scenarios for the evolution of nuclear energy over the next two decades.
Radioactive materials which occur naturally and where human activities increase the exposure of people to ionising radiation are known by the acronym 'NORM'. NORM results from activities such as burning coal, making and using fertilisers, oil and gas production.
Over one-third of the energy produced in most nuclear power plants comes from plutonium. It is created there as a by-product. Plutonium has occurred naturally, but except for trace quantities it is not now found in the Earth's crust.
The strong growth of nuclear generation in China is one of the features discussed in the World Nuclear Performance Report 2018 – Asia Edition, which wa launched at the Singapore International Energy Week conference.
More than 9 GWe of new nuclear capacity came online in 2016, the largest annual increase for over 25 years and global nuclear generation rose for the fourth successive year. However, if nuclear is going to make a full contribution to future clean electricity supply, action is needed in three key areas: establishing a level playing field in electricity markets; building harmonized regulatory processes; and creating an effective safety paradigm.
These are the conclusions of the World Nuclear Performance Report 2017, which is published today.
World Nuclear Association launches a special update to its 2017 World Nuclear Performance Report focusing on developments in Asia.
This report is the first in the series on Defence-in-Depth and Diversity, and builds upon the work carried out in the series of reports on Safety Classification for I&C Systems in Nuclear Power Plants
The World Nuclear Performance Report 2018 has been published. Worldwide nuclear generation in 2017 increased for the fifth successive year, reaching 2,506 TWh. Nuclear power reactor availability improved, achieving a mean average capacity factor of 81%.
World Nuclear Association launches a special update to its 2016 World Nuclear Performance Report focusing on developments in Asia.
British scientists were preeminent in the development of nuclear energy through to the early 1940s and a domestic nuclear industry grew to provide up to one third of electricity before starting to gradually retire. Now the country is working to build a new wave of power plants.
Nuclear security relates to the prevention and detection of, and response to, theft, sabotage, unauthorized access and illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving nuclear material and other radioactive substances and their associated facilities.
The latest edition of the World Nuclear Performance Report has been published. The world’s nuclear reactors made a growing contribution to supplying clean and reliable electricity in 2018.
Worldwide nuclear generation in 2018 increased for the sixth successive year, reaching 2563 TWh. This is more than 10% of global electricity demand.
The performance of the world’s nuclear reactors in 2020 are set out in World Nuclear Association Performance Report 2021, which was published 1 September 2021.
In most respects the environmental aspects of a uranium mine are the same as those of other metalliferous mining. Most uranium mines in Australia and Canada have ISO 14001 certification. The uranium itself has a very low level of radioactivity, comparable with granite.
During the course of a safety system test being carried out just before a routine maintenance outage, Chernobyl 4 was destroyed as a result of a power transient on 26 April 1986.
The accident at Chernobyl was the product of a lack of safety culture. The reactor design was poor from the point of view of safety and unforgiving for the operators, both of which provoked a dangerous operating state.
Over 300 industry leaders, policymakers, and technical experts met in Montreal, Canada for World Nuclear Fuel Cycle (WNFC) 2025 conference, held from April 8–10.
2024 has been an extraordinary year for nuclear energy in the news, with the Association providing input to top tier media outlets.
This Strategic Plan outlines the scope of activity and direction of the Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL) Working Group during the next five-year period.
Statement on the need for a robust basis for changes to radiological protection recommendations.
Most of the current fleet of reactors in the UK is due to retire by 2030. Construction has commenced on the first of a new generation of plants.
The World Nuclear Association has developed an internationally standardized reporting tool to understand the sustainable development performance of uranium mining and processing sites.
As cyberspace has opened up the electronic transmission of information and data a shift in the focus of export controls on cross-border transfer of nuclear technology is called for.
Australia's Electricity (appendix to: Australia's Uranium, and nuclear power prospects). Australia is heavily dependent on coal for electricity, more so than any other developed country except Denmark and Greece. About 80% is derived from coal.
Global nuclear generation capacity is set to grow from today's 379 GWe to 552 GWe by 2035, according to the reference scenario of the World Nuclear Association Nuclear Fuel Report.
Trade in nuclear fuel materials and services takes place between producers and consumers spread across a range of countries worldwide. To carry out such trade efficiently often requires that quantities of nuclear materials are exchanged, or ‘swapped’.
A supplement to the CORDEL report “Design Knowledge and Design Change Management in the Operation of Nuclear Fleets”
This report describes the key risks facing those who are looking to build new nuclear plants and then demonstrates that a good structure is essential for project success.
World Nuclear Association has today published a new White Paper calling upon policymakers and regulators to adopt a science-based, all-hazards risk assessment and management system that holistically evaluates the contributions of different energy sources and sets a level playing field.
The world will need significantly increased energy supply in the next 30 years, especially cleanly-generated electricity. Electricity demand is increasing much more rapidly than overall energy use.
"Asia needs nuclear energy to meet its economic, energy and environmental goals" according to Agneta Rising, Director General of World Nuclear Association, speaking at the Sustainable Energy Technology Asia 2018 conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
The UK’s new energy security strategy, announced today, puts new nuclear build at the heart of a package of measures designed to improve energy security, provide affordable energy and deliver a net-zero energy mix
World Nuclear Association and The Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science and Technology at The University of the West Indies formalized a strategic partnership to donate Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century by Ian Hore-Lacy to selected secondary schools across Jamaica.
This report, written by CORDEL's Design Change Management Task Force explores design licensing and design change management procedures in the civil aviation industry.
World Nuclear Association launches its report providing key metrics on nuclear power plant performance and reviewing recent developments in the global nuclear industry.
More governments must introduce policies to support the long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear plants to maximise the environmental, employment and economic benefits they bring. This is the conclusion of a new technical position paperissued by World Nuclear Association's Long-term Operation Task Force.
This report looks at the various issues (positive and negative) that could arise in the licensing process for SMRs, applying the CORDEL concept of a standardized design approval process.
Classification of structures, systems and components (SSC) acts as part of the defence in depth approach as an essential task in the overall life cycle of a nuclear power plant. The classification of SSCs specifies their importance to safety, according to the consequences of their failure to perform when required.
World Nuclear Association is proud to announce the inaugural World Nuclear Supply Chain Conference, set to take place at the Crowne Plaza Warsaw – The Hub, Poland, May 20-21, 2025.
The World Nuclear Performance Report 2019 Asia Edition shows that nuclear energy in Asia is meeting the growing demand for electricity, whilst helping to tackle air pollution and climate change. The report, published by World Nuclear Association, was launched on 30 October 2019 at Singapore International Energy Week.
Electricity demand is growing. The key question is how electricity should be produced now and in the years to come. Nuclear is currently the world's second largest source of low-carbon power, is quickly scalable, and provides numerous benefits to people and the planet.
Treatment and conditioning processes are used to convert radioactive waste materials into a form that is suitable for its subsequent management.
The European Union College of Commissioners finally adopted a Complementary Delegated Act that recognizes the important contribution nuclear energy can make towards decarbonization.
Better access to financing mechanisms and other policy shifts required for the large-scale expansion of nuclear energy were outlined when the International Atomic Energy Agency made its first-of-a-kind contribution to the G20 policy-making process.
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The operating lifetime of a nuclear plant spans several decades. During this time, the plant may undergo design changes as a result of experience feedback, new knowledge or requirements, and safety reviews.
The report of the South Australia Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission has fundamentally changed the nature of the global nuclear waste discourse.
Two atomic bombs made from uranium-235 and plutonium-239 were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively early in August 1945. The atmospheric testing of some 545 nuclear weapons continued up to 1963.
Find out how nuclear technologies can contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In this report, the World Nuclear Association maps the strategic export control landscape and identifies examples of good practice by suppliers and export control authorities.
The global effort to decarbonize energy supplies, increase energy security and sovereignty, and plans to deploy SMRs has led to significant increases in projections for future nuclear capacity.
In 2021, the ICRP initiated the revision of the general recommendations of the system of Radiation Protection, and part of it will focus on dose quantities. The recently published ICRP Publication 147 and ICRU Report 95 have described the extent of the proposed modifications and paved the way for the strategy to be adopted. These revisions would seek to simplify, improve the accuracy and extend the field of use of dose quantities. While the Radiological Protection Working Group (RPWG) of the World Nuclear Association (WNA) recognises the notable improvement in the estimation of the protection quantities and the usefulness of such changes for the medical and research sector, the benefits of the proposed new system seem very limited for the nuclear industry and industries involving naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). The complexity associated with changing a long standing and robust system and the risk incurred by the human factor seem unjustified bearing in mind the likely cost.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook (WEO), shows an increased recognition for nuclear energy in their Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) scenario, the most ambitious aiming to limit global warming to 1.5°C. At the same time, this trajectory to keep the goals of the Paris Agreement within reach, still underestimates the potential of nuclear energy to meet climate, energy security and sustainable development goals.
Nuclear generation reached a near-record high in 2019, with output reaching 2657 TWh, enough to meet more than 10% of the world’s electricity demand, according to the World Nuclear Association Performance Report 2020, which was published today.
Nuclear power not only remains a competitive source of low-carbon generation, but also its environmental and energy security advantages are being increasingly recognized.
The current fleet of nuclear reactors runs primarily on uranium fuel enriched up to 5% uranium-235 (U-235). High-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) is defined as uranium enriched to greater than 5% and less than 20% U-235. Applications for HALEU are today limited to research reactors and medical isotope production. However, HALEU will be needed for many advanced power reactor fuels, and more than half of the small modular reactor (SMR) designs in development.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for nuclear energy to receive “clear and consistent policy support for existing and new capacity, including clean energy incentive schemes for development of nuclear alongside other clean forms of energy.”
Global nuclear electricity generation rose to 2602 TWh in 2023, up from 2544 TWh in 2022, providing 9% of the world’s electricity—second only to hydropower among clean energy sources.
Four topics from World Nuclear Association’s January Working Groups for the industry to take forward in 2025
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) has today launched a series of policy briefs that examine nuclear energy’s role in the post-pandemic economic recovery.
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A letter sent to Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, President, COP26 from Dr Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General, World Nuclear Association
A letter sent to Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, President, COP26 from Dr Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General, World Nuclear Association
Germany's Energiewende (energy transition) is a national program to change to a renewable-dominated energy system and phase out nuclear power. The government has estimated that the total cost of this could reach €1 trillion.