Nuclear power plants are used extensively as base load sources of electricity. This is the most economical and technically simple mode of operation. In this mode, power changes are limited to frequency regulation for grid stability purposes and shutdowns for safety purposes. However for...

Energy markets will be significantly different in the future. The electricity generation system is becoming more diverse with the development of energy-related technologies including renewable energy sources, storage technologies and demand-side management. Beyond the electricity sector, various...

Climate change will create specific risks and challenges for nuclear power plants and the electricity system as a whole. Extreme weather events caused by climate change – such as floods, storms, heat waves and droughts – have already affected the operation of nuclear power plants. Any...

Low-level radioactive waste (LLW) arises in the normal operation of nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities, as well as from the use of radioactive isotopes in medicine, industry and agriculture. This report sets out the costs of operating disposal sites for LLW in OECD countries, as well...

Les déchets radioactifs de faible activité sont issus de l'exploitation de routine des centrales nucléaires et des installations du cycle du combustible nucléaire ainsi que de l'utilisation des radio-isotopes en médecine, dans l'industrie et dans le secteur agricole. Ce rapport décrit les...

Pour des raisons pratiques, on mesure souvent les conséquences d'un accident de réacteur nucléaire en termes économiques. Pourtant, les chiffres actuellement disponibles frappent par leur disparité. C’est pourquoi l'AEN a créé un Groupe d'experts chargé d' étudier les méthodologies...

Irrespective of current views on the future of nuclear power programmes, concerns are arising with respect to the long-term ability to preserve safety competence because student enrolments in nuclear engineering are decreasing rapidly and experienced staff are reaching retirement age. "Assuring...

Safety assessments of disposal sites for radioactive waste involve analyses of potential releases of radionuclides from the disposed waste and subsequent transport to the human environment. An important stage of assessment is the identification and documentation of all the features, events and...

One of the challenges facing the continued availability of nuclear energy is that of ensuring the safe, environmentally acceptable and economic management of the waste generated during its production. There is a broad scientific and technical consensus that disposal of high-level, long-lived...

Isotopes, radioactive and stable, are used worldwide in various applications related to medical diagnosis or care, industry and scientific research. More than fifty countries have isotope production or separation facilities operated for domestic supply, and sometimes for international markets....