Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Related Databases


Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information Systems (NFCIS)

Responsible Officer: Mehmet CEYHAN

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (NFCIS) is a computerized database designed to provide information on civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities worldwide.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began development of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System (NFCIS) in 1980s. The NFCIS is an international directory of civilian nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The purpose of this database is to provide Member States and the IAEA, with current, consistent, and readily accessible information on existing and planned nuclear fuel cycle facilities throughout the world.

The NFCIS contains information on facilities such as: uranium ore processing, recovery of uranium from phosphoric acid, uranium refining, conversion and enrichment, uranium and mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication, wet and dry away-from-reactor spent fuel storage, reprocessing, heavy water production, production of Zircaloy and Zircaloy tubing fabrication.

The information is obtained from authoritative published sources and through questionnaires sent to IAEA Member States (1980, 1987, 1992, 1994, 1999 and annualy starting from 2004). It was published as STI/PUB/794 in 1988 and STI/PUB/978 in 1996. Currently, NFCIS contains information on more than 600 facilities in 52 countries.

In order to provide comprehensive information on the nuclear fuel cycle industry, non-operational facilities are included in the database in addition to the operational nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The term 'non-operational facilities' refers to facilities under study, under construction, awaiting licensing, planned, standby, closed or decommissioned, cancelled projects, deferred projects and facilities of unknown status. In addition to commercial facilities, information on some laboratory, test scale and pilot plant facilities is also provided to illustrate research and developments in the field.

The publications on this database are:

On the Internet

http://www-nfcis.iaea.org.
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System, 1988 Edition The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System, 1996 Edition
Nuclear Power and Fuel Cycle: Status and Trends, 1988 edition IAEA Yearbook 1997,
Nuclear Power, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Reactor Strategies: Adjusting to New Realities, 1997 Potential Vulnerabilities of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities to the year 2000 issue and measures to address them, 1999