Powering progress with data

For 55 years, the IAEA’s Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) has been collecting, managing and disseminating official data and statistics on nuclear power reactors to ensure information transparency, reliability and accessibility for member countries and industry stakeholders. Its standardized and continuous data collection direct from official sources in 38 countries makes PRIS an invaluable tool for nuclear operating and decommissioning countries, as well as nuclear newcomers and international and non-governmental organizations.

PRIS data are used to support a variety of critical operational tasks as well as periodic reviews vital for safe, secure and reliable operation. For example, Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), an operator in Finland, uses PRIS reports to evaluate its reactors’ power history and operating experience, and prepares reports based on the findings to help optimize reactor efficiency.

The country nuclear power profiles (CNPPs), created in 1998 and completely revised in 2023, complement PRIS by providing comprehensive overviews of a country’s nuclear power infrastructure, policies and long-term development strategies.

The PRIS Statistics performance indicators system allows users to assess nuclear reactor efficiency, safety and reliability. It provides tools for comprehensive trend analyses and benchmarking, as well as statistical insights that help Member States optimize reactor performance. For instance, reports on unplanned outages help identify root causes such as equipment failures, allowing operators to learn from each other’s experiences. The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) uses PRIS to benchmark performance indicators and make routine comparisons with its operators’ information reports, improving data quality in both PRIS and WANO’s performance indicator systems.

“As countries increasingly turn to nuclear power to address climate change and energy security challenges, PRIS and the CNPP databases play a crucial role for our Member States in guiding their nuclear energy planning and programme monitoring,” said Shin Whan Kim, Head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Power Engineering Section. “They provide Member States with access to valuable lessons learned from past deployments, construction projects and operational experiences.” For example, experts from Paks II. Ltd. responsible for preparatory work on new nuclear power plant units in Hungary not only report on the progress of their own construction projects but also use PRIS data on reactors under construction worldwide. By analysing reported construction progress and lessons learned from other projects, they enhance planning, learn about potential challenges and implement best practices, ultimately improving efficiency and reducing uncertainties in the construction and commissioning of new units.

“Our company uses the PRIS database as a vital tool for benchmarking and performance analysis,” said Attila Hugyecz, Chief International Officer for Paks II. Ltd. “The database is an essential resource for our commitment to operational excellence and continuous improvement.”

For nations with established nuclear programmes, PRIS is an essential tool for optimizing plant operations. By leveraging its performance indicators and benchmarking data, operators can learn how to improve efficiency, reduce unplanned outages and plan for future technological upgrades. China’s Nuclear Power Operations Research Institute (NPRI), for example, uses PRIS to access global performance metrics, reliability trends and operational benchmarks, which help it develop and improve its own performance indicator system.

“NPRI has developed a nuclear power plant performance analysis tool platform using the PRIS database to help visualize reactor data and enhance performance,” said Hongxu Lu, an engineer at NPRI. “We have also used PRIS to support our efforts to better manage our data quality and ensure the consistency of the performance analysis tool platform.” As reactors age, PRIS helps with planning for long-term operations or transitioning from operation to decommissioning. Currently, 35 per cent of operational nuclear power capacity (136.4 gigawatts (electrical), 168 reactors) has been in operation for over 40 years. PRIS provides data on shutdown causes, decommissioning strategies, fuel management and project milestones, allowing countries to develop informed plans for transitioning from operation to decommissioning.

PRIS data is also used by numerous non-governmental organizations and international organizations to track reactor performance, construction and decommissioning status as well as global nuclear operating capacity and trends. For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change cited PRIS data in a 2022 report on climate change mitigation to support its findings that nuclear generation has increased in recent years, with nuclear power identified as an established technology that can help reduce emissions. The World Nuclear Association uses the PRIS database to populate its reactor dashboards and information library, and includes it in its publications on reactor performance, the nuclear supply chain and nuclear fuel.

As the IAEA continues to enhance PRIS, including with the most advanced data exploration and visualization tools, users will be able to conduct more in-depth analyses. By leveraging state-of-the-art analytics technologies, PRIS can further support countries in making informed decisions on nuclear power development, operational safety and efficiency, long-term operations and decommissioning strategies.

By continuously evolving and expanding its data collection capabilities, PRIS ensures that Member States have access to the critical information they need to ensure safe and efficient nuclear power plant operations and support nuclear power programme development.