Joint IAEA–GIF Workshop on the Safety of Non-Water Cooled Reactors

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) have jointly committed to collaborate between their respective programmes, and share information in selected areas of mutual interest. One of the key areas of focus for both the GIF and the IAEA is the safety of liquid metal cooled fast reactors (LMFRs) – including sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs) and lead cooled fast reactors (LFRs) – high temperature gas cooled reactors (HTGRs) and molten salt reactors (MSRs). A particularly important area of mutual interest is the harmonization of safety approaches, safety requirements, Safety Design Criteria (SDC) and Safety Design Guidelines (SDG) developed since 2011 within the GIF, as well as the applicability of IAEA safety standards for the next-generation of advanced non-water cooled reactors (NWCRs) under development worldwide.

Within the framework of this collaboration, building on the outcome of the previous thirteen IAEA-GIF meetings, the next joint IAEA-GIF workshop on the safety of NWCRs will focus on the safety of SFRs, LFRs, HTGRs and MSRs, supporting the development of an international repository of knowledge to enhance global understanding of the safety of these technologies, and to contribute to the future development of the IAEA safety standards.

The main objectives of this workshop are to:

• Share technical information on the development and implementation of GIF’s SDC and SDG, for SFRs, LFRs,  and VHTRs (very high temperature reactors);
• Share information on the application of IAEA design safety and safety assessment standards to SFRs, LFRs, HTGRs and MSRs;
• Share information on the safety approaches and on design solutions implemented in LMFRs and HTGRs in operation and under development for new LMFRs and HTGRs;
• Share experience on the safety approaches and on design solutions under development for MSRs;
• Share information on the risk-informed performance-based approach for design safety;
• Share experience in development of licensing frameworks and regulatory reviews for LMFRs, HTGRs and MSRs.

Topics

Topics to be discussed will include:

• Designers’ and regulators’/TSOs’ experience in the consideration of GIF’s SDC and SDG;
• Application of IAEA design safety and safety assessment standards to NWCRs, including the current program of work aimed at updating these standards;
• Relevant operating experience related to LMFRs, HTGRs and MSRs;
• Safety-related insights of the regulatory review of NWCRs;
• Safety aspects of LMFRs, HTGRs and MSRs (in operation, when applicable, as well as in the design phase), including:
  • The fulfilment of the fundamental safety functions;
  • The application of defense in depth;
  • Design extension conditions, including severe accidents;
  • The practical elimination of accident conditions;
  • Advanced manufacturing and qualification programmes for new materials;
  • Performance assessment and regulation of passive safety features;
  • Mechanistic source term (MST) assessment methodologies;
  • Safety-Security-Safeguards (3S) interfaces.
  • Experimental programmes supporting the validation of numerical computer codes for design safety and safety assessment.

Target Audience

The event is targeted at professionals from organizations involved in the design of nuclear power plants (NPPs), operating organizations, nuclear regulatory authorities, technical support organizations, and research institutions that are engaged in activities related to or in support of the development or the regulation of LMFR, HTGR and MSR designs.

The event is open to representatives of all Member States with an active nuclear power programme, including those from embarking countries in an advanced stage of their nuclear programme.

Key Deadlines

Participants are requested to submit their application via the inTouch+ platform to the competent national authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission to the IAEA or National Atomic Energy Authority) or organization for onward transmission to the IAEA by 28 March 2025, following the registration procedure in InTouch+.