Members of the IAEA’s Standing Advisory Group on Nuclear Energy (SAGNE) have wrapped up two weeks of virtual meetings to review IAEA programmatic activities on nuclear power, fuel cycle, nuclear science and related topics. Based on the outcome of the discussions, SAGNE will provide advice to Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on how the Agency can further enhance its support to Member States in these areas.
Established in 2000, SAGNE is currently comprised of experts from 17 Member States. It meets annually and this year’s meeting was held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nuclear power faces its fair share of challenges, yet continues to expand globally,” Mr Grossi said in his prepared opening remarks to the first meeting session on 1 December. “This year has marked the arrival of two new operating countries, Belarus and the United Arab Emirates, while climate change mitigation, an area where nuclear power’s potential role is significant, is becoming ever-more central to national energy planning. In this context, advice and input from leading experts on nuclear energy is vital.”
The meeting, conducted in five videoconference sessions, included topical discussions on IAEA and Member State efforts to ensure the performance of nuclear facilities and activities during the pandemic; IAEA support and Member State experience in the management of high level waste and geological disposal of spent fuel; non-electric applications of nuclear power, including for hydrogen production, for decarbonizing the energy and other sectors; and nuclear fusion, including common challenges and lessons learned in nuclear fission and fusion technology development and deployment for energy production.
At the conclusion of the meeting on 17 December, SAGNE members briefed Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, and other Agency staff members on the status of their deliberations. SAGNE will make its specific findings and recommendations available to the Director General through a comprehensive report.
“I am convinced that SAGNE’s recommendations, based on the combined knowledge and experience from all members, will be beneficial to the Agency going forward,” said Per Lindell of Sweden, a senior nuclear power advisor who is the current Chair of SAGNE.
SAGNE members are appointed by the Director General and serve in their personal capacity. They are recognized senior experts in the area of nuclear power and research reactors, the nuclear fuel cycles, radioactive waste management, decommissioning, energy-environmental planning, nuclear fusion and nuclear science. They are drawn from governments, research and technological centres, academic institutions and the nuclear industry.
SAGNE is now in its seventh term (the 2019-2021 cycle), with its previous meeting held in May 2019. Its current membership includes experts from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Hungary, India, Japan, Jordan, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“In a field as dynamic and multifaceted as nuclear energy, ongoing collaboration with top scientific and technical experts around the world is indispensable,” Chudakov said. “The input provided by SAGNE members is crucial for helping us shape our priorities so that we can continue to deliver high quality, tailored support to our Member States.”
