The IAEA is strengthening its cooperation with institutions in Belarus, Russia and Europe in areas ranging from education to economic evaluations of nuclear power.
Separate agreements, known as Practical Arrangements, were signed at the IAEA’s Vienna headquarters last month with Belarus’s Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research–Sosny (JIPNR–Sosny), Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM and the European Nuclear Society (ENS).
“We welcome opportunities for enhanced cooperation with stakeholders in areas such as education, energy planning and fuel modelling, and these agreements will help us better serve their needs in a range of areas,” said IAEA Deputy Director General Mikhail Chudakov, Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy. “We look forward to productive collaboration and to continuing to develop robust solutions.”
The agreement with JIPNR–Sosny foresees cooperation in nuclear science and technology, with an emphasis on utilizing critical facilities located at the Belarusian institute. Experimental data generated at JIPNR–Sosny can be used for various R&D activities such as fuel modelling and advanced reactor core simulations.
The agreement with the ENS, focused on educating and training specialists as well as knowledge management, builds on previous work between the IAEA and the Brussels-based institution. For example, ENS representatives serve on the Programme Committee for the International Conference on Nuclear Knowledge Management and Human Resources Development, to be held next year in Moscow. Under the agreement, ENS will identify specialists for possible participation in IAEA missions related to knowledge management.
The economics of nuclear power is the focus of the agreement with ROSATOM. In particular, the arrangement will facilitate the close collaboration of experts in developing methods for cost analysis and economic evaluation related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.
The IAEA has several energy planning tools available for use by experts. These include the Model for Financial Analysis of Electric Sector Expansion Plans (FINPLAN) and the Model for Energy Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental Impact (MESSAGE).
