Chair(s): |
Neil BLUNDELL, United Kingdom |
Secretary: |
Sangmin LEE (sangmin.lee@oecd-nea.org) |
---|---|---|---|
Vice-Chair(s): |
Frédéric LEDROIT, France Yawar FARAZ, United States | ||
Member(s): | All NEA member countries* | ||
Russia (Suspended*) | |||
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council. | |||
EU participation: |
The European Union (EU) takes part in the work of the NEA, in accordance with the NEA Statute and the Supplementary Protocol to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. | ||
Participant(s): |
India | ||
Observer(s)(International Organisation): |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) By agreement | ||
Date of creation: | 31 October 1976 | ||
End of mandate: | 31 December 2026 |
Mandate (Document reference):
Mandate (Document extract):
Extract from document NEA/SEN/SIN/FCS(2023)2
Background
The nuclear fuel cycle comprises a number of interrelated activities including uranium mining and milling; uranium refining and conversion to uranium hexafluoride; uranium enrichment; fuel fabrication and storage (including MOX fuel); spent fuel storage; spent fuel reprocessing; decommissioning of nuclear facilities; radioactive waste management and disposal options (including for spent fuel) and the research and demonstration facilities that support these activities.
Scope
The WGFCS addresses NEA activities related to safety aspects of fuel cycle facilities (FCF), and associated with the long and medium-term storing of spent fuel and high-level waste, as well as the safety impacts from the transportation of nuclear material. The scope does not include reactor operation and long-term management of radioactive waste that are covered in other NEA bodies.
Objective
The objective of the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety (WGFCS) is to further the understanding of relevant aspects of nuclear fuel cycle safety, from design to decommissioning in member countries. This also includes emerging safety challenges for the fuel cycle arising from design and operation of advanced and innovative nuclear technologies, including the ones used for small modular reactors.
In order to accomplish this objective, the Working Group shall:
Working Methods
The mode of operation of the WGFCS is based upon plenary meetings and an ongoing, project-oriented working programme. The programme of work of WGFCS will be approved by the CSNI. A Bureau including the Chair and two vice-Chairs will lead and organise the work of the WGFCS. The WGFCS will report to the CSNI Programme Review Group (CSNI PRG) at its meetings, and to CSNI at its plenary meetings, as requested. Additionally, the WGFCS: (i) will identify resources and schedules for its activities; (ii) will form task teams to work on specific projects and to organise workshops, as appropriate; and (iii) will annually review its work programme and the effectiveness of the programme.
To complete its tasks, the Working Group shall:
Membership
The WGFCS is comprised of representatives identified as senior experts in nuclear fuel cycle safety, typically from nuclear regulatory authorities, technical support organisations (TSOs), industry or academia.
Delegates from non-member partner countries (participants or invitees) may also attend WGAMA meetings (according to the Global Relations Strategic Directions of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy).
Interactions
The WGFCS will co-ordinate its work with relevant CSNI WGs and in particular with WGFS, WGHOF, WGRISK.: Co-operation with other NEA bodies will be actively pursued, as appropriate, e.g. with subsidiary bodies of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) working on fuel issues (i.e. Expert Group on Reactor Fuel Performance or EGRFP) and working on criticality safety (i.e. Working Party on Criticality Safety).
The NEA has established Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with a number of organisations such as the CANDU Owners Group (COG), Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) to promote international collaboration, particularly in the area of nuclear safety. Accordingly, representatives from these organisations can be invited to participate in the activities of the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety, consistent with the MOUs, to coordinate their work and to avoid unnecessary duplication.
The NEA provides a framework for establishing joint safety research projects, and the CSNI expects that the WGFCS will promote technical exchanges by creating opportunities with relevant projects, and provide technical support as appropriate.
Deliverables
The deliverables of the WGFCS are technical reports, proceedings of seminars or workshops, final summary reports from joint projects, state-of-the-art reports, and technical or collective opinion papers. These deliverables shall be approved by the CSNI.