World Nuclear Association Update

 

The Board of Management of World Nuclear Association (WNA), the trade association representing the global nuclear industry, today announced the appointment of its new Director General, Agneta Rising, effective 1 January 2013. Ms. Rising will succeed current Director General, John Ritch.

Agneta Rising joins the World Nuclear Association having previously held the position of Vice President Environment at Vattenfall AB. In this post Ms. Rising headed a pan-European department focused on energy, environment and sustainability. Previously, Ms. Rising was Director for Nuclear Business Development at Vattenfall Generation.

Ms. Rising joined Vattenfall AB (then Swedish State Power Board) in 1980. Her career there centered on radiological protection. Within the Vattenfall Group, Rising was the leading specialist on nuclear energy and the environment.

Agneta Rising became chairman of the Uranium Institute in May 2000, and presided over its transformation into the World Nuclear Association in 2001.

Ms. Rising is co-founder and former president of Women in Nuclear (WIN). During her WIN presidency, the organization quadrupled in size. Ms. Rising has also been president of the European Nuclear Society and president of the Swedish Nuclear Society.

Over the past two decades, Agneta Rising has been appointed by the Swedish government, the EU Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency to several significant expert and advisory positions relevant to the safety and future development of nuclear power. Among these, Ms. Rising served for four years on the IAEA’s International Nuclear Safety Group.

Earlier this year during meetings of the WNA Board in Helsinki, John Ritch gave notice of his resignation from the position of Director General. John Ritch became the first Director General of the World Nuclear Association in 2001, having established the association on the foundations of the Uranium Institute, itself established in London in 1975 as a forum on the market for nuclear fuel.

Mr. Ritch has overseen the development of the World Nuclear Association, developing a truly global organization geared to perform a full range of international roles to support the nuclear industry.

Tim Gitzel, WNA Chairman said: “I’m delighted that Agneta Rising has been appointed Director General of WNA. Her wealth of experience will ensure that the WNA continues to grow in its vital role of communicating the multiple benefits of nuclear energy and providing the best value to its members.”

“I would like to thank John for his dedication in establishing the World Nuclear Association as a leading voice of the global nuclear industry.”

 

 
WNA is pleased to welcome three new members who have joined our association recently.

 

Nucleonix Systems Private Limited is engaged in design, development, manufacturing and supplying of nuclear radiation measuring & allied instrumentation.

 

Kalva Engineers aims to be a one stop shop for global non-destructive testing for infrastructure, green field projects, oil companies and research organizations in India and worldwide.

 

Trivis Inc. provides comprehensive consulting, engineering, design, and construction for a range of electric power generation and power delivery services.

 

 

 
Registration has opened for the 37th Annual WNA Symposium and special discounts are available to those who book before 3 August. Those wishing to attend can register via this link.

 

The WNA Symposium is the nuclear industry’s premier event – an annual conference attended by over 700 leaders and specialists from more than 30 countries. The Symposium brings together the nuclear industry and its major stakeholders to discuss topics ranging from the nuclear fuel market to the practicalities of building new nuclear power plants.

Global electricity demand continues to grow rapidly, driven above all by Asian economic growth. Nuclear is seen as an indispensable part of the generating mix in a number of major countries. China, South Korea and India are seeking to secure and to diversify their energy supplies, with increasing use of nuclear energy.

For these plans to be realised, the nuclear industry will need to deliver on time and on budget. This remains arguably the greatest challenge for utilities, reactor vendors and the nuclear supply chain. It will also present a challenge for fuel cycle participants seeking to meet new demand. All this must be achieved in the face of ever greater scrutiny and regulatory demands. In some countries, nuclear will also have to contend with government policy skewed to assist competitor technologies that themselves will increase nuclear operating difficulties. The Symposium will focus on the ways in which the industry will meet these challenges.

The WNU Radiation Technology School has got off to a great start in Daejeon, South Korea. Hosted by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Korea Radioisotope Association, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co and supported by the IAEA and the World Council on Isotopes, the school runs until 1 June.

Forty fellows from 19 countries, seen with their mentors in the photo below, heard on their first day from IAEA Deputy Director General – Daud Mohamad - about his organisation’s work in this field. There was also a forward-looking presentation from ANSTO’s Professor Richard Banati covering everything from the use of nuclear technologies in diagnosing mental illnesses to determining the effect of plastic waste on the oceans.

 

 

Nuclear technologies play a vital role in many areas other than just power generation. More can be found out in WNA's Info Papers on Radioisotopes in Medicine and Radioisotopes in Industry. 

The Call for Presentations for the 37th Annual WNA Symposium is now out, with an 18th May deadline for submissions. The WNA Symposium is the nuclear industry’s premier event – an annual conference attended by over 700 leaders and specialists from more than 30 countries. The Symposium brings together the nuclear industry and its major stakeholders to discuss topics ranging from the nuclear fuel market to the practicalities of building new nuclear power plants. 

The topics we are particularly looking to cover include, but will not be limited to:

• From mining to fabrication: the key issues for fuel supply in meeting growth.
• Adjusting to lower secondary supplies with the end of the US/Russia HEU Agreement.
• Keeping on track with waste management, decommissions and disposal.
• How the global supply chain can assist national industries to benefit from nuclear investments.
• Tried and tested: the challenges for our existing reactors.
• On budget, on time and on line: successfully implementing new build.
• Policy, technology and society: the challenges of future energy supply.

We welcome presentations on these and other topics from industry experts and external specialists. We particularly encourage proposals from professionals in emerging nuclear countries and from younger specialists.

Submitting a Proposal

Proposals for Presentations must be submitted in the form of an abstract by 18 May 2012 using this online form.

Ian Emsley participated in the IAEA expert group convened to formulate high and low projections for global nuclear capacity to 2050. The group met in Vienna between 22-27th April and the work will be published in August.

The global projections reflect those generated for individual countries which are based principally on reactors that are planned or under construction and reactors that are expected to be retired in the period to 2030. Projections for 2030-2050 are based on expected electricity requirements, stated government objectives, past performance and technical capacity. The apparent consequences of Fukushima have been incorporated into the projections but the full consequences will not be known for many years.

WNA's Julian Kelly participated in the OECD/NEA Expert Group on Reactor Fuel Performance (EGRFP). The expert group is under the guidence  of Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems (WPRS), which in turn is under the guidance of the OECD Nuclear Science Committee (NSC). 

The EGRFP covers the technical issues including reactor-based plutonium disposition, and the International Fuel Performance Experiments database. 

More details can be found on their website at http://www.oecd-nea.org/science/wprs/index.html.

 

Two World Nuclear University short courses were held in Brazil recently, in WNU short courses in Rio de Janeiro and at the Angra Nuclear Power Plant. 

A team of experts gave presentations on the topics of World Energy; Nuclear Economics; Project Structuring & Financing; Technology Selection; Nuclear Fuel (including trade and transport issues); Responses to Fukushima; Nuclear Politics & Public Acceptance. ABDAN, the national Brazilian nuclear association, helped organise the courses. 

 

  

 

There was a very good response from the delegates at both of the courses.  

More details on the various courses on offer can be found on the WNU website.

Over 250 delegates attended the first WNA India International Nuclear Symposium in New Delhi in February. The event was a great success and we thank all the delegates for their participation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A full programme of presentations was mixed with networking opportunities.

 

 

 

 

A selection of photos from the conference is available on WNA's flickr page.

 

The third annual Nuclear Power Asia conference opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on January 31. The World Nuclear Association is the official partner of the conference. 

Delegates heard an overview of the Fukushima accident and lessons learned so far from Kimitoshi Yahagi, General Manager of Nuclear Power & Plant Siting Administrative Department, TEPCO, followed by the Keynote session moderated by WNA Deputy Director General Steve Kidd.
 

 

The WNA stand proves popular with delegates at Nuclear Power Asia 2012