The CORDEL Working Group’s mission is to promote the standardization of nuclear reactor designs.

This can be achieved only by the development of a worldwide nuclear regulatory environment, where internationally accepted standardized reactor designs, certified and approved by a recognized competent authority in the country of origin, can be widely deployed without major design changes due to national regulations.

In practice, this would mean that generic design certification and safety evaluations approved by a recognized competent authority in the country of origin would be acceptable in other countries without the need to duplicate or repeat the entire design certification process. 

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The Mechanical Codes and Standards Task Force (MCSTF) of the CORDEL Working Group principally collaborates with the Standards Development Organizations Convergence Board (SDO CB) and the  Codes and Standards Working Group  under the Committee of Nuclear Regulatory Activities of the OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency. As of 2022, the MCSTF holds the technical secretary role of the SDO CB enabling it to better coordinate standardization work. 

Currently, the MCSTF is jointly leading the code comparison work within the IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative to produce a database of leading national nuclear mechanical codes and standards and how their scopes align or differ.  

The Task Force, currently on hold, contributes to work to facilitate the sharing of design change information on common nuclear power plant designs among different utilities, owners groups, and international organizations, and to maintain a dialogue with WANO and the IAEA on the responsibilities of operators on how they manage their fleets and cooperate internationally to keep a high degree of standardization. 

The Task Force works across several key areas of I&C including defence-in-depth and diversity, safety classification, comparison on international standards, and the use of Field-Programable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and software reliability. The Task Force cooperates closely with OECD/NEA CNRA-WGDIC as well as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) communities.

This Task Force actively contributes to the IAEA Nuclear Safety Standards Committee (NUSSC), providing consolidated industry inputs and feedback. The Task Force closely collaborate with ENISS and EUR to avoid duplication.

The Task Force benchmarks leading practices regarding regulatory design review and licensing and promotes innovation leading to more efficient licensing processes. The task force often works in cooperation with other task forces to address specific licensing challenges across the scope of CORDEL activities.  

The Group promotes application of the CORDEL model to global SMR deployment, presenting and discussing it at relevant international fora, such as the IAEA SMR Regulators’ Forum and INPRO.  

The Task Force, in conjunction with the Licensing and Permitting Task Force, develops proposals for more innovative and efficient licensing of SMRs through looking at topics, such as in-factory certification of modules; inherent safety features and passive safety system capability justification; changes needed in the regulatory/licensing framework for non-LWR/advanced reactors; security approaches, non-proliferation issues; and emergency planning zones. 

This Group covers an important range of topics relating to the economics, law and financing of nuclear facilities, notably new nuclear power plants, for both developed or developing countries.  

The group explores the economics, the capital costs and competitiveness of nuclear energy in the overall generating mix. This includes considering the socio-economic benefits and life-cycle analyses and comparing of low-carbon electricity generation. The Group also studies energy and electricity markets that recognise and support nuclear energy for its benefit and cost effectiveness of the overall electricity system. 

This Group also raises awareness of the legal issues and developments affecting the global nuclear industry amongst the membership of the Association, as well as to provide a forum to the members’ legal representatives to discuss global issues; such as development on nuclear liability and insurance.  

The Working Group aims to seek to engage and influence the financial community, to increase awareness and value proposition of investing in nuclear energy.  

The Group has developed mutually beneficial relationships with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) as well as with other relevant stakeholders and has supported the Harmony programme on projects with UNECE and ASEAN.  

The Working Group monitors trends in waste management and decommissioning strategies on both the international and local level, and seeks to establish a consensus for a more effective system of decommissioning. The Group promotes resource efficiency through the appropriate re-use and recycling of material, and the safe long-term disposal of radioactive wastes from nuclear sites as prescribed in national regulation. Additionally, it cooperates with other Working Groups on topics of mutual interest, such as the radiological protection of workers during decommissioning, or regarding multinational repositories. 
 
Following its Methodological guide for managing waste from decommissioning published in 2019, the Working Group has recently focused on circular economy, and on the alignment of regulations to SMR deployment. 

The WG covers various strategic, technical and economic aspects of decommissioning and associated material and waste management.  

The outcomes of the WG are actively promoted internationally through conferences and technical papers in which the WG members are involved.  

The Group is regularly represented and actively contributes to various international organisations and technical committees such as the IAEA’s International Radioactive Waste Technical Committee (WATEC), the IAEA’s Status and Trends in Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Management report steering committee, and the NEA’s Working Parties and Committees. 

The ESG (Environmental Social Governance) Working Group provides a forum to gather information on global ESG developments and to share and promote good sustainability practices in the nuclear industry. The Working Group aims to engage with the international ESG community and key international sustainability initiatives and stakeholders to address specific issues and barriers to nuclear energy inclusion in ESG frameworks. This includes climate and sustainability standards (such as the ISSB international disclosure standards), as well as sustainability taxonomies and green bond frameworks. The ESG working group also leads the review and update of Association’s sustainability documents such as Sustaining Global Best Practices in Uranium Mining and Processing Principles and the associated Sustainable Development Performance of Uranium Mining and Processing Sites.  

Published since the 1970s, The Nuclear Fuel Report: Global Scenarios for Demand and Supply Availability compiles data from confidential surveys, international agencies and other public sources to produce an authoritative projection of global nuclear fuel supply and demand. This report is used by governments, industry, the finance community and multilateral organizations to develop forecasts and policies. Member experts of the Fuel Report Working Group cooperate on the elaboration of the report through six sub-groups. Each sub-group focuses on the different areas of the fuel cycle and has ownership of their respective chapters. The latest edition of the report was published in September 2023. 

Analyzes future conversion supply capacities versus demand in this concentrated segment of the fuel cycle.

Agrees on three projection-based scenarios (Lower, Reference, Upper) for estimating the future nuclear capacity out to a specified time horizon and the main assumptions (e.g. load factors) affecting future requirements. 

Discusses classification of existing mines, projects under development, and anticipated uranium supply.

Examines key trends and the contributions of various sources of secondary supplies.  

Focuses on key questions affecting this area of the fuel cycle including: supply-demand balance, underfeeding, tails re-enrichment, various trade issues. 

Discusses this dynamic part of the fuel market, analyzing future prospects and the impacts of new developments on the fuel cycle as a whole.

The International Network for Safety Assurance of Fuel Cycle Industries or INSAF transferred to become a World Nuclear Association Working Group in 2018. The mission of the Group is to exchange safety-related information in order to maintain and develop safety at nuclear fuel cycle facilities. It also encompasses informing the wider nuclear industry about safety relating to fuel cycle facilities, providing assurance to stakeholders, and input in the development of global nuclear safety standards. Areas of focus for INSAF are: safety regulation; safety design; safety control; training; accident/event information; support systems between members in the event of an accident; public acceptance.

The Members’ Forum provides an update on the overall programme of work of the Association, including key initiatives within the Working Groups, and offers an opportunity for members to provide feedback. This Forum also hosts presentations on industry issues that are of general interest across all Working Groups.

The Group advocates scientifically-based policies and practices supported by industry experience to provide sufficient protection to the worker, public and the environment. It channels the global industry’s voice on radiological protection (RP) questions as it interfaces with institutions, such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Radiation Safety Standards Committee (RASSC).  
 
The Group will continue to engage with radiological protection professionals and international institutions in 2024 through the presentation of technical subjects at the 16th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association on Radiation Harmonization: Standing United for Protection. The RPWG will also continue to promote the position of the nuclear industry on some of the most discussed topics within the Radiation Protection community through the publication of position and technical papers. 

The Group shares expertise and good practice in the field of nuclear security. It establishes the industry view on nuclear security matters with international stakeholders. It supports the Association’s efforts to foster public confidence in the nuclear industry in the areas of security and the securing of materials under industry control. 
  
The Group supports the role of the IAEA in marshalling international cooperation in nuclear security and in publishing consensus recommendations which reflect current best practice. The Group is represented on the Nuclear Security Guidance Committee, which is responsible for developing IAEA recommendations on security. 
  
The Group is developing positions and recommendations on a number of topics including: mitigating insider threats; cybersecurity; the security of Small Modular Reactors; the safety-security interface and culture; security oversight as part of good corporate governance; and maintaining security within the supply chain. 

Other activities include: facilitating industry collaboration within international security related events and conferences; supporting development of professional development and capacity building in nuclear security; and collaborating with international stakeholders on common projects.  

Members can access the recently developed Security Briefs within the members site. 

The Group’s mission is to enable a competitive and resilient supply chain in delivering worldwide nuclear new build and long-term operations. Activities are focussed on enabling a successful business environment to industrialize new nuclear technologies; manufacturing, supply equipment and services; deploy and construct nuclear power plants and deliver their long term operation.  

The group supports the development of the periodic Supply Chain Outlook Report which consolidates key data, analysis and recommendations. It provides a market-oriented review of the opportunities and challenges for nuclear power plants and their supply chain. 

Activities include: monitoring and identifying market trends; sharing of best practice for supply chain strategies; developing industry guidance for cost-competitive, consistent and efficient nuclear plant construction and refurbishments; and exploring the balance of both global and local supply chains driving the industry into new market segments and partnerships, and encouraging the development of supportive mechanisms for product quality assurance and continuous performance improvement.  

The Group exchanges regularly with international stakeholders on industrial developments including with the OECD/NEA’sCNRA Working Group on Supply Chain (WGSUP), IAEA Supply Chain Management activities, World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), regional nuclear associations and Nuclear Quality Standard Association (NQSA). 

The group also produces other relevant reports such as Lesson-learning in Nuclear Construction Projects and Countering Counterfeit, Fraudulent and Suspect Items in the Nuclear Supply Chain.

This Group is a forum for communicating industry developments, exchanging leading practice, and for identifying and resolving issues relating to the shipment of nuclear material. The primary focus of the Group is to address commercial topics relating to the transport of front-end nuclear materials. 

The Group has spearheaded efforts to measure and raise awareness of challenges relating to the denial of shipments of radioactive material. This has helped lead to the creation of an IAEA Working Group on Denials of Shipments, which will run 2023 to 2026. The Group has also held an active dialogue with the insurance industry with a view to increasing policy options for members.  

The Group enjoys strong reciprocal relations with the World Nuclear Transport Institute.

The mission of this Group is to shape industry positions with a view to engaging in the international debate on sustainable management strategies for the back end of the fuel cycle. The Group also acts as a forum for experts to share good practices and major developments in used fuel management and nuclear waste management.  

This Group represents the global nuclear industry in other working groups and international events focusing on used fuel management and fuel cycle options such as the IAEA’s Technical Working Group on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options.

How can the nuclear industry ensure that we have qualified, experienced people to design, regulate, build, commission, operate, manage and decommission nuclear facilities safely and securely for the long term?

The purpose of the Working Group is to bring together the relevant industry experts, providing a collaborative forum to identify strategies and best practices to attract, develop and retain human capacity and leadership in the nuclear sector. This forum will provide a collaborative environment for our members to work together on: 
 

• Identifying and addressing skills gaps:
  • What challenges are we currently facing and how will these change with the different scenarios for nuclear?
  • How are the global, regional and national skills markets developing, and what are the possible pain points over the immediate, medium and long terms?
  • What sort of people will be needed – what skills, capacities and values do we need in our organisations?
  • How can global initiatives help meet the changing workforce and leadership demands of the global industry?
     
•  Sharing successful strategies for building a resilient nuclear workforce, including talent attraction and diversity, equity and inclusion strategies from within the sector and other industries 
   
• Implementing effective retention, development and succession planning strategies, touching on the role of organisational and leadership culture on employee motivation and employee engagement, successful strategies in developing in-house and external development opportunities and the role of the international nuclear community in developing and retaining talent 
   
• Ensuring a robust and proactive workforce and leadership pipeline, including: What might good nuclear leadership look like from an industry perspective? What are the needs of the industry for the short, medium and long term and what employee development strategies can be implemented at an organisational and global level to create the workforce and leaders that will be needed?

The Working Group will engage with international bodies working in this space, and support the development of relevant requirements and best practices which may impact upon the industry. 

The Communication Group shares new ideas and best practice for communication activities that help disseminate key messages to the wider industry and beyond. The group also provides support for specific projects identified as priorities for the Association. Its members are communication experts from member companies and invited representatives from other nuclear energy associations. 

The Cooperation Forum for Nuclear Technology Associations consists of 21 national and international nuclear industry associations who signed the Industry Statement to the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons held in New York on 1 – 26 August 2022. It was the first time that the nuclear industry had the opportunity to highlight the importance of the third pillar of the NPT (peaceful uses) and to showcase that nuclear technologies make an essential contribution to protecting our climate, as well as improving health and well-being for humanity, and the economic welfare of the world. 

During the first meeting of the forum some opportunities to cooperate and coordinate were suggested such as radiological protection, transport, recruitment & retention of diverse talent, outreach & communication and other areas. 

The mission of the DG Advisory Council is to study long term opportunities and challenges faced by the nuclear industry, and to provide advice and recommendations to the Association’s management on any significant emerging issue affecting the industry.  The Advisory Council gathers member company representatives who are well positioned to conduct broad analyses of the worldwide nuclear industry, and provides a forum for the Director General to exchange views on how to position the Association in addressing issues faced by the global industry, and how to further the promotion of nuclear as an essential source to accelerate a just global energy transition to net zero. 

There is significant interest and gathering momentum for the use of nuclear energy – for example through the use of industrial heat and deployment of microreactors – in the fields of petro-chemicals, steel production, IT and data centres, mining, transport, and synthetic fuel manufacturing. The panel brings together potential new end users and industry members to explore and support the development of nuclear power in these new sectors. The panel also aims to increase awareness of the wider application of nuclear energy beyond large-scale electricity production. 

Although the nuclear industry is continuously implementing improvements in plant operations, project management, and the wider fuel cycle, it has developed a reputation for being slow to change. And certainly, the strong regulatory environment in which the industry operates often challenges the speed and the effectiveness with which some new ideas and technologies can be commercialized.  Fortunately, a wave of innovation is sweeping the global nuclear sector.