Global nuclear industry leaders have agreed to work together with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency as the Group of Vienna to apply nuclear energy to addressing climate change and advancing sustainable development.

The European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency have extended a 2013 agreement to cooperate on nuclear safety. Their cooperation has already led to over one hundred nuclear safety review missions, environmental remediation at former uranium sites in Central Asia and more effective radioactive waste management in Africa.

The nuclear industry will need to achieve even closer coordination among licensees, regulators and suppliers to ensure its supply chain can efficiently meet the needs of buyers, according to participants in an event held by Foratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Some of the changes instigated to deal with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including remote working and the use of digital platforms, are here to stay.

Ostrovets 2 is at the hot test stage of commissioning and should begin generating electricity next year, Belarusian energy minister Viktor Karankevich said on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference yesterday. "Nuclear and radiation safety is an unconditional priority for our country, and we strictly adhere to it, developing cooperation with our international partners on the principles of openness and transparency," Karankevich stressed in a speech at Belarus' exhibition stand.

The Reactor Institute Delft at the Delft University of Technology, the operator of the Hoger Onderwijs research reactor in the Netherlands, has prioritised safety during implementation of significant refurbishment and modernisation of the facility, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts. The team also found areas requiring further enhancements, including the organisational structure and safety procedures and documentation.

World nuclear generating capacity will double to 792 GWe (net) by 2050 from 393 GWe in 2020 under the high case scenario of the International Atomic Energy Agency's latest projections. Compared with last year's high case projection of 715 GWe by 2050, the estimate has been revised up by just over 10%, marking the first time since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident the IAEA has revised its projections upwards.

Slovenské Elektrárne has strengthened operational safety at unit 3 of Slovakia's Mochovce nuclear power plant ahead of commercial operation, an expert team from the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded. The team said the plant management had made significant progress in addressing the findings of a previous IAEA review in 2019.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he yesterday had a "very short but very constructive" trip to Tehran. He said Iran had agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to service monitoring and surveillance equipment and replace the digital storage media in cameras at declared nuclear sites.

A team of International Atomic Energy Agency officials are in Japan to officially launch a multi-year review of the planned release of treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It is the IAEA's first mission as part of its review and monitoring assistance to support Japan before, during and after the discharge of treated water, which is expected to start in 2023.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts is conducting a mission to Lebanon to train national authorities and professionals in conducting non-destructive testing to examine the integrity of buildings affected in last year's port explosion in Beirut.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Organization for Standardization have renewed their commitment to continue working together. The organisations have been cooperating for the past 40 years in the development of international standards that ensure nuclear technology is used in a safe and secure manner.

Conditions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site have improved since a review in 2018, the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded following its fifth review of Japan's plans and activities to decommission the plant. The IAEA team of experts reviewed the current situation at the site and future plans in areas such as the removal of used fuel and the retrieval of fuel debris, radioactive waste, water and site management.