IRSN at the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2024

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Introduction
At the invitation of Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA), IRSN's Director General, Dr. Jean-Christophe Niel attended the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) on October 21, 23 and 24, 2024.

At the invitation of Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA), IRSN's Director General, Dr. Jean-Christophe Niel attended the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) on October 21, 23 and 24, 2024.

SIEW is an annual platform for energy professionals, decision-makers and commentators to share best practices and solutions in the global energy space.

His speeches highlighted the safety issues associated with the development of nuclear energy in Asia, promoted our scientific and technical expertise, and underlined the quality of our bilateral cooperation with the National University of Singapore.

Following a presentation by R. Grossi, DG IAEA, J-C Niel took part in the plenary session devoted to low-carbon technologies. Regarding the development of nuclear technologies, in particular SMRs, he stressed the importance of ensuring a high level of nuclear safety and managing the risks associated with these technologies. In the case of SMRs, which have characteristics favourable to nuclear safety (small size, passive safety systems), he stressed that this safety had to be demonstrated, showing the need to pursue research, develop human resources and engage in dialogue with the public. To meet these objectives, international cooperation constitutes an indispensable tool.

IRSN at the SIEW 2024
Plenary session devoted to low-carbon technologies, SIEW 2024

IRSN’s Director General participated also in the SIEW TechTable on October 23, dedicated to the the topic of “Ensuring Nuclear Innovation with Robust Nuclear Safety and Risk Management”. He will be able to highlight ways of supporting innovation in nuclear technologies in terms of safety, giving an insight into the role of technical safety organizations (TSOs) in supporting regulatory authorities and other stakeholders. He also stressed the importance of mobilizing science-based collective intelligence through international research collaborations, to improve the safety of nuclear installations.

On October 24, he finally intervened in the “Building Trust and Confidence in Nuclear Technology” session of the SIEW ThinkTank RoundTable, where he will share IRSN's experiences in opening up to society.

On October 24, the Director General concluded his mission to Singapore with a meeting with Mrs. Minh-Di Tang, French Ambassador to Singapore.

Jean-Christophe Niel, SIEW 2024
Jean-Christophe Niel, plenary session devoted to low-carbon technologies, SIEW 2024
Thème
Nuclear safety
Institutional

First steering committee meeting for the joint lab NUS-SNRSI/IRSN

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Introduction
A Joint Laboratory agreement between the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative of the National University of Singapore (NUS-SNRSI) and IRSN was signed on May 2. Under the terms of the agreement, the laboratory will be governed by a steering committee.

The first steering committee meeting was held on October 22, 2024 in Singapore, in the presence of IRSN Director General Jean-Christophe Niel. The committee comprises Diane Tiong, Christelle Chua and Garvin Mak for NUS-SNRSI, and Jean-Michel Bonnet, Olivier Marchand, Marc Gleizes and Marilyne Tombette for IRSN. It will be chaired by Marc Gleizes for the first two years.

A Joint Laboratory agreement between the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative of the National University of Singapore (NUS-SNRSI) and IRSN was signed on May 2. Under the terms of the agreement, the laboratory will be governed by a steering committee.

The joint laboratory director, Prof. Keng Yeow Chung, director of NUS-SNRSI, and its deputy director Jacqueline Garnier-Laplace, Scientific Coordinator of the European Radiation Protection Strategy of IRSN, presented an overview of activities for 2024, the work program for 2025 and the outlook for 2026 concerning the laboratory's three research themes of radiochemistry, radiobiology and safety of SMRs.

Julie-Anne Zambaux from IRSN also took the opportunity to share feedback from her 6-month secondment to NUS-SNRSI on the development of ASTEC for SMRs. Moreover, the teams regularly exchange on scientific topics of common interest, as demonstrated by IRSN's specialists Azza Habibi and Gaëtan Gruel’s remote presentations.

IRSN members of the steering committee also enjoyed a visit of the NUS-SNRSI facilities at their newly constructed building. 

This meeting marks a new stage in the long-term collaboration that IRSN and NUS-SNRSI have experienced and maintained for the past 10 years.

Thème
Nuclear safety
Research

A qualification report for the CRISTAL package made available to the international community

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Introduction
For the first time, IRSN, in partnership with CEA, ORANO and FRAMATOME, is making validation data from the CRISTAL simulation software package available to the scientific community.

For the first time, IRSN, in partnership with CEA, ORANO and FRAMATOME, is making validation data from the CRISTAL simulation software package available to the scientific community. This software, used by French manufacturers, makes possible carrying out neutron calculations in order to prevent a criticality accident in nuclear installations in the fuel cycle and in the transport of nuclear materials. Its validation is crucial to accurately estimate the available margins and control the criticality risk. The CRISTAL validation report presents the discrepancies between the CRISTAL results and available experiments.

 

CRISTAL: the French software suite for carrying out safety-criticality studies

Criticality safety calculations purpose is to study the most suitable, needed, and sufficient measures to prevent the initiating of a chain reaction when handling fissile materials in fuel cycle installations and during the transport of nuclear materials. The study of safety conditions consists of verifying, through calculation, that the restrictions imposed on the criticality control parameters make the system subcritical, in order words, that the effective multiplication factor keff remains strictly lower to 1, with sufficient safety margins.

Read the report

For further information

The CRISTAL form
The NEA page of the form

Thème
Nuclear safety

Earthquake: SMATCH, restitution of the first phase of the benchmark

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Introduction
In 2019, the Le Teil earthquake led to the shutdown of the Cruas nuclear power plant's operating reactors. At the initiative of IRSN and EDF, and under the aegis of the OECD, an international benchmark called SMATCH was launched in 2022.

In 2019, the Le Teil earthquake led to the shutdown of the Cruas nuclear power plant's operating reactors. At the initiative of IRSN and EDF, and under the aegis of the OECD, an international benchmark called SMATCH was launched in 2022.

The aim of this benchmark is to identify, in the case of the Le Teil seismic scenario, the best practices for predicting surface movement and its propagation in the reactor building - whose rafters are seismically supported - by comparison with measurements obtained during the earthquake. To date, 34 teams from 17 countries on 5 continents (Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa) have signed up, including academics, industrialists, design offices and TSOs.

The first phase of the benchmark is devoted to determining seismic motion. A special session at the SMiRT 27 conference - International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology - to be held in Yokohama, Japan, from March 3 to 8, 2024, will be devoted to presenting the results of this first phase. This will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging technical and scientific exchanges not only between the participants, but also with the entire interested community, in order to draw the first lessons to be learned.

It was also announced at SMiRT 27 that the next international conference will be held in Lyon in August 2027. The next conference will be chaired by Irmela Zentner (EDF). Benjamin Richard, head of the LMAPS laboratory at IRSN, will chair the international scientific committee.

 

Further information

Thème
Nuclear safety

Strengthening relations between IRSN and its Czech counterparts

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Introduction
IRSN Director General Jean-Christophe Niel visited the Czech Republic from February 5 to 7, 2024 to meet with various Czech partners.

IRSN Director General Jean-Christophe Niel visited the Czech Republic from February 5 to 7, 2024 to meet with various Czech partners. The main aim of the visit, which focused on nuclear safety research and exchanges on new collaboration opportunities, was to strengthen our relations with nuclear safety organizations in the Czech Republic. The IRSN delegation was accompanied by Felix Buttin.

J.C. Niel met with the President of the Czech Safety Authority (SUJB) Dana Drabova and her safety director Stepan Kochanek, to discuss technical topics of common interest (SMR safety, fuel safety, etc.).
The Director General held a second meeting with the delegation from SURO (Czech TSO counterpart), including Mr Luboš Pelikán, Deputy Director for Nuclear Safety, and Mr Miroslav Hrehor, his predecessor. Discussions focused mainly on calculation codes, safety and radiation protection research, passive systems (PASTIS) and its activities within the ETSON network.

A meeting with Lukas Vondrovic, Director of SURAO, the state-run radioactive waste management agency, addressed the challenges of research into waste disposal safety, communication with civil society and training needs.

Finally, an exchange with the UJV Rez and CV Rez team chaired by UJV REZ Director Mr. Daniel Jiřička and CVR REZ Director Patrik Milan and a visit to their LR0 research reactor rounded off the trip to the Czech Republic. IRSN and these two Czech organizations discussed nuclear safety research issues (reactor lifetime extension, fuels, severe accidents) and in particular the use of ASTEC software.

This visit enabled the Director General of IRSN and his Czech counterparts to share their views on technical and scientific issues of common interest in nuclear safety, and to discuss new avenues for cooperation, particularly in research.

Thème
Nuclear safety
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