Around the Regulatory Information Conference 2024 organized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), held in Washington from March 12 to 14, and attended by over 3,000 people and representatives from some 50 countries, the Director General held meetings with the Institute's key partners in nuclear safety, radiation protection and health research in the United States.

With the NRC, exchanges on issues relating to safety passive systems (IRSN's PASTIS program), material degradation and the development of thermal-hydraulic and severe accident calculation codes, have consolidated our already long-standing safety research cooperation, which started 50 years ago. The NRC also expressed the wish to strengthen its coordination with the Institute in the field of emergency preparedness and response, particularly in view of the hazards threatening Ukrainian nuclear facilities. Furthermore, the rapidly developing field of Artificial Intelligence, both for use by operators and for expert appraisal, gave rise to a progress report (IRSN, NRC and the German GRS) and a workshop under the aegis of the IAEA.

With the Department of Energy (DOE), the principle of enhanced collaboration on experimentation relating to fuel safety in the TREAT reactor was endorsed, as well as on safety criticality experiments at the Nevada National Security Site test center, in addition to the research IRSN and NNSA are already carrying out together as part of the NCSP (National Criticality Safety Program).

IRSN close cooperation with the National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) on emergency preparedness and response has also been confirmed and major areas for progress have been defined.

Finally, in the field of health, the Director of the NIH/NIAID (National Institutes of Health / Allergy and Infectious Diseases) and the Director General have agreed to increase interactions between the two institutes in the field of research to improve medical response to radiological and nuclear emergencies, including those caused by malicious acts (emergency dosimetry, diagnostics and medical countermeasures).

The convergence of views and joint projects with the NRC, as well as with the DOE and NNSA, are key elements of IRSN international research and emergency response partnerships, and has been further strengthened by these discussions.

IRSN and the ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) have just signed a new collaboration agreement for the next two years.

The ICRP is an international organization that drafts and publishes recommendations aimed at improving the radiation protection of people (the public, workers, patients) and the environment, in all its dimensions (dosimetry, health risk assessment, etc.). These recommendations are mainly based on the most recent research findings, and represent an important foundation on which the vast majority of national and international radiation protection regulations are based.

Since its creation, IRSN has played an active role in the ICRP's discussions and recommendations. Seven of the Institute's experts currently sit on the ICRP's main commission and 4 technical committees, in addition to numerous thematic working groups.

To coincide with the visit to France of members of the ICRP's Main Commission, a seminar will be held tomorrow in Fontenay-aux-Roses to discuss the future of radiation protection (see information below). Indeed, after the publication of the document Keeping the ICRP recommendations fit for purpose in 2021 (below the French version translated in 2022 by IRSN), the ICRP is committed to a review and revision of the radiological protection system, culminating in the updating of the general recommendations published in 2007 (ICRP publication 103). 

Workshop on the Future of Radiological Protection
Open to all, registration required (face-to-face and online)
March 19, 2024 - 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
IRSN Auditorium in Fontenay-aux-Roses or online

Consult the french version of the ICRP publication: Maintenir les recommandations de la CIPR adaptées aux besoins (2022) 

Mr Masanori KOGUCHI, President of JAEA, paid a short visit to IRSN on Tuesday November 28, 2023, accompanied by his advisor, Mr Kiyoshi ONO, Executive Advisor to the President, and the Director of JAEA-Paris office, Mr Tsutomu IRIE. The meeting provided an opportunity for technical exchanges on JAEA-IRSN cooperation.

Mr. Koguchi tells us more about this cooperation.

Q1. What is JAEA?

JAEA is a national nuclear research and development institute of Japan with a history of almost 70 years. We have conducted wide range of R&D from basic research to the development of advanced reactors and decommissioning of nuclear facilities.
Nuclear energy, along with renewable energy, is recognized as promising energy source to achieve a decarbonized society. JAEA have just started new initiatives in accordance with this major direction. In particular, we would like to work in innovative areas in the future, such as the pursuit of synergies with renewable energy and the sustainability of nuclear power itself.

Q2. How long have you been cooperating with IRSN?

IRSN and JAEA have been cooperating for 20 years with playing a role of providing technical support to the regulatory authorities respectively, and we have worked together to exchange the information and personnel in the field of safety for light water reactors, fast reactors, and the nuclear fuel cycle. In the situation nuclear power will be expected to be utilized in wider areas, I hope the relationship of both parties will be improving.

Q3. What is the major topic at the moment for cooperation between the two organizations?

We must pay attention to reduce the risks which are very unique to nuclear energy itself by taking such measures as reinforcement of accident tolerance and resistance, radiation protection, and nuclear safety and security.

I believe that the possibility of more intensive cooperation between IRSN and JAEA should be crucial. And now, we currently focus on information exchange or personnel exchange, however, in the future, we look forward to further collaboration in other forms like joint research on the reinforcement of accident tolerance and nuclear security (including safety).