The Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) provides a forum for radiation protection experts from utilities and national regulatory authorities to discuss, promote and co-ordinate international co-operative undertakings for the radiological protection of workers at nuclear power plants. ISOE is jointly sponsored by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

• New nuclear energy data released

  According to the latest official figures released today by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), nuclear power plants provided 21.6% of the electricity generated in OECD countries, as compared to 22.9% in 2006. This was despite record production at nuclear power plants in Finland, Hungary and the United States, which did not offset reduced output in France, Germany and Japan and plant closures in the Slovak Republic and the United Kingdom. Total nuclear electricity production was 2 172 TWh in 2007, about 3.6% less than the previous year.

  At the start of 2008, there were 346 nuclear units connected to the electricity grid in 17 OECD countries. Fourteen nuclear units representing a total capacity of 14.2 GWe are currently under construction in OECD countries: six are being built in the Republic of Korea, three in Japan, two in the Slovak Republic and one each in Finland, France and the United States. Firm commitments have been made for the construction of 13 more reactors, all in the OECD Pacific region. Once completed, the new units will add 31.2 GWe to OECD electricity grids. Twelve units are scheduled to be shut down before 2012: five in Germany, four in the United Kingdom, one in France, one in Japan and one in the Slovak Republic.

  Higher uranium prices have stimulated exploration and the re-evaluation of known resources, increasing the global uranium resource base by 15% between 2005 and 2007. Natural uranium production in OECD countries is lower than requirements and as in the past, the gap is being made up by imports and secondary sources. Plans to increase uranium enrichment capacity progressed during 2007 with the ongoing construction of new enrichment facilities in France and the United States.

  The figures and information above are drawn from the just-published 2008 edition of Nuclear Energy Data, more commonly known as the “Brown Book”, which gives an overview of the status of, and trends in, nuclear electricity generation and the fuel cycle in OECD countries. The 2008 edition extends its forecasts until 2030. The Brown Book is a widely recognised reference for nuclear energy data.
  

   

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  Nuclear Energy Data
  OECD, Paris, 2008 – ISBN 978-92-64-04796-9
  € 30, £ 21, US$ 46, ¥ 4 100

  Please quote the title and reference in any review.

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  This publication is available in a restricted area for accredited journalists on the NEA website. To obtain access to this area please contact the NEA with your full contact and affiliation details. Your request will usually be processed within one working day.

• OECD/NEA International Common-cause Data Exchange (ICDE) Project

  The NEA has just released a new report prepared in the context of the OECD/NEA International Common-cause Data Exchange (ICDE) Project. The ICDE Project was set up to collect and analyse operating data related to common-cause failures (CCF) that have the potential to affect several systems, including the safety systems, of a nuclear power plant. The project scope currently covers the key components of the main safety systems, selected because several probabilistic safety assessments have identified them as major risk contributors in the case of common-cause failures. The new project report examines the common-cause failures of level measurement components, which monitor the liquid level in safety-relevant vessels, tanks and piping.

• Nuclear regulators and the public
  In order to fulfill their responsibilities to inform the public about their role in contributing to nuclear safety, regulatory bodies face increasing communication needs. At the same time, good governance and efficiency in decision making by government authorities are increasingly dependant on public trust. These twin challenges have been addressed in the course of three NEA workshops on public communication held over the past decade. In a report now available, the lessons learnt from the three workshops, their influence on the development of different approaches to public communication in NEA member countries and proposals for future NEA work in this field are examined.
• Joint NEA/IAEA Group on Uranium

  The Joint NEA/IAEA Group on Uranium met on 16-17 June 2008 in Adelaide, Australia to begin preparations for the production of Uranium 2009: Resources, Production and Demand, the "Red Book". Meeting participants agreed the timing and the specific arrangements for collecting the data to be used in the next edition of the Red Book. Most delegates also participated in the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy International Conference on Uranium Mining on 18-19 June, which attracted over 400 industry and government participants.

• Energy Technology Perspectives
  The 2008 edition of the International Energy Agency's Energy Technology Perspectives includes a chapter provided by the NEA. The NEA's contribution sets out the current status of nuclear power generation (the techniques in use, the cost of generation, construction rates, education and training programmes) as well as future technology options and alternative uses of nuclear power.

• Attention: IAEA.org RSS Feed Has Moved to a New Location
  Attention, All Subscribers to the IAEA.org RSS Feed. We have moved and integrated all the site's newsfeeds into one central location. From this new page you will be able to subscribe to all other feeds the IAEA is offering, for example, job vacancies, IAEA meetings and publications. We urge you to update your subscription as soon as you can.