Also in this issue

The NEA bulletin lists new and updated material and is sent to registered users. It is also available as a rich site summary (RSS) feed.

New publications

Publications on sale can be ordered at the OECD bookshop: www.oecd.org/bookshop.

Nuclear Law Bulletin, No. 82
ISSN 0304-341X. 244 pages.
Annual subscription: � 106, US$ 137, £ 72, ¥ 15 300.

Disponible également en français :
Bulletin de droit nucléaire, n° 82
ISSN 0304-3428. 250 pages.
Abonnement annuel : � 106, US$ 137, £ 72, ¥ 15 300.

Chemical Thermodynamics of Thorium - Volume 11
ISBN 978-92-64-05667-1. 942 pages.
Price: � 175, US$ 248, £ 136, ¥ 26 200.

Free publications are available at www.nea.fr/html/pub/webpubs/. Paper copies may be requested by sending an e-mail to neapub@nea.fr.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - No. 10
The Role of Human and Organisational Factors in Nuclear Power Plant Modifications
ISBN 978-92-64-99064-7. 28 pages (850 kb).

Disponible également en français :
Avis techniques du CSIN - n° 10
Le rÎle des facteurs humains et organisationnels dans les modifications des centrales nucléaires
ISBN 978-92-64-99069-2. 28 pages (1Mb).

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Transition Scenario Studies
ISBN 978-92-64-99068-5. 124 pages (2.7 Mb)

Nuclear development

NEA Workshop on Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes

Recently, the international community has become increasingly concerned about shortages of the key radioisotope molybdenum-99, which is extensively employed in medical diagnostics via its product technetium-99m, and which represents about 80% of the world market for medical radioisotopes. Mo-99 is produced on an industrial scale by small research reactors. There are now only five of these supplying 95% of the worldâ??s needs, all of which are over 40 years old. Outages of these reactors and the downstream processing facilities have resulted in significant shortages as the half-life of Mo-99 (66 hours) means that it is not possible to stockpile supplies.

At the request of member governments, the NEA organised a workshop on
29-30 January which brought together key stakeholders from across the policy, production and health communities. The objectives of the workshop were to agree how shortages can be managed and what can be done to improve security of supply. Attendees came from 13 OECD countries, three non-member countries and a number of international organisations. A statement of conclusions from the chair, Luis Echávarri, NEA Director-General, can be found on the NEA website. The NEA Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy will also hold a policy debate on this subject at its next meeting in April.

Global Nuclear Fuel Supply Seminar

The NEA contributed to a Global Nuclear Fuel Supply Seminar organised by the Japanese Permanent Mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 26 January in Vienna, presenting a paper entitled "Current and Future Trends in Nuclear Fuel Supply", which was based on information provided in recent NEA publications. The NEA presentation was one of five made on existing nuclear fuel supply capacities and plans for expansion. The seminar was organised to provide technical information on the fuel cycle to member-state mission staff (around 150 attended) in support of the Japanese proposal: â??IAEA Standby Arrangements System for the Assurance of Nuclear Fuel Supplyâ?�.

Electricity Generation Cost (ECG) study

The Nuclear Development Division has begun working on a new edition of the EGC study: The Projected Costs of Generating Electricity - 2009 Update. The project, jointly undertaken with the International Energy Agency (IEA), will provide authoritative and up-to-date information on the costs of different power generation technologies including nuclear energy, coal, oil, gas and renewable energies. Member countries have indicated strong interest in the results of the study and the work is due for completion in early 2010.

Radioactive waste management

The NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee Regulatorsâ?? Forum (RWMC-RF) organised the first in a new series of workshops on the regulatory aspects of radioactive waste management, held in Tokyo on 20-22 January and hosted by the Government of Japan. The general purpose of the workshop was to address the question of transparent, proportionate and deliverable regulation for the long-term safety of geological disposal in as broad a fashion as possible. The workshop format was highly interactive, allowing participants to learn by exchanging experiences in small groups. The diversity of participants, including not only regulators but also implementers and academics, made for a rich exchange of experiences and viewpoints. The participants welcomed the innovative structure of the workshop, which will be continued in the future, the high quality of the supporting materials, which are also publicly available, the quality of the discussions, as well as the opportunity to learn about the Japanese waste management programme. The next workshop is scheduled to take place in the May-June 2010 time frame.

Data Bank

NEA Data Bank newsletter

Computer program services

New computer programs available

About the NEA

NEA membership consists of 28 OECD countries. The mission of the NEA is to assist its member countries in maintaining and further developing, through international co-operation, the scientific, technological and legal bases required for a safe, environmentally friendly and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The NEA also provides authoritative assessments and forges common understandings on key issues, as input to government decisions on nuclear energy policy and to broader OECD policy analyses in areas such as energy and sustainable development. The information, data and analyses it provides draw on one of the best international networks of technical experts.