OUTCOMES OF THE JAEA/IAEA WORKSHOP ON ADVANCED SAFEGUARDS TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE – A JAEA PERSPECTIVE

摘要

The JAEA/IAEA workshop was held on 13-16 Nov. 2007, at Tokai in Japan. In this international workshop, participants addressed issues and technologies associated with safeguarding the future nuclear fuel cycle. The 27 presentations were classified into three topical areas entitled “challenges for safeguards in the near future,” “advanced safeguards concepts and safeguards by design for the future nuclear fuel cycle,” and “new and novel safeguards technologies.” Approximately 130 participants representing 46 international public and private sector organizations, exchanged opinions about the three topics in the working groups. In the final sessions, working group moderators summarized their respective group discussion points and elicited suggestions on future directions. Summarizing the major outcomes of the workshop, participants suggested some specific activities that would assist the safeguards community meeting future challenges. Guidance for designers and operators on facility design features and measures that facilitate the implementation of international safeguards (“safeguards by design”) and a consideration of proliferation resistance, were identified as important points in advanced safeguards concepts. Although near-real time process data and information utilization become more important as alternatives for nuclear material accounting, authentication methods and data-handling technologies are simultaneously needed to be guaranteed. Various unattended monitoring and design verification instruments were proposed as realistic safeguards tools using radiation detection and laser technologies respectfully. Finally, it was remarked that education and training for next generation in safeguards field has a high priority. Following the successful outcome of this workshop, and as a result of the useful suggestions generated through having a wide representation from the nuclear community, JAEA proposed the convening of biannual workshops to further discuss needs in the context of future evolution of the nuclear fuel cycle and progress in development of suitable technologies that can be applied effectively for the IAEA safeguards.