Any operator or owner of a nuclear power plant or nuclear fuel reprocessing facility, and any non-governmental organisation that has an important impact on nuclear safety, can apply for membership of WANO. Membership is voluntary and members must affiliate with at least one or more of WANO’s regional centres. However, affiliation with multiple regional centres is allowed.
The categories of WANO membership are:
Category 1 members have voting rights in WANO General Meetings. They are operating companies, plant owners or organisations that have been authorised by one or more nuclear power plants or reprocessing facilities to represent them within WANO.
Category 2 members are operating companies that have chosen to be represented by another member within WANO. For instance, all American nuclear operators are represented within WANO by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and all Japanese operators are represented by the Japanese Nuclear Operators (JNO).
Category 3 members are organisations with an ownership stake in a nuclear facility, but do not officially represent the operating company, or organisations with a non-regulatory nuclear safety mission compatible with WANO’s own mission. The China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) is a Category 3 member of WANO, with primary affiliation to London, and secondary affiliation to each regional centre.
Category 4 members are all the Regional Centres of WANO.
Category 5 members are an emerging organisation throughout the tendering, licensing, construction and commissioning phase of their first new nuclear power plant. Category 5 members will transfer to either Category 1 or 2 at the time of pouring of first nuclear concrete on the nuclear island.
Annual fees are paid to the WANO London Office for basic membership and access to WANO’s secure, member website. Fees are also paid to their affiliated regional centre(s) for services provided by the regional centre(s).