Review of WANO's 2019 BGM

At WANO’s 2019 BGM in London, senior delegates discussed the challenges the industry faces over the coming years under the theme of '30 years of WANO: Generating a Safer Future Together'. Key topics included corporate leadership, the support required for new entrants and units, maintaining a safe and reliable workforce, industry innovations, and a young generation view of the next 30 years of the nuclear industry. It was attended by approximately 450 senior representatives from WANO members.

Susan Landahl of Exelon Generation provided a fascinating keynote into the importance of leadership in generating strong performance for nuclear power plants. The event also included a special 30th anniversary session, in which key individuals in the history of WANO were recognised with a special medal of honour in recognition of their significant contribution to nuclear safety worldwide. Those recognised included former Chairmen, Presidents and Managing Directors, as well as WANO’s ‘founding fathers’ - the late Lord Marshall of Goring, WANO’s first Chairman (whose medal was accepted by his widow, Ann, The Lady Marshall of Goring), Zack Pate, WANO Chairman Emeritus, and Nikolai Lukonin, the first President of WANO.
 
During the event, the membership voted Dr. Nikolai Sorokin, Deputy Director General – Inspector General of Rosenergoatom, as the next WANO President. Mr Sorokin invited the delegates to the next WANO BGM, which will take place in 2021 in Prague in the Czech Republic.

In his closing remarks, WANO Chairman, Tom Mitchell, commented: “I believe the discussions at this conference on our shared challenges, and what actions we need to take to solve them, will lay the foundation for us to enhance nuclear safety and reliability in the years ahead. I would also like to thank Peter Prozesky for all his hard work during his tenure, and we all wish him well for his retirement.”