WANO and EDF working together at Nuclear Safety Symposium
Event Report
Vol 24 No 2 2018
15 July 2016
Gavin Greene, Editor, Inside WANO
Delegates representing 78 organisations from around the world gathered in London in April to share their expertise and experience in nuclear safety and security. They attended the second Nuclear Safety Symposium hosted by EDF Energy and EDF with the support of the WANO. The event was opened by EDF Energy Chief Executive, Vincent de Rivaz, and follows the success of the first symposium held in Paris in 2014.
The Symposium is a demonstration of WANO's mission of maximising the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide by working together to assess, benchmark and improve performance through mutual support, exchange of information and emulation of best practice.
Leaders from across the global nuclear industry participated, representing electricity generators, regulators, government, stakeholders and supply chain partners involved in the designing, building, operating, maintaining and decommissioning of nuclear power plants.
The issues covered at the Symposium included the growing importance of nuclear energy to meet the demand for reliable low carbon electricity, the new build renaissance, and the safe life extension of existing plants.
Opening the event, Vincent de Rivaz said: "Safety and security are our overriding and enduring priorities as an industry. Together we show how the nuclear industry shares experience across borders and companies to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon and WANO clearly plays a critical role.
"Nuclear operators need to anticipate new safety concerns such as terrorism and cyber security. The digital revolution has also changed the way that people talk and debate with one another, which has impacts for openness and transparency. Cooperation across our industry, companies and borders continues to be paramount in addressing and anticipating risks and opportunities.
Jacques Régaldo, Chairman of WANO, remarked: "Many important topics have been discussed and it is essential, in a time of great change and debate about nuclear energy, to take this opportunity for an open exchange of views. The topics discussed reflect the challenges facing the nuclear world today; new projects aimed at newcomers to the industry, the challenges facing ageing plants, a growing need for information and transparency, and the difficult economic conditions faced by many countries.
"WANO's role is not to promote nuclear energy but to stay focused on nuclear safety fundamentals. Relying on a strong, united and vigilant community, WANO's mission is to raise safety standards in operation all over the world. The global community of operators remains untiringly committed to this mission."