At its fifteenth Biennial General Meeting (BGM), held in London, United Kingdom from 20-22 October 2019, members of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) convened to discuss the challenges the industry faces over the coming years, under the conference theme of '30 years of WANO: Generating a Safer Future Together'.
Corporate leadership, the support required for new entrants and units to start up safely and on time, how to maintain a safe and reliable workforce, industry innovations, and a young generation perspective of the next 30 years of the nuclear industry, were the key issues discussed during the meeting. It was attended by 450 senior representatives from the WANO membership and other industry organisations.
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 . A new 30th anniversary video showcasing highlights from WANO’s history was played for the first time at the event.
WANO Chief Executive Officer, Peter Prozesky, commented: “At the conference, delegates have reflected on WANO’s anniversary and its excellent work and contribution to enhancing nuclear safety and reliability over the past 30 years. There were also fruitful discussions on how the Association should evolve in supporting its members over the next thirty years. Delegates have reaffirmed their commitment to WANO, and the high levels of engagement at the event reinforces the industry's ongoing commitment to the highest possible safety standards and to continuously improve performance. In the coming years, we will work with the industry to refine our services and help our members strive for ever higher levels of safety and reliability."
During the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Monday 21 October, the membership voted in Dr. Nikolai Sorokin, Deputy Director General – Inspector General of Rosenergoatom, as incoming WANO President. Mr Sorokin invited the delegates to the next WANO BGM, which will take place in 2021 in Prague, Czech Republic.
At a special dinner, this year's nine winners of the industry's prestigious Nuclear Excellence Awards were recognised for their career-long dedication to nuclear safety.
In closing the conference, the WANO Chairman, Tom Mitchell, remarked: “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. We will refine our services to deliver greater value for our members to achieve our mutually shared goals. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Peter Prozesky for all his hard work during his tenure, as this is his last BGM as WANO CEO. I would like to thank him for his service to WANO, and we all wish him well for his retirement.”