Nuclear power stakeholders have an 'intergenerational responsibility' to share knowledge of safety management and research and development, according to the deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yury Sokolov.
Speaking at the International Conference on Knowledge Management for Nuclear Facilities in Vienna, Austria, on 18 June, Sokolov stressed the importance of uniting an industry he says is currently 'globally imbalanced'.
He says variations in government budgets, demographic gaps in the professional workforce, non-uniform increases in nuclear applications and past unawareness of the importance of systematically managing nuclear knowledge are all affecting how the industry will meet growing demands.
"The rapid growth in global energy demand is putting a premium on all energy sources... and the sustained nuclear safety and productivity records over the past 20 years have made nuclear operating costs relatively low and stable," Sokolov says.
"[But] unfortunately, the present status of nuclear knowledge and its management leave much room for improvement."
Sokolov says some parts of 'nuclear knowledge' are constantly being applied, developed and freely shared other areas are 'stranded', restricted or not being used.
"Managing nuclear knowledge is difficult, since it is unique in so many ways – it is complex, involving high development costs and often requiring significant governmental support.
Sokolov says while knowledge management is being adopted by some nuclear stakeholders others need to make more of an effort to raise the bar for the continued safe operation of nuclear power plants.
"Important challenges remain and must be addressed, including knowledge management for the continued safe operation of the existing nuclear fleet through a generational change in the workforce, nuclear knowledge management of the development of new and innovative designs and nuclear knowledge management for satisfying the anticipated knowledge demand growth due to both new nuclear plants and growing non-energy requirements," Sokolov says.
IAEA deputy director general Tomihoro Taniguchi reiterated Sokolov's comments in a following speech, adding that more emphasis needs to be placed on how technology in nuclear plants is managed.
"It is possible to say that a nuclear power plant and related facilities are actually burning and processing 'technology' rather than fissile materials such as uranium and plutonium in their crude form," Taniguchi says.
"Therefore, how we manage technology is fundamental to the use of nuclear power."
By Penny Jones
Twitter