The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) hosted a meeting of worldwide nuclear regulators as part of international commitments to enhance nuclear safety.
The Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) Reactor Harmonisation Working Group (RHWG) met in Liverpool this week which included an exercise to peer review the implementation of the 2020 WENRA Safety Reference Levels (SRLs).
The SRLs focus on the expected best practices of safety functions for the reactor core and spent fuel at operating facilities.
Other topics discussed included the applicability of the WENRA Safety Objectives to Small Modular Reactors taking into account novel designs, siting and safety improvements, plus a discussion about advanced nuclear fuels.
Simon Thompson, ONR’s Joint Head of Safety Regulation, Operating Reactors Sub-Directorate, and deputy chair of the RHWG, said: “I was pleased that ONR was able to host the Reactor Harmonisation Working Group meeting in Liverpool.
“It was a successful four-day meeting and provided an excellent opportunity to continue to build relationships with senior representatives of fellow national regulatory bodies from across the world.
“ONR’s participation in this influential international organisation is a priority for us and the UK to ensure that we both comply with and support the development of the SRLs, which are recognised internationally as the benchmark for nuclear safety that should be adopted within national nuclear regulatory frameworks.
“It’s essential that we contribute to this WENRA working group as the SRLs are a key driver for the harmonisation of national safety approaches between countries, enhancing nuclear safety and influencing continuous improvement, which is strongly aligned to our strategic priorities set out in our Strategic Framework for International Engagement.”
WENRA is an independent association of predominantly European national nuclear regulators.
Its established network of senior regulators gives unique access to their extensive experience in nuclear safety.
The meeting was attended by around 30 participants including representatives from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, Poland,, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.