Uzbekistan's sole operating research reactor hosted an IAEA peer review mission on the safety aspects of long-term operation for research reactors last month. The mission's team of experts recognized Uzbekistan's commitment to managing the ageing reactor to ensure its safe and effective operation and highlighted the successful implementation of several refurbishment and modernization projects.
The WWR-SM research reactor, located in the Ulugbek settlement near Tashkent, is owned and operated by the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and is primarily used for medical radioisotope production. The reactor began operation in 1959 with an initial power of 2 megawatts, which was increased to 10 megawatts in 1980. Since 2017, with support from the IAEA, WWR-SM has undergone several major refurbishment projects to enhance its safety and ensure its continued safe operation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited the Institute of Nuclear Physics during a trip to Uzbekistan in early December as part of the Agency's ongoing support for the country's plans to harness nuclear science to advance its development. While there, Mr Grossi praised the WWR-SM research reactor's decades-long track record of isotope production.
The majority of research reactors worldwide have been in operation for over 40 years. "Over time, maintaining the safety and reliability of these facilities can become a challenge due to wear and tear from constant use of their systems and components," said Amgad Shokr, Head of the IAEA Research Reactor Safety Section. The IAEA develops safety standards and conducts peer reviews to advise on the application of these standards to effectively manage performance degradation of systems and components and to help ensure the continued safe operation of research reactor facilities.
A peer review mission on the safety aspects of long-term operation for research reactors (SALTO-RR) evaluates research reactor programmes and performance on the basis of IAEA safety standards and drawing on the expertise of the international review team. The mission to WWR-SM in Uzbekistan, conducted by two IAEA officials and three international experts from Canada, Pakistan and South Africa, identified areas for improvement and provided recommendations for addressing them, including the need to establish formal processes to conduct periodic safety reviews and to manage modifications. The mission also recommended conducting a review of WWR-SM's ageing management programme in accordance with IAEA safety standards.
"We are grateful to receive the SALTO-RR mission to support our research reactor in ageing management and continued safe operation," said Ilkham Sadikov, Director of Uzbekistan's Institute of Nuclear Physics. "The recommendations made by the IAEA team identified the key technical areas for future improvements. We will further align our ageing management activities with the IAEA safety standards," he added.
The review team conducted site visits to the reactor and its associated facilities, reviewed documents and held technical discussions with the reactor's management and operating personnel. "We appreciated the high quality of the discussions during the mission, and the professionalism of the WWR-SM management and staff are well noted," said Kaichao Sun, mission team leader and Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. "We encourage the facility to address the mission recommendations and implement the continued safe operation activities at high priority."
A growing number of IAEA Member States are expressing interest in hosting a SALTO-RR review mission to review the readiness of their research reactors to be operated beyond their projected lifetime and to evaluate their ageing management programmes. Usually SALTO-RR missions include follow-up missions to review progress in implementing the main mission's recommendations. Uzbekistan plans to host a follow-up mission in 2027.
