On September 18, 2024, a webinar on Strategic Planning of Sustainable Nuclear Energy Systems (NES) was held, organized by STAR-NET with the support of the INPRO section of the IAEA. The event was attended by about 60 representatives of STAR-NET universities and nuclear industry enterprises from 6 countries.
Mikhail Khoroshev of the IAEA introduced the participants to the UN concept of sustainable development and the role of energy supply for the sustainable development of the world. He noted the role of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) in ensuring the sustainability of nuclear energy to meet the growing energy needs in the current century and beyond, and introduced the participants to the main activities of INPRO and the methodology used to assess NES. It was emphasized that using the holistic approach of the INPRO methodology, the nuclear power system as a whole is considered – the reactor together with the initial and final stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, including institutional measures (infrastructure) – during its full life cycle, taking into account all problems related to the sustainability of the nuclear power system.