EIMV led the first seminar on the management of radioactive waste from small modular reactors and stakeholder engagement

On 23 and 24 April 2025, we attended the first seminar on the management of radioactive waste from small modular reactors, held at the ARSN/IRSN headquarters in Fontenay-aux-Roses, Paris, as part of the EURAD-2 FORSAFF project aimed at stakeholder involvement. The seminar was led by our colleague Dr. Nadja Železnik, who also gave lectures on the social aspects of the use of small modular reactors (SMRs), the results of the ECOSENS project, and stakeholder engagement in waste management and policy development for SMRs (Social considerations for SMRs: outcomes from the ECOSENS project, Stakeholder Engagement for SMR waste management & policy: Introduction to Task 6, Seminar 1).

SMRs are nuclear reactors with an electrical power output of up to 300 MWe, characterised by the fact that all parts can be manufactured in factories and transported to the site using road or rail networks. The Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute is a member of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs, through which the European Commission aims to promote industrial competitiveness in this sector. We also participate in the technical working group on nuclear safety and control, fuel cycle and waste management, and public involvement.

The seminar also presented the social aspects of SMRs and key aspects of radioactive waste management from SMRs, including presentations on SMR decommissioning and waste management. Seminar participants tested the PEP method for stakeholder involvement and discussed the challenges to the regulatory framework posed by new nuclear technologies.