Part 3 of 3 Parts (Please read Parts 1 and 2 first)

Asked about the prospects for moving people into the nuclear sector from other industries, van der Lee said that France and Canada had been discussing the issue. He said they were considering creating “bridging training courses in order, for example, to get people from the car industry, mechanical engineers in the car industry” into nuclear the nuclear industry but “it’s not just a simple walk in the park” and may involve part-time online masters-equivalent courses having to be done around their current jobs.

However, he added that there was a lot of innovation in the sector with new SMR and advanced reactor designs, nuclear fusion developments and also opportunities for AI experts in many areas, with digital twins and machine learning, and that all these factors made it an attractive career choice.

Bilbao y León concluded the session by asking the panelists how success by 2030 would look. Tyabashe said, “we need to be able to see a workforce that can support the at least tripling of nuclear power by 2050. The only way we can do that by 2050 is that by 2030, we have that foundational aspect of having tripled the workforce for construction, because we know that you need many more people to construct these power plants, as well as having … a skills pipeline for developing and training people to operate those plants”.

Van der Lee commented, “one measure of success would be if we can really increase diversity, because it is something really measurable … diversity also in terms of internationality … also in terms of regulation and transparency regulation. I think these are really measurable ways to move forward”.

Darelius said that, for him, success would be when nuclear courses look like “a very natural part of the educational system”. The example he presented was for an option within an electrical engineer’s course which included nuclear science “so that becomes something that is very visible for all engineers”. He added that his friends were always surprised to hear about international collaboration in the nuclear sector. “When I tell them I can pick up the phone and call a nuclear power plant in the U.S. or in France or wherever, because I have a problem, I want help to solve it. And they just raise their eyebrows and wonder why? Why are they giving away all the know-how? Because that is how we do it. And they are people working for Volvo or for some other great Swedish companies, and they can’t, they won’t be able to call Tesla if they have a problem with the engines or whatever. But in the nuclear industry we do it like this. And the ability to have this international exchange is attractive for young people, especially when going to university. And we should use this more.”

Bilbao y León concluded the session by saying that there was an enormous opportunity and the key, as Darelius had said, was collaboration. “I’m an international collaborator … because not one country, not one company, not one continent, not one technology is going to achieve this goal. We really, really, really need to work together.”

International Institute for Nuclear Energy

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Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745

Ambient office = 109 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 137 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 130 nanosieverts per hour

Asparagus from Central Market = 93 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 10 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 95 nanosieverts per hour

Part 1 of 3 Parts

A major challenge for the nuclear industry is how to train and develop the workforce needed for the proposed tripling of nuclear energy capacity by 2050. This issue formed the basis of a discussion at a side event organized by South Africa and World Nuclear University at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 69th General Conference in Vienna.

Loyiso Tyabashe is the CEO of South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa). He outlined the nuclear energy expansion plans in the country and said that its existing nuclear reactors mean that South Africa has developed lots of nuclear skills over the years. “But because there have been no new programs come through, most of our skills have been going to different parts of the world. We had about two hundred people who were helping with building their plants in Abu Dhabi. We had some people in the UK at the Hinkley project and the Sizewell project. So we have skills that are overflowing, and we’re hoping that as we start our programs, we’ll get those skills back and more other international skills coming back”.

Jan van der Lee is the Executive Director of France’s International Institute for Nuclear Energy (I2EN), which supports education and training in the development of nuclear energy worldwide. He explained that “we are in the business of human capacity building on an international level. So what we try to do is to develop the capacity, specifically for countries wanting to develop a nuclear program. And we do so by looking at the experience we have in France. So in terms of education and training at the academic level, but also a more professional level”.

He outlined the French plans for six new EPR2s with more likely to follow to expand new nuclear capacity. He said that it has been estimated that one hundred thousand skilled nuclear engineers will be needed in the coming ten years. Referring back to the 1970s and 1980s when France built fifty six reactors in twenty years, he mentioned the public confidence in big infrastructure projects and said it was a cause of national pride and a “vision shared by the whole country … perhaps that’s a takeaway for countries wanting to develop a new program today, is that having more than just an energy policy, but truly a vision for the country where people can be proud, is really extremely helpful in building confidence. And that led to education and training that led to schools and parents being proud, sending their kids to these kinds of engineering schools because they saw the future, this vision, long term.”

Martin Darelius is the Commercial Manager for New Nuclear and Acting Deputy Head for New Nuclear at Vattenfall in Sweden,. He said that the country was aiming for two and a half gigawatts of new capacity by 2035 and an additional ten gigawatts by 2045. He said that there had been enthusiasm and training for nuclear skills, but the 1980 decision to shut down nuclear power plants by 2010 was a “wet blanket for all education and nuclear training programs. So we need to really recruit people … the big challenge that we have is not nuclear science and nuclear physicists, it’s more on the construction workers. The big reason for that is that most of our knowledge and expertise went abroad, just like in South Africa. And the good thing is that they have been within different types of consultant firms, and they are now ready to come back and support us in our program. So that type of knowledge we have. A bigger thing we see as a challenge for our nuclear program right now is actually people, like we say, who do things with their hands. It’s the concrete workers, it’s the welders, it’s the electricians that are going to install all the equipment. That is not something that has been done on a big scale in Sweden for many years.”

Sama Bilbao y León is the Director General of World Nuclear Association and Session host agreed with that point. She said, “We are going to need lots of people, this is clear. But not all those people are going to need to be nuclear scientists or nuclear engineers or master’s or PhDs. Some, yes, but not that many. We are going to need all kinds of engineers, mechanical or electrical or civil, whatever … but we are also going to need the welders and the project managers … and what I would say is this is not a problem that is unique to nuclear energy, or even to energy.”

69th IAEA General Conference

Please read Part 2 next

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Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745

Ambient office = 116 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 126 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 127 nanosieverts per hour

Heirloom tomato from Central Market = 108

Tap water = 87 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 76 nanosieverts per hour

Estonia’s Fermi Energia has signed a collaboration agreement with Canadian construction company Aecon to advance cooperation on the development and deployment of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor technology in Estonia.

The signing of the collaboration agreement by Greg Thede, Vice President, Nuclear Strategy, Business Development & Services, Aecon (left) and Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi Energia (Image: Aecon)

The agreement establishes a cooperative framework for Aecon and Fermi Energia to collaborate during the SMR development phase as the exclusive provider to develop a qualified domestic nuclear capability, modeled after the Canadian experience, to benefit BWRX-300 deployment in Estonia.

During the agreement’s three-year term, the parties will strategize, plan, and evaluate plans for the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Estonia. Fermi Energia and Aecon will work together on a pre-construction schedule and cost plan, and development of a capable reactor building deployment team, in collaboration with local and international partners.

Aecon is providing construction services including project management, construction planning and execution for the deployment of the BWRX-300 at Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG’s) Darlington site in Canada. The government of Ontario gave its approval for construction to begin on the 8^th of May this year. OPG says it is set to be the first commercial grid-scale SMR in North America, with an in-service target date of 2030.

Aaron Johnson is the Senior Vice President of Aecon Nuclear. He said, “We are proud to partner with Fermi Energia as Estonia advances its SMR program in support of the energy transition. Aecon’s experience working on the G7’s first BWRX-300 in Canada gives us the unique position to bring our strong nuclear expertise and technical solutions to one of the most critical aspects of this new build program, including advanced manufacturing, automation processes, lessons learned and best practices.”

Kalev Kallemets is the CEO of Fermi Energia. He added, “This agreement builds on Aecon’s proven experience and gives Estonia access to the world’s most advanced SMR construction expertise. It is a significant step forward towards our goal of delivering safe, reliable, and carbon-free nuclear energy for Estonia’s future.”

Fermi Energia was founded by Estonian energy and nuclear energy professionals to develop and deploy of SMRs in Estonia. In July 2019, the company launched a feasibility study on the use of SMRs for Estonia’s electricity supply and climate goals beyond 2030. This followed a financing round from investors and shareholders.

In February of 2023, Fermi Energia selected GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment by the early 2030s. The BWRX-300 design is a three hundred megawatt water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that is based on the design and licensing basis of the company’s ESBWR boiling water reactor.

Fermi Energia intends to submit a construction permit application for the proposed plant in 2029, with construction targeted to begin in 2031. The first of two SMRs is scheduled to be operational by the second half of 2035.

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Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745

Ambient office = 91 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 97 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Green onion from Central Market = 100

Tap water = 102 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 87 nanosieverts per hour

The European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors has adopted its first Strategic Action Plan which outlines ten specific and targeted actions to deliver over the next five years.

in February 2024, the European Commission launched an Industrial Alliance dedicated to small modular reactors (SMRs) aiming to facilitate the development of SMRs in Europe by the early 2030s. The Alliance employs working groups to improve the conditions for the development and deployment of SMRs, including rebuilding the supply chain for nuclear power. These activities are intended to support specific SMR projects and accelerate their deployment on the European market.

The Strategic Action Plan was prepared based on the Action Plans of each of the Alliance’s eight Technical Working Groups (TWGs), contributions were accepted from the Project-based Working Groups (PWGs) as well as several consultations with the Governing Board organized by the Alliance secretariat over the past year. The Plan was endorsed by the second General Assembly of the Alliance on the 1^st of September in Brussels.

The Alliance said, “The Strategic Action Plan is an ambitious roadmap aimed at steering the Alliance’s efforts over the next five years embodies a shared vision and the collective commitment of the Alliance’s members to work together to facilitate the development, demonstration, and deployment of SMRs in Europe by the early 2030s. It is designed to facilitate the progressive, pragmatic, and efficient achievement of the Alliance’s objectives. Besides giving clarity on the Alliance’s forthcoming work, it is meant to provide input to the Commission’s upcoming Communication on SMRs in the EU announced in the Affordable Energy Action Plan adopted earlier in 2025.”

The Plan outlines ten specific actions to deliver over the next five years, focusing on key challenges to SMR deployment such as market demand for SMRs beyond electricity production; revitalizing the supply chain; promoting R&D and skills development; unlocking financial opportunities; and simplifying regulatory frameworks. The plan also emphasizes activities dedicated to financing, public engagement, fuel and waste management, as well as issues related to safety and security as cornerstones of the SMR development in the coming years.

The Alliance continued, “To successfully implement this Strategic Action Plan, the Alliance will actively seek and first rely on contributions from its members, but support and coordination with other key European players, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, relevant European organizations, and all EU countries interested in SMRs, will be needed to ensure success.”

The Alliance explained that a mid-term review of the Strategic Action Plan is planned “to facilitate necessary adjustments to the initially proposed actions”. The Alliance Governing Board will carry out an annual review of progress on all actions using feedback reports prepared by each TWG and exchanges with PWGs.

The Alliance added, “The timely deployment of SMRs is crucial for maintaining the competitiveness of European industry, driving the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future by 2050, and enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy in the energy sector.”

European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors