INPRO meeting stresses importance of supply chain

Tuesday, 17 July 2018

INPRO has held a series of such fora since 2000 to address key issues on sustainable development of nuclear power systems and the related complex relationships of technology suppliers, technology users and other stakeholders.

At the most recent forum, held on 2-4 July, the Member State participants and experts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency, the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform and the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation, discussed the national, regional and global situation of nuclear supply chains.

"A reliable, robust and sustainable nuclear supply chain is an integral and vital part of the global nuclear energy industry system," Dohee Hahn, director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power, said.

Juergen Kupitz, a nuclear technology expert from Germany who chaired the forum, said establishing a nuclear supply chain and involving national or local industries is a costly and long-term process and this process "should be started long before a nuclear power plant is ordered". Nuclear newcomer countries should build their supply chains gradually, starting with non-nuclear graded components, structures and services, he added.

Localisation

 

In most technology holder countries, the localisation of well-established nuclear supply chains has been introduced following a step-by-step approach, the IAEA said, adding that supply chains are today based on global cooperation and contributions of several internationally networked suppliers of products and services.

"Many countries tend to put great emphasis on localisation of the supply chain," Hahn said. "This helps them to maximize the social and economic benefits of a nuclear power project through the expanded uses of national and local resources."

To identify potential national or local industries that could contribute services and products, Member States are reviewing industry qualifications carefully, in line with the applicable regulations, codes and standards, the IAEA said.

"The participants agreed that intensive interactions between suppliers and customers will be necessary for training of local contributors, paving the way for future transfer of technology. These would need to be carried out taking related risks into account, they emphasised, adding that international organisations, including the IAEA, can provide an overall umbrella for information exchange, cooperative research, databases, standards and guides and expert services," it said.

It is essential, the IAEA statement added, to disseminate good practices and lessons learned with respect to procurement and supply chain issues among owner and operator organisations, regulatory bodies, suppliers, auditors and other stakeholders in the nuclear industry.