The role of the nuclear industry in advancing safeguards instrumentation

In times of high fossil fuel prices and climate change concerns, more and more countries evaluate nuclear energy as a sustainable addition to their energy portfolio. But increased interest in nuclear power also leads to increased concerns about the risk of diversion of nuclear materials or technologies for covert weapons programs. As a result, proliferation resistance of future nuclear fuel cycles is one of the key discussion points of current initiatives such as Generation IV International Forum (GIF), the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Proliferation resistance has both intrinsic and extrinsic components. Intrinsic components refer to the design of the facilities and the types, chemical composition and physical characteristics of the materials used. Extrinsic features include the institutional barriers and the application of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, including the measurement methods and technologies employed in that context.