The IAEA says that Sweden has committed to a high level of safety
A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) has said that Sweden has a comprehensive regulatory infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety and the protection of people and the environment. The team also identified areas for possible improvement, such as ensuring that the Radiation Safety Authority (SSM), the national regulatory authority for nuclear and radiation safety, has sufficient qualified staff to fulfill all statutory and regulatory functions.
The team completed a 12-day mission to Sweden on November 14-25 at the request of the Swedish government and hosted by SSM. The first IRRS mission in Sweden took place in 2012 with a follow-up review in 2016.
The team, consisting of 18 senior regulatory experts from 16 Member States as well as three IAEA staff, reviewed the regulatory oversight of facilities and activities and exposure situations. The team also accompanied SSM personnel during their inspections and oversight activities at the operational Forsmark nuclear power plant, the decommissioning Ågesta nuclear power plant, the Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant, the Gems pet cyclotron facility, the Cyclife laboratory and a hospital in Västerås.
Sweden has six nuclear reactors in operation in three facilities, with a total installed power of 6885 MWe, which contributes 30.8% of the total electricity production in Sweden.
“Sweden has a comprehensive nuclear and radiation safety regulatory infrastructure that covers the full range of facilities, activities and exposure situations,” said IRRS team leader Scott Morris, regional administrator for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “The SSM is a competent, independent regulator whose staff are committed to effectively meeting the SSM’s statutory obligations.”
The team also held meetings with representatives from the Ministry of the Environment and with the management of Vattenfall, the license holder for nuclear power plants.
“Sweden is committed to ensuring the highest standards in its regulation of nuclear safety,” says Nina Cromnier, Director General of SSM. “The feedback from the IRRS experts provides valuable input to SSM’s ongoing work to meet our strategic objectives in line with this objective.”
The IRRS team identified good practices and achievements made by SSM including:
- Exposure data and typical doses for various medical procedures available to all interested parties, including the general public.
- Proactive communication to increase public awareness of security issues.
- Digitization of the process for registration of radioactive sources.
- Annual integrated security reviews to identify security issues and trends.
The IRRS team made several recommendations and suggestions to further strengthen the continuous improvement of the Swedish regulatory system and the effectiveness of the regulatory functions in line with IAEA safety standards.
Recommendations and suggestions for Sweden include:
- Establishing a national strategy that addresses skills needs, taking into account the possible expansion of nuclear power.
- Improved coordination between SSM and other national authorities with responsibility for security.
- Further development of expert services in the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency.
The mission will be followed by an IAEA Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (ARTEMIS) mission scheduled for April 2023 which will assess radioactive waste and spent fuel management, decommissioning and remediation programs in the country. The final assignment report will be submitted to SSM in approximately three months. Sweden plans to publish the report.
Image: Sweden’s nuclear power plant in Forsmark (courtesy of Vattenfall)