World Nuclear Association

An essential role of World Nuclear Association is to facilitate commercially valuable interaction among its members.

Ongoing World Nuclear Association Working Groups, consisting of members and supported by the secretariat, share information and develop analysis on a range of technical, trade and environmental matters. These subjects include:[3]

• Cooperation in reactor design, evaluation and licensing
• Radiological protection
• Industry economics
• Nuclear law
• Supply chain
• Transport of radioactive materials[8]
• Waste management and decommissioning
• Capacity optimization
• Uranium mining standardization
• Construction risk management
• Security of the international fuel cycle
• Fuel market report working group

When meeting to discuss industry issues, World Nuclear Association members are cautioned to avoid any topic that could potentially create even the impression of an attempt to set prices or engage in other anti-competitive behaviour. Accordingly, topics not discussed in meetings include terms of specific contracts; current or projected prices for products or services; allocation of markets; refusals to deal with particular suppliers or customers; or any similar matters that might impair competition within any segment of the nuclear industry.

World Nuclear Association's annual Symposium in London provides a forum for speakers from the nuclear industry. The Association has previously presented an award for 'Distinguished Contribution to the Peaceful Worldwide Use of Nuclear Energy'.[9]

The Association also cooperates with the Nuclear Energy Institute on annual World Nuclear Fuel Cycle meetings for industry representatives concerned with nuclear fuel supply and in particular the uranium market.[10]

World Nuclear Association represents the interests of the international nuclear industry at key international forums such as:

• International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Energy Agency advisory committees on transport and all aspects of nuclear safety
• United Nations policy forums focused on sustainable development and climate change. (The Association was in attendance at the 2009 Copenhagen climate change talks and at COP26)
• International Commission on Radiological Protection and OSPAR deliberations on radiological protection.

In contrast to earlier less structured forms of industry representation the Association provides a unified voice from a single body; encompassing all manner of industry expertise and perspectives. It is clear and unreserved in its purpose of promoting the maximum feasible use of safe nuclear power.

The World Nuclear Association public website provides an available, non-technical source of information on the global nuclear industry. The site presents reference documents, and a wide range of educational and explanatory papers which are constantly updated. Australian nuclear power advocate Ian Hore-Lacy served as the organization's Director of Public Information for 12 years, after working for six years at the now defunct Melbourne-based Uranium Information Centre. In the late 2000s, the information-disseminating role was assumed by World Nuclear Association and World Nuclear News (WNN).

The Association supports WNN,[11] the authoritative online news service intended to bring accurate and accessible information on developments in nuclear power to the Association's industry readers and the general public. Its output is free of charge and may be widely reproduced in accordance with WNN's copyright policy.[12]

The Association's reactor database contains information on past, present and future nuclear power reactors across the world.[13]

World Nuclear Association is engaged in a number of other initiatives to promote the peaceful development of nuclear power. These include World Nuclear University (WNU), which is a global partnership between World Nuclear Association, the International Atomic Energy Agency, The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Association of Nuclear Operators committed to enhancing international education and leadership in the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. It runs a series of programmes designed to complement existing institutions of nuclear learning in their curriculum. The premier event on the WNU calendar is the Summer Institute, which runs each year in July and brings together speakers from industry and government to present on all aspects of nuclear power. It also runs five one-week courses per year with partner universities around the world intended to enhance knowledge of today's nuclear industry among students.