December 10, 2024

On December 2, 2024, Mr. William D. Magwood, Director General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) led a delegation to the National Research and Development for Nuclear and Radiation Safety Regulatory Technology, and met with Mr. Yan Tianwen, Director General of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center during the visit.

Mr. Yan first welcomed Director General Magwood on his return to the NSC since his visit in July 2023, and provided an overview of recent advancements in safety reviews, scientific research, talent team building, and other areas. He addressed Magwood’s concerns regarding the NSC’s strategies for ensuring the efficiency and quality of safety reviews for large-scale nuclear power projects, as well as capacity-building initiatives to address emerging materials and technologies.

Mr. Yan emphasized that, to meet the evolving demands of nuclear power development and modernized safety regulation, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) has guided the NSC in establishing six key institutional frameworks:

A comprehensive legal and regulatory system, including updates to ecological and environmental codes and strategies for overseeing new reactor types and technologies.

A rigorous safety accountability system, defining responsibilities for nuclear enterprises, local governments, regulators, and relevant agencies.

An efficient safety supervision system, featuring diversified oversight mechanisms, risk-informed regulation, digital governance tools (e.g., the National Nuclear Safety Big Data Platform), and reactor health records.

A scientific technical review system, incorporating standardized protocols, independent verification of safety conclusions, and reactor-specific review teams.

A high-caliber talent and R&D support system, advancing nuclear safety disciplines, foundational research, and specialized funding programs.

A multi-tiered international cooperation framework, fostering global partnerships to strengthen nuclear safety leadership.

Director-General Magwood praised the agenda of the Regulatory Modernization Symposium co-hosted by NNSA and OECD NEA in Xiamen, which addressed critical issues for global nuclear stakeholders. He thanked the NSC for its meticulous organization of the event and highlighted its “leapfrog progress” in innovative regulation, R&D, and capacity-building since his last visit in 2023. Magwood expressed OECD NEA’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the NSC, particularly in global knowledge-sharing, modernizing safety review capabilities for new technologies, and coordinating international nuclear safety research projects.

During the meeting, the two parties signed agreements to translate and adapt key OECD NEA research reports, including Characteristics of an Effective Nuclear Regulator, Safety Culture of an Effective Nuclear Regulatory Body, Methods for Assessing and Strengthening the Safety Culture of the Regulatory Body, and Improving Nuclear Regulation: NEA Regulatory Guidance Booklets. Accompanied by Yan, Magwood also toured the newly established facilities including the Nuclear Safety Codes Center and the Nuclear Power Safety Big Data Center.