WANO holds its 17th Biennial General Meeting with Nuclear Industry Leaders in Abu Dhabi, UAE

WANO, PUBLISHED 01.10.2024

The 17^th Biennial General Meeting (BGM) of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), held in Abu Dhabi from September 29^th to 30^th, brought together industry leaders worldwide under the theme Fusing Futures: Sustainable Performance in the Tech and Net Zero Era.

Over 400 delegates from 35 countries and areas exchanged best practices to drive industry performance, while also looking forward at how nuclear power will evolve in the future.

Dr Naoki Chigusa, WANO Chief Executive Officer, concluded:

"This BGM, held during WANO's 35^th anniversary year, has brought together a global community of nuclear operators, reinforcing our collective commitment to work as one team in supporting each other on the ongoing journey to achieve higher levels of performance.

With around 60 nuclear units under construction worldwide, this year's event included special emphasis on supporting new entrants and emerging technologies.

Since 2015, WANO has successfully completed more than 160 missions to assist in the startup of new builds. We were happy to welcome delegates from new entrant countries including Ghana, Kenya and Poland, who had their first BGM experience.

As we move forward, let us seize this moment to use our collective knowledge and experience, ignite our passion for excellence, and inspire a future where safety and reliability strengthen the foundation of our industry's success."

The BGM was supported by like-minded international organisations and included a video message from Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Throughout the event, delegates had the opportunity to look at the industry trends and emerging technologies that help deliver safe and reliable performance. Experts transparently shared global operating experience, best practices and exchanged views on new strategies and tools that help sustain high levels of performance.

During the BGM, WANO launched its newly revised strategy, UNITY Towards Nuclear Excellence including a new set of core values for the Association, and a renewed focus to support new nuclear units start up safely and reliably over the next decade.

Tom Mitchell, Chairman of WANO, stated:

"The great engagement and participation of delegates at this conference underlines the Unity of this unique Association. It is the key principle that underpins the success of WANO since its establishment.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our hosting member Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation's exceptional hospitality and remarkable assistance in organising this BGM."

In a special resolution, the Governing Board emphasised WANO's continued support to all nuclear stations operating under military conflict in all countries in any way practical, to help ensure nuclear safety fundamentals remain in place to support nuclear safety.

In the resolution, the organisation committed to continue supporting the IAEA safety efforts. The resolution reaffirmed that every effort must be taken to ensure that no member nuclear power station becomes isolated from the industry or from industry interaction needed to support the highest levels of nuclear safety.

The conference also acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing WANO President, H.E. Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC Managing Director & CEO, whose commitment and guidance have been instrumental in supporting the association towards new heights.

Mohamed Al Hammadi said:

"It has been a pleasure to host the WANO BGM in Abu Dhabi; the first time the conference has been held in an Arab Nation which is a testament to our strong collaboration with WANO as we have developed the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in alignment with the highest international standards.

As I conclude my tenure as WANO President, I am proud of the remarkable journey we have shared. With renewed momentum in the nuclear sector to deliver new units to generate clean, baseload power,

WANO will fulfil an important role in supporting these new units and the wider global fleet. Together, we will continue to build on our successes and remain dedicated to our mission of collaboration knowledge-sharing for nuclear safety and reliability,".

The next WANO BGM will be held in Tokyo, Japan in 2026. Mr Tomoaki Kobayakawa, the CEO of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc (TEPCO), has assumed the honorary position of WANO President for two years.

He is a well-respected leader with over three decades of experience in the nuclear power industry, he stated: "Japan's nuclear power operators will steadfastly support the global industry in uniting to achieve our Action for Excellence initiative for 2030. I very much look forward to seeing you all again at the next BGM to be held in Tokyo in 2026."

Topics: WANO

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