december 2015 · december 2015 / iync bulletin 5 iync network officers melissa crawford president...

IYNC BULLETINInternational Youth Nuclear Congress

Youth Future Nuclear

December 2015 www.iync.org

#10

December 2015 / IYNC Bulletin

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Editorial

A look forward and backward by Lubomir Mitev

We now have less than one year to go before the 2016 IYNC in Hangzhou, China. Prepara-tions for the new congress are going strong and the IYNC officers and the local organiza-tion committee hope that many of the nuclear sector’s young professionals will join us at the congress.

A lot has also happened since we published our last Bulletin. Despite the fact that the summer months in the northern hemisphere are characteristically quiet, the IYNC attended events and promoted the Hangzhou congress as much as possible.

The biggest news from the summer months came from the 2016 sponsorship chair and IYNC past president, Nicolas Anciaux. Thanks to Nicolas’ efforts, the first two sponsors of IYNC2016 were announced: equipment supplier Holtec International and US utility Exelon Generation. Special thanks go to IYNC Treasurer Dan O’Connor who was instrumental in obtaining the agreement of Exelon, the company he works for, to sign up and support the international nuclear youth initiative.

Nicolas also informed us all of another sponsor who has agreed to support IYNC2016: the Canadian Nuclear Association. Thanks to Mayank Sood, Canadian National Representa-tive to IYNC, for the successful discussion with the CNA management. This is just another example of how much IYNC values the cooperation of our national representatives.

In June, IYNC held its mid-term Board of Directors meeting in conjunction with the Eu-ropean Nuclear Young Generation Forum. The meeting was a huge success and we were glad to welcome most of our board members to Paris. Several important decisions were approved and there was a general sense of support for the ongoing actions by the IYNC officers.

News also from IYNC Executive Secretary Rahul Srivinasan who travelled to his home-country of India in July and August, promoting IYNC as he went. Rahul met with the India Nuclear Society and the Young Generation network to help with capacity building. He also attended the Indian Youth Nuclear Society’s Board of Directors meeting on 9 August and helped them present a proposal for the IYNC officers to visit India and meet with nuclear representatives in the country.

IYNC President Melissa Crawford and Vice-President Ekaterina Ryabikovskaya also repre-sented IYNC at the Women In Nuclear conference in Vienna in August. IYNC had a booth at the conference and distributed information about the up-coming congress. IYNC defi-nitely values the contribution women have in the nuclear field. Ekaterina also had a pres-entation in front of the plenary regarding the up-coming report by IYNC on the arguments used by the anti-nuclear industry, which was very well received.


3All of these events show our dedication to making IYNC the face of the international youth in nuclear and making sure that we all have equal opportunities in our endevours. We continue to push ahead with the organization of the next Congress and we welcome your support for all of our initiatives. For more information on the activities, take a look inside the Bulletin and learn about what happened at most of these events. We would also like to highlight where IYNC will be promoted in the coming months.

Thank you and enjoy reading this issue of the Bulletin!

When Where Name

August Vienna, Austria 23rd WiN Global Annual Conference: Women in Nuclear Meet Atoms for Peace

September London, UK World Nuclear New Build congress

London, UK World Nuclear Association Symposium

Zurich, Switz. European Nuclear Society: Top Fuel

Vienna, Austria IAEA General Conference

October Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The 7th International Conference on Modelling and Simulation in Nuclear Science and Engineering

Charlotte, USA Nuclear Decommissioning & Used Fuel Strategy Summit

Istanbul, Turkey International Conference On Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems

Bristol, UK European NPP Simulation Forum

Abu Dhabi, UAE Middle East Nuclear Power Briefing

Mumbai, India India Nuclear Energy Summit

Bali, Indonesia Southeast Asia Nuclear New build congress

London, UK Small Modular Reactor

Indonesia Nuclear Youth Summit

November Washington DC, USA Young Professionals Congress

Paris, France Nuclear Power Plant Life Management & Extension

Warsaw, Poland Central & Eastern Europe Nuclear New Build

December London, UK Nuclear Institute-Nuclear Industry Association Annual Dinner

Paris, France UNFCCC CoP 21


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Contents

IYNC Network Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

IYNC Mid Term Board Meeting . . . . . . . 9

ENYGF Nuclear For Climate Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

IYNC Position Paper: Nuclear For Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

YGN Leadership at WiN Global Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Future of the IYNC at the IAEA . . .19

NAYGN/NEA Conference in Washington DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The Universal Agreement on Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Country Report — Malaysia . . . . . . . . . 26

Country Report — Sri Lanka . . . . . . . . . 27

Country Report — United States . . . . . 29

African Young Generation Report . . . . .31

IYNC BULLETIN #10

Bulletin Editor:

Lubomir Mitev [email protected]

Authors:

Melissa Crawford Lubomir Mitev Nicholle Turnipseed Myra Liyana Islam El-Hadj

www.iync.org


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IYNC Network Officers

Melissa Crawford PresidentMelissa Crawford is a graduate from the Nuclear Engineering pro-gram at the University of Florida. Melissa participated in intern-ships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the USA in 2005 and 2006. Her work was focused on non-destructive identification of the mass and enrichment of Plutonium isotopes in oxide samples. This was performed as a joint project between ORNL and the Joint Research Center in Italy.

After university, Melissa began work on Instrumentation and Con-trol projects with Siemens in the power industry. She worked on analog to digital modernization projects in existing plants and digital design for new build nuclear power plants. She then partici-pated in a year-long delegation at the Siemens Energy headquar-ters in Erlangen, Germany, where she worked with the global power market in product management.

Melissa has been working with IYNC for over four years and is happy to lead the IYNC in her current capacity as President and General Co-Chair of IYNC2016 in Hangzhou, China. The focus dur-ing this term will be addressing communication outside the nuclear industry and strengthening collaboration with YGN’s worldwide.

Ekaterina Ryabikovskaya Vice PresidentEkaterina works as a Managing Editor at ROSATOM corporate newspaper in Moscow. She has a Diploma in Computer Science and currently she is in her sixth year at the National Research Nuclear University MEPHI, majoring in nuclear engineering. Her field of scientific interest comprises high-temperature-reactor fuel and the mathematical modeling of the processes occurring in it during ir-radiation.

Ekaterina has been involved in IYNC since 2006.


6Rahul Srinivasan Executive SecretaryRahul is originally from India and has been working in the US as a consultant for global nuclear energy clients for the past four years. He recently decided to go back to studying and was accepted to follow a programme at Harvard University. We wish him all the best in his new adventure!

As an IYNC officer and founding member of the young generation network in his home country, India, he firmly believes that young nuclear professionals across the globe can collaborate effectively to sustain a strong international nuclear community. Beyond his professional engagements, he is a tennis and soccer enthusiast and enjoys teaching and traveling.

Nicolas Anciaux Past PresidentNicolas works as a mechanical engineer for the Westinghouse Elec-tric Company in China. He received a Master of Science in Mechani-cal Engineering from the Université Catholique de Louvain (2006) focusing on energy and finite elements analysis.

Nicolas has worked for two years at LMS-Siemens as a structural analyst before starting to work in February 2009 at Westinghouse Electric Belgium where he led engineering projects on European power plants and the AP1000 design. Nicolas has now been work-ing in China since January 2014 on the world’s first AP1000 nuclear plant in Sanmen.

Nicolas was responsible for the communications of the Belgian Nuclear Society Young Generation for two years where he helped the Belgian nuclear industry to be more transparent. He then went on to become President of the International Youth Nuclear Con-gress (IYNC) during the 2012-2014 term and led to develop IYNC’s communication through social media, expand the IYNC network to Asia, collaborate with other international nuclear associations and organize IYNC2014 in Burgos, Spain.

Nicolas believes that Young Generation Networks and IYNC in particular provide the best environment to build a strong network, learn about the different aspects of the nuclear sector and form the future international leaders of our great industry.


7Dan O’Connor TreasurerDan O’Connor has been the IYNC Network Treasurer since March 2013. He works for Exelon Corporation, currently at the Limerick Generating Station outside of Philadelphia, PA, in the United States. Dan hails from Albany, NY, and holds a BA in Physics (College of the Holy Cross), an MS in Mechanical Engineering (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and an MBA in Strategic Management (Vil-lanova University). He is very interested in the policies, technolo-gies, and diplomacy helping to safely expand nuclear power in order to responsibly provide electricity for the world’s growing population.

Nicholle Turnipseed Research project chair and YGN LiasonNicholle has experience working at the Legacy Plant, Unit 1, as well as in the new construction of Units 2 & 3. As a graduate of Loui-siana State University she majored in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Chemistry. In 2013, after completing her initial Chem-istry training, Nicholle set personal goals to become more involved in her company’s corporate culture. As a result, in 2014 she became the NAYGN Community Service Chair where she has led numer-ous philanthropic events. Most recently, the 2014 Back-to-School Drive. In that one event NAYGN was able to accumulate enough school supplies and monetary donations to contribute to 6 dif-ferent schools in the Richland, Fairfield, Lexington, and Newberry Districts. Nicholle also serves as a board member for the Freedom and Hope Foundation, an organization dedicated to the wounded members of the military—both active duty and veterans. She is a member of WIN, Women in Nuclear, where she serves as a MEBA/STEM Initiative Representative.

Nicholle is the Research Project Chair-YGN Liaison for the Inter-national Youth Nuclear Congress committee. As a YGN Liaison, Nicholle is responsible for assisting new applicant countries inter-ested in beginning their local chapters. In particular, she advises new applicants with grant applications for the IYNC Network Start Up Grant. Nicholle’s education and experience has given her the practical knowledge on how to lead with dedication and responsi-bility, not only with the members of NAYGN, but in all of her en-deavors.


8Lubomir Mitev Bulletin EditorLubomir is the communications manager for the European Atomic Forum – Foratom. He was previously working as a journalist for the global nuclear news agency NucNet. Before that, he worked as a freelance journalist in Brussels, Belgium, with a strong focus on energy and sustainability/climate change. He has attended many international conferences, including UNFCCC CoP 16 in Mexico and the Rio+20 Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continues to travel throughout Europe and the world in his current position and has a profound interest in foreign cultures. He was brought on as editor of the IYNC Bulletin in 2014.

Lubomir does not belong to a nuclear YGN organization but is engaged with IYNC in order to spread the message of young pro-fessionals in the nuclear sector. He is dedicated to the development of nuclear energy and believes the flow of information to the new generation is the best way to help.

Alexander Gladtsin Web — MasterAlexander works as a system administrator and security engi-neer at the National Research Nuclear University «MEPhI» in Moscow. He graduated from the faculty of «Nuclear systems and materials» and has a Diploma in Non-destructive Con-trol. After graduation, he continued to work in the Laboratory of Non-destructive Control as a design engineer. His field of interest include a data acquisition and processing systems, non-destructive controls, ARM-based telemetry and automa-tion systems, Linux-like operation systems. In his free time he goes hunting, doing exercises with a barbell, archery among others.


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The IYNC Mid Term Board of Directors Meeting took place Saturday, 21 June 2015 in Paris, France. At the meeting, 20 Country reports were presented and the Board discussed the needs and concerns to update the IYNC Bylaws. The Board also approved the network operating budget for the term and learned of the activities surrounding the upcoming IYNC2016 in Hangzhou, China.

This meeting was held with special thanks to our hosts French Young Generation in Nuclear, and as a precedent to the ENYGF2015 meeting which started the following day.

IYNC Mid Term Board Meeting

List of Participants Country

Melissa Crawford USA

Kate Ryabikovskaya Russia

Nicolas Anciaux Belgium

Rahul Srinivasan USA

Nicholle Turnipseed USA

Christian Vega Argentina

Timothy Rownes Australia

Eileen Radde Austria

Alexandre Soares Leal Brazil

Mayank Sood Canada

Niina Miettinen Finland

Sophie Missirian France

Vecsi Aron Hungary

Nitendra Singh India

Alina Constantin Romania

List of Participants Country

Andrei Rusinkevich Russia

Rasmus Enlund Sweden

Samuel Moore USA

Nathan Peterson UK

Denis Janin France

Raphael Chesori Kenya

Shengke Zhi China

Eleonara Dragan Romania

Luca Caprioti Italy

Alexander Tsibulya Russia

Sarka Vondrova Czech Republic

Helge Gottschling Germany

Ian Kaniu Kenya

Jose Garcia Spain

Anouk ter Brugge Netherlands


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Six months before the UNFCCC CoP 21 talks in Paris in December, the European Nuclear Young Generation Forum (ENYGF) took place also in Paris from 22 to 26 June 2015. This edition of the bi-annual forum was dedicated to climate and environmental issues. During the event, high-level speakers from Europe’s major nuclear industry and research centres delivered speeches and discussed the role of nuclear in the fight against climate change.

The forum also provided the stage where the representatives from the 19 European Young Generation Networks signed and presented a position paper prepared in the framework of the Nuclear for Climate initiative. The two key messages of the declaration are that nuclear is part of the solution in the fight against climate change and COP21 is a unique oppor-tunity to achieve a world-wide low-carbon society in which nuclear power will have a key role to play.

The Declaration reads:

“Our belief is that fighting climate change cannot discard, on ideological background and judgment, such promising technologies. It is our duty to inform the public in an objective and scientific way of the benefits of nuclear power. CoP 21 is a unique opportunity to inter-nationally develop a low-carbon society in which nuclear power will have a key role to play.”

The European YGN also said the CoP 21 United Nations climate change summit in Paris in December is a unique opportunity to internationally develop a low-carbon society in which nuclear power will have a key role to play. A review of more than 20 studies assessing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by different forms of electricity generation shows that

ENYGF Nuclear For Climate Declaration, Paris 2015 by Melissa Crawford & Lubomir Mitev


11life cycle emissions from all of the major forms of renewable energy – solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric – are similar to those produced by nuclear. Therefore, nuclear energy has almost no carbon dioxide emissions and one of the low-est production costs within the energy market, mainly related to the fuel and operating costs which have little impact on the price of nuclear electricity.

Nuclear generation is predictable and provides baseload electricity with a high level of reli-ability to the end-user, the YGN also said. “It is not subject to variations in fuel availability as uranium is largely available from diverse politically stable countries. Nuclear power is therefore a key asset for energy security and independence”.

IYNC Workshop

To promote the task of this term to create a young generation approach to public com-munication, IYNC hosted a workshop at ENYGF2015 entitled Understanding Communica-tion Outside the Nuclear Industry. This workshop was coordinated with guest speaker Dr. Hugo Marynissen, President of the CiP Institute and Professor of the Antwerp Management School. This workshop was arranged as a follow-up action to IYNC’s first step in develop-ing a communication strategy – the IYNC Special Report on Understanding the Anti-nucle-ar Environmental Movement which will debut at PIME2016.

In order to communicate to your audience, you must first understand what they are saying about you. Therefore participants at the workshop were provided a draft copy of the IYNC report, which was used as a basis to start the workshop. Dr. Marynissen implemented an interactive 5-step method during the workshop to develop Short, Mid and Long Term Goals for communicating effectively and clearly about nuclear technology. The workshop was a great success and brought together the great minds of more than 20 participants from many countries.

Outcomes of the workshop:

Communication Goals: (What do we want to communicate about?)1) Improve Perception on Nuclear2 Improve communication about nuclear3) Clarify messages4) School Outreach programs5) Make YGN voice heard in the public


12ENYGF 2015 Paris


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According to the United Nations, the world population in 2015 is 7.2 billion and it is ex-pected to grow to 9.6 billion in 20501. Given this projected increase in population and the corresponding growth in economic activity and consumption, energy demand will also rise. Electricity is a vital service for the operation of society’s most basic services, such as providing clean water, healthcare, food, communication, and transportation.

Moreover, electricity-generation is the main source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world today; about 70% of the world’s electricity comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas2. With ongoing efforts to decarbonise the economy, many traditionally fossil-fuel burning activities - such as transportation - are being electrified. This trend will further the burden on the electricity production system. In order to actually decarbonise, the reduction in oil- and gas-burning by vehicles must be met with increased production of clean energy. Despite multiple international efforts, CO

2 emissions have increased by 60%

in comparison to 1990 levels3.

Even today, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity. In the poorest regions of the world, communities use inefficient, polluting and unsustainable energy technologies which also tend to negatively impact human health4.

Climate change, now scientifically accepted as being caused by human activity by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will have a profound impact on the future of the planet. Any policy agreements regarding greenhouse-gas reductions and sustainable development reached during the CoP21 in Paris in 2015 must be implemented swiftly, to ensure that future generations do not inherit problems which could have been prevented.

Nuclear power plants produce nearly no CO2 emissions: 15 grams of CO

2 per kilowatt-

hour, compared to 11 g CO2/kWh for wind energy, 45 g CO

2/kWh for solar photo-voltaics,

and 400 g CO2/kWh for natural gas-fired power stations5. It comes as no surprise that

the world’s five largest greenhouse gas emitters – China, the USA, the EU, India and Rus-sia – are looking to develop or maintain their nuclear power industries alongside renewable

1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2015). World population prospects. New York, NY.

2 International Energy Agency (2014). Energy technology perspectives 2014: Harnessing electricity’s potential. Paris.

3 International Energy Agency (2014).

4 World Bank (2013). Sustainable energy for all. Washington DC: Angelou, N. et al.

5 According to the results published by the European Union’s NEEDS project.

IYNC Position Paper: Nuclear For Climate


14energy sources and other low-carbon technologies. This is consistent with the Intergovern-mental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 1,200 possible scenarios for the limiting of global warming to 2 oC. Only eight of those scenarios include phasing out nuclear power6.

Nuclear energy has already had a profound effect in limiting climate change. Statistics from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that the operation of nuclear power sta-tions has avoided the release of 56 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide since 1971. This amounts to two years-worth of CO

2 emissions at current international emissions levels, stopped

from entering the atmosphere7.

Nuclear power is an integral part of the global energy system, producing 11% of global electricity. In the European Union, it accounts for 27% of total electricity production and 53% of carbon-free electricity8. In the USA, nuclear power produces almost 20% of the country’s total electricity and 66% of its low-carbon electricity. In comparison, Japan’s de-cision to shut down all of its 48 nuclear reactors after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 has resulted in a 6% increase in CO

2 emissions, forcing the country to concede and fail

at meeting its targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

Research is ongoing on future energy technologies, including new ways of exploiting nu-clear technology in even safer, more reliable and sustainable manners. The future of the nuclear industry lies in two areas: 1) more efficient use of nuclear fuel, which contributes to the transmutation of high-level nuclear waste, making it easier to dispose of or treat; and 2) replicating the inexhaustible power of the sun through nuclear fusion technology. The commercialisation of Generation IV nuclear reactors is anticipated before 2050 and will contribute to the achievement of the first area. The start-up of the ITER fusion reac-tor being built in France and scheduled for commissioning around 2030 will demonstrate the infinite possibilities of the second. For all of this to be possible, the decision-makers of today and tomorrow must recognise nuclear energy as a necessity.

The International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) is a global network of the new genera-tion of professionals in the nuclear field. As a network of young people, the members of IYNC are dedicated to developing new technologies, designing solutions and solving prob-lems in the nuclear energy industry for the welfare of humankind.

IYNC is committed to providing and contributing to a solution to climate change and the achievement of greenhouse gas reduction goals through the use of low-carbon technol-ogies.

IYNC firmly believes that future generations can benefit from the continued use of nuclear energy in several ways.

Firstly, today’s young people will have to implement the policies agreed to during CoP21 and achieve the targets set for 2050 and beyond. Over the next 35 years, the portfolio of technologies available to humankind for the achievement of these targets will grow and allow the use of electricity storage, new and more efficient renewable energy sources and systems, and improved nuclear energy technology. The primary purpose of IYNC is to

6 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2015).Climate change 2014: Synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: Pachauri, R.K. and Meyer, L.A. (eds.)




15transfer knowledge from the current generation of leading scientists and engineers to the next generation, to allow today’s young people to carry out CoP21’s charge. We strongly support the development of new ideas and provide a forum for the young generation of today so they can become the innovators of tomorrow.

IYNC needs the new UNFCCC Protocols to be adopted at CoP21 to establish clear goals and define a strong vision for young people to understand and work towards.

Secondly, population growth does not only mean an increase in demand for goods, ser-vices and energy – it also means a larger and more diverse workforce. The popularity of nuclear science and technology has fallen over the last twenty years. This has resulted in a similar decline in new specialists entering the nuclear field. In comparison, most predic-tions of future world energy requirements all point towards nuclear energy being a key part of the solution – the IEA estimates that to limit temperature increases to 2OC, nuclear capacity must approximately double from 400 gigawatts (GW) today to 930 GW in 2050. Achieving this goal will require support for research and development in nuclear energy and all low-carbon technologies, as well as concerted efforts to inspire more interest in young people to enter the sector.

IYNC calls on the UNFCCC to include in its Protocols to be adopted at CoP21 to recognise nuclear technology as an indispensable source of low-carbon electricity and to support research, development and innovation in nuclear science.

Thirdly, each country faces specific challenges in energy and environmental policies, such as level of economic development, security of energy supply, availability of natural re-sources, transportation networks, and public opinion. It is clear that a shift away from fos-sil-fuel use in all sectors of the economy will necessitate greater use of electricity. Pollution does not take into account international borders and politics and neither should electric-ity. Therefore, tackling climate change should not be based on technology-specific goals which bring with them a bias for or against specific technologies, but on the best possible means and combination of solutions to achieve the required result of decarbonisation.

IYNC demands that the UNFCCC recognise technology neutrality in energy policy for the decarbonisation of the energy system in the Protocols to be adopted at CoP21.

Finally, communication, international cooperation, and technology transfer are at the heart of tackling problems on a global scale. In the 1950s and 60s, the first nuclear power reactors developed in France were based on designs from the USA. Similarly, the indig-enous reactor designs developed in China in the 1990s and now are based on a transfer of technology from France and the USA. IYNC is committed to the development of new ap-proaches to communicate the benefits of nuclear power as part of a balanced energy mix. Only through international cooperation and an open and transparent sharing of ideas and experiences can we maintain and increase the level of technical know-how in energy engi-neering and science.

IYNC proposes that the international community set up global forums where intra-technol-ogy and inter-technology communication can be conducted freely, openly and scientifi-cally to achieve a balanced energy mix worldwide.

The members of IYNC are committed to solving existing problems and issues and work-ing together with all energy technology sectors to achieve all of the above.


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IYNC President Melissa Crawford and Vice President Ekaterina Ryabikovskaya, along with ENSYGN Chair Eileen Langegger, were invited to represent the young generation in nucle-ar at the 23rd WiN Global Annual Conference: Women in Nuclear Meet Atoms for Peace which took place 24-28 August at the Vienna International Center

IYNC had a small booth there where we could inform the WiN Participants and IAEA vi-sitiors about the IYNC and the opportunities available to be involved in the upcoming IYNC2016 in Hangzhou.

Mrs Langegger was up first and presented Career Development in a Challenging Environ-ment — Why Young Generation Networks are Essential at the session on Career Develop-ment. Ms Ryabikovskaya presented the IYNC’s communication work this term: Environ-mentalists and the Anti Nuclear Movement — Understanding Communication Outside the Nuclear Industry at the Panel Session on Energy, Environment and Climate Change. Ms Crawford presented the young generations call for a multilateral approach to waste man-agement, as well as the IYNC2016 to be held in Hangzhou, China, at the Safeguards and Non-proliferation panel.

The events are testament to the great collaboration and strong ties between WiN, IYNC and the IAEA. We will have more news on the outcomes of this event unfold in the next issue of the IYNC Bulletin.

YGN Leadership at WiN Global Conference


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23rd WiN Global Annual Conference


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23rd WiN Global Annual Conference


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For the 59th Annual General Conference of the IAEA, IYNC had a very successful partici-pation. IYNC was officially recognized by the IAEA in 2013, and has since been invited as an observer to their meetings and events.

Both IYNC Officers and IYNC2016 ExCom members attended, and our booth was prepared to inform participants of the Congress about IYNC and our next Congress, IYNC2016 in Hangzhou. Many people were interested in our work.

Monday morning saw a meeting with IYNC President and Vice President and the Chief of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) at Vienna. Further collabora-tion will be coming in our future.

A meeting with the United Nations Young Generation in Nuclear was held Monday evening, to increase communication and collaboration between IYNC and the professionals at IAEA.

It is our intent to continue this tradition at future IAEA GC going forward. Tuesday allowed for further discusion with the IAEA WiN chapter and IYNC on the future IYNC WiN chap-ter. The Nuclear4Climate Steering Committee meeting, and vists to the Member States. Wednesday IYNC Vice President Ekaterina Ryabikovskaya met with Deputy Director Gen-eral Chudakov to discuss the history and future of IYNC and IAEA, and IYNC2016 Technical Program Chair Luca Cappriotti was invited judge in the World Nuclear Olympiad.

The Future of the IYNC at the IAEA


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IAEA General Conference


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On 12 to 14 May 2015, VC Summer’s NAYGN chapter had the opportunity to partake in a series of professional development sessions centered on the theme of Nuclear Dol-lars and Sense that took place in Washington DC. This years’ conference was a first time joint venture with NAYGN and NEA (Nuclear Energy Assembly). The attendees included Nicholle Turnipseed (President), Courtney Tampas (Vice President), Daniel Cain (Profes-sional Development Chair), Duane Twining (Treasurer), Lisa Williamson (Public Information Co-Chair), and Rhe Adams (Public Information Chair). There was opportunity to partici-pate in breakout sessions that ranged from discussions on the financial impacts of political decisions to new nuclear construction.

The informative sessions hosted by NEA highlighted the future of the nuclear industry with topics, including Aligning the Nuclear Policy, Economic and Regulatory Agenda and a CEO panel discussion on the New Electricity Business. The Top Industry Practice Awards (TIP) were also a part of these sessions. The awards highlighted the nuclear industry’s most in-novative techniques and ideas, while promoting the sharing of fresh ideas and best prac-tices.

The Supplier Expo that took place on May 12th had over 45 exhibits that showcased excit-ing products and technology in the nuclear industry.

The conference ended with a trip to Capitol Hill on May 13th. The members of NAYGN had appointments with offices of their local, federal congressional representatives, for Hill Day. The visits centered on supporting nuclear science and impact some congressional activi-ties that would directly affect our industry.

NAYGN/NEA Conference in Washington DC by Nicholle Turnipseed


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Direct Participants Feedback

1) What sticks in my head is the relationship between carbon-free energy sources (I don’t use the term renewable because nuclear can be renewable). Of all the discus-sions that weren’t professional development (of which I didn’t pick good sessions), that was the theme. ISO-controlled markets and how they price power, federal subsidies, political lobbying and think tanks working on congress, etc. Our lives in nuclear power are all impacted by these issues, if not now, sometime in the future. SCANA is going to feel the effects of potential NRC budget cuts, EPA rule changes, federal subsidies, distributed solar, etc. Our executives are actively managing all of these impacts on our business and our employment. My favorite part was meet-ing all the new people. During a meal or social, stop at a table and sit down to meet others. It was also interesting to hear the different perspectives on starting nuclear careers.

2) The NAYGN sessions were good in that they exposed us to areas that we might not get to experience during our normal job functions. They also got us interacting with some of our new found friends. The NEA sessions seemed more philosophical in nature with broader, longer-term views of the industry and operations. This was appropriate given the typical NEA audience versus the NAYGN crowd. For follow-up, we need to help each other maintain the contacts established at the conference. We also need to encourage others to get out there and participate both within our own chapter but also within the region and beyond.

3) What impressed me the most was the knowledge of our legislature representa-tives on nuclear and how pro-nuclear they were. Also, I enjoyed the influencing leaders workshop in which we role played a case study in teams. It was eye opening on the vast knowledge needed and how to work relationships across different par-ties within the company and other parties outside of the company.


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An historic agreement to combat climate change and unleash actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future was agreed by 195 nations in Paris on 12 December 2015. The Paris Agreement for the first time brings all nations into a com-mon cause based on their historic, current and future responsibilities. The Agreement’s main aim is to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. According to the latest scientific reports, global temperatures have already risen by almost 1 degree Celsius.

To reach these ambitious and important goals, appropriate financial flows will be put in place, thus making stronger action by developing countries and the most vulnerable ones, in line with their own national objectives.

“The Paris Agreement allows each delegation and group of countries to go back home with their heads held high. Our collective effort is worth more than the sum of our indi-vidual effort. Our responsibility to history is immense” said Laurent Fabius, President of the COP 21 UN Climate change conference and French Foreign Minister. The minister, his emo-tion showing as delegates started to rise to their feet, brought the final gavel down on the agreement to open and sustained acclamation across the plenary hall.

French President Francois Hollande was also present to congratulate the delegates: “You’ve done it, reached an ambitious agreement, a binding agreement, a universal agree-ment. Never will I be able to express more gratitude to a conference. You can be proud to stand before your children and grandchildren.”

What Does the Agreement Mean?

The Paris Agreement and the outcomes of the UN climate conference (COP21) cover all the crucial areas identified as essential for a landmark conclusion. As well as setting a long-term direction, countries will peak their emissions as soon as possible and continue to submit national climate action plans that detail their future objectives to address climate change. This builds on the momentum of the unprecedented effort which has so far seen 188 countries contribute climate action plans to the new agreement, which will dramati-cally slow the pace of global greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, two contributions were submitted the day the Agreement was adopted.

According to the agreement, countries will have to submit updated climate plans – called na-tionally determined contributions (NDCs) – every five years, thereby steadily increasing their ambition in the long-term. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will have to prepare a scientific report of the effects of a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius and the best actions to tackle the effects of climate change. The NDCs will be reviewed every five years after that, therefore starting in 2023. The agreement also includes a compli-ance mechanism, overseen by a committee of experts that operates in a non-punitive way.

The Universal Agreement on Climate Change


24Climate action will also be taken forward in the period before 2020. Countries will continue to engage in a process on mitigation opportunities and will put added focus on adapta-tion opportunities. Additionally, they will work to define a clear roadmap on ratcheting up climate finance to USD 100 billion by 2020 per year. Governments decided that they will work to define a clear roadmap on climate finance while also setting a new goal on the provision of finance from the USD 100 billion floor by 2025. This is further underlined by the agreement’s robust transparency and accounting system, which will provide clarity on countries’ implementation efforts, with flexibility for countries’ differing capabilities.

The landmark Paris Agreement was reached against the backdrop of a remarkable ground-swell of climate action by cities and regions, business and civil society. During the week of events under the Lima-to-Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) at the COP, the groundswell of ac-tion by these stakeholders successfully demonstrated the powerful and irreversible course of existing climate action.

Countries at COP 21 recognised the enormous importance of these initiatives, calling for the continuation and scaling up of these actions which are entered on the UN-hosted NAZ-CA portal as an essential part in the rapid implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The LPAA and NAZCA have already captured climate actions and pledges covering:

• Over 7,000 cities, including the most vulnerable to climate change, from over 100 coun-tries with a combined population of 1.25 billion people and around 32% of global GDP.

• Sub-national states and regions comprising one fifth of total global land area and com-bined GDP of USD 12.5 trillion.

• Over 5,000 companies from more than 90 countries that together represent the major-ity of global market capitalisation and over USD 38 trillion in revenue.

• Nearly 500 investors with total assets under management of over USD 25 trillion.

According to many analysts, these pledges have created a momentum for change which will continue to grow among business and civil society and is only re-enforced through a global agreement. “The Paris Agreement gives businesses and investors the policy certain-ty they crave and provides a vital foundation for a healthier, stronger and more prosper-ous economy. Companies, cities and governments are realizing that can do well, by doing good. From now, on, the smart money will no longer go into fossil fuels, but into cleaner energy, smarter cities, and more sustainable land use,” said Felipe Calderon, former Presi-dent of Mexico and Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate.

However, the agreement did not go without criticism. James Hansen, former NASA scien-tist and the person considered the ‘father’ of global awareness of climate change, spoke to the Guardian newspaper, saying: “It’s a fraud really, a fake. It’s just bullshit for them to say: ‘We’ll have a 2C warming target and then try to do a little better every five years.’ It’s just worthless words. There is no action, just promises. As long as fossil fuels appear to be the cheapest fuels out there, they will be continued to be burned.”

Mr Hansen returned home from COP 21 and immediately called (yet again) for a price to be placed on each tonne of carbon dioxide which is emitted. He calls it a “fee” because “taxes scare people off”. He says USD15 a tonne that would rise USD10 a year and bring in USD600bn in the US alone should do the job the Paris Agreement did not. There aren’t many takers, even among “big green” NGOs as Hansen labels environment groups.


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Nuclear4Climate at COP21


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Country Report — Malaysia

Malaysia Establishes Malaysia Young Generation in Nuclear (MyYGN)

In a two-day conference aimed at youth empowerment and development in nuclear, 145 participants comprising of university students and young professionals in the nuclear-related industries in Malaysia concluded the inaugural Nuclear Youth Congress 2015 (NYC 2015) held in Johor Bahru, from 12-13 October 2015.

The event, with the theme of “Aspire to Inspire: Empowering Youth in Nuclear”, success-fully achieved its main objective of forming the Malaysia Young Generation in Nuclear (MyYGN). Mr Luca Capriotti, a representative of the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC) who presented IYNC at the conference, spoke about the mentorship programme and the International Youth Nuclear Congress 2016 (IYNC2016) event. He was instrumental in advising and guiding the setting up of MyYGN.

The involvement of IYNC in this event has “positively helped to cement the importance of having a robust and dynamic nuclear youth movement in Malaysia,” explained Myra Liyana Razali, the IYNC National Representative for Malaysia.

Through this establishment, MyYGN hopes to represent the interest of Malaysia’s young generation in nuclear, engage and communicate with other young Malaysians on nuclear matters and facilitate networking opportunities among members to exchange nuclear knowledge and information.


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The Youth Nuclear Society of Sri Lanka reports on its latest activities as well as an over-view of the latest news from the country’s nuclear sector.

Latest developments & news from the USA

In January 2015, the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council (SLAERC) was estab-lished to allow for the introduction of nuclear power generation technology in the country, and also to address concerns over the security of radioactive sources and to deal with radiation emergencies.

In February 2015, the government signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with India. It concerns capacity building and training in the peaceful application of nuclear energy, es-pecially the use of radioisotopes, nuclear safety, radioactive waste management, radiation safety and nuclear security.

In April 2015, our country signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Pakistan.

Moreover, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB) is involved in promoting on develop-ment of Nuclear Science and Technology (NST) in the fields of Human Health, Industry, Environment, Food & Agriculture, Animal husbandry, Naval & Aeronautics and Isotopes hy-drology. In addition, the SLAEB conducts public awareness programs in order to enhance the knowledge on the benefit of NST & electricity generation using nuclear power.

The electricity production can be increased by about 6460 MW by 2032 in Sri Lanka. In fact, the Generation plan (2013 -2032) of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is mainly con-cerned with options for the next generation’s electricity instead of the existing coal power

Country Report — Sri Lanka


28plants. A country like Sri Lanka should have a good mixture of energy options for elec-tricity generation rather than adhering to one conventional energy source such as coal. It is time for Sri Lanka, to go for nuclear power as an option to meet future power demand of the country. Some countries smaller than Sri Lanka have successfully adopted nuclear power plants for their electricity generation. By 2032, a nuclear power plant with minimum capacity of 600 MW would be a favourable development for Sri Lanka.

News from the Young Generation Network

A video documentary (about 40 minutes in length) was created in the local language by Mr. Malinda Ranaweera – Patron, Youth Nuclear Society of Sri Lanka (YNSS) to explain the benefits of “Electricity generation using Nuclear Power in Sri Lanka”.

We provide information services through the web sites regarding the “Electricity genera-tion using Nuclear Power” & peaceful applications of Nuclear science and Technology” as follows.

We disseminate a lot of our information and activities on the YNSS Facebook Group: Youth Nuclear Society of Sri Lanka (YNSS)

The 4th Annual General meeting of Youth Nuclear Society of Sri Lanka (YNSS) was held on 22 July 2015 at the Auditorium of SLAEB. Mr. Lakshitha Perera and Ms. Nadeera Hemamali were appointed as the president and secretary of YNSS.

Nuclear Energy is Important for the Fight Against Climate Change

Apart from the hydro power, solar and wind energy, the production of electricity using fos-sil fuels such as coal, oil and gas is the major production source in Sri Lanka. Hydro power reserves of the country are nearly fully exploited. In addition, solar and wind energy is not available for exploitation in large scale due to the requirement of having reserves. Moreo-ver, coal resources are also a limited conventional resource and in terms of foreign expend-iture, petroleum is an expensive source for the power generation in the country. However, it is obvious that the emission of greenhouse gasses from fossil fuel burning has an impact on climate change and causes many problems such as carbon credit penalties which are mandated by environmental protocols.

Nuclear power seems to be the main solution for these kinds of issues because it produces lower amounts of CO

2 and other greenhouse gases. In terms of climate change mitigation,

nuclear is important and many countries intend to introduce nuclear power in the com-ing decades, or to expand already existing programs. All countries have the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, as well as the responsibility to do so safely and securely.


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The North American Young Generation Network reports on its latest activities as well as an overview of the latest news from the US nuclear sector.

Latest developments & news from the USA

The United States continues to have the largest nuclear fleet in the world, distributed over many utility companies who successfully compete to provide the best possible services to the public for the lowest prices. Despite this, nuclear only provides 20% of the energy in the United States. Nuclear is important in that it can provide sustainable jobs, clean energy and innovation that will allow us to meet the demands of future generations.

There are five new reactors in the USA which continue to be under construction:

1. Watts Bar Unit 2 2. Vogtle Units 3 & 4 3. Summer Units 2 & 3

These new reactors, plus Duke Energy’s pre-construction investments in the Lee nuclear station, are signs of potential growth in the industry. Additionally, states in the western US are making initial investments in building Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) which is a further sign that the industry my see resurgence in the near future.

However, there were four recent plant closures in the United States:

1. Crystal River Unit 3 2. Kewaunee 3. San Onofre 4. Vermont Yankee

Country Report — United States


30Despite this, two more plants in Illinois are at risk of closure: Exelon’s Quad Cities and Clin-ton nuclear plants. With these other two plants at risk, further challenges for the industry in the United States are heralded. These challenges have accelerated the need for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel which is now under construction in Texas. It seems the US nuclear industry has found a way to turn a challenge into an opportunity.

Nuclear will continue to provide essential energy with minimal impact on environmental resources which future generations will have increasing demand for. Therefore, a source of electricity which does not consume resources will be needed to meet increasing demands will be invaluable to the future of a growing and changing country.

News from the Young Generation Network

Regional Conferences underway: following the success of the NAYGN National Conference in Washington DC, the regional conferences have been organized to solidify professional relationships and continue to create professional development opportunities for NAYGN members.

The Regional events allow for more young professionals to take leadership roles in com-municating with other companies and chapters in relation to organizing professional events. The regional conferences also allow executives to interact with up-and-coming professionals in the industry and within their own organizations.


Nuclear power is the largest, most reliable and economically advantageous source of clean, pollution free power in the world.

There is a large effort in the industry to pursue and/or promote nuclear energy as a meth-od of combating climate change. Yet, the United States boasts a diverse populace with diverse views and opinions on industry, energy, pollution, policy and business. Therefore, to represent this diversity and recognize that other countries will adequately take nuclear as a means to combat climate change, this country report draws attention to the broader benefits of nuclear.

Nuclear energy respects the property rights of citizens by not polluting the environment or consuming cooling water. Additionally, the nuclear energy provides long lasting, eco-nomically sustainable careers for not just local employees, but for suppliers and manufac-turers throughout the country and the world. The innovation and solutions that have been made possible by the industry have yielded the safe energy models for the current de-mands of the modern world and are producing solutions that will last thousands of years. We are able to responsibly handle waste and provide sustainable energy and careers for future generations.

Nuclear is the only the industry that currently has designs, models and plans but it is also the technology that will meet the demands of future generations for a time period that stretches beyond the visible horizon for the human race.


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Islam El-Hadj, IYNC’s representative in Tunisia, talks about the latest activities as well as an overview of the latest news from the Tunisia nuclear sector and the African Young Generation Network.

Latest developments & news from Tunisia

The Nuclear field in Tunisia is divided into three major areas.

First, it is nuclear research in the National Centre of Nu-clear Sciences and Techniques, CNSTN. The late activi-ties are to establish a subcritical assemblies installation in the centre in order to help do research activities and even produce radioactive sources. Currently, it is wait-ing for the ministry approval to finance the project.

Second, we have feasibility studies to build a 1,000-megawatt nuclear power station. The energy mix developed has proven that Tunisia is in need of nuclear energy by 2030 to help reduce the share of fossil fuelled power plants, which are producing 98% of the country’s electricity. In the meanwhile, nuclear legislation has to be voted by the deputy chamber and we are trying to accelerate the creation of the Regulatory Body.

Third, we have several nuclear medicine treatment facilities. In fact, legislation is to be modified in order to take into account the huge amount of radioactive sources being used and how to transport and dispose of these sources.

Tunisia, as well as many other countries in Africa, depends a lot on fossil fuel sources, mainly gas and oil. This is a very dangerous situation for two major reasons:

First, dependency on market prices of oil. Prices are very often high and for many devel-oping countries the selling price of a kWh doesn’t exceed the cost which means deficits in the budgets of companies and the state budget. On the other hand, uranium is at a low price and produces way too far more energy if compared to fossil fuel.

Second, the use of nuclear energy will help Tunisia keep its fossil fuel resources for the next generation and the extracted quantities will be used for other activities, mainly petro-chemical ones.

African Young Generation Report


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News from the African Young Generation Network

The African Nuclear Young Generation is a young organization which is trying to shape itself. As for the recent activities we are trying to:

1. Identify and Select members from around all Africa

2. Make online meetings to get acquainted with one another and to discuss different matters; The first hangout meeting was made on 215 July 2015 and the discussion was about:

a. Mission of the African YGN b. Leadership Roles/Responsibilities c. Plans for the African YGN in South Africa d. The structure of the African YGN e. Possible Affiliations f. Membership/registration models g. Next meeting

We are also trying to cooperate with IYNC and other organization to see how can we pro-mote our YGN on a national level in other countries as well as internationally.


Nuclear energy is the winning horse in order to help the world satisfy its growing need for electric power in a sustainable way. Among the reasons to promote nuclear energy is to save our planet and reduce the impact of climate change. In fact, nuclear energy is among the best ways to reduce CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, producing energy with nuclear will help preserve fossil resources for other activities (transportation and chemical products). Thus, the need to drill more oil wells will decrease and we all know the negative impact of these activities such as: water use and contamination, soil contamination etc.


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december 2015 · december 2015 / iync bulletin 5 iync network officers melissa crawford president...

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