NUKEM Experts Contribute to IAEA Technical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Spent Fuel Management
From 7 to 11 July 2025, three experts from NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH (NUKEM) participated in the IAEA Technical Meeting on the Management of Spent Fuel (Pebbles and Compacts) from High Temperature Reactors, held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
The meeting brought together international practitioners to exchange knowledge, operational experience, and strategies related to the backend of the fuel cycle for high temperature reactors (HTRs), particularly in the light of growing global interest in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
Representing NUKEM were:
- Dr. Marina Sokcic-Kostic, Principal Engineer
- Christopher Reiser, Senior Physicist
- Nobuaki Ninomiya, Executive Officer and Managing Director
As part of the programme, Dr. Sokcic-Kostic delivered a technical presentation titled:
“Facilitating SMR Fuel Fabrication from HALEU UF₆”
Her talk explored several fuel cycle pathways stemming from HALEU UF₆ produced at enrichment facilities. The deconversion to UO₂ yields material suitable for LWR-based SMRs. UO₂ can also be fluorinated to UF₄ for use in molten-salt SMRs, or reduced calciothermically to metallic uranium for fast reactors such as sodium-cooled SMRs. Additionally, calcining UO₂ produces raw material for TRISO fuel used in HTRs.
“It was a privilege to attend the IAEA Technical Meeting on HTGR spent fuel management as a representative of both Germany and Japan,” said Nobuaki Ninomiya, Executive Officer and Managing Director at NUKEM. “We were particularly pleased to see Dr. Sokcic-Kostic share the latest developments on HALEU fuel fabrication, underscoring the momentum of international collaboration. NUKEM remains committed to advancing knowledge and partnerships in this vital field.”
The meeting covered a wide range of technical topics, including fuel characteristics, spent fuel volumes, graphite matrix management, gap analyses for licensing, and long-term disposal strategies. The insights gathered will contribute to an upcoming IAEA Technical Document summarizing key findings and future recommendations.
By participating in high-level international forums such as this, NUKEM reaffirms its commitment to innovation, cross-border dialogue, and technical excellence in nuclear fuel cycle management - especially as advanced reactor designs continue to shape the future of low-carbon energy.
NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH in Karlstein am Main, Germany, is world-wide active in the areas of management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, decommissioning of nuclear facilities, engineering and consulting. For more than 60 years NUKEM provides high quality products, technologies and services, where Innovation, Solutions and Excellence are closely linked.
Contact:
Bea Heinze
NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH
Zeche Gustav 6, 63791 Karlstein am Main
E-mail:
www.nukemtechnologies.de