The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) took a leading role at the 70th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, championing regulatory reform and deepening international cooperation to support the safe and timely worldwide deployment of new nuclear technologies.
Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, Mike Finnerty, led the ONR’s delegation through an extensive programme of ministerial roundtable, bilateral meetings and side events with regulatory counterparts from across the globe, including Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and the European Commission.
A centrepiece of ONR's leadership and involvement was hosting the UK side event, ‘Regulatory Reform Driving Efficiency in Nuclear Deployments,’ bringing together Mike Finnerty with Ho K. Nieh, Chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Pierre Tremblay, President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), and Dr Jo Nettleton, Chief Regulator of the Enivronment Agency.
The session was well attended and explored how regulators are responding to opportunities and challenges as the global nuclear sector evolves by adapting their frameworks to support innovation and growth while maintaining rigorous safety standards, drawing on reform experience from all three countries.
Delegates heard how longstanding collaboration between ONR, the US NRC and Canada's CNSC, and shared technical assessments between the UK, US and Canada on the BWRX-300 reactor design, helped inform the recent approval of one of these reactors at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site - a practical demonstration of how international cooperation accelerates safe deployment.
ONR also signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with El Salvador's recently established nuclear regulator, marking the beginning of a formal cooperative relationship as the country develops its nuclear programme at pace including the proposed deployment of Small Modular Reactor technologies.
Elsewhere, discussions with fellow foreign regulators - Sweden's SSM and the Czech Republic's SUJB – progressed plans to continue our collaborative working, supporting the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMR technology selected for construction in both countries, building on a three-day workshop that ONR held with SSM in August.
Further bilateral meetings were held between ONR and regulators from Japan, France and also Finland, which included a renewed joint MoU signing with its regulators STUK, including potential to replicate the framework developed under the Atlantic Partnership as a template for leveraging assessments across European regulators.
The conference also featured ONR contributing to wider international efforts, including panel participation at a European research reactor fuel supply side event, with a focus on High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), and the International Nuclear Safety Policy Advisors Group (INSPAG), a valued and collaborative international affairs forum sharing trusted and informal exchange on common challenges, international policies and strategies. The UK now serves as joint secretariat for this group with the Swiss Regulator, ENSI.
This international engagement translates directly into practical and tangible benefits for UK regulation.
By sharing experience with trusted regulators and drawing on international good practice, ONR is able to make better use of overseas regulatory assessments, reduce unnecessary duplication for industry, and ensure the UK's approach remains consistent with global standards, all while supporting the safe and efficient deployment of nuclear projects at home.
Mike Finnerty, ONR's Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, said:
"The week in Vienna has reinforced just how much value comes from working closely with our international partners.
“By learning from regulators in the US, Canada, and across Europe, we bring back practical insights that directly strengthen our regulation here in the UK, helping us support the safe and efficient deployment of new nuclear technologies without ever compromising on safety.
“ONR's engagement at the IAEA General Conference reflects its ongoing commitment to international collaboration as a core part of its regulatory approach.
“By maintaining strong relationships with regulators around the world, we continue to enhance our own regulatory practices, support the UK's nuclear ambitions, and contribute to raising nuclear safety standards globally.”