IAEA Sidelines Consultation Meeting

A consultation meeting was held on 28-29 July 2026 in Vienna, Austria, on the margins of the International Atomic Energy Agency, bringing together specialists from the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy, U.S. Department of Energy National Labs, and IAEA Safeguards and Research Reactors Departments.  

The meeting addressed the implementation of projects related to the management of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel from the IGR reactor, including the development of the necessary infrastructure, technical solutions for fuel repackaging, manufacture of specialized equipment, the matters concerning nuclear material accounting and control.

Preliminary research results on dilution and immobilization methods for HEU fuel from the IVG.1M reactor, conducted by specialists from the National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan, were also presented.  

Representatives of the IAEA, as well as of research organizations from Sweden and South Africa, praised the research conducted, confirmed the applicability of the proposed methods to the task at hand, and provided recommendations that will be taken into account in optimizing the design of the future dilution facility.  

Following the consultation meeting, participants outlined the next steps for project implementation and agreed on key areas for joint work.