OECD NEA Steering Committee 2025 Spring Meeting held in Paris

The 149th meeting of the Steering Committee of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) was held on 15 - 16 April 2025, in Paris, with the participation of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority. This year's first meeting focused on the evolution of the NEA's ongoing scientific projects, including the five-year program launched in April 2024 to investigate the thermophysical properties (such as density, surface tension and viscosity) of thorium solutions, that influence the modelling and analysis of thorium solution stabilisation strategies in the event of a major reactor accident.

Another important topic covered during the Steering Committee meeting was the assessment of the POLCA project which aims to analyze experimentally the behaviour of spent fuel pools under accidental cooling loss conditions by developing thermo-hydraulic models and risk reduction strategies for assembly processes.

The second day of the Steering Committee meeting included a policy briefing on the safe supply of medical radioisotopes, where experts in the field presented the future prospects of radioisotopes in medical use, as well as ways to address challenges posed by the growing demand for these materials.