12th International Youth Nuclear Congress Held in Japan

Nuclear Energy Engineer Specialist Okan Yıldız from Akkuyu Nuclear A.Ş attended the 12th International Youth Nuclear Congress held in Japan.

The 12th International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC), held in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, brought together about 25 young experts from more than 400 countries.

During the six-day congress, representatives from all over the world, including Turkey, Russia, Australia, the USA, South America, Africa and Europe, participated in tours, discussions and seminars on technical topics.

Representatives of leading industry companies and non-governmental organizations were among the speakers in the plenary sessions.

Participants discussed the latest developments in the nuclear industry and answered questions from young nuclear scientists. In the presentations made by the representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), World Nuclear University (WNU) and other institutions, the role of nuclear energy in the global economy, which has undergone a significant transformation in the post-pandemic period, and the importance of nuclear power plants in the transition to a green economy were emphasized. .

The speakers also noted that, given the global trend of increasing the average age of those working in the nuclear field, the need for comprehensive inclusion of young people in nuclear education.

Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom was represented at the congress with its 12 employees. Members of the Rosatom delegation took part in the congress as speakers, moderators and workshop organizers.

In the session titled "Low Power Reactors and Micro Reactors: A New Era in Nuclear Technology" moderated by Nuclear Energy Engineer Specialist Okan Yıldız from Akkuyu Nuclear A.Ş. Laura McManniman, an IAEA expert on spent nuclear fuel management, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Micro Reactor Development Department Deputy Director Tadakatsu Yado, Ontario University of Technology Nuclear Energy Professor Hossam Gaber and Sol Pedre from the CAREM project in Argentina took part as speakers.

The speakers discussed the latest developments in the field of small-capacity nuclear power plants, answered questions from the audience, and tried to find solutions to some of the problems in the development of small-capacity reactors.

In addition to the session, Okan Yıldız talked about “Let's make it smaller!” where teams competed to develop plans for small modular reactors (SMR). Organized a workshop titled

Technical visits to nuclear facilities in Japan, including a nuclear fuel production facility, hydrogen production facilities, and nuclear power plants under modernization or decommissioning, were organized for IYNC-2022 participants.

IYNC-2022 participant, Expert Okan Yıldız from Akkuyu Nuclear A.Ş, stated the following in his speech about the event:

“The event was large-scale and very interesting. We are happy to have the opportunity to share our experiences, exchange ideas and highlight the importance of nuclear energy in the global energy agenda on the international stage. At the congress, I organized a panel session and a workshop on small nuclear power plants. It took me a long time to fully prepare for the event; I prepared for the journey for a year.”

Expressing his pride that the sessions he organized aroused interest among the participants, Yıldız said, “As soon as he learned that I came from Turkey and was working at the Akkuyu NPP construction site, he was very interested in the project. Our colleagues from countries that have decided to abandon nuclear energy agree that their country's policies are largely wrong and that failure to develop nuclear capacity goes against the UN's sustainable development goals.” said.

Stating that many public and institutions around the world support nuclear energy, Yıldız said, “At the same time, Japan plans to restart many nuclear power plants after the improvement works are completed, especially the Tokai nuclear power plant, which we visited as part of the IYNC delegation. The environmental damage of using fossil fuels to generate electricity is quite clear.” he said.

The next IYNC congress will be held in February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.