International Symposium on Nuclear Energy – SIEN 2011

Bucharest, Romania

The annual SIEN conference is already a traditional fixture in the Romanian nuclear events calendar. SIEN 2011 was held in Bucharest, Romania, from 16 - 20 October and was attended by a large number of participants from Romania, as well as from abroad. SIEN is organised by the Romanian Association for Nuclear Energy (AREN) and the Romanian Atomic Forum (ROMATOM), with the support of ENS and other sponsors.

Until now, public interest in nuclear power has increased not only due to the Fukushima accident, but also due to the large-scale re-evaluation of NPP safety that is taking place worldwide. Within this framework, specialists are more than ever engaged in debating and exchanging information about nuclear energy, extending international cooperation and improving communications.

SIEN 2011 gave speakers and participants the opportunity to discuss key topics, such as Developing New Nuclear Technologies,  Overcoming Challenges to Nuclear New Build Projects;  Building on Experiences from Global Projects;  Operation, Inspection and Maintenance; Fuel Cycle; Radioactive Waste; Decommissioning; Operation and Economics; Safety and Environment;   Increasing Nuclear Safety Features;  Safety Culture;  Addressing Regulatory Issues and  Public Acceptance and Confidence Strengthening.

The three-day symposium programme featured interactive and practical workshops dedicated, among other topics, to radioprotection, the implementation of public participation, quality management standards and others. The conference finished with a technical tour to Cernavoda NPP and to the Pitesti nuclear fuel plant.

Among the most significant attendees at SIEN 2011, we would like to acknowledge in particular the participation of Their Excellences the Ambassadors of Canada, Great Britain, South Korea and Italy and the contribution of Santiago San Antonio, former Secretary General of ENS and current Secretary General of NucNet, who gave a presentation about the information challenges during and after the Fukushima accident. We would also like to acknowledge the presentations made by representatives of the CANDU group, Ansaldo Nucleare and others.

The Romanian Young Generation Network and Women in Nuclear also held thematic workshops, which were dedicated to improving public communication, training opportunities, transparency and nuclear safety culture, respectively. The Young Generation chapter in Romania, which is affiliated to ENS-YG, is a well-run and very active group that organises activities ranging from school and high school seminars explaining the benefits of nuclear power to participation in international events, such as IYNC (the International Youth Nuclear Congress).

Benefiting from the participation of more than 150 specialists, SIEN 2011 proved to be a highly scientific forum for discussions on key topics and helped to promote the setting of an agenda for future activities dedicated to the promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear power. A poster session and an exhibition were organised in parallel with symposium.