The membership of World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), the world’s leading safety organization for commercial nuclear power plants, has voted to establish a new Branch Office and Support Centre in Shanghai, China, on Feb 21.
Peter Prozesky, Chief Executive Officer at WANO, stated: “I’m delighted that our members have voted for us to proceed with the establishment of a new WANO Branch Office and Support Centre in Shanghai. Over the past 30 years, China has become a key player in the commercial nuclear sector and we welcome the increased participation and expertise of our Chinese members in supporting our mission to maximize nuclear safety and reliability. The new office will be developed in line with our ethos – it will be international, independent, technology agnostic and capable of carrying out all WANO functions. In particular, internationality and independence are vital components of WANO – as this is where WANO draws its strength on safety by ensuring a diversity of views.”
WANO has defined a high-level, three-phase deployment model for the office in Shanghai. The first phase involves the setting up of a Branch Office, staffed with around 40 people, which falls under the control and oversight of the London Office. It will later transition to a Support Centre, still managed by the London Office, but with the depth of skill and capacity to start supporting other regional centers. Then at the third and final phase, WANO will convene another EGM for members to vote on establishing the office as a fully-fledged WANO regional center.
NβN tip: WANO’s strategic move will make it easier for WANO to provide its full range of services to operators located in the world’s fastest-growing region for commercial nuclear power. The strategic rationale for the move is to cater for the dramatic growth in the development of nuclear power plants in both China and across Asia, where around two-thirds of the world’s new reactors are under construction.
