Australian Nuclear Science & Technology OrganisationAustralian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation

Regional Cooperation Present, Past and Future

Dr John Easey

Regional Overview

Currently the major mechanisms for Cooperation in Nuclear Science and Technology in the Pacific Rim Region are:

• The IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme (TC) & Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs).

• The Regional Cooperative Agreements (RCA) and ARCAL.

• The Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA).

• Bilateral Agreements.

Regional Overview

The IAEA Related Programmes.

Overview IAEA CRPs

Article III of the IAEA’s Statute states that the Agency is authorized to encourage and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful purposes throughout the world and to foster the exchange of scientific and technical information, as well as the exchange of scientists in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

Overview IAEA CRPs

The Agency’s coordinated research activities commenced in 1959.

• The 2005 Report on the CRP Programme has 125 Active CRPs.

• The 2005 budget was $7.39 million.• The Average award / contract was

$6,440.

Regional Overview

The IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme provides support through:

• National Projects• Regional Projects• Inter-regional Projects

102 IAEA Member States are listed as Recipient Countries or Territories.

IAEA Technical Cooperation Divisions

Africa

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America

IAEA TC RecipientsAsia Pacific (27)

Afghanistan; Bangladesh; China; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic

of;Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Korea, Republic of;Kuwait; Lebanon; Malaysia; Marshall Island;

Mongolia; Myanmar; Pakistan; Philippines; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Syrian Arab Republic; Territories under the

jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority;

Thailand; United Arab Emirates; Vietnam; Yemen.

IAEA TC RecipientsLatin America (22)

Argentina;Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic;Ecuador; El Salvador;

Guatemala; Honduras;Haiti;Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; Venezuela.

Regional Overview

The Regional Cooperative Agreements.

Regional Cooperative Agreements

Regional Cooperative Agreements are formal inter-governmental agreements providing frameworks for collaboration by their Member States.

These are conducted under the aegis of the IAEA but it is not a signatory to them.

There are three:

RCA – Asia;

ARCAL – Latin America; Africa - AFRA.

RCA (" Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the

Pacific ").

The RCA (Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific) provides a framework for collaboration by its Asian Member States.

RCA is a formal inter-governmental agreement which entered into force in 1972. It has been the model for the other regional agreements.

RCA Member States (17)

Australia;

Bangladesh;

China;

India;

Indonesia;

Japan;

Republic of Korea;

Malaysia;

Mongolia;

Myanmar;

New Zealand;

Pakistan;

Philippines;

Singapore;

Sri Lanka;

Thailand;

Vietnam.

ARCAL ("Acuerdo Regional de Cooperación para la Promoción de la Ciencia y la

Tecnología Nucleares en América Latina y el Caribe").

The ARCAL agreement (Regional Cooperative Agreement for the Advancement of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean) provides a framework for collaboration for its Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean.

It was first established in 1984 as an institute to institute arrangement but was made a formal inter-governmental agreement in 1998.

ARCAL Member States (20)

Argentina;Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican

Republic;Ecuador; El Salvador; 

Guatemala; Haiti;Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; Venezuela.

RCA Projects 1972-2006

Sector No. of Projects Budget

US$ ‘000Agriculture 12 $5,405Energy 8 $2,270

Environment 11 $4,237Human Health 23 $12,155

Industry 25 $23,256Information 1 $197Instruments 1 $1,932Management 4 $2,518Radiation Protection 7 $4,927Research Reactor 6 $1,350Waste Management 1 $156

Total 99 $57,352

UN Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) Evaluation

In February 1995, the JIU report “UN System Support for Science and Technology in Asia and the Pacific", closely evaluated 10 projects selected in the Asia Pacific region.

One of these ten projects was the RCA Industrial Project, part funded by UNDP, Australia, Japan .

This project achieved the highest rating ever in the UN system for its output performance (96 percent) with ratings of “excellent" in nine of the ten categories, the highest evaluation ever made for a project in the field of science and technology.

Regional Overview

Non-IAEA Programmes

Overview FNCAProgramme

Regional Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (RNCA) activities have been promoted and led by Japan since 1990.

Initially under the banner of the International Conference for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (ICNCA).

In 1999 the ICNCA was reviewed and reformulated.

The Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA) commenced in 2000.

Overview FNCAProgramme

8 Projects in the FNCA Programme• Application for Agriculture; • Application for Medical Care; • Human Resource Development; • Public Information; • Research Reactor Utilisation; • Radioactive Waste Management; • Industrial Application;• Nuclear Safety Culture.

FNCAParticipating Countries

Australia; China; Indonesia; Japan;Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Philippines; Thailand;Viet Nam .

Future

Where next?

Future

The RCA Member States have adopted a Medium Term Strategy and will be focussing on:

• Ensuring effective Management of the RCA

• Achieving greater impact for RCA projects

• Developing nuclear technology capacities in RCA Member States that are sustainable and relevant to their socioeconomic needs

• Enhancing the uptake of nuclear technologies and increasing the visibility of the RCA .

RCA Programme2005-06

21 Projects in 8 Sectors:

• Agriculture (3)• Energy (1)• Environment (3)• Human Health (6)• Industry (3)• Radiation Protection (3)• Research Reactor Utilisation

(1)• TCDC (1)

Proposed RCA Programme2007-08

20 Projects in 8 Sectors:

• Agriculture (3)• Energy (1)• Environment (3)• Human Health (7)• Industry (3)• Radiation Protection (1)• Research Reactor Utilisation

(1)• TCDC (1)

RCA ProgrammeFuture Years

RCA Programme2008-09

Total 15 Projects

RCA Programme2012 on

Total 10 Projects

Future

The FNCA is undertaking a range of measures to assist in the effective management of the programme, wide financial support and the achievement of greater impact for the projects

Future

New opportunities.

Future

Currently there is no single modality for Pacific Rim Countries to collaborate and cooperate in the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology to address problems of concern.

Future

APEC economies constitute a significant proportion of the Pacific Rim and are committed to cooperation over a range of activities.

Under APEC there are 11 Working Groups including Agriculture, Energy, Fisheries, Human Resource Development, Industrial Science and Technology and Marine Resource Conservation.

Future

These Working Groups all offer opportunities to demonstrate the valuable contribution that nuclear science and technology can provide to understanding and solving problems.

A generally high level of competency in nuclear science and technology has been established across the APEC region but there is a wide variation in the facilities available in any one economy.

Future

Optimise the utilisation of the investments in nuclear science and technology to address high priority needs of the region.

Future

Focussed collaboration and cooperation between the APEC member economies in the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology could extend the efficient and effective utilisation of the large and specialised investments in nuclear science in the region.

Future

As well as assisting in addressing human resource development and knowledge management problems arising from shortages of skills and capabilities in some economies.

Overview

Access to such infrastructure would contribute to regional efforts in a wide range of Industrial Science and Technology related areas including:

• Biotechnology; • Nanotechnology; • Environmental Science.

Overview

Such collaboration and cooperation would incorporate best practice, including the safety and security of radiation and radioisotope sources, and thus further contribute to enhancement of standards and practices in the region.

“Scoping Workshop”

Scoping Workshop, Sydney, Saturday 21 October 2006.

This will be an all-day closed meeting for participants to discuss cooperation in nuclear science and technology among APEC economies and scope details of a project on the application of neutron beams for the benefit of industry and the community. A report will be presented to the APEC Industry Science and Technology Working Group (IST WG).  

“Scoping Workshop”

Scoping Workshop, Sydney, 21 October 2006.

Workshop Participation:• Participation is being invited from a

mix of technical advisors, senior scientists and senior specialists from APEC economies so that there can be broad engagement, discussion and input for the scoping document.

Australian Nuclear Science & Technology OrganisationAustralian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation

Thank you!

ANSTO Reactors

OPAL ((Open Pool Australian Light-water reactor)

Irradiation Rigs and Facilities, Including High Level Activity Handling

Neutron Beam Facilities:– Two powder diffractometers (ECHIDNA

high-resolution ) (WOMBAT high-intensity )– Two triple-axis spectrometers (TAIPAN –

thermal) (SIKA – cold)– Residual-Stress Diffractometer (KOWARI)– Quasi-Laue Diffractometer (KOALA)– Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (QUOKKA)– Neutron reflectometer (PLATYPUS)

Project Proposal “OPAL Neutron Beam Instrumentation”

ANSTO’s OPAL Research Reactor (Open Pool Australian Light-water reactor)

Summary of a selection of the installed

Neutron Beam Instrumentation

Project Proposal “OPAL Neutron Beam Instrumentation”

Neutron reflectometer: 

PLATYPUS • Current application areas include the study of

all-manner of surface-science and interface problems, particularly related to the magnetic recording industry and for polymer coatings, biosensors and artificial biological membranes. 

Overview “OPAL Neutron Beam Instrumentation”

Quasi-Laue Diffractometer:KOALA It uses thermal neutrons and is designed to

collect rapidly diffraction data from single crystals, even of small dimensions.

Applications can cover a wide range of materials-science problems, including the new lightweight hydrogen-storage materials (alanates, metal-organic frameworks, etc.) that are under consideration for transportation applications.

Overview “OPAL Neutron Beam Instrumentation”

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering :QUOKKA It uses cold neutrons and is a powerful

technique for looking at sizes and structures of objects on the nanoscale (1-10nm).

Areas of application cover polymer molecules, biological molecules, defect structures in metals and ceramics, pores in rocks, magnetic clusters, magnetic flux lines in type-II superconductors and so on. 

Overview “OPAL Neutron Beam Instrumentation”

Residual-Stress Diffractometer:KOWARI It uses neutrons to scan strains in crystalline

materials. Neutrons can penetrate centimetres into the object of interest.

Current areas of application include pressure-vessel steels, aircraft-skin aluminium alloys, automobile brake rotors, welding of rails, hardening of die steels, coatings for aero-engine components, and various problems in stainless steel.

Project Proposal “OPAL Neutron Beam Instrumentation”

Two world-class powder diffractometers:  ECHIDNA high-resolution powder diffractometer; • It is optimised for structure determination of

new materials.WOMBAT high-intensity powder diffractometer.    • It is optimised for kinetics experiments and

very small samples, and will specialise on in-situ studies of chemical reactions, other dynamic phenomena, high-pressure experiments and magnetism. 

• Future scientific opportunities will likely include:  novel hydrogen-storage materials, negative-thermal-expansion materials, methane-ice clathrates, pharmaceutical molecules