Lunch-and-learn session - Shaping the Back End of Innovative Reactor Systems: NEA Initiatives

The NEA has launched several initiatives to advance understanding and solutions for the back end of innovative rector systems, including small modular reactors and Generation IV technologies, recognising this as a critical element for their responsible and sustainable deployment. A key effort in this area has been the Focus Group on the Back End of Advanced Reactors (FG-BEAR), which operated between July 2024 and February 2025. The group identified key gaps and needs across technical, economic, societal and regulatory dimensions and developed recommendations for a comprehensive approach to address back-end challenges for these new designs. Additionally, the NEA joint project on Waste Integration for Small and Advanced Reactor Designs (WISARD) was launched in May 2025. WISARD addresses critical technical areas such as used fuel and waste characterisation, treatment and recycling, storage, transport, and disposal – focusing on selected systems and fuels relevant to its members. Finally, recent developments in the global nuclear energy landscape further highlight the strategic importance of revitalising approaches to used fuel recycling and back-end management.