When citizens envision nuclear energy, they picture either a source of clean electricity or the risk of accidents. But there is another important part of the equation: ensuring that nuclear materials are never diverted for nefarious use. That is what nuclear safeguards are designed to do — international controls and checks that provide the world assurance that nuclear programs are peaceful.

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How Safeguards Work?

At a typical nuclear power plant, protections trigger the instant new fuel arrives. Every fuel assembly is assigned a specific ID and meticulously documented. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors can verify serial numbers, seals, and even utilize detectors to establish what is in there.

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After fuel is loaded into the reactor, the operating history of the plant is checked to forecast how the fuel will develop in the core. When the fuel is taken out, inspectors employ cameras and ingenious technology such as Cerenkov detectors — able to detect the blue light from used fuel — to ensure everything has been accounted for.

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From delivery of the fuel to long-term storage, the objective is straightforward: each gram of nuclear fuel must be accounted for, verified, and monitored.

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Safeguards by Design: A Smarter Approach

In the past, safeguards have been installed in reactors after they were built — a process similar to bolting on a security system after a house has been constructed. That strategy is effective but can be cumbersome and costly.

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Now, a new concept is gaining traction: Safeguards by Design (SBD). The idea is to incorporate safeguards into the design itself. That is:

• Incorporating surveillance into storage areas so that it is simple.

• Inserting sampling ports for inspectors.

• Implementing installed sensors that can transmit data to the IAEA.

 

The advantages are enormous: inspections are smoother, retrofits are eliminated, and nations are able to prove transparency from day one.

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Why It Matters for New Reactors?

The following generation of reactors — Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) — make SBD particularly significant.

• SMRs are small and tend to be deployed to the periphery. That implies remote monitoring and standardized safeguards features are imperative.

• MSRs are even trickier: their fuel is liquid and flows through the system when in operation. The safeguards must compensate for this with novel monitoring techniques, such as online fuel analysis and bespoke sampling ports.

 

Firms such as Moltex Energy are already implementing SBD into their designs, demonstrating innovation and non-proliferation can go side by side.

 

A Future of Trust and Transparency

Safeguards do not only shield against abuse of nuclear materials — they foster trust among nations. With an increasing number of nations turning to nuclear for clean energy, this trust will be in greater demand than ever.

Safeguards by Design is the way of the future. By incorporating verification technology into the very framework of reactors, the nuclear sector can demonstrate that security, safety, and peaceful use are not mutually exclusive with innovation — they go together.

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References

1. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – Safeguards: Keeping Nuclear Material in Peaceful Use https://www.iaea.org/topics/safeguards

2. IAEA News – Enhancing Effective Nuclear Verification: Upgrading IAEA Safeguards Capabilities
   https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/enhancing-effective-nuclear-verification-upgrading-iaea-safeguards-capabilities

3. Sandia National Laboratories – Safeguards and Nonproliferation R&D for Advanced Nuclear Energy https://energy.sandia.gov/programs/nuclear-energy/safety-security-and-safeguards-for-advanced-nuclear-power/

4. Joint Research Centre (European Commission) – 3D Surveillance for Nuclear Safeguards Verification https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/projects-and-activities/nuclear-safeguards-and-non-proliferation/containment-and-surveillance-systems-nuclear-safeguards/3d-surveillance-nuclear-safeguards-verification

5. Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) – 3S by Design for SMRs https://vcdnp.org/3s-by-design-smrs/

6. NEMO NGO – Safeguards by Design for Maritime Nuclear Energy https://www.nemo.ngo/news/nemo-and-iaea-convene-inaugural-safeguards-by-design-workshop