Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, IAEA, Van den Howe, Visits the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

On September 8, 2026, Ms. Hildegard·Van den Howe, Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Center). Chai Guohan, Director of the Center, and heads of relevant departments participated in the exchange activities.

At present, cooperation between the Center and the IAEA is continuously deepening. Since being designated by the IAEA in May 2023 as the world's first Collaborating Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, the Center has, relying on this platform, successfully hosted high-level activities such as the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Leadership Workshop, the ANSN Regional Workshop, and multiple international training sessions, with the platform's clustering and radiation effects becoming increasingly prominent. The Center has always been a trusted partner of the IAEA.

During the talks, the two sides fully exchanged views on topics including environmental impact assessment of nuclear facilities, radiation monitoring technology, transport and waste safety, and international review experience.

In terms of environmental impact assessment of nuclear facilities, the Center is responsible for technical review of environmental impact assessments for nuclear-related construction projects and review of effluent discharge management, leads the IAEA Technical Cooperation (TC) project in the field of radioactive waste management, and actively participates in the work of the IAEA Waste Safety Standards Committee (WASSC), continuously contributing China's experience to global standard-setting.

In terms of radiation monitoring technology, the Center officially joined the IAEA Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network in 2024, and has repeatedly achieved satisfactory results in laboratory intercomparisons and proficiency tests. It also undertakes the guidance and coordination of 20 pre-research projects on radiation monitoring standards for the National Nuclear Safety Administration.

In terms of transport and waste safety, the Center continues to participate in the work of the IAEA Transport Safety Standards Committee (TRANSSC), systematically sharing China's regulatory practices; it led the completion of technical support for the eighth review meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, where China historically obtained 4 "Good Practices," and the compilation and review of the national report for the ninth review meeting has been fully launched.

In terms of international review, during the 2025 IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission to China on nuclear and radiation safety regulation, the Center, as a core technical support institution, participated deeply throughout the entire process, drafting a self-assessment report of over a thousand pages and 46 high-quality materials. China's nuclear safety regulatory work and the Center's waste management information system were both highly praised by the review team and listed as "Good Practices."

After the talks, Van den Howe visited the Nuclear and Radiation Emergency Command Center, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Regulatory Information Platform, the Nuclear Power Safety Big Data Platform, the Software Sharing Laboratory, the Thermal-Hydraulic Laboratory, and the Radiation Environmental Monitoring Exhibition Hall, and spoke highly of the Center's technical strength and hardware facilities.

Chai Guohan stated that he looks forward to further deepening cooperation between the two sides in areas such as radiation monitoring, transport safety, and waste management under the framework of the IAEA Collaborating Center, and jointly making greater contributions to the global cause of nuclear and radiation safety.