SAFEGUARDS BY DESIGN: NUCLEAR INDUSTRY’S ROLE IN THE EFFICIENT
IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL SAFEGUARDS

Safeguards by Design (SBD) raises awareness among State authorities, designers, equipment providers and prospective purchasers of the importance of taking international safeguards into account when designing a nuclear facility or process. A voluntary best practice, SBD allows for informed design choices that optimize economic, operational, safety and security factors, in addition to international safeguards. It is applicable to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, from initial planning and design through construction, operation, waste management and decommissioning. For new nuclear facilities, especially novel designs or processes, the earlier the discussion of safeguards the better: SBD allows for safeguards to be built ‘into’ the system, rather than around it afterwards. For the nuclear industry, SBD leads to more efficient safeguards implementation, meaning less burden during operations and less risk of costly retrofits during and after construction. This paper summarizes the key benefits of SBD and how the IAEA is seeking to engage the nuclear industry more effectively in SBD dialogue – particularly in two key areas: innovative reactor new-builds, and radioactive waste management. Examples of successful and ongoing SBD are also discussed.