Management, exploitation and assessment of knowledge in the Severe Accident (SA) field is the top level objective of SEAKNOT. In order to achieve it, some specific goals are pursued:

• To carry out a critical analysis of the current knowledge on SAs to make recommendations on the way forward to significantly reduce risks associated with existing and forthcoming nuclear technologies (SMLWRs & ATFs).
• To identify experimental research needs required to support and optimize SA mitigation measures, including an assessment of the current and future EU SA facilities.
• To strengthen the background and the skills of the young generation on SA through the implementation of an efficient plan to achieve Knowledge and Know-how Transfer (K2T) from senior scientists and engineers.

As a consequence, the major outcomes of the project have been identified as:

• Phenomena Identification Ranking Table (PIRT) on SA
• SA Validation Database Directory
• SA experimental infrastructure network, including a mapping of existing facilities and needs
• Knowledge spreading (SA Textbook, new editions of SA Phenomenology Course and ERMSAR Conference)
• Ambitious mobility granting for MSc/PhD students and young researchers

• Enhance NPP safety outlining the most efficient path for investigation to be conducted in the coming years.
• Maintain and further expand EC expertise in SA domain.
• Strengthen the abilities and skills of the workforce responsible for conducting such research.
• Reinforce education & training activities on SA.

Dissemination actions will have three axes: scientific, supporting the creation and diffusion of high-quality applied knowledge; societal, generating knowledge that support the uptake of innovative solutions to address global challenges, including SDG7 Clean Energy; and economic, facilitating technological development, demonstration and deployment of innovative solutions.

• Strong benefit from previous EU and non-EU research in the SA field.
• Collaboration with the NEA/CSNI and IAEA related Working Groups, strong link with the NUGENIA TA2.
• Creation of a “common space” for SA experts and young  nuclear generations.
• A reset of needs in SA research based on what’s known, what’s unknown and what’s is safety significant.
• Upcoming technological and methodological innovation without neglecting the expertise built for decades.

CIEMAT/IRSN/KIT/JSI/UPM/FZJ/UJV/TRACTEBEL/ FRAMATOME/KTH/VTT/ENEA/CEA/UNIPI/BT/LGI/PSI

October 2022 to September 2026 – 4 years

Budget €2,726,993.75

Technical Project Leader:

Luis E. Herranz (CIEMAT) Email: luisen.herranz@ciemat.es

• Severe Accident Phenomenology (SAP) Course – two editions planned in June 2023 (UPM Madrid) and 2025 (FZJ)
• European Review Meeting on Severe Accident Research (ERMSAR) – two editions planned in May 2024 (KTH Stockholm) and 2026 (CIEMAT Madrid)

A factsheet containing the key information about this project is available for download below.

This project has received funding from the HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01 under grant agreement No 101060327