Industry

The GIF Policy Group established the Senior Industry Advisory Panel (SIAP) in 2005, recognising that incorporating industry advice from the earliest phases of GIF research and development would be important for future GIF technology deployment. The SIAP serves as a strategically focused “review and advisory” panel to the GIF Policy Group. 

The SIAP is comprised of senior industry officials representing the electric power industry, designers, nuclear suppliers, and since 2010, industries interested in nonelectric applications of nuclear energy. Each GIF member country can contribute up to four SIAP members, and each SIAP member serves for a 3-year renewable term. 

The panel’s charter is to provide advice on long-term strategic issues, including regulatory, commercial or technical issues. It advises GIF on priorities, schedules, “market pull” opportunities and implementation possibilities. Specifically, the SIAP contributes to discussion of the following: 

  • Strategic review of R&D progress and plans for individual systems from the industry perspective.
  • Strategic review of progress and plans for R&D on cross-cutting activities (GIF working groups).
  • Views on system deployment and future nuclear energy fuel cycles.
  • Views on international framework for nuclear safety standards and regulations. 

SIAP has convened many times over the eighteen years it has been in existence, meeting at least annually with the GIF Policy Group. It has provided recommendations, observations and insights to GIF designers, researchers and governments that are focused on larger policy challenges such as security of fuel supply, climate change and waste management. SIAP recommendations are aimed at providing perspectives of plant investors who focus on risk namely the licensing, economic and political risks associated with siting, building and operating nuclear energy technologies. 

SIAP has reviewed the progress of development and nature of collaborative R&D for all six Gen IV systems, conducted reviews related to cross cutting topics of relevance to the six systems and has reviewed two of the three crosscutting methodologies: risk/safety and economics. 

SIAP provides continuous support to GIF in building better connections with the private sector and increasing involvement of industrial partners. It provides industrial insight for GIF activities, creates opportunities for the industry to bring together different viewpoints and to share experience in terms of the development and application of new technologies for Gen-IV concepts.