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Division Spotlight
Fuel Cycle & Waste Management
Devoted to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle including waste management, worldwide. Division specific areas of interest and involvement include uranium conversion and enrichment; fuel fabrication, management (in-core and ex-core) and recycle; transportation; safeguards; high-level, low-level and mixed waste management and disposal; public policy and program management; decontamination and decommissioning environmental restoration; and excess weapons materials disposition.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
El Salvador: Looking to nuclear
In 2022, El Salvador’s leadership decided to expand its modest, mostly hydro- and geothermal-based electricity system, which is supported by expensive imported natural gas and diesel generation. They chose to use advanced nuclear reactors, preferably fueled by thorium-based fuels, to power their civilian efforts. The choice of thorium was made to inform the world that the reactor program was for civilian purposes only, and so they chose a fuel that was plentiful, easy to source and work with, and not a proliferation risk.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by Executive Panels
Wednesday, June 16, 2021|4:30–6:15PM EDT
Session Chair:
Kenneth J. Aupperle (Meridian)
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Charles W. Hess (Meridian)
Staff Producer:
John Starkey (ANS)
Building a new nuclear plant is a first of a kind (FOAK) mega project regardless of the size of the reactor. Project management experience and lessons learned from decades of past projects have been thoroughly documented in dozens of public domain reports. However, past lessons learned have frequently not been recognized, understood, and implemented, resulting in projects that continue to struggle to achieve success. Industry stakeholder implementation of past lessons learned has been inhibited and adversely impacted because of knowledge management "blind spots" that include: • Inadequate experience with nuclear industry large FOAK projects • Conservative owner licensee operating priorities vs. aggressive project mindsets • Corporate cultures coupled with human emotions and personalities • Strategic long-term vs. tactical short-term considerations This panel of industry experts includes representatives from consulting, owner/licensee, EPC, and legal organizations. The panel chair is Ken Aupperle from Meridian Services Group, a recent merger of High Bridge Associates and Work Management. He will provide an overview of fifteen (15) key project management lessons learned and the four (4) blind spots that have led project teams to repeat the errors of the past. Panel members will cite successful project experiences and examples of blind spots that caused project failures. Questions and answers amongst the panelists and with the audience will provide valuable insights and experiential anecdotes. This discussion will help you plan and organize the strategic approach to provide the foundation for success for your new nuclear project.
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Session Notes — About the Panel Members
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