APRENDE · Addressing PRiorities of Evaluated Nuclear Data in Europe

The conception, development, optimization, and safety evaluation of a broad range of nuclear energy (fission and fusion) and non-energy applications (radiation protection, radionuclide production, health, geosciences, space research, security, and industry) require reliable and accurate simulation tools. Such tools critically rely on accurate nuclear decay and reaction data. APRENDE has the ambition to improve nuclear data for modelling and simulation (M&S) tools used by European stakeholders in the application areas of the European Union and its member states that currently have the highest priority. The priority application areas identified by stakeholders of nuclear data and by national, European, and international projects and consultations are:A. All aspects of spent nuclear fuel (SNF),B. Reactor operational characteristics such as reactivity versus burnup, transients, and margins,C. Advanced reactor and fuel cycle development including small modular reactors (SMR) and GenIV systems based on lead and sodium coolants, molten salts, or an accelerator like MYRRHA,D. Criticality safety and shielding for safety assessments and safety assessment methodologies,E. Non-Energy applications, radiation protection.This ambition requires a comprehensive approach involving the eight objectives stated above, and a methodology and impact pathway as detailed below. The combination of this ambition, objectives, methodology and our pathway to create impact is what the proposers believe to be not only the best, but also an excellent response to the HORIZON-EURATOM-2023-NRT-01-06 call ‘Improved nuclear data for the safety of energy and non-energy applications of ionising radiation’. In the following, we break down and explain our ambition by each of the priority application areas.