This edition is the fortieth in the IAEA's series of annual reports on operating experience with nuclear power plants in Member States. It is a direct output from the IAEA's Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) and contains information on electricity production and overall performance of individual plants during 2008. In addition to annual information, the report contains a historical summary of performance during the lifetime of individual plants and figures illustrating worldwide performance of the nuclear industry. The 2009 edition has been extended by a list of design characteristics for each particular reactor units. The CD-ROM provides enhanced features for data search and analysis.

This publication contains proceedings of a symposium on Radioactive Residues and the Environment. Radioactive residues can originate from several sources and may give rise to radiation exposure of people. These proceedings include all papers presented and discussions held at the symposium.

Given current energy projections, it is likely that interest in nuclear energy will grow, resulting in more fuel passing through the back end of the fuel cycle. To minimize the time, risk and resources associated with management of this spent nuclear fuel, it is important to minimize the amount and handling of damaged spent fuel. Arising from an IAEA meeting on this topic, this publication provides assistance in determining if fuel with a particular type of defect is acceptable or if it requires non-standard handling. The publication is intended to facilitate evaluation of the costs and benefits of design concepts or design changes for storage or transport systems, and to help in selecting appropriate methods for identifying and handling damaged spent nuclear fuel.

This publication describes a process for planning and conducting a project to implement digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems in the modernization of a nuclear power plant (NPP). Many of the existing NPPs in the world are approaching, or have reached, the midpoint of their design life. At the same time, there have been tremendous advances in electronics, computers and networks. These new technologies have been incorporated into the digital I&C hardware and software currently available. Even though advanced digital I&C systems have been used extensively in many other industries, their use in the nuclear industry is still very limited. The complexity of digital I&C systems requires a comprehensive implementation plan to ensure that plant safety is maintained, and this publication presents the experience gained to date. It is intended to be of use to those involved in the design or implementation of such modernization projects.