Safety group’s chief executive officer says enhanced the approach is assisted by AI tools
A new system of enhanced performance monitoring (EPM) implemented by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) has seen the safety organisation increase its ability to continuously monitor plant performance and predict performance trends, according to chief executive officer Naoki Chigusa.
Chigusa called the enhanced monitoring, which is assisted by AI tools, “one of the most significant changes” in WANO’s support for nuclear plants and their operators.
The monitoring, which includes quarterly views of a plant performance and predictions of performance trends, helps WANO members identify early signs of performance decline and take actions to address trends. It also helps WANO organisations identify which units needs assistance and prioritise WANO and industry resources to help those plants.
WANO has traditionally focused on peer review visits to nuclear units every four years – which it still does – but is now also getting key data from its EPM of its members’ nuclear units each quarter.
Chigusa said the approach has allowed WANO to prioritise members who need support. If a member recognises a declining trend, they ask for further support and help deciding what action they need to take.
As of the end of 2025, EPM was being used at more than 400 reactors worldwide.
WANO looks at around 60 different performance indicators, including what it calls “leading information”, which shows whether or not maintenance backlogs are increasing.
“What is also important is the sharing of more than 35 years of industry operating experience,” Chigusa said. “That is our treasure. More than 35 years of operating experience from about 400 units.”
Chigusa said the approach is assisted by AI tools, which were partly developed by WANO itself. AI analyses data from WANO’s 35 years of peer reviews and uses machine learning to formulate predictions.
Next Step For EPM Is Sustainability
WANO’s EPM is likely to form a key part of discussions at the organisation’s next biannual general meeting, in Tokyo, Japan, in September.
“We’re working on the exact agenda, but now that we have developed the EPM system, the next step is how to keep this approach sustainable, how members can use it to develop and improve their performance,” Chigusa said.
“We would like to put these key topics into the core part of our discussions at 2026 Tokyo. The culture of continuous improvement is the key one.”
WANO told NucNet last year it was rolling out the new EPM service to provide more frequent feedback to members – as it steps up its work to support nuclear operators and new entrants in further increasing the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide.
The service was the result of a mandate from its members for “clear, simple targets on how best to shape the industry’s future to help members more rapidly and sustainably improve performance”.
Chigusa said WANO is also on track with plans to operate a fifth regional centre in Shanghai, China, to potentially serve one of the areas of biggest growth for the nuclear energy industry.
The project has seen the existing WANO Shanghai office move from a branch office to a support centre, which is the next step to becoming a regional centre.
WANO has four existing regional centres in Atlanta, Moscow, Paris and Tokyo and a central office in London providing governance, oversight, and support to these centres.
