Irene Aegerter - Founder of Women in Nuclear Global

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A real example of commitment and inspiration – Dr. Irene Aegerter, Founder, Women in Nuclear Global WiN Global Newsletter – 2021 – June

Dr. Irene Aegerter is a well-recognized technical expert and advocate for nuclear energy. She studied physics, mathematics, and astronomy at the University of Berne, obtaining her PhD in 1966, and later pursued post-doctoral studies in Bombay, India.

She has dedicated her life to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, particularly in electricity generation. During her career, Irene Aegerter has mentored a vast number of women and men. She has a gift for recognizing talent and, through her mentoring, empowers them to achieve their best. Irene Aegerter is the "Mother” of WiN Global and has been instrumental in turning the organization into what it is today.

Interview with Irene Aegerter Raquel Heredia, a member of the WiN Global Communication Committee and WiN Mexico President, sat with Dr. Aegerter to talk about the beginnings of WiN and the young generation's future.

It is an honor to talk to you, Dr. Irene. As the founder of WiN Global, can you tell us how the idea to create an organization such as WiN Global came about?

It happened in Switzerland in 1979. We had a vote about phasing out nuclear, we already had three small nuclear power plants: Beznau 1 that went into operation in 1969, Beznau 2, in 1971, and Mühleberg. And then, of course, there was a project to construct more; however, the anti-nukes took up this initiative not to build more 1

nuclear power. We won that by a minimal margin. My male colleagues then approached me because I was studying physics and then did my thesis at the reactor research institute and told me, "You have to do something with women because the women voted to phase out nuclear power." Therefore in 1982 I founded the association “Women for Energy” in Switzerland.

After the accident in Chornobyl in 1986, the European Nuclear Society (ENS) started organizing the Pime conferences. In 1988 I was invited to talk about “Women and nuclear energy”. That's how ENS heard about the subject, and then next year in 1989, they had a panel of six women and one man, which was quite something for that time.

We had a conference about women and nuclear energy, and that's how WiN started.

Because we had Women for Energy in Switzerland, Sweden had Women and Energy with Agneta Rising.

So ENS was very, very helpful in starting WiN. We also had a workshop in Switzerland in 1990 that resulted in an invitation from Juhani Santaholma in Finland. I call him the “father” of WiN because he was the president of the ENS Communication Committee, and we were discussing how we could enter into a dialogue with women about nuclear science, nuclear energy, the fears about radioactivity, economics, and more.

We talked about women and nuclear energy initially. After a meeting in Finland, we sat together and said Women and Nuclear Energy abbreviates in WANE; then somebody said: “But we want to win! We want to win the case for nuclear”, we want to give back the smile to nuclear. That's how Women in Nuclear came about. Finally, in 1992 we founded the organization “Women in Nuclear” WiN and I became the first president.

Thank you for sharing this exciting story with us. On this note, I would like to ask you, after nearly 30 years since founding WiN Global, what retains your interest and commitment?

I think nuclear energy is needed now more than ever. Everybody talks about climate change and how we have to reduce carbon emissions. And the only way to reduce them is to use nuclear power because it has practically no CO2 emissions. And so the problem boils down to: How can we explain that nuclear power is safe? And, of course, it was a significant setback when the accident in Fukushima happened. In 1986 with the accident in Chornobyl, we didn't have any problems explaining the differences between the reactors in the so-called Western world and the RBMK reactors in the Ukraine. But with Fukushima, it was different because even in Switzerland, we had a power plant in Mühleberg that was the same BWR type.

It is so important to keep the dialogue with the general public and continue informing all especially women about the benefits that nuclear energy has.

You are a well-recognized technical expert and have been an outstanding advocate for nuclear power during your career. What are your thoughts on the nuclear industry globally in the coming years, considering both the challenges it faces and its importance to achieve decarbonization?

I think that nuclear is at crossroads now because we have so many new developments.

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For example, I was talking to a small company in the United States. They are envisaging their first SMR, a 15 megawatt reactor, that will go into operation in 2023. We have so many dedicated scientists that are working on a new inherently safe generation of nuclear power plants. I do not mean that we don't need the old ones. We are very fortunate in Switzerland that we still have our old nuclear power plants because they still supply 35 percent of the total electricity consumption in Switzerland, and 60 percent is hydropower. So we are quite happy. The problem is, if we want to decarbonize, we have to electrify many, many processes, which means we need more electricity, and it needs to come from clean sources. But we need to address the general questions and fears and talk to the public.

We know Switzerland passed a referendum in 2017, stating there would be no further nuclear program. What can you comment on this subject, and what are your hopes for Switzerland?

I'm glad you asked this question. We had a vote in November 2016 about phasing out nuclear and restricting the lifespan of the existing nuclear power plants to 40 years. We already had three power plants that were older than 40 years. This referendum, we won.

But then, with the energy change that Germany took, Switzerland wanted to follow and phase out nuclear. The law says no new nuclear power plants, and a ban was passed on spent fuel reprocessing. But this is only a law, and laws can be changed. This energy law passed in 2017 and is already in revision since last year. Switzerland is a unique case because you could take up any subject and start an initiative by collecting 100'000 signatures. The topic then has to be put to a popular vote. We hope that this will be revoked and the revision of the energy law will be combined with a climate law.

You have mentioned some fascinating and vital points on public acceptance and communication. You have been an active communicator and contributed to building a bridge between the general public and the nuclear industry. How is your experience on this subject and your recommendations to improve communication strategies in the industry?

That's really important because the public is not aware of all the benefits of nuclear. People think electricity comes from the socket just by pushing a button. But they don't understand the system behind the electricity production and distribution.

And this is the big problem, for instance, with solar. Of course, it's great if the sun shines, but it doesn't shine at night and not every day, so something else has to provide electricity. And that's why if you say: “Oh, we substitute nuclear energy with solar or wind”, it doesn't work because there is no sun at night. And in winter we have only half of the sun-hours. It is a big problem because solar and wind do not produce baseload. At the same time, it is essential to explain to the public what baseload means. I think every person working in the nuclear sector should be communicating and working with the public.

Additionally, I think it is crucial not only that we explain the benefits to the public but also make sure they understand. For example, regarding nuclear waste, everybody says: “So, yes, maybe nuclear plants are safe, but what about the waste?”. But you know how 3

little nuclear waste is produced per kilowatt-hour. If you compare it with other generation forms, such as solar, you will have so many solar cells to replace and dispose of after 25 years. And this is a special waste that does not decay, so the amount of waste is millions of times more than with NPPs. Then people start to think. Another topic is radioactivity. You have to show that you can measure radioactivity and that you can protect yourself from it and that small doses are harmless.

All this can be shown through interactive examples and visits to nuclear power plants, which are crucial for understanding and putting nuclear energy in the appropriate context.

It is fascinating to see your passion. Indeed, science is something we all need to be talking about, regardless of who we are or what we do. Coming back to your career, you commented that sometimes you were the only woman amongst your colleagues. How can women overcome the challenge of thriving in a male-dominated industry?

I think the most important thing is to take up a scientific subject like physics, chemistry, or STEM. Because I think that is what happened to me. I was studying physics not because I was the best in physics but because I wanted to prove that a girl can master this. And this, of course, was important because when people saw that I had a Ph.D. in Physics, they thought: “Oh, if she can do this, maybe she can also do this”. And I think this is so important that girls take up scientific studies. Don't be afraid, even if you are not the best at it. Try to understand the world because I think physics is not a profession. It is a way to understand the world. We live in a technological world, and it is much more rewarding if you know what happens behind the push buttons.

I remember we used to have a women-only science course at the Technical Museum in Switzerland. It was so special because the ladies were interested and asked technical questions. They wanted to know more. And unfortunately, when there was a mixed audience, at least at that time, women didn't dare to ask questions. And that is also something that is needed to support women. Talk to them, invite them to technical visits and all the work WiN does.

Unfortunately, that remains to this day, which is why, as you mentioned, it is necessary to have women-led organizations such as WiN supporting women. Having founded WiN, I bet you have some fantastic memories from almost 30 years. What is your favorite memory from the annual conference?

There are so many good memories. For example, in Bariloche, when WiN Argentina organized the WiN Annual Conference along with the International Youth Nuclear Congress, that was so special. To see men and women, all the young people who will take the torch to the future. We must have young people standing up for nuclear.

We know that during your career, you successfully mentored numerous young professionals. What advice would you give to future leaders starting 4

their careers in the nuclear industry?

Believe in yourself. You can do it! Do the best at the level you are working, step up and believe in yourself; that you can do it. Have self-esteem and never give up. Communicate that nuclear science and technology are vital for the future and give in all the potential you have to help nuclear succeed. This is my advice to the young generation.

Examples of nuclear energy, nuclear science, and nuclear medicine in Switzerland Energy

Swiss nuclear power plant Leibstadt, KKL, on the Rhine River. The Swiss excel at building, operating, and managing their nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Science CERN, At CERN, we probe the fundamental structure of particles that make up everything around us. We do so using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments.

Paul Scherrer Institute, PSI, is the largest research centre for natural and engineering sciences within Switzerland. They perform world-class research in three main subject areas: Structure of Matter; Energy and the Environment; and Human Health.

Nuclear Medicine HIRSLANDEN, Swiss Hospital Group, Nuclear medicine uses radioactive material or radiation for medical purposes. These are used to determine how certain organs are functioning, find their precise locations, or discover the nature of any disorder. Working closely with the radio-oncologist, the specialist in nuclear medicine uses radioactive material to treat cancer. To treat prostate tumours, for instance, brachytherapy is used, where sources of radiation about the size of a grain of rice are applied directly to the prostate.

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