More Countries Seek IAEA Help In Planning For N-Power Programmes
Written by NucNet
Friday, 24 July 2009
A total of 60 countries are now considering using nuclear power as part of their energy mix, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said.
Of those 60 countries, 20 may have a domestic nuclear power programme in place by 2030, according to the IAEA’s nuclear energy department.
“Over the next two years, the IAEA is expected to assist 38 national and 6 regional nuclear programmes, a three-fold increase from the previous reported period,” said Yury Sokolov, the agency’s deputy director-general of nuclear energy, on 21 July 2009.
Mr Sokolov, who opened a workshop dedicated to IAEA tools developed to help member states with their energy planning assessments, stressed that countries should have a “holistic approach and a long-term commitment” while designing national nuclear power programmes.
“A national energy policy should involve a proper assessment of a country’s energy needs. Based on this analysis, nuclear’s role can be defined,” he added.
Fifty experts from more than 40 countries took part in the workshop earlier this week at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Details are available on the agency’s website.
