Nuclear Industry 'Ready To Help' Developing Countries
Written by NucNet
Tuesday, 08 July 2008
NucNet News No. 53
8 Jul (NucNet): The nuclear energy industry is ready to supply
developing countries with small and medium capacity nuclear reactor
units as a way of contributing to their development and improving their
energy security, the director-general of Russia's Rosatom State Nuclear
Energy Corporation has said.
In an article in the German newspaper 'Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung', Sergei Kiriyenko said the food crisis, global warming and unevenly distributed development resources are partly a result of the shortage of energy and the consequent growth in energy prices.
The industry has been improving the capacities of existing nuclear reactors, but this has not helped poorly developed countries benefit from nuclear energy.
"One advantage of the nuclear energy industry is its ability to generate energy and to desalinate water at the same time," Mr Kiriyenko said. He said this "kills two birds with one stone" because most African countries are short of fresh water and a mechanism needs to be found for its cheap production before lack of water becomes a crisis itself.
Access to stable and cheap energy sources is becoming the key precondition for the economic stability and development of any country, Mr Kiriyenko said. "More and more states - developing and developed - are beginning to realise the need to develop nuclear energy."
Every year nuclear power plants save Europe from an additional 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and Japan from 270 million tonnes.
By 2030 Russia is planning to increase the nuclear share of its energy production from 16 percent to between 25 percent and 30 percent. This would reduce Russia's emission of greenhouse gases by as much as 15 percent. "This is not just a declaration of intention but a firm decision backed up with active financing," Mr Kiriyenko said.
He said "the most realistic forecasts" indicate that as many as 600 nuclear reactors will be in commercial operation worldwide by 2030, up from an official International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) figure of 439 today. He said Russia is not just supporting initiatives to build new units, but it is also promoting mechanisms to guarantee the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
Russia has already suggested building international centres for provision of nuclear fuel cycle services. This network would guarantee equal access to nuclear energy to all concerned parties in full compliance with the non-proliferation regime and under the close control of the IAEA.
Mr Kiriyenko said Russia has already established an international uranium enrichment centre in Angarsk and is considering the possibility of creating an IAEA-guaranteed reserve of low-enriched uranium. This would be a strong guarantee that any country, irrespective of its political situation, will be supplied with fuel.
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Rosatom Head Outlines Proposals For International Fuel Cycle Centre (News No. 192, 7 September 2006)
US And Russia Discussing 'Unified' World Nuclear Fuel Services Programme (News No. 65, 15 March 2007)
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