UN atomic agency helps developing countries considering going nuclear

Many of the 60 developing countries considering whether nuclear power is in their future are turning to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assess their readiness to embark on the nuclear path for their energy needs.

Twenty of these nations could have nuclear power programmes in place by 2030, according to the IAEA, which is currently holding a workshop, bringing 50 experts from 40 countries together to discuss long-term energy planning.

The agency expects to help 38 national and six regional nuclear programmes over the next two years, marking a three-fold increase from the previous two years, as countries seek to boost living standards.

“A national energy policy should involve a proper assessment of a country’s energy needs,” said Yury Sokolov, IAEA’s Deputy Director General of Nuclear Energy. “Based on this analysis, nuclear’s role can be defined.”

He said converting to nuclear power is a 100-year-long commitment, stressing that countries must take a “holistic” approach to designing nuclear schemes, taking into account infrastructure needs and energy planning.

The four-day workshop, under way at IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, wraps up tomorrow.