Nuclear Power Technology Development Section
SUPPORT TO TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION ACTIVITIES
Recently, most of the support to Technical Co-operation activities has addressed nuclear desalination. A pre-project study was conducted to provide a basis for a decision on the installation of a desalination plant in Morocco based on a small heating reactor. Assistance was given to North African Countries in the assessment and further development of national capabilities to support nuclear desalination programmes and to promote regional co-operative activities in this field. An interregional project has been launched in 1999 to provide a forum for exchanging information on potential demonstration projects of nuclear desalination by interested Member States. Also assistance is being provided to Egypt for its feasibility study on a nuclear desalination project at El-Dabar Site. A series of expert missions on an economic evaluation methodology software package for nuclear desalination and on training for an educational nuclear reactor simulator personal computer software package have been conducted.
An Interregional Technical Co-operation Project on “Integrated Nuclear Power and Desalination System Design” was launched in 1999. The project is being planned to encompass international collaboration between technologies suppliers and prospective recipients (end users) for the joint development of desalination at a specific site or sites. At the kick-off meeting in 1999 participants from potential end-users and/or technology providers exchanged information on possible collaboration in implementing nuclear desalination demonstration projects. . The Protocol of the joint study on “Preliminary economic feasibility of nuclear desalination in Madura Island, Indonesia” has been prepared and will soon be exchanged between Indonesia and the Republic of Korea. A mission sent to Tunisia identified needs for the pre-feasibility study of a nuclear power and desalination plant development. Other requests for technical assistance have been received from the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan and potential technology providers are being contacted.
A new International Technical Cooperation Project (INT/4/141) “Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles” was launched in the beginning of 2003. In its frame innovative reactor and fuel cycle concepts and how they would meet user requirements in terms of design, safety, economics and proliferation resistance will be examined. In October 2003 a workshop on “Passive Safety Demonstration of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (HTGR)” is scheduled at the INET institute in Beijing, China. A second workshop on “Progress in Design of Innovative Reactor Concepts” is planned to be convened in the Republic of Korea for the year 2004.
Also a Technical Cooperation Programme for Argentina “Evaluation of the Technological Potential of Advanced Nuclear Power Plants” (ARG/04/086) was launched in the beginning of 2003. The objectives are to determine the potential of new technologies in the design of nuclear reactors as an option to meet future regional energy requirements in Argentina. It is expected that the results will show the potential alternatives for technological developments for new NPPs for Argentina and the region, based on a significant reduction of electricity costs, future demand of electricity, and sustainable technological capabilities in the region.