The IAEA and the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), an intergovernmental body of 27 countries, have agreed to cooperate on information exchange, the development and use of energy planning tools and human resources training. This includes programmes, seminars, webinars, workshops, technical visits, among other activities.
During a ceremony marking the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), held virtually on 9 September, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Alfonso Blanco, Executive Secretary of OLADE, agreed on the importance of continuing to make progress on decarbonizing energy systems and strengthening energy security regionally and globally.
They also emphasized the key role of nuclear energy in decarbonizing economies and the experience that some Latin American countries have with this technology. For the countries of the region which have not incorporated nuclear, the option of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) was highlighted during the meeting.
“This MoU not only formalizes the cooperation between IAEA and OLADE, but also expands the existing collaboration focused on energy planning to broaden the low carbon energy spectrum,” Grossi said. “The good practices under this cooperation could be replicated to other regions as well. I am confident that this bilateral cooperative mechanism will catalyze the regional clean energy transition and release the potential of all low carbon energy sources including nuclear energy in fighting climate change and achieving SDGs.”
Mr Blanco said: “There is huge potential for joint work between OLADE and the IAEA in regard to energy modelling and knowledge exchange on new nuclear technologies for clean energy generation.”
Mr Grossi and Mr Blanco underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation in a highly complex and uncertain global context. They also highlighted the significant role of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peaceful region, alongside the need to strengthen the region’s presence in different multilateral fora.
The IAEA is the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field. It works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) is an intergovernmental public body of cooperation, coordination and technical advisory, with the fundamental objective of promoting the integration, conservation, rational use, commercialization and defense of the region’s energy resources.
