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Q&A: IAEA Director on Nuclear Power, Upcoming Ministerial Conference

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The IAEA is organizing the fourth International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century from 30 October to 1 November 2017.

The IAEA is organizing the fourth International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century from 30 October to 1 November 2017. We interviewed Dohee Hahn, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Power, to discuss the conference and some recent developments related to the future of nuclear power.

What are the goals of this conference and what will make it different from the last IAEA ministerial conference on nuclear power, held in St. Petersburg in 2013?

Since the 2013 Ministerial Conference, we have seen a number of key global developments: the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, which include “affordable and clean energy”, “industry, innovation and infrastructure” and “climate action”; the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on climate change; and new historical highs in net installed nuclear power capacity in 2014, 2015 and 2016. These developments have shone a fresh light on nuclear power’s potential role in the global energy mix. There is a growing recognition that nuclear power is one of the lowest-carbon technologies for generating electricity—and that it can help improve energy security, reduce the impact of volatile fossil fuel prices and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Given all this, in Abu Dhabi we want to discuss the potential role of nuclear power in the decades to come and the challenges that needs to be overcome such as securing investment. We also want to ensure that decision makers have accurate information regarding nuclear power’s characteristics as well as developments in safety and waste disposal, so that they can make informed policy decisions and engage constructively with their constituents.

Dohee Hahn, Director, IAEA Division of Nuclear Power. (Image: F. Nassif/IAEA)

What will the different sessions discuss and who will be the featured speakers?

First of all, at the Ministerial Conference, high-level decision makers from all our Member States will share their views about the role of nuclear power and their national policies and strategies. A number of themes will be explored in the conference’s four sessions, starting with the role of nuclear power in providing an affordable, secure and low-carbon source of energy.

Then we will discuss nuclear infrastructure development for countries that are introducing nuclear power or expanding an existing programme, nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation, as well as innovation, near-term deployment and the back-end of the fuel cycle. There will also be a special presentation on the vital role of women in the nuclear industry.

In addition, we have worked closely with our partners at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the host government in the United Arab Emirates to secure the participation of leading minds and executives engaged on nuclear power and energy policy issues. We hope this mix will stimulate a useful and timely discussion. The conference website includes a list of all confirmed speakers. I’m confident that anyone attending will take away important insights from a variety of high-level experts and officials spanning government, international organizations, industry, regulatory bodies and civil society.

Amid falling prices of renewables and continued low prices for fossil fuels, some nuclear plants are being shuttered, investments are stagnating and a major international nuclear company recently declared bankruptcy. Given this, is it accurate to say that nuclear power is set to play a key role in the world’s energy mix this century?

An increasing number of IAEA Member States concerned about climate change is now considering introducing nuclear power into their national energy mix or expanding its use. Today, 60 nuclear power reactors are under construction and six of those are in countries that have never operated a nuclear power plant before, Belarus and the UAE. Since the St. Petersburg Ministerial Conference in June 2013, 29 new units have been connected to electricity grids around the world. The levelised cost of electricity generation for nuclear power remains competitive relative to that of other electricity generating technologies, though like other low-carbon technologies, the overall cost is heavily contingent on the cost of capital.

It should be noted that nuclear energy currently avoids the release of nearly 2 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year. That’s the equivalent of taking more than 400 million cars off the road every year, or the annual CO2 emissions of, say, Russia or India. Many environmentalists are starting to look more critically at the life-cycle costs of all energy sources and recognizing that nuclear power is the lowest cost option for meeting both energy demand and climate goals. The key is ensuring that market structures actually support desired policy outcomes. There are several studies, including by the International Energy Agency, stating that achieving the Paris Agreement targets would require a significant increase in investment in—and installed capacity of—nuclear power in the coming years.

What are the main challenges faced by countries seeking to develop nuclear power infrastructure – and how does the IAEA help them overcome these challenges?

Our Member States are telling us that some of the biggest challenges can be due to factors such as negative public perceptions about nuclear power or the difficulty of making arrangements for funding and financing which contraints government from providing a long term commitment..

The IAEA supports embarking countries by providing guidance based on international best practices, offering independent peer review services and delivering targeted capacity-building and training. The IAEA’s “Milestones Approach” has been widely adopted by newcomer and operating countries alike. It helps governments consider and implement nuclear power programmes in a systematic way to ensure that all vital aspects have been addressed at each “Milestone”. These include, first, the decision to commit significant resources to develop the infrastructure to implement a nuclear power programme; second, the decision to construct a nuclear power plant; and third, the decision to commission the plant and begin operations in a safe, secure and sustainable manner.

In some places, the Fukushima Daiichi accident dealt a blow to public acceptance of nuclear power. How will the conference advance the discussion on public concerns related to nuclear power?

Whether or not a country uses nuclear power is its own sovereign decision. For its part, the IAEA will use the conference to provide policymakers with objective information about nuclear power. I would note that since Fukushima, an overwhelming majority of operating nuclear power plants have undergone comprehensive safety reassessments and introduced additional measures to strengthen plant safety, improved regulatory oversight and enhance emergency preparedness and international collaboration. Additionally, significant progress has been made on the long-term challenge of radioactive waste management, and a number of countries are demonstrating the way forward on this issue through the development of deep geological repositories. At Abu Dhabi, we want to make sure that Ministers are apprised of these important messages and have a platform for discussing them.

There’s been a lot of talk about emerging nuclear technologies as an answer to climate change and energy sustainability. Yet new reactor types are struggling to emerge amid cost overruns and a lack of political direction and investment. Is it realistic to think these issues will be solved any time soon?

For many countries, the nuclear power technologies are already providing an answer to climate change and energy sustainability. Nuclear power generates about 11% of the world’s electricity and one-third of the world’s low-carbon electricity, and that percentage is significantly higher in a number of industrialized countries.

All technology providers are now deploying evolutionary design large reactors with post-Fukushima safety features. These first-of-a-kind new technologies are sometimes experiencing longer schedules and cost overruns; however, there are signs that with subsequent builds these issues can be overcome.

In addition, there are three different types of small modular reactors under construction, with the first likely to begin commercial operation next year. More are expected to be deployed in the next decade. The R&D on the so-called “Gen-IV” technologies also remains an exciting space to watch for the emergence of sustainable energy systems of the future.

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