It would be a mistake to dismiss nuclear power because of problems at a handful of projects, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told AFP in an interview.
Grossi was speaking at the COP28 conference in Dubai, where on Saturday a group of major countries is expected to call for a tripling of nuclear power capacity by 2050 as part of the fight against global warming.
Proponents of nuclear power say it is a key source of reliable, emissions-free energy.
But critics point to the risks and high costs of massive nuclear projects at a time when the price of renewable energy continues to fall.
“There is work to be done,” Grossi conceded, citing the financing needs of countries looking to expand their nuclear fleets, such as Brazil, Argentina and South Africa.
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Grossi said countries tempted to make the nuclear leap, such as Morocco, Senegal, Kenya and the Philippines, face similar challenges.
“There are statutes in some international lending institutions that exclude financing for nuclear,” the Argentine director-general said.
“I think it’s completely outdated. It doesn’t meet any scientific or technological criteria.”
The World Bank, for example, has not financed a nuclear project since 1959.
“I think, and I hope there will be an evolution” in their thinking, Grossi said.
Proliferation risk ‘must not exist’
Some environmentalists argue that with some nuclear projects already 10 years behind schedule, they are simply too expensive and will not be ready in time to meet climate challenges.
But rejecting all nuclear projects because of these setbacks would be “a mistake,” Grossi insisted.
“Look, here in the Emirates… there was no nuclear here a decade ago and now there are four reactors,” which cover about a quarter of the country’s electricity needs.
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The nuclear industry is pinning much of its hopes on small modular reactors (SMRs), which are less powerful but easier to build.
There are concerns that less developed countries may not have the means to keep these facilities safe and avoid proliferation.
“It’s a fair question, but that’s what we were created for,” Grossi replied, pointing to his agency’s flag, which bears individual symbols on a United Nations blue background.
“Any country that wants to develop a nuclear program must go through a full process and enter into an agreement with the Agency,” he said.
“In principle, this means that the risk of proliferation should not exist.”
For example, the Emirates had to complete 19 steps in developing their civilian nuclear program, including establishing an independent oversight body.
Grossi said he doesn’t think the dangers Ukraine’s reactors face since Russia’s invasion began are also an argument against nuclear power.
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“War is the problem, not nukes,” he said without hesitation.
However, he could not hide his worry as winter approaches.
“The ground will harden, tanks will be able to move, rivers will freeze, we see a lot of military equipment from both sides. Yes, that obviously worries us.”
Source: AFP