IAEA, Rosatom join on infrastructure capacity

The International Atomic Energy Agency and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom have agreed to cooperate in improving nuclear infrastructure development in countries planning to introduce nuclear energy or to expand existing programs.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom have agreed to cooperate in improving nuclear infrastructure development in countries planning to introduce nuclear energy or to expand existing programs.

From L to R: Amano, Hayward Spassky and Likhachov (Image: IAEA)

An agreement was signed yesterday at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna by IAEA deputy director general and head of the department of management Mary Alice Hayward and Rosatom deputy director general for international affairs Nikolay Spassky. It was signed in the presence of IAEA director general Yukiya Amano and Rosatom director general Alexey Likhachov.

Under the extra-budgetary contribution agreement, Rosatom will provide up to $1.8 million and an in-kind contribution of up to RUB109.5 million ($1.9 million) over the next three years to IAEA programs on nuclear infrastructure development.

The IAEA said the agreement will help strengthen its efforts to promote capacity building in newcomer and expanding countries in areas including nuclear safety, stakeholder involvement and the development of a national position on nuclear power.

The IAEA's Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section, through the Technical Cooperation program, provides targeted support to member states embarking on new nuclear power programs or expanding existing ones. About 30 countries are currently considering, planning or starting such a program, it said.

The IAEA is the intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in nuclear technology, and is an autonomous organisation under the United Nations. It is committed to providing guaranteed independent and objective assessment and support to countries that are newcomers to nuclear energy under its recognition of the right of each country to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The agency encourages countries looking at nuclear power to develop program roadmaps, including the consideration phase. These roadmaps would include, for example, national schedules and timelines for developing the required infrastructure. The IAEA provides feedback on such documents, as well as offering Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review missions to member states to carry out in-depth evaluations of their nuclear power program infrastructure and decision-making.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News