http://www.meed.com/nav?page=meed.backgrounder.news.detail&fixture_story=5919711&title=News+%26+Analysis
Arab states consider nuclear power POWER REGIONAL 3 Nov 2006 Rising energy demand behind plans from several regional countries to develop nuclear power At least six Arab countries are developing domestic nuclear power programmes in order to diversify energy sources over the medium-to-long term and to combat a growing shortage of natural gas. "Some Middle East states, including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Saudi Arabia, have shown initial interests to use nuclear power primarily for [water] desalination purposes," Tomihiro Taniguchi, deputy director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told MEED on 31 October. "This [the interest] is at a tertiary stage and the main driver is the use of a more efficient energy system. We have held preliminary discussions with these governments. We will offer them help under our technical advisory programme to conduct a study for the [proposed] power plants." Industry sources say that two more Middle East states -- the UAE and Tunisia -- have also shown interest in pursuing similar plans. However, interest from these countries is said to be still at a "rather infant" stage. According to Taniguchi, the Arab governments may opt to build atomic power plants with capacity of 100-300 MW. "This seems to be the intention. We do not know if it will be cost-effective, given that the economies of scale favour the construction of larger capacity," Taniguchi said. "It takes about six-to-seven years to install new capacity on a fast-track lump-sum turnkey basis." The lead time to build a nuclear power plant with capacity of 500-1,000 MW, including reactors, is about 10 years. Egypt is more advanced than Algeria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia in its plans to build atomic power capacity. In late September, Energy Minister Hassan Younes said that approval had been granted for an estimated $1,500 million project to build a 1,000-MW power plant at Dabaa by 2015. The announcement signalled Cairo's plans to restart its nuclear energy programme, 20 years after it was suspended. About three locations have been identified, with help from the US, as possible sites. Concerns have been increasing about Cairo's ability to meet rising demand for electricity, which is growing at 7-8 per cent a year (MEED 29:9:06). Algeria is expected to be the next Arab state to establish nuclear power generation capacity. In the early 1980s, the then US' Parsons E&C, now part of Australia's WorleyParsons, carried out an initial study for a pilot plant. Political wranglings and stiff opposition from the US have come in the way of Iran's plan to complete the construction of a nuclear reactor at Bushehr, at an investment of $800 million. The aim now is to complete construction by late 2008. However, Middle East governments have to set their houses in order before they can further pursue plans to build nuclear power capacity. "There is a need for a mature electricity grid including uniformity in demand load, a legal and regulatory infrastructure, means to transport fuel and waste disposal and human resources, education and training," Taniguchi said. +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
