In partnership with The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation; Dahlberg; The African Commission on Nuclear Energy and The Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful Uses
Introduction
Considering the growing urgency to take action on energy security, climate change and sustainable development, Wilton Park[1], the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)[2], Dalberg[3], and the Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful Uses[4], in association with African Commission for Nuclear Energy (AFCONE)[5], organized a three-day multi-stakeholder workshop focusing on the nuclear-development-climate nexus. This workshop builds on a Wilton Park workshop in 2020 in South Africa “In support of Africa’s Agenda 2063: pathways for expanding peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technology in Africa” and a suite of regional and subject specific consultations conducted by Wilton Park and the VCDNP over the last four years.
Among the many challenges that developing countries face, energy poverty is the most critical. Immediate action is required to ensure that these countries have access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy sources for development. Nuclear power is a low-carbon energy source and plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. With the advent of small modular reactors, including advanced and micro reactors (hereafter “A/SMRs”) there will be significant potential to widen affordable energy access. A/SMRs have the potential to bring nuclear power within the reach of developing countries and, as part of the energy mix, deliver a just energy transition.
However, nuclear power, and nuclear science and technology in general, face resistance and scepticism. The benefits of the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology (hereafter “peaceful uses”) and the contribution it makes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate goals are not widely recognized. Peaceful uses are yet to be mainstreamed in national and international development frameworks. Advocacy and financing tools to accelerate an inclusive energy transition are currently focused on renewable energy options to the exclusion of nuclear power. New partnerships and focused efforts are urgently required to include nuclear power in the energy development frameworks of developing countries and to ensure that A/SMRs are successfully and sustainably deployed in these countries in the future.
Many developing countries lack the necessary infrastructure and skills to build and manage nuclear power programmes. Furthermore, many A/SMR developers have limited experience with nuclear power deployment and insufficient knowledge of developing country markets and conditions. Although A/SMRs have not yet been commercially deployed, it is crucial to start preparing the market and infrastructure, including the legal and regulatory framework, in developing countries.
An initial step for developing countries could be to expand non-power applications to improve health care, food safety and security, water and environmental management and for industrial development. A country that already has a robust infrastructure in place for non-power applications can expand and extend that infrastructure and thus may more easily implement a new nuclear power programme.
Advocacy and partnership building for nuclear power should thus encompass the full scope of peaceful nuclear technology for power (electrical and non-electrical) and non-power applications. There is an important window of opportunity to bring to the table finance for development, through Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes, philanthropic foundations, industry, and government, for expanded engagement on peaceful uses.
The workshop successfully convened a diverse range of stakeholders, including non-traditional participants, to discuss these challenges and make recommendations for addressing them. Attendees included policymakers and regulators from 11 African countries, A/SMR developers, philanthropic foundations, potential investors, and international experts, including representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
[1] Wilton Park www.wiltonpark.org.uk/
[2] Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) https://vcdnp.org/about/
[3] Dalberg https://dalberg.com/
[4] Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful Uses www.sustaineddialogue.com/
[5] African Commission for Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) www.afcone.org/