Civilian Nuclear Power Programs - Essay Example

To what extent do Middle Eastern s have the capa to develop civilian nuclear power programs and would this development encourage regional cooperation Name Subject Name Date To what extent do Middle Eastern states have the capacity to develop civilian nuclear power programs and would this development encourage regional cooperation A characteristic of the modern world is the mass consumption of energy by all countries in order to meet their economic demands. The United States is at the forefront in energy consumption. Most of the energy in the United States of America is obtained from burning fossil fuels such as coal. Utilization fossil fuel to obtain energy has resulted to emission of greenhouse gases. China, another emerging global power is one of the countries that emit the most amounts of greenhouse gases. The effect of greenhouse gases like climate change has championed the call for safer means of energy production that will not harm the environment. Amongst these means is wind, solar, and nuclear power. Nuclear power is a source of energy in many developed countries. The United States of America has been at the forefront in pushing other countries to embrace nuclear energy as a safer means of energy production (Gonzalez, 2012). While there is other emerging safer means of energy production like green energy, the United States has been supportive of nuclear energy since the post World War period (Gonzalez, 2012). There are various demerits associated with nuclear energy such as the threat to human health and the chances of the increase in production of nuclear weapons. However, the likelihood that a nation will utilise its nuclear power for civilian rather than military purposes under the guidelines given by the International Atomic Energy Agency has been a reason for the continued exploitation of nuclear power as an energy source (Gonzalez, 2012). The International Atomic Energy Agency is the organization accorded the mandate to monitor countries utilising nuclear energy. In an article written in the New York Times, it is stated that a thin line exists between civilian and military nuclear programs (Broad, 2007). Thus, in the light of this knowledge, this paper seeks to examine the extent to which, Middle Eastern nations have the capacity to develop nuclear power programs. By examining their capacity, the paper will in turn evaluate whether regional cooperation can be encouraged by this development. The International Atomic Energy Agency has set up guidelines for any nation that wants to undertake a civilian nuclear power program. Knowing too well that a nuclear power program can easily be used for military purposes, the agency recommends that any nation which wishes to run a nuclear power program must always be open about the operations and activities that are going on in the nuclear power plant. Recently, the development of nuclear power plants in the Middle East has been darkened by Iran’s nuclear power program which has been under much scrutiny by the international community. However, this is not to imply that various countries in the Middle East are not developing nuclear power programs. In contrast, Middle East countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain have all been in the process of developing a nuclear power program. According to Sokolski (2010), there are technical, legal, regulatory, political, and economic requirements that a country must meet in order to successfully develop and operate a nuclear power program. The International Atomic Energy Agency notes in its report that, commencing a nuclear power program is a vital responsibility which needs a cautious arrangement, planning and investing in finances, resources and time. It is pointed out in the report that, the planning process for nuclear power program takes time, around ten to fifteen years until the first nuclear power plant is opened. The planning process starts with cautious contemplation the choice of power, which is nuclear power. The nuclear power option is guided by the country’s energy requirements which lead to the knowledge if the nuclear power program can be commenced. It is from this decision that the development of the supporting organizations, infrastructure, and structures is undertaken so that the country can successfully be granted the right for the nuclear power plant (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2006). Specific Evaluation of Various Middle East Countries Pursuing Civilian Nuclear Power Programs In the Middle East, apart from Iran, the United Arab Emirates has been at the forefront in the advancement of a nuclear power program. What is its underlying principle? The underlying principle of the United Arab Emirates is the fast need for energy sources given its economic growth in recent years. The United Arab Emirates is a wealthy nation due to its large petroleum industry. This has allowed it to buy reactors for its nuclear power plants. It has also permitted it to seek the services of trusted consultants and people in the field of nuclear energy. The country struck a major deal worth billions of dollars with South Korea to support its program. It also has a comprehensible strategy to its civil nuclear power program. The strategy has been well-documented in a 2008 White Paper. This White Paper notified the international community of the country’s intentions regarding the nuclear power program. It has also obliged to IAEA guidelines. Through its use of the Korean APR1400 reactor, it has accomplished the pledges of the White Paper. This reactor has prior approval from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Ebinger, et al., 2011). The technical requirements base for the United Arab Emirates is termed as not well developed by IAEA. Nevertheless, IAEA has noted that the nuclear program development of United Arab Emirate is advancing well and could serve as a case study from which other countries can learn from. Of most importance is the report given by the International Advisory Board, which is charged with the mandate of providing expertise, knowledge and the best resources to the country. The report indicates that there is independence in the regulatory measures put in place; safety is of the highest level, and the development of institutions to sustain the nuclear power program is well ahead of schedule. The human resource aspect of the nuclear power program is wanting because the country has to depend on expertise sourced from outside the country. Thus, the country will have to create its domestic source of knowledge without which its nuclear power program cannot be sustained. It is fundamental to note that, this human resource aspect if applied by all other countries in the Middle East developing nuclear power programs, it cannot be sustainable nor is it applicable because the numbers of experts in the nuclear energy field are limited. Thus, countries in the Middle East without human resource will have to battle for the limited experts. In order to sustain a nuclear power program, the country has to have a reliable fuel source. In this case, low enriched uranium is usually the fuel used to run a nuclear power plant. The United Arab Emirates has a supplier, KEPCO, who will supply fuel during its first three operational years. However, there is no supplier after the lapse of this period. The United Arab Emirates does not also have a clear guideline on the storage and disposal of the fuel it uses in its nuclear power plant. Oman has a civilian nuclear power program. Its program is led by the Steering Committee for Peaceful Nuclear Technology ( (Nocera, 2005). Oman does not have the financial ability to sustain a nuclear power program. This is according to the chair of the steering committee. The chairman also noted that the country had much to learn about nuclear power in terms of its generation. The country also lacks the required human resource to run a nuclear power plant and even run the nuclear power program. Regarding the required legal frame work, Oman is still behind in establishing a legal structure to guide it in its nuclear power program implementation. Thus, it is rather inexperienced in the nuclear power area. On the other hand Qatar which is a relatively large nation than United Arab Emirates also has little experience in nuclear power. It has made little advance in developing its local regulatory, technical, and organizational abilities to enable it sustain its civilian nuclear power program. In fact, it is not outright that it wants to pursue, sustain and run the program. This also applies to Bahrain, which has similar developmental aspects to Oman. Countries wishing to pursue civilian nuclear power programs have to commit themselves to international regulators, guidelines and practices. As a result, Bahrain joined the International Atomic Energy Agency in the year 2009. So did Oman. Bahrain has not applied the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (United States, Government Accountability Office, 2005). Oman is not a signatory of the Additional Protocol to the NPT (Finlay, 2011). Qatar is also not a signatory. Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar are small countries which have small electrical grids. This poses a critical challenge in terms of logistics on how to set up a nuclear power plant in each of this country. Turkey is a country which has made tremendous improvements on its economy. The result of this improvement is a raise in the need for energy. This has driven the country in the direction of developing a civilian nuclear power program. The civilian nuclear power program has been incorporated into the energy strategy by the government of Turkey. Turkey’s aim is to generate around five percent of its energy from nuclear power (Sokolski, 2010). What is outstanding about Turkey is its experience in nuclear energy. Since 1960, it has a plan of a five year cycle. This plan always includes nuclear energy. It has embraced research in nuclear energy. Through research, Turkey has developed nuclear related program in education and production of manpower for its civilian nuclear power program. The political obligation in Turkey is evidenced through the formulation of laws and regulations which define its legal structure. It also has its local regulators who create regulations that regulate its nuclear power program. The technical support for its nuclear program is available due to Turkey’s investment in nuclear programs in education and research. Due to the financial threat of running a nuclear power program, Turkey has a cooperation model between countries which will help it reduce these threats. Its cooperation with Russia is an example of this cooperation, much like the UAE and South Korea cooperation. Russia is to provide reactors and run Turkey’s nuclear power plants. Saudi Arabia is a major powerhouse of the Middle East. It is a kingdom which is characterised by a large increase in population that has increased its energy demands. Coupled with the growth in its economy, the energy needs have risen. Saudi Arabia made known its intent on a civilian nuclear energy program in the year 2006. It has made major steps towards realizing its nuclear power program by creating KA-CARE which will regulate the nuclear power program. In 2011, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with South Korea to partner in the research and advancement of its nuclear program. This was followed by an agreement with China in 2012 (Oxford Business Group, 2013). In terms of its technical expertise, the Kingdom has an agreement with France to provide it with technical expertise. These agreements show that Saudi Arabia is laying the ground for its civilian nuclear power program. However, it has not launched a civilian power program officially. The required legislative and regulatory frameworks needed to run a nuclear power program are inadequate. The country lacks the technical endowment to sustain a nuclear power program. The regulator in charge, KA-CARE, is not independent as required. It has not created a commercial structure to purchase reactors nor has it come up with the operator and owner frameworks needed to run nuclear power plant. The country has also not made a decision on the nuclear fuel cycle which would permit it to engage sellers of nuclear fuel and operators of the nuclear power plant. Egypt is a major power in Middle East affairs. Hence, as a country, its importance cannot be overlooked in relation to the capacity of Middle East countries to develop civilian nuclear power programs. Egypt has at one time, or another had to import energy. It also has huge energy demands due to its large population and economic growth. Thus, as a country, Egypt has been seeking nuclear power for some time. It has set up organizations and educational institutions to aid it in developing of its nuclear power program. In spite of failures in the nuclear power program, Egypt has undertaken corrective steps to boost its program. It has reorganized organizations directly connected with the program. Due to a lack of local nuclear experts, it has sought the expertise of international experts. The experts are resourceful in amending its legal structures in line with international requirements which was signified by the nuclear law that was given the go ahead in the year 2010. The law was created with the help of international experts. The nuclear law gives directives on Egypt’s civilian nuclear power program. From spent fuel handling, to a regulatory body and issuance of nuclear power plant licences. Due to its investment in educational resources, Egypt is endowed with engineers in the nuclear field. However, it does not have the facilities needed to run a civilian nuclear power program. It lacks the infrastructure required to run a nuclear power program (Sokolski, 2010). The location of Jordan as a Middle East country is precarious. It is faced by scarcity in energy resources. This stretches its domestic energy sources. As a result, Jordan has sought for another source of energy. Discovery of vast amounts of uranium has given Jordan a new lease of life regarding energy and power source. Uranium discovery has pushed Jordan towards development of a civilian nuclear power program (Sharp, 2010). With the availability of uranium, Jordan has a secure and reliable source of nuclear fuel. The uranium is also a financial source for the country which will help it run its nuclear power program while mitigating the energy sources it is facing. As a country, it has been in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to aid it in technical aspects of the program. One major step in the development of a nuclear power program is the carrying out of a feasibility study to determine if a nuclear power program is achievable. Regulatory frameworks are already in place. According to the World Nuclear Association, the two bodies, namely Jordan Atomic Energy Commission and the Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission are charged with supervision and regulation of the nuclear power program (World Nuclear Association, 2014). Despite the setting up of these two bodies, Jordan has yet to set up the owner-operator of its nuclear power plant but has begun the bidding process for an operator. Internationally, Jordan is part of the NPT; it is part of international and IAEA agreements. By embracing public-private partnerships, Jordan has enormously boosted its financial ability to sustain the nuclear power program. It is also working to meet the fuel cycle requirements. The workforce needed to run a nuclear power program has been at the top of Jordan’s program; thus, it has instituted both local and international mechanisms to cater for its labour requirements. Locally, it is training personnel while seeking international experts for the program (World Nuclear Association, 2014). General Evaluation of the capability of Middle East Countries to Develop Civilian Nuclear Power Programs The specific analysis of countries constituting the Middle East shows that no country in this region has a commercial nuclear reactor that is running or generating power for the country’s energy needs. Most of the countries in the Middle East have not had a running civil nuclear power program in the past except Turkey and Egypt. This places the Middle East at a situation whereby the region’s capability to develop a civilian nuclear power program is weak. It is weak because a country needs experience to safely run and sustain the nuclear power program. Several countries in the Middle East, namely Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey have made huge steps towards building up of the required infrastructure. However, the rest of the countries in the Middle East are at different steps of regarding or beginning civilian nuclear power programs. Many of the countries in the Middle East have been pushed by energy deficiencies, economic needs, commercial opportunities or availability of Uranium such as in Jordan. Due to a lack of local expertise, countries in the Middle East can only rely on training or hiring of international experts to draw up their nuclear power programs. This indicates that they lack the ability to locally produce experts. It is only with the help of IAEA that countries in the Middle East can develop a civilian nuclear power program. The capability to develop a nuclear power program is also determined by legal and organizational frameworks. Various countries in the Middle East have come up with laws and policies to guide their nuclear power program. Others such as Jordan have set up the needed implementation agencies. However, only the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have an owner-operator agreement to run their nuclear power plants. Commercially, the Middle East countries are seeking ways to finance their programs through various means such as public-private partnerships. Management of fuel has been a hindrance in most civilian nuclear power programs in the Middle East because most countries have not created regulatory measures on fuel acquisition, storage of used fuel or even its disposal. The Middle East as a region lacks the local manpower for its nuclear power programs. Their reliance on outsourced human resource is cannot be sustained. In terms of international cooperation, countries in the Middle East are doing well based on the agreements they are signatories to. The development of civilian nuclear power programs in the Middle East will encourage regional cooperation through sharing of nuclear experiences and technology as countries in the Middle East are at various levels of their programs. According to Fitzpatrick (2012), regional cooperation fostered by nuclear power programs is evidenced by a project run by the United Nations and IAEA. The plan of the project is to foster regional cooperation in the application of nuclear programs. Fitzpatrick (2012) goes on to state that IAEA has created regional technical assistance programs to enhance joint research, development, and training in nuclear fields. An example is ARASIA, which has boosted political cooperation (Fitzpatrick, 2012). Bibliography Broad, W. J., 2007. The New York Times. 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