17 Jul (NucNet): The G8 group of nations has endorsed the use of “safe and secure” nuclear energy and said it supports the development of innovative nuclear power systems.
In a statement on global energy security issued on 16 July 2006, the G8 said nations who have or are considering plans for nuclear energy believe it will contribute to global energy security while reducing air pollution and addressing climate change.
The G8, which is meeting in St Petersburg, said it acknowledged the efforts made in development by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO).
GIF and INPRO both bring together countries to develop next generation nuclear energy systems, including small reactors, very high temperature reactors and supercritical water-cooled reactors.
The G8 also reaffirmed the objective to allow reliable access of all countries to nuclear energy on a competitive basis, but consistent with non-proliferation standards. It said it intended to make additional joint efforts to ensure reliable access to low-enriched uranium for reactor fuel and spent fuel recycling.
The statement said in this respect, the G8 had taken note of recent “potentially complementary initiatives” put forward by the IAEA regarding multilateral fuel supply assurances, and proposals made by Russia and the US aimed at the development of peaceful nuclear energy.
The IAEA’s director-general Mohamed ElBaradei has proposed multilateral management and control of the nuclear fuel cycle, with the IAEA acting as facilitator and guarantor of a fuel bank.
Russia has proposed a worldwide network of joint ventures offering key services such as enrichment and spent nuclear fuel management, while one of the aims of the US-led Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, or GNEP, is to establish a fuel services programme that would give nations access to acquire nuclear energy while minimising the risk of nuclear proliferation.
On a general level, the G8 said it would take a number of measures to enhance energy security including improving the investment climate in the energy sector, diversifying the energy mix, and addressing climate change and sustainable development.
In March 2006, G8 energy ministers meeting in Moscow agreed that nuclear energy is “crucial for long-term environmentally sustainable diversification of energy supply” for those countries who wish to use the technology.
