SPECIAL REPORT | NUCLEAR NEWCOMERS
Above left: Foundation of the El-dabaa administrative building in Egypt is being built Above right: Ostrovets in Grodno region, the first nuclear power plant in Belarus Photo credit: horyd yury/
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V but plans were scaled back in 2015 and the target date was moved to 2040. KA-CARE requested proposals for 2.9GWe of nuclear capacity, from South Korea, China, Russia and Japan. In 2018 a project was launched to build a research reactor. Saudi Arabia is also investigating SMRs, signing agreements with: the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute; with Argentina’s Invap; and China Nuclear Engineering Corporation. The Kingdom is working on a framework programme for nuclear energy for 2022-2027.
SRI LANKA’s Long Term Generation Expansion Plan 2015- 2034, developed by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), includes a scenario for 600MWe NPP from 2030. The draft of the 2020-2039 plan has a 600MWe nuclear unit starting up in 2035 and another in 2037. In 2010 the government commissioned its Atomic Energy Authority and CEB to conduct a pre-feasibility study on introducing nuclear energy from about 2025. The Atomic Energy Authority Act was revised in 2014 to establish the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board and the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council. Sri Lankan nuclear experts are being trained in Russia. In 2015 the government signed nuclear cooperation agreements with India and Pakistan.
SUDAN’s Ministry of Energy & Mines initiated a nuclear power programme in 2010. The Ministry of Electricity and Water Resources set up the Nuclear Energy Generation Department to undertake a feasibility study for four 300- 600MWe units by 2030. This was changed in 2015 to two 600MWe PWRs by 2027. In 2016, a framework agreement was signed with CNNC to build one or two 600MWe reactors, with a nuclear cooperation roadmap for the next decade. A 2017 nuclear cooperation agreement with Rosatom included assessing the feasibility of a nuclear science and technology centre with a research reactor and power plant.
THAILAND’s 2010 Power Development Plan (2010-2030) planned 5000MWe by 2020. After Fukushima, the date was pushed back to 2023 and deferred again under PDP2015, which targeted a 5% nuclear share (two 1000MWe PWR units) by 2036. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) signed agreements on nuclear development with CGN in 2009 and Japan Atomic Power Co in 2010. In 2014 the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Rosatom.
26 | June 2022 |
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UGANDA began establishing a framework for its nuclear power programme in 2008 when the Atomic Energy Bill came into effect. Uganda’s Vision 2040 roadmap envisages significant nuclear capacity as part of the future energy mix. The Uganda Atomic Energy Council developed a Nuclear Power Roadmap Development Strategy that was approved by the cabinet 2015. In 2017 Uganda said it planned to build a 2,000MWe NPP by 2032. The base case scenario is for two 1000 MWe units by 2031 and potential sites were identified. Co-operation agreements were signed with Rosatom in 2016 and 2017 and with various Chinese companies, including CNNC in 2017 and 2018. Uganda said in 2022 that it had acquired land for the construction of its first NPP.
UZBEKISTAN expects nuclear to account for about 15% of energy generation by 2030. In 2018 an agreement was signed with Russia on cooperation in design and construction of a $13bn two-unit station, with the first VVER-1200 reactor in operation by 2028. Most of the investment is expected to come from Russia. In 2019, a roadmap was issued detailing nuclear development for 2019-2029, including plants totalling 2.4GWe. The main stages are: site selection and licensing (2019-2020); design of nuclear plants and infrastructure (2020-2022); construction and commissioning (2022-2030). Uzbekistan is choosing a site for the first reactor and said in 2019 the first two units would be followed by two more.
It is clear from this analysis that Russia plays a key role in many newcomer nuclear countries. The current conflict in Ukraine is certain to roll back Russia’s participation in the nuclear power programmes of NATO countries, even those with decades of experience using Soviet/Russian nuclear technology. However, for newcomer countries, and others in Central Asia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America, this is unlikely to be a key factor in their technology choices. No other nuclear supplier offers such all-round support, including soft financing and BOO options. Russia takes a long view, committing to support that may last a century, sometimes begining with assistance in establishing nuclear research centres and research reactors. Extensive training is also provided as well as fuel supply, used fuel management services and decommissioning. So, while other suppliers, in particular the USA, are making rapid inroads in Europe, the rest of the world may still prefer to look to Moscow. ■
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