Baghdad-INA
Iraq possesses the necessary qualifications to establish nuclear power plants for electricity generation, National Nuclear, Radiological, Chemical and Biological Regulatory Commission (I- NRC) said on Tuesday, adding that international standards would determine the selection of suitable sites.
Fadhel Hawi Mazban, head of I-NRC told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "any location could potentially serve as a site for a nuclear power plant, but extensive testing and assessments must be conducted by highly specialized laboratories."
He added that "new criteria are continuously incorporated based on global incidents and experiences, including the Fukushima disaster in Japan and the impact of the earthquakes that struck Turkey last year."
He added that "the Fukushima incident resulted from exceptional circumstances involving a tsunami and the loss of cooling systems, which led to a reactor core meltdown and a major accident. In response, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) introduced a new design requirement mandating the containment of the reactor core in the event of a meltdown."
Mazban explained that "each company submits its own reactor design, which is subject to approval, while the IAEA continuously updates and raises safety standards to the highest levels."
He noted that "the agency's requirements are extensive and comprehensive, covering legislation, regulations and operating laws, institutional and regulatory frameworks, emergency preparedness, radiation protection, nuclear security, waste management and financing, in addition to a range of international agreements that Iraq is required to join."
He noted that "Iraq possesses preliminary and legacy studies dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, but these need to be updated to align with current developments and modern standards."
He explained that "each company establishes its own criteria based on the technology and reactor design it develops, and the process requires long-term work. Building a nuclear sector depends on the accumulation of expertise and institutional capacity."
Mazban said that "a growing number of countries are moving toward nuclear energy programmes, including Iran, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. This is not merely a policy choice but is driven by technical considerations and the need for clean, reliable energy."
He added that "all major international companies are capable of designing power plants that address a wide range of technical challenges."
He said that "nuclear power generation currently stands at around 27,000 megawatts and is expected to exceed 100,000 megawatts by 2040," adding that "part of future energy demand should be met through clean and reliable sources, particularly as uranium fuel prices remain relatively stable globally compared with oil, which is vulnerable to political and geopolitical disruptions."
He noted that "the operational lifespan of a nuclear power plant ranges from 60 to 80 years and may extend up to 100 years. However, the main challenge lies in the substantial initial capital required during the construction phase, after which the plant gradually begins to recover its costs over time."
He explained that "each reactor design can address specific conditions, whether in cooling systems or cooling types, as engineering solutions exist for every technical issue, provided that full compliance with safety standards is maintained."
Mazban said that "the process first requires establishing a nuclear regulatory authority, followed by completing the institutional framework of atomic energy bodies, as well as laws, regulations and instructions governing the sector in detail."
He said that "one of the key steps in developing this sector was the visit of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iraq two years ago, during which he expressed the agency’s support for assisting Iraq, in addition to recent U.S. support for this file."
Mazban added that "work on regulations and directives constitute an important part of addressing electricity production challenges."
He noted that "nuclear energy provides clean, stable and highly reliable electricity that operates year-round, but it requires continuous effort, and the realistic timeframe to complete the core requirements is around ten years."
He said that "while this option is costly at the outset, in the long term the cost of generating a megawatt becomes lower than other alternatives. Moreover, fossil fuels cause pollution, whereas nuclear energy is a clean option with no emissions."
Mazban stressed that "the highest safety standards rely on multiple layers of defense, reaching up to eight levels to address any incident or issue, as every potential risk is matched with defensive measures, engineering solutions and security safeguards."
He added that "modern nuclear power plants use the latest technologies and equipment in line with the highest safety standards, and the Fukushima accident was an extraordinary circumstance that fell outside normal design assumptions."
Regarding financing, he explained that "there are several options for developing nuclear power plants, including the UAE model, which is based on an integrated turnkey approach, and the Egypt model, which involved financing provided by the contractor. Another option is where the implementing entity assumes responsibility for financing. Iraq is qualified to select the most appropriate model."