Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to you today, as this workshop on Tools for Nuclear Energy System Assessment draws to a close. Almost fifty participants from over 40 countries have attended the sessions, indicating the high level of interest in the subject.
We are all aware that energy is central to sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts. A 2006 report by the Task Force for the UN Millennium Project, Energy Services for the Millennium Development Goals, warns that without increased investment in the energy sector, and major improvements in the quality and quantity of energy services in developing countries, it will not be possible to meet any of the Millennium Development Goals. Demand for energy continues to grow worldwide, as countries seek to improve living standards for their populations. The bulk of this growth in demand is coming from less economically advanced countries.
As Mr. Sokolov noted in his opening statement, the next two years will see a threefold increase in the number of national and regional nuclear programmes that the IAEA is expected to assist. In the past year 4% of technical cooperation (TC) disbursements were made in the area of nuclear power and another 4% in the safety of nuclear installations. Support to safety and security, of course, cuts across all TC activities in the field of nuclear energy. In the current TC programme, which extends to 2011, over 5% of the core programme is devoted to the nuclear fuel cycle, a similar amount to nuclear energy, and over 13% to safety.
Over the past three days you have heard a range of presentations on the integrated system approach - supported across the House by all relevant Departments - that the Agency is using to help Member States develop the skills and understanding needed to assess national energy requirements, prepare energy plans and alternative scenarios, enable policy frameworks, develop national capabilities and provide knowledge-based advice for expanding access to energy services for the population at large. You have also learned more about the IAEA tools for energy system planning, indicators for sustainable energy development, the INPRO methodology for Nuclear Energy System Assessment (NESA) and tools for analysing nuclear fuel cycle material balance. I would like to take the opportunity to mention some examples of our technical cooperation activities in the sustainable development of nuclear energy around the world. In sub-saharan Africa, work is ongoing to improve national and regional capacities for long-term strategic planning of the energy system. In Europe, the focus is on strengthening national and regional infrastructures for the planning and development of nuclear power programmes and to ensure that any Member State planning the introduction of nuclear energy embarks on the process with a complete understanding of the range of issues that they must address before they can implement such a project. In Asia, we help Member States to strengthen their sustainable development in the post-Kyoto period by assessing the role of nuclear and other energy options and evaluating the resources for energy-related activities and environmental concerns. In Latin America, we work in strengthening the national nuclear sector through strategic planning and results-based management tools and support eight Member States in planning the introduction of a nuclear power programme.
Currently, conventional cooperation approaches are being used by Member States and the Agency to achieve the main goal of phase I of the "milestone book", namely getting ready to decide to launch a nuclear power programme and make an informed commitment. Most of the countries planning to introduce a nuclear programme are currently in phase I. The Agency is open to consider, for the future TC programme cycle, national projects to apply NESA tools and INPRO methodologies in an integrated approach and help Member States in the preparatory work for the call of bids and construction of their first NPP.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Workshops such as this one are an important means of sharing experiences and learning from each other. These days you have had the opportunity to learn more about the tools and methods that the Agency offers to support long term energy planning and nuclear energy system assessments, and today you will be providing us with feedback on applying these tools. By sharing your experiences, the lessons you have learned and the constraints you have faced, you will strengthen the Agency´s ability to respond to your needs. Your comments will help us to further develop and refine the Agency´s support to the sustainable development of nuclear energy.
I wish you well with the remainder of your deliberations
Thank you.