The IAEA continues to help countries chart their way forward regarding their interest in nuclear power. The Agency is hosting a technical meeting in Vienna, Austria focused on helping states evaluate the status of their infrastructure, identify gaps, and effectively plan for a future powered by nuclear energy.
The IAEA supports these newcomers by providing standards, guidance, reviews and assessments, missions, and assistance.
"When a country is embarking on nuclear power, the IAEA advises that they take a comprehensive approach, integrating all the aspects of their government, industry and educational institutions. This ensures that they have a secure, effective, safeguarded programme by the time they get to actually putting out a bid for a nuclear power plant. That comprehensive set of things that we want them to do is what we´ve been calling the "infrastructure" to support nuclear power," says Anne Starz, Scientific Secretary in the IAEA´s Nuclear Power Engineering Section.
IAEA experts agree that the introduction of a nuclear power programme involves a commitment of at least 100 years.
"What we´re advising is that it takes between 10 and 15 years to prepare the planning phase even before a country puts out a bid and invites vendors to compete to supply a nuclear power plant. And probably another 5-7 years for the construction phase and commissioning of the plant," says Ms. Starz.
This week´s technical meeting follows last year´s workshop on Milestones for Nuclear Power Infrastructure, which saw the unveiling of an IAEA Milestones document that sets out a series of steps/phases that need to be completed in preparation for building a nuclear power plant.
This year, a follow-up document is being introduced, which evaluates the status of national nuclear infrastructure development. "So it´s a natural progression," Ms. Starz says. "Last year´s document established what the infrastructure should look like, now we´re giving countries a tool to assess how they are doing."
More than 100 participants from 40 countries, which are in various stages of the nuclear process, will gather in Vienna from 10-12 December 2008 to discuss the intricacies of nuclear infrastructure development.