Nuclear energy vital for Gulf

Manama / TNS

Gulf countries need to seriously consider nuclear power as an alternative source of energy, a new study has said.
“With a growing need for electricity and a scarcity of water, along with shortages of oil and gas reserves and fluctuation of prices, resorting to nuclear energy as a strategic option could be a choice for many Arab countries in the long-term,” said a report by the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat).
It was part of a third volume of studies and reports released recently exploring a number of strategic issues that concern Bahrain and the GCC. One of the main reports explored looking into nuclear energy as an option. “It is noteworthy that a report has been dedicated to the issue of securing nuclear energy as a strategic option,” the centre said in a statement.
“Most Arab countries have announced their desire to incorporate different options for generating electricity and desalination in line with a strategy to diversify energy sources,” said the think-tank. “It is also in line with the Arab strategy
to find peaceful uses of atomic energy by 2020, through
the construction of nuclear power stations, particularly in generating power and producing water.”
Addressing the Third Arab Forum for Nuclear Energy in Bahrain in December last year, Energy Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza said the use of alternative energy for the generation of electricity and water desalination should be encouraged on a war footing, the GDN reported.
Among these alternative energies, he had said, nuclear energy had proven to be reliable in terms of safety and security, and did not lead to greenhouse gas emissions. It was also competitive in cost as compared with other energy sources.
Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have announced plans to embark on ambitious nuclear power programmes. A nuclear power plant is currently under construction at Barakah in the UAE with the first reactor set to come online next year. Saudi Arabia has plans to create a domestic nuclear industry in anticipation of continued high growth in domestic energy consumption and to free up more oil for export.
In the periodical on nuclear energy, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences associate
professor Dr Adel Ahmed wrote on the potential for development of the proliferation of nuclear energy policies and future scenarios.
Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) director-general Dr Abdulmajeed Al Mahjoub and AAEA scientific affairs director Dr Dhaw Musbaah spoke of Arab nuclear capability of generating electricity and desalinating sea water, as well as capabilities and fears.
The third contribution was made by international expert in charge of drafting nuclear legislation and safeguards Adel Al Riyahi, who is also Tunisian National Centre for Nuclear
Sciences and Technology international obligations and guarantees director.
He spoke about the nuclear and radiation energy security in the legislative and regulatory framework. In addition to the studies on nuclear energy, the volume contained researches exploring changes in global centres of power and the future of Arab relations with South American countries.
They were written by Bahrain University professor Dr Mohammed Maseer Fathi and Egyptian researcher and South American specialist Dr Sadfa Mahmoud, respectively. Regional security challenges
were also explored in the volume, including the Syrian crisis and its developments, which focused on Russia’s support for the Syrian government in
the UN Security Council, as well as providing military support and experts.
“The political landscape of 2015 was centred around conflicts, developments and issues with profound implications,” Derasat board of trustees chairman Khalid Al Fathalah said in an introduction to the volume.
“The result is reflected in the size of political turmoil, as well as security, social and economic fields in the entire Middle East region. “It will undoubtedly continue to shape our political landscape for 2016 and beyond. “There are many challenges that threaten national security, which require strong alliances, deep conversations and promising strategies.
“We are grappling with the dynamics of accelerated events, which require a united Islamic front, fighting terrorist groups that exploit the region and justifies its practices through religion.”