Saudi Arabia Takes a Step Closer to Achieving Nuclear Power - Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia Takes a Step Closer to Achieving Nuclear Power - Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia Takes a Step Closer to Achieving Nuclear Power
- Energy minister says IAEA will be allowed to widen monitoring
- Decision will advance Saudi plan to build first reactors
Saudi Arabia took a key step toward advancing its nascent nuclear power program, telling international inspectors they’ll have wider access to facilities in order to account for atomic materials.
The Gulf Arab power is implementing broader monitoring guidelines with the International Atomic Energy Agency and rescinding an outdated set of rules that have hindered its nuclear program, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud said Monday in Vienna.
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Saudi Arabia Takes a Step Closer to Achieving Nuclear Power
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.