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Iran and Arab States Emphasize Nuclear Power for Water Desalination
22 May 2015
EIRNS — In separate developments, Iran and the Arab states each expressed their interest and need for nuclear technology to produce energy and desalinate sea water. According to the Iranian News Agency (IRNA), Vice President and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi, in a message released on Tuesday, May 19, stressed the use of peaceful nuclear energy in agriculture. "Use of peaceful nuclear technology can help removal of problems in the field of agriculture," Salehi said. He called for construction of small nuclear power desalination plants along the coastal areas of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea as AEOI’s strategic plan for the future. "Constructions of nuclear plants on the coastal areas will not only help secure the regions’ required energy, but also it will help provide the region’s fresh water," he noted. Salehi and Russia’s Rosatom chief executive Sergey Kirienko struck a deal last November to build eight more nuclear power plants in Iran, according to IRNA. Under the deal, up to four of the projected facilities are planned to be built at the site of the Bushehr nuclear power station. The remaining four are expected to be constructed elsewhere in Iran, but the exact location has not been determined yet. Meanwhile, the Arab Atomic Energy Agency’s (AAEA) representatives met in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for a five-day conference over May 15-19, and declared that nuclear-powered desalination of seawater is the most efficient means of securing fresh water for the Arab countries. Arab League (AL) Secretary General Nabil el Araby said that the Arab countries should upgrade their peaceful use of atomic energy so as to catch up with the technological revolutions achieved by other nations. Dr. Abdulhamid Mahjoub, Chairman of the AAEA, stated that "nuclear power is the most prominent choice for the Arab nations to provide clean energy, and the most efficient to remove salt from sea water. Mahjoub added that "the AAEA has recommended to the Arab nations that have expressed their intentions to build nuclear power plants, to move ahead with decisiveness and steady steps to implement these project." He also noted that the AAEA has also recommended that these countries raise the awareness among their peoples and policymakers to realize the importance of this technology, and to remove all kinds of concerns and fears concerning nuclear technology. He emphasized that these countries should learn from the Fukushima incident in Japan when implementing the security and safety procedures. He announced also that the Third Arab Forum on Nuclear Technology will be organized in December in Bahrain, to discuss the technical and scientific issues related to nuclear power development. Besides Iran, the United Arab Emirates is building four 1,000-MW nuclear power plants on the Persian Gulf coast in cooperation with South Korea, to be completed in 2020. Jordan and Egypt, earlier this year, signed agreements with Russia to build their first nuclear plants. Hussain Askari |
