January 24, 2011

The United States has ratified its treaty with Russia that limits the number of warheads pointing at each other. Now, the two are shifting their attention to an agreement focused on the civilian use of nuclear energy -- or the development of nuclear power.

The so-called U.S.-Russia123 Agreement also beefs up existing nuclear non-proliferation efforts. But it adds to that framework by laying the foundation so that the two can share nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The cornerstones of the deal done earlier this month: To provide incentives to other nations to not acquire sensitive uranium enrichment technologies that could be used to build weapons and to allow for the transfer of technology, material and equipment to increase nuclear power production.

"The 123 Agreement will support commercial interests by allowing U.S. and Russian firms to team up more easily in joint ventures and by permitting U.S. sales of nuclear material and equipment to Russia," says the U.S State Department. "This will put the United States and Russia's nuclear relationship on a stronger commercial footing. Russian and U.S. firms will be able to develop advanced nuclear reactors, fuel-cycle approaches, and cutting-edge technology that are safe, secure, and reliable."

In July 2009, the heads of both governments joined together to commit to the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as work to limit the proliferation of nuclear materials to hostile nations. The manifestation of those efforts is the 123 Agreement signed by U.S Ambassador John Beyrle and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

The sharing of technologies is necessary at a time when the world's nuclear capacity is expected to exponentially rise. China, which has 23 nuclear reactors now under construction, plans to spend $50 billion to build a total of 32 reactors by 2020. At the same time, India and Pakistan are moving forward as is Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which has a $20 billion contract with some South Korean vendors to build four 1,400 megawatt nuclear plants by 2012.

The expansion is occurring because the global demand for energy is escalating while emphasis is being placed on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But concerns are heightened that such nuclear technologies would get into the wrong hands. A treaty to which the United States is part, gives it an indirect way of exerting pressure over Iran and North Korea.

"This agreement creates a legal framework, absent until just recently, for implementing a number of programs in the field of peaceful nuclear energy," says Russia's Rybakov.

Russia's quest to build out its nuclear energy program is ongoing. It now has 32 nuclear reactors. They supply 16 percent of the nation's power, although the country has said it seeks to double the number of reactors by 2020 -- something that would provide about a quarter of the country's electricity at that point. The productivity of its modern nuclear plants has propelled the agenda, with capacity factors rising from about 56 percent in the 1990s to about 80 percent today.

Safety First

By sharing technologies and research, the United States and Russia are not just trying to improve their own respective programs. They are also working to make sure other nations implement the same best practices. Finland, France, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom are all gearing up to develop their nuclear programs.

Along those lines, the European Union has forced some of its newer members from the old Soviet Bloc that include Bulgaria and Slovakia to cease using older plants. While bilateral agreements have been signed, the EU would also like to see a multilateral treaty to ensure consistent protocols implemented across the continent.

Russian nuclear technology is now considered to be advanced. As such, it has become a leading global supplier of nuclear fuels as well as materials and equipment to Europe. It wants to be at the forefront of the nuclear movement, giving new technologies and even loans to the nations that it helps build such plants.

"Fast reactors are to come first," says Sergey Kiriyenko, head of Russia's nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom. "The shift to using fast reactors gives us a possibility of getting 100 times more energy out of one kilogram of uranium."

That type of high-level research is what is needed. But such developments must be coupled with strict oversight. By engaging Russia, the United States thinks Iran can better be kept in check. Russia, in fact, has offered to enrich the uranium that would be used for nuclear energy production on its homeland if Iran will cease its efforts to do the same within its boundaries.

The paradox over how to deal with aberrant nations while meeting future energy demands in the cleanest possible way is a tricky one. That's what the 123 Agreement is about. With the global community, generally, working to expand their nuclear energy production, those kinds of close ties are paramount.

 

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