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Iraq is working on a plan to build a nuclear reactor as the electricity-starved oil country seeks to end the widespread power outages that caused social unrest.
OPEC’s second-largest oil producer — already plagued by power shortages and insufficient investment in aging factories — needs to meet the expected 50% increase in demand by the end of the decade. The construction of nuclear power plants may help close the supply gap, although the country will face major financial and geopolitical challenges in achieving its plans.
Kamal Hussain Latif, chairman of the Iraqi Radioactive Sources Authority, stated that Iraq seeks to build eight reactors capable of generating approximately 11 gigawatts of power. He said it will seek funding from potential partners for the $40 billion plan and repay the cost within 20 years, adding that the authorities have discussed cooperation issues with Russian and South Korean officials.
The collapse in crude oil prices last year deprived Iraq of funds to maintain and expand its long-neglected power system. The resulting power outage triggered protests that could overthrow the government.
“We have several predictions that if there is no nuclear power by 2030, we will be in big trouble,” Latif said in an interview in his office in Baghdad. Not only need to solve the problems of power shortages and surges in demand, Iraq is also trying to reduce emissions and produce more water through desalination-“These problems sounded the alarm for me.”
Given that Iraq is suffering from a budgetary crisis amidst fluctuating oil prices, raising funds will be a major task. According to data from the International Monetary Fund, even if crude oil prices are now about $70 per barrel, the country is just balancing its budget.
The government must also resolve geopolitical issues surrounding the safety of atomic energy, which hinder nuclear ambitions elsewhere in the region.
Nuclear energy that does not produce carbon dioxide will help the Gulf countries in their efforts to reduce emissions, because governments all over the world want to become more environmentally friendly. The technology will also enable them to designate more valuable hydrocarbons for export. Saudi Arabia is building a test reactor that will burn up to 1 million barrels of crude oil a day at power plants during the summer months when temperatures exceed 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
Latif said that the Iraqi cabinet is reviewing the agreement reached with the Russian National Atomic Energy Corporation on cooperation in the construction of the reactor. South Korean officials said this year that they wanted to help build these factories and allowed Iraqis to visit a reactor in the United Arab Emirates operated by Korea Electric Power Corporation. Latif said the nuclear authorities also talked with French and American officials about the plan.
National Power Corporation of Korea, Russian Nuclear Energy Corporation
A KEPCO spokesperson said on Tuesday that KEPCO was not aware of Iraq’s nuclear program, had not contacted Iraqi officials, and was not required to carry out any projects there. When asked about reaching an agreement with Iraq, Rosatom did not immediately comment.
Even if Iraq builds the planned number of power stations, this is still not enough to meet future consumer demand. Latif stated that the country is already facing a gap of 10 GW between capacity and demand, and it is expected to require 14 GW in the next ten years.
With this in mind, Iraq plans to build enough solar power plants by the end of this decade to generate electricity similar to the nuclear program.
Iraq currently has 18.4 GW of electricity, including 1.2 GW imported from Iran. The increase in capacity means that the power generation will increase to 22 GW by August, but this is far below the nominal demand of nearly 28 GW under normal conditions. According to the Ministry of Electric Power, peak usage in the two hot months of July and August exceeded 30 GW. Latif said that by 2030, demand will reach 42 GW.
The nuclear authorities have already selected 20 potential sites for the reactor, and Latif suggested that the first batch of contracts could be signed next year.
This will not be the first time Iraq has tried to use nuclear weapons. Four years ago, an Israeli air strike destroyed a reactor under construction south of Baghdad. The Israelis claimed that this facility, called Osirak, was designed to produce nuclear weapons against them. After the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, Iraq suffered more than a decade of violence and turmoil. This was also because of allegations that Iraq wanted to develop weapons.
(Updated Kepco’s comment in paragraph 10.)
– With the assistance of Dina Khrennikova, Olga Tanas and Heesu Lee.
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