Nuclear powerRussia leads, U.S. lags in construction of nuclear power reactors around the world
Has a new cold war developed between Russian and the United States in the twenty-first century? Many argue that it has — but with a more unconventional front of commercial nuclear energy contracts with developing countries. Russian companies are building 37 percent of new nuclear reactors around the world; U.S. companies build only 7 percent of new nuclear facilities.
Has a new cold war developed between Russian and the United States in the twenty-first century? Many argue that it has — but with a more unconventional front of commercial nuclear energy contracts with developing countries.
In the wake of heightened tension due to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula, new emphasis is being placed on the fact that Russia has quietly become the leader in a $500 billion market for nuclear power exports, building the most nuclear facilities in countries such as Iran, Venezuela, Hungary, and Turkey. A Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) info graphic has about 37 percent of new atomic facilities currently being built under Russian constructions. Comparatively, China is building 28 percent and the United States only seven. The United States currently provides nuclear expertise to twenty-one countries, many not within the zones which are expected to experience a boom in the near future.
CNBC reports that Russia, strengthened by a mass of oil and natural gas, views sound nuclear economics as a powerful tool to expand influence globally. Barbara Judge, a former chair of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, tells CNBC, “The Russians view nuclear as an excellent export product. They are using it as part of their plan to establish themselves as a geopolitical power.” Judge goes on to point out that “Countries that need nuclear often do not have the funds to pay for it, (countries like Russia) are using that money as a lever to open the door.”
Others, however, warn of the dangers of this approach. They cite the rumors that Iran is suspected of using conventional nuclear power as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. “Once you export this technology and don’t have direct control over it, no matter how safe you say it is, it can come back to bite you,” says Mark Cooper, a senior fellow of economic analysis at the institute for Energy and Environment at Vermont Law School.
Even more pressing, there is the additional warning that without U.S. leadership in the sector, safety will also be impacted. CNBC also cites a paper from the CSIS which concludes that “Without a strong commercial presence in new nuclear markets, America’s ability to influence nonproliferation policies and nuclear safety behaviors worldwide is bound to diminish.”
