SMRS and seawater desalination using nuclear energy

It is quite obvious that the per capita consumption of energy in densely populated developing countries will increase substantially. The World Energy Council has estimated that the demand for electricity will triple over the next half century. Nuclear power is a proven technology, which has penetrated into the electricity supply market in a number of countries. Nearly ten thousand reactor-years of operating experience have been accumulated over the past five decades. In view of the growing demand in developing countries, interests in deploying Small and Medium size Reactors (SMRs) including innovative concepts are strongly pursued on the national and international levels. Freshwater is another essential element for human existence and has no alternatives. Many countries suffering from or foreseeing freshwater shortage are getting non-conventional water resources using seawater desalination technology or considering deploying it. Increasing demands in the developing world are being intensified both in energy and in freshwater. In many developing countries, the option of combining nuclear energy with seawater desalination is being explored to tackle these two problems. The desalination of seawater using nuclear energy is a feasible option to meet the growing demand for potable water. Several demonstration programs of nuclear desalination are in progress to confirm its technical and economical viability under country-specific conditions. Many of these applications are looking at SMRs in various reactor lines. This paper gives a brief overview of the prospects of SMRs and its particular application to seawater desalination as well as the IAEA's support activities to facilitate demonstration of nuclear desalination. Energy and water are essential elements in human existence. To secure them safely, economically and environment-friendly is essential in maintaining sustainable development. While the energy issue is mainly from what source it can be obtained, the water issue is how to manage its limited resources. Highly populated developing countries at present consume much less energy per capita than do developed countries, and it is quite obvious that the per capita consumption of energy in developing countries will increase substantially. The importance of having adequate supplies of potable water for growing populations and complex problems of satisfying this need has been globally recognized. Already in 1994 approximately one billion lacked access to adequate sanitation. On a global basis, 20% of the world's population lacked safe water supplies and 50% has no adequate sanitation. Energy and water resources have equal unevenness in its distribution.