Iraq is Going Nuclear
Iraq plans to build over seven nuclear reactors to increase their power generation capabilities and ensure power stability. The war torn middle eastern nation is facing a significant power outage issue.
It is known for its rich oil reserves and resources but it is still facing the same issues that cities like Seattle, New York City, and several others are facing in the West. It is startling, you might think that an oil rich nation would have various ways to have regular power flowing through their grid but alas it is not so.
The middle eastern nation is intriguingly looking at ways to incorporate nuclear energy as a part of their power generation situation.
Iraq Seeks To Build Nuclear Power Plants to Combat Severe Power Outages
Again, one of the fundamental questions to ask here is, what went wrong? Recent reports indicate that Iran had something to do with it. Iran supplied Iraq with over 30% of its electricity. Unfortunately for those living in Iraq, Iran chose to cut off energy exports within the past week. But falling oil prices last year didn’t help the country this year. That is a big deal, especially if you’re living in Iraq during the hot summer months. Power outages in Iraq affected those across the war torn middle eastern nation, rich and poor.
It makes sense, the country’s power grid was outputting only 4,000 MWs when it regularly outputs 20,000 MWs.
These outages have led to a bit of unrest in Iraq. You would participate in such as situation, too, if you found that it was 118 degrees Fahrenheit and you had not way cooling down feasibly. Further, remember that the extent of this power outage was significant. The nation has not faced such a power outage for over four years.
What can adds insult to injury is that since water pumps require power to run, some areas also noticed a lack of water! That’s a bad equation, no water, no power, and extreme levels of heat.
In The Planning Stages Of Going Nuclear
Iraq is the last place on Earth that needs unrest and so the government responded by saying that it will seek to address the problem in a very big way. Iraqi officials are looking at the problem and choosing to go with what they think is the best option, going nuclear.
“We have several forecasts that show that without nuclear power by 2030, we will be in big trouble,” Kamal Hussain Latif noted. Not only is there the power shortage and surge in demand to deal with, but Iraq is also trying to cut emissions and produce more water via desalination — “issues that raise the alarm for me.”
Is this really the best option for Iraq? Yes, implementing nuclear energy can provide massive benefits. Nuclear requires minimal inputs but can provide significant output.
The country could follow in steps of its middle eastern neighbor, UAE, by implementing nuclear power plants. It expects to have over a 40% rise in energy demand over the next decade. The thought is great but will they be able to pull it off? Can they overcome the financial challenges and political concerns?
The country seeks to build at least 8 nuclear reactors, obtain $40 billion in funding from partners and pay it back over 20 years. The Iraqi Radioactive Sources Regulatory Authority notes that they will pursue discussions with South Korean and Russian partners on the project.
A shift to nuclear power plants would be beneficial for the country and for the planet as nuclear power plants emit zero emissions. The only issue is making sure that they are able to move the plan forward without any issues from neighbors or other players on the world stage.