OREANDA-NEWS. October 11, 2016. A team of experts led by the IAEA has started an eight-day Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission, upon invitation by the Government of Malaysia.

Building on detailed a self-evaluation report and through interviews and document reviews, the mission team will review Malaysia's infrastructure status in 19 issues of the Agency's Milestones Approach. The results of the mission will provide important feedback to Malaysia and enable it to make a knowledgeable decision on whether to introduce nuclear power.

Nuclear is not new to Malaysia: the TRIGA PUSPATI research reactor at Malaysian Nuclear Agency, used for nuclear science and education, has been in operation since 1982. Malaysia's economy has been growing quickly and the country has experienced a steady rise in electricity consumption. At the same time, its own gas resources are depleting and the import of coal and natural gas are rising. In its 2010 Economic Transformation Plan, Malaysia included nuclear energy as one of the options to be considered for covering the gap between rising demand and plummeting domestic resources.

The IAEA does not influence countries' decisions as to whether to introduce nuclear power. However, if they do decide to embark on a nuclear power programme, the IAEA helps them do it in a safe, secure and sustainable manner.

"Access to secure, sustainable and affordable energy is of prime importance for socioeconomic development," said Dohee Hahn, Director of the IAEA's Division of Nuclear Power, at the official opening of the INIR Mission. "Nearly every aspect of development, from reducing poverty to raising living standards, from improving health care to increased agricultural productivity, requires reliable access to modern energy sources."

"Better access to clean energy is also critical to mitigate the continuing environmental degradation caused by the poor management of natural resources," he added. "Nuclear energy, as part of a country's energy mix, has a role to play in providing a stable source of electricity."

The mission in Malaysia is the 20th IAEA INIR mission since their launch in 2009, following 15 full and 4 follow-up missions conducted in 13 countries.

Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review

Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review missions enable IAEA Member State representatives to have in-depth discussions with international experts about experiences and best practices in developing nuclear power infrastructure. In developing its recommendations, the INIR Mission Team takes into account the comments made by the relevant national organizations. Implementation of any of the team's recommendations is at the discretion of the Member State requesting the mission. The results of the INIR mission are expected to help the Member State to develop an action plan to fill any gaps, which in turn will help complete the development of the national nuclear infrastructure.