Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - Nuclear power, nuclear waste

Project on Managing the Atom Seeks Research Assistant

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:55:09 -0500

Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is seeking a full-time Research Assistant to conduct in-depth research in support of projects focusing on reducing the risks of nuclear theft and terrorism worldwide, addressing key constraints on the future of nuclear energy, and preventing black-market nuclear technology transfers.

The application has been closed.

Energy and the Arab Awakening: A View from Riyadh

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:33:15 -0500

April 30, 2013

The Middle East Initiative and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs hosted distinguished scholars and energy experts from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a panel discussion on Thursday, April 25. The panelists included Dr. Mohammed Al Sabban, Professor, King Abdulaziz University, former advisor to Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Mr. Ali Al Shihabi, Founder, Rasmala Investment Bank; and Mr. Abdulaziz al Fahad, Principal of Abdulaziz al Fahad Law Firm.

China Moves Cautiously Ahead on Nuclear Energy

Hui Zhang and Shangui Zhao — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:12:18 -0500

"Although China has every intention of continuing nuclear energy development, in the aftermath of Fukushima it has approved a number of plans to enhance safety standards. All of them emphasize that the pace of growth should be controlled to minimize risk."

Safety vs. Recovery after Disasters

Juliette Kayyem — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:53:47 -0500

"March 11, 2011, was three distinct disasters. The earthquake and tsunami fell into the category of tragedies that are often unavoidable. But the nuclear accident requires a different analytical frame, and proponents of nuclear energy shouldn't be allowed to write off the Fukushima crisis as a natural disaster. Since the industrial revolution, there have always been industrial harms. As societies require more of technology, engineering, and transportation, there will be blips in the systems. What isn't inevitable, however, is that they happen again."

The Coming Clash Over Iran

Graham Allison and Shai Feldman — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:01:23 -0600

Graham Allison and Shai Feldman write that while the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government were largely on the same page during the Gaza crisis, "much greater turbulence in their relations can be expected by the middle of next year when the issues associated with Iran’s nuclear project will likely reach another crescendo."

Expert Judgments about RD&D and the Future of Nuclear Energy

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:48:58 -0600

Probabilistic estimates of the cost and performance of future nuclear energy systems under different scenarios of government research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) spending were obtained from 30 U.S. and 30 European nuclear technology experts. The majority expected that such RD&D would have only a modest effect on cost, but would improve performance in other areas, such as safety, waste management, and uranium resource utilization. The U.S. and E.U. experts were in relative agreement regarding how government RD&D funds should be allocated, placing particular focus on very high temperature reactors, sodium-cooled fast reactors, fuels and materials, and fuel cycle technologies.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Anchoring Stability in Asia

Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:03:29 -0500

The following report presents a consensus view of the members of a bipartisan study group on the U.S.-Japan alliance. The report specifically addresses energy, economics and global trade, relations with neighbors, and security-related issues. Within these areas, the study group offers policy recommendations for Japan and the United States, which span near- and long-term time frames. These recommendations are intended to bolster the alliance as a force for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

China Responds to Fukushima

Yun Zhou — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:16:44 -0500

June 28, 2012

Before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, China had big nuclear expansion plans, with more than 40 reactor units under construction or in planning. The Fukushima disaster led China to conduct safety inspections of all its reactors and to suspend nuclear project approvals until a new nuclear safety plan could be adopted. Under Beijing's new safety regulatory system, reactors that are operating or under construction will be spared major redesign, but future projects will face re-engineering, perhaps leading the Chinese to adopt safer third-generation reactor designs created by Chinese firms.

Unleashing the Nuclear Watchdog: Strengthening and Reform of the IAEA

Trevor Findlay — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:23:01 -0500

This report marks the culmination of a two-year research project that examined all aspects of the mandate and operations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, from major programs on safeguards, safety, security, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to governance, management, and finance.

Unleashing the Nuclear Watchdog: Strengthening and Reform of the IAEA

Trevor Findlay — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:28:00 -0500

Published along with the report Unleashing the Nuclear Watchdog: Strengthening and Reform of the IAEA — the result of more than two years of research and examining all aspects of the Agency's mandate and operations — this policy brief summarizes the report's key findings and policy recommendations for strengthening and reforming the IAEA.

Iran: The Solution Is There But the Trust Is Not

Charles G. Cogan — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:41:32 -0500

"Though military action, with its unpredictable consequences, is to be avoided at all costs, there is very little chance under present circumstances of the above solution being realized. That is why a number of observers of the Iranian scene are advocating the choice of an intermediary, trusted by both sides, to attempt to break the current impasse."

How To Avoid a War with Iran

Matthew Bunn and Abbas Maleki — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:40:13 -0500

May 21, 2012

Observers would be forgiven for dismissing negotiations over Iran's nuclear program as Kabuki theater. Despite years of on-again, off-again efforts, after all, fears of war continue to simmer. Such frustrations are understandable -- but they may not be entirely justified.

Hot Off the Presses

Susan M. Lynch — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:05:40 -0500

A brief survey of recent publications by Belfer Center affiliates.

Nuclear Energy and Global Governance: Ensuring Safety, Security and Non-proliferation

Trevor Findlay — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:00:49 -0500

This timely book examines comprehensively the drivers of and constraints on a prospective nuclear revival and its likely nature and scope. Of special interest are developing countries which aspire to have nuclear energy and which currently lack the infrastructure, experience, and regulatory structures to successfully manage such a major industrial enterprise. The Fukushima disaster has made such considerations even more pertinent: if a technologically sophisticated country like Japan has difficulties dealing with nuclear safety and security how much harder would it be for a newcomer to the technology.

The IAEA and Fukushima: Best Laid Plans, Reality Checks, and Doing It Better Next Time

Trevor Findlay — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:29:27 -0500

Professor Findlay analyzed the response of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the March 2011 nuclear reactor disaster at Fukushima, Japan. He compared the expectations that the Agency, its member states, and other nuclear stakeholders had of the IAEA's role in such a situation with the harsh reality. Drawing on these insights, he suggested possibilities for strengthening the Agency's capacities for handling the next Fukushima.

Northeast Asia's Nuclear Future

James Platte — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:23:56 -0500

"The negative impact of Fukushima and North Korea's dangerous nuclear politicking stand in stark contrast to the promise of growing nuclear sectors in China and South Korea. While preventing nuclear terrorism and strengthening nuclear security globally are urgent issues, how the nuclear dynamics of Northeast Asia plays out in the coming years will be more critical for the future of the global nuclear industry."

Consolidation: Thwarting Nuclear Theft

Matthew Bunn and Eben Harrell — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:04:30 -0500

A detailed assessment of the campaign to consolidate dangerous nuclear materials worldwide in fewer, more secure sites, with analysis of success stories, ongoing risks, near-term opportunities, and numerous recommendations for next steps.

China’s Nuclear Energy Industry, One Year After Fukushima

Yun Zhou — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:11:51 -0600

March 5, 2012

It has been one year since the disastrous nuclear accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. Experts now view Fukushima as the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

In the aftermath, the Chinese government promptly reaffirmed that nation’s nuclear energy policy. Yet China also became the only nation among all major nuclear energy states that suspended its new nuclear plant project approvals. Before it would restart approvals, China said it would:

1) Conduct safety inspections at all nuclear facilities

2) Strengthen the approval process of new nuclear plant projects

3) Enact a new national nuclear safety plan

4) Adjust the medium and long-term development plan for nuclear power

Where is China on this path, and what is the future of its nuclear power industry?

China's Commercial Reactors

Jonathan Hinze and Yun Zhou — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:28:43 -0600

China's approach to civil nuclear power reactor development will determine the overall tenor of its nuclear power programme long into the future. Its approach, both domestically and through imports, is analyzed, with a focus on the next decade of deployment.

DOE Budget Authority for Energy Research, Development, & Demonstration Database

Kelly Sims Gallagher and Laura Diaz Anadon — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:58:14 -0600

This document contains February 2012 updates to our database on U.S. government investments in energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment (ERD3) through the Department of Energy. The database, in Microsoft Excel format, tracks DOE appropriations from FY 1978–2011 and the FY 2012 and 2013 budget requests and includes funding for ERD3 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It also includes several charts.

Nuclear Weapons 2011: Momentum Slows, Reality Returns

Steven E. Miller — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:08:00 -0600

In the Doomsday Clock issue of the Bulletin, the author takes a look at five events that unfolded in 2011 and that seem certain to cast a powerful shadow in months and years to come. No new breakthroughs occurred, the author writes, adding that 2012 could be a much more difficult year.

Nuclear Policy Gridlock in Japan

Jacques E.C. Hymans — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:01:51 -0600

The historical growth in the number and variety of Japanese nuclear veto players has made the country an extreme case of stasis in fundamental nuclear policies. Japan is not the only country to experience this phenomenon, however. In many advanced industrialized democracies, the old Manhattan Project model of top-down, centralized, and secretive nuclear institutions has gradually given way to more complex arrangements. And as a general rule, the more numerous the veto players, the harder the struggle to achieve major nuclear policy change.

Characteristics and Advantages of the Advanced Small Pressurized Water Reactor

Peipei Chen and Yun Zhou — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:11:29 -0600

The Advanced Small Pressurized Water Reactor (ASPWR) can be used in remote power grids and replaces mid/small size fossil-fuel plants economically. Current ASPWR deeply adopts modular and integrated pressure vessel design—and a passive safety system—which effectively improves plant safety and economy. This paper performs the comparative study of safety and economy features in ASPWR and large PWRs. The authors suggest that China should start R&D programs in ASPWR.

Unleashing the Nuclear Watchdog: Strengthening and Reform of the International Atomic Energy Agency

Trevor Findlay — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:06:04 -0500

Professor Findlay presented preliminary findings of his research on how the paramount global governance body in the nuclear field is fulfilling its mandate and how it might be strengthened and reformed. While addressing the confounding political and structural constraints under which the International Atomic Energy Agency operates, the main focus of the talk was on steps that the Agency itself can take to improve its performance.

Justin Dargin speaks to Interfax about energy in Kuwait

Justin Dargin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:31:51 -0500

October 21, 2011

Dubai Initiative Associate Justin Dargin is interviewed by Interfax Energy Services for an article on new energy policies in Kuwait. The article focuses on Kuwait's descision to effectively end development of nuclear power in the country in favor of long-term natural gas imports.

Preventing the Next Fukushima

Matthew Bunn and Olli Heinonen — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:29:11 -0500

"If nuclear power is to grow on the scale required to be a significant part of the solution to global climate disruption or scarcity of fossil fuels, major steps are needed to rebuild confidence that nuclear facilities will be safe from accidents and secure against attacks."

China's Nuclear Safety Regulatory System: Current Status and Challenges

Yun Zhou — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:30:07 -0500

Although China is one of the major contributors in the global nuclear expansion, China's nuclear power industry is relatively young. Its nuclear safety regulators are less experienced compared to those in other major nuclear power countries. To realize China's resolute commitment to rapid growth of safe nuclear energy, detailed analyses of its nuclear safety regulatory system are required.

The Ballad of Fukushima: In the Wake of Disaster, Japan’s True Character Emerges

Anindya Bakrie — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:13:42 -0500

“The Ballad of Narayama” comes to mind, writes Belfer Center International Council member Anindya Bakrie, upon hearing how elderly engineers, along with other specialists, offered to work in the crippled Fukushima plant so that younger Japanese could avoid exposure to radiation hazards that could leave them childless or even kill them.

A Multinational Fuel Consortium: Obstacles, Options, and Ways Forward

Olli Heinonen — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:19:04 -0500

The World Nuclear Association estimates that by 2030, 600 nuclear reactors will be in operation around the world; 60 countries are considering nuclear power, out of which 10 to 25 are expected to bring nuclear power plants on line by 2030. This could lead, writes Olli Heinonen, to the construction of additional uranium enrichment plants, which, with adjustments, can produce material for nuclear weapons.

[A full version of this article is available at http://bos.sagepub.com/content/current]

Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center Announces 2011–2012 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:09:29 -0500

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School has announced the 2011–2012 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows. Robert L. Brown, James Platte, and Wilfred Wan have been selected to spend a year in residence at the Belfer Center where they will conduct research under the auspices of the Center's International Security Program and Project on Managing the Atom. Supported by a generous gift from the Stanton Foundation, the fellowships begin in September 2011.