In short, WNA reports that:
- Nuclear reactors have a key role to play in many countries in ensuring that electricity supplies are maintained during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Reactor operators are taking steps to protect their workforce and are implementing business continuity plans to ensure the continuing functioning of key aspects of their businesses.
- Operations are being halted at some facilities where necessary or deemed appropriate to prevent the spread of the virus and protect workers.
- Nuclear technologies are also being used to detect and fight the virus.
Launching its COVID-19 analysis hub, the IEA said: "Energy security remains a major area of attention and the crisis highlights the critical value of electricity infrastructure and know-how, underpinning the response to the coronavirus pandemic. It demonstrates the central role and importance of electricity, and what policy makers need to do in order to ensure that current and future systems remain reliable even as they are transformed by the rise of clean energy technologies. "And as governments respond to these interlinked crises, they must not lose sight of a major challenge of our time: clean energy transitions," it said.
Governments are developing stimulus plans in an effort to counter the economic damage from the coronavirus, it noted. "These packages offer an excellent opportunity to ensure that the essential task of building a secure and sustainable energy future doesn't get lost amid the flurry of immediate priorities." The IEA is providing data and in-depth analysis on the effects of the crisis, and recommendations on how governments and industry can make decisions that will lead to the affordable, secure and sustainable energy systems of the future.
It is producing a special World Energy Outlook report that will examine near-term and actionable measures that could be a part of post-pandemic economic recovery plans. "With a strong focus on job creation and growth impact, these measures would be based on rigorous analysis of proven policies and case studies," the IEA said. "They could form an 'operational toolbox' for policy makers looking to build more advanced and sustainable energy systems within their economic recovery efforts."
The report will be published in the coming months. The huge disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis has highlighted how much modern societies rely on electricity and how firm capacity, such as that provided by nuclear power, is a crucial element in ensuring supply, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said last month. In a commentary posted on LinkedIn, he said: "The coronavirus crisis reminds us of electricity's indispensable role in our lives. It's also providing insights into how that role is set to expand and evolve in the years and decades ahead."
World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising said recently, "The nuclear industry, with its strong safety culture and well-established emergency preparedness protocols, has been able to respond swiftly to the disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have implemented business continuity plans and prepared for the impacts of the response to the virus."
Nuclear technology to help combat COVID-19
Nuclear technologies have medical applications that will help combat COVID-19. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is providing diagnostic kits, equipment and training in nuclear-derived detection techniques to countries asking for assistance in tackling the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19. The assistance, requested by 14 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, is part of intensified global efforts to contain infections.
In China, industrial irradiation facilities were made available for the treatment of medical supplies, not only to destroy the coronavirus, but also to disinfect and sterilize medical supplies to remove any other virus or bacteria. In addition, maintaining the operation of reactors used for the preparation of medical isotopes will allow for the continued use of these vital materials for the diagnosis and treatment of other illnesses.
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