Qatari Energy & Industry Minister Participates in Safe and Innovative Use of Nuclear Summit

Kiev, April 19 (QNA) - HE Qatar's Minister of Energy and Industry Dr. Mohammad bin Saleh al Sada said the recent tragic accident at Fukushima nuclear plant that followed the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami is putting nuclear safety once again on the top of the international agenda.
Speaking at the Kyiv Summit on the Safe and Innovative Use of Nuclear Energy, HE Dr. Al Sada said it will be some before the real losses and the magnitude of the disaster in relation to the people and the environment can be assessed.
He said : What happened in Fukushima reiterates the ultimate question , " how can we prevent such accidents from reoccurring , and how can we ensure the safety of nuclear facilities".
HE the Minister said the answer will lie in our ability to predict the worst , draw scenarios of consequent events and establish plans to prevent or at least minimize losses.
HE Dr. Al Sada further said that from an energy demand perspective , however, there are enormous challenges that lie in the path towards meeting the rising global demand for energy whilst at the same time having due regard to environmental concerns.
The challenges, he said emerge from the need to have affordable , clean , and secure sources of energy . With growing energy demand , there is a room for all supply sources and Qatar supports this, HE the Minister stressed.
HE the Minister of Energy and Industry said by looking at the IEA forecast , fossil fuel is still expected to meet more than 80% of energy requirements in 2030. HE the Minister stressed the need for more efforts to be focused on how to continue producing these safe and efficient sources of energy in an environmentally acceptable manner.
HE Dr. Al Sada said the debate about nuclear energy's safety and effect on the environment is not new , but it's likely to intensify after every major incident.
He further said that each nuclear accident has been something of a disaster for the nuclear industry. The events in Japan, he said are also posing a significant challenge to the growth of nuclear power generation globally . Many countries are planning to re-examine their long term nuclear strategy , and we are yet to see the effect of that on the energy scene, HE the Minister added.
He said the lost electricity production capacity as a result of the shutdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant acne be replaced by other fuel sources such as coal, natural gas and petroleum products. LNG once again proved to be one of the most reliable flexible and safe sources as Qatar in short time mobilized numerous cargos as quick measure to meet Japan's lost capacity due to the nuclear accident,
HE the Minister further noted that there is no universal answer to the question of " how safe is safe enough". However, he said that any levels of risks associated with nuclear energy are far less acceptable to the public than are many of other existing risks we encounter, he added.
HE the Minister said although Qatar has huge reserves of oil and gas , the wise leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has a vision to diversify the energy sources in the State to face the increasing demand for water desalination and electricity . He said, in this context Qatar is studying all available options to meet this objective.
The GCC has begun preliminary discussions on the possibility of cooperative nuclear power plant, HE Dr. Al Sada said adding that while these discussions are still in their early stages , its clear that there is much to be gained from both formal and informal sharing of knowledge and ideas, especially in the area of safety and regulations.
Concluding, HE the Minister of Energy and Industry stressed the need for exploring valuable insights into safe and cost effective nuclear energy. (END)