IAEA team to review Malaysia's nuclear energy infrastructure

PUTRAJAYA: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will be in the country next week to conduct the first Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR), says Malaysia Nuclear Power Corp (MNPC) CEO Mohd Zamzam Jaafar.
He said the 12 experts, mostly from the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, would review Malaysia’s state of preparedness for nuclear energy development, from Oct 10 to 17.
“Malaysia is almost there (for nuclear energy development) but there are still certain things that need to be done,” he said, adding they included the tabling of a nuclear energy bill and identifying a site for the nuclear energy programme.
Mohd Zamzam told a media briefing here yesterday that the outcome of Malaysia’s INIR review would be out by year-end, and was optimistic it would be a positive review.
He said Malaysia had also submitted its self-assesment to IAEA, with all the necessary documents, in May this year.
On nuclear programme awareness in Malaysia, Mohd Zamzam said most Malaysians had negative impression when they hear the word ‘nuclear’.
“MNPC will conduct education programmes to spread information on nuclear energy for power generation,” he said, adding that, currently, nuclear energy in Malaysia was only used in the medical and agricultural sectors.
MNPC, he said, forecast that Malaysia would only be able to have its own nuclear programme for energy generating purposes after 2030. – Bernama