The recent interest in nuclear power in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan has brought on a number of articles and the pros and cons are likely to be discussed for a long time.

I just finished reading an important book, written by Prof Numan Al Nuaimi of Baghdad University and the Iraqi Nuclear Energy Commission, titled Nuclear Energy for the Arab Countries, a 190-page book published this year.

It stresses the environmental problems from over-reliance on fossil fuels at a time when renewable energy sources are yet to be employed widely and, therefore, nuclear power remains a source of importance. As for the Arab countries, the link between energy production and — most importantly — water desalination, gives nuclear energy an added advantage.

While the book is written for the general reader, its advantage for energy specialists is evident, especially for those not related to nuclear energy.

It takes us through the science of atomic structure and the energy released by fissionable elements and the way it is controlled in nuclear power stations, where the reactor provides the heat to generate the steam needed for power generation.

Uranium was discovered in 1798 but remained without application until the discovery of nuclear fission in 1939 and used for military purposes in the Second World War with atomic bombs. Civil applications came in 1957 when the first reactor generated 60-MW of electrical power in the US and the size increased gradually to the 1000-MW capacity in the Soviet Union.

The world has 435 power reactors now. The mining of uranium and its processing continues to make progress.

The author explains what is often in the news about uranium enrichment, which is the gradual extraction of fissionable uranium by separating it from the non-fissionable. The remainder is called depleted uranium and is used for military ordnances with terrible consequences as seen in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.

The manufacturing of nuclear fuel is a process of many chemical and physical steps. Similarly, the treatment of the spent fuel is a complex process where the reminder of the fuel is extracted to be reused. Some plutonium is also extracted while the rest is highly dangerous fissionable material that is of no use and must be stored as liquid for decades or as solid in geological formations for longer times.

The perception is that nuclear energy is dangerous, especially when one remembers the number of incidents that have happened and the cost associated with them. The incidents at Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986 and at Fukushima in 2011 are the most important.

But the author assures us that it is difficult for a repeat to happen in modern reactors due to the great improvement in design of all the facilities and controls.

The dismantling of nuclear installations at the end of service remains worrying. “The IAEA estimates the existence of 100 nuclear power stations and hundreds of other reactors that have completed their working life and needs to be dismantled to return the site to its original nature.”

The process is difficult, risky and costly and the question is why governments delay decisions for a long time and what the impact will be of dismantling on the cost of electricity.

As for uranium reserves, the author confirms what other sources are saying — reserves are sufficient for the next 200 years and, later, if uranium prices improve, there may be recourse to the extraction of the little uranium in phosphate rock or sea water.

Seeking nuclear power generation in the Arab countries is not just to meet rising demand but to tie this with the increasing requirements for desalinated water in a region that is poor in water resources and will grow even poorer. Water desalination processes need a lot of electricity. Demand in the Arab countries is growing rapidly at 7 per cent a year and is mostly generated by oil and gas fuels.

Advances in the safety of nuclear reactors and associated systems may give the nuclear energy a new boost. But this is doubtful as foreseen by most projections.

For Arab countries to pursue nuclear-powered electricity, the author says, “It is important to upgrade scientific and technological knowledge and to expand associated infrastructures.”

It is equally important to conserve the oil, gas and water resources by increasing desalination for the benefit of human consumption and economic and industrial development.

However, this must not be a hastily adopted policy and requires selection of the right technology, designs and — most importantly — prepare national staff.