1. 2007 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the international atomic energy agency.As President Dwight Eisenhower stated in his "atoms for peace" speech to the United Nations general assembly in 1953, the iaea has become the organization through which the international community concretely expresses its hopes and expectations for the peaceful USES of nuclear science and technology.Fifty years later, the activities of the iaea remain crucial to maximizing the use of nuclear technology for economic and social development and to preventing its misuse for non-peaceful purposes.2. This chapter reviews important global developments in 2007 in the areas of the application of peaceful nuclear technology, global nuclear security and the security of nuclear materials and other radioactive materials and facilities, and verification of compliance with nuclear non-proliferation commitments. technology3. Rising populations and longer human life spans pose challenges to energy supply, human health, food security, access to water, resource conservation and environmental protection.The iaea, through its nuclear power applications and technical cooperation programme, is assisting member states to address these challenges.Current situation and trend of nuclear power4. Virtually every aspect of development, from poverty reduction to improved health care, requires reliable access to modern energy services.Faced with growing energy shortages and soaring fossil fuel prices, many countries are turning to nuclear power as a way to diversify their fuel supplies.One motivation behind the renewed interest in nuclear power is that it emits almost no greenhouse gases.5. At the end of 2007, a total of 34 reactors were under construction worldwide.The 439 nuclear-powered reactors in operation supply about 15 percent of the world's electricity.Three new reactors have been brought online in China, India and Romania, and one idle unit has been brought online again in the United States.No reactors have been decommissioned.Construction has started on seven new reactors in China, France, the republic of Korea and the Russian federation, while construction has resumed on unit 2 in the United States.The us nuclear regulatory commission (NRC) has received four applications for new reactors, the first in nearly 30 years.6. In 2007, iaea upgraded its medium-term forecast for global nuclear power growth to 447 gigawatts (gw) and 691 gw (gw) by 2030, corresponding to the low and high forecasts.Current developments and near-term and long-term growth prospects remain asia-centric.Asia is home to 19 of the 34 reactors under construction and 28 of the 39 new ones recently brought online.Innovative technologies and solutions7. Technological innovation is a key factor in ensuring the long-term sustainability of nuclear power.The iaea international project on innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles 1 provides a forum for the study of innovative nuclear energy systems and related requirements.Based on the assessment of the national plans implemented by the members of the project between 2005 and 2007, iaea issued recommendations on the methodology of the international project for innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles, which is applicable to the evaluation of different innovative nuclear energy systems.The methodology, consisting of seven manuals covering economy, environment, infrastructure, waste management and anti-proliferation, is being used in assessments carried out by member states and the European commission, as well as in studies on the closed fuel cycle of fast reactors carried out by several members of the project.The second phase of the international project on innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles will focus on innovative programmes for infrastructure and institutional development in countries where nuclear power is planned and on identifying collaborative projects among member states.8. Another international initiative on innovative nuclear technologies is the "fourth generation international forum", which aims to coordinate research activities in six next-generation nuclear energy systems: gas cooled fast reactor, lead cooled fast reactor, molten salt reactor, sodium cooled fast reactor, supercritical water cooled reactor and ultra-high temperature reactor.2 in 2007, agreement was reached on the soda-cooled fast reactor research and development project to facilitate work on advanced fuel, component design and non-reactor components for power plants.9. The design and production of safe and affordable small and medium-sized reactors is essential if nuclear power is to be a viable option for countries and regions with small power grids.Although seven of the 34 reactors under construction at the end of 2007 had a capacity of less than 600 megawatts, and three more had a capacity of between 600 and 700 megawatts, only one major manufacturer offered a midsize reactor design, the 700-megawatt candu-6.Many countries are currently developing about a dozen innovative designs for small and medium-sized reactors, some of which could be deployed in the next decade.In the Russian federation, for example, construction of a 70-megawatt floating offshore nuclear power station using two water-cooled reactors began in April and is scheduled for deployment in 2010.

1.   2007 年是国际原子能机构成立第五十周年。正如德怀特艾森豪威尔总统 1953 年在联合国大会发表“原子用于和平”演讲中所阐明的那样，原子能机构已经成为国际社会藉以具体表达对实现和平利用核科学技术之希望与期许的组织。50 年后的今天， 原子能机构的活动对于最大程度地利用核技术促进经济和社会发展以及防止其滥用于非和平目的依然关系重大。

2. 本章对 2007 年全球在下列领域的一些重要发展作了评述，它们是：和平核技术的应用、全球核安全以及核材料和其他放射性物质和设施的保安以及对核不扩散承诺遵守情况的核查。

技术

3. 正在不断增加的人口和人类寿命的延长为能源供应、人体健康、粮食安全、水的获得、资源节约和环境保护提出了种种挑战。原子能机构通过其核电、核应用和技术合作计划正在协助成员国应对这些挑战。

核电的现状与趋势

4. 从减贫到改善保健几乎每一方面的发展都需要可靠地获得现代能源服务。面对能源日益短缺和化石燃料价格飙升，许多国家都将目光转向了核电，将其看作是增加燃料供应多元化的一个途径。对核电重燃兴趣背后的一个动因是核电几乎不排放温室气体。

5. 到 2007 年底，世界各地在建的反应堆总数为 34 座。运行中的核动力堆为 439 座，供应的电力约占全世界电力的 15%。在中国、印度和罗马尼亚有三座新反应堆并网发电，在美国则有一台闲置机组重新并网。没有任何反应堆退役。在中国、法国、大韩民国和俄罗斯联邦共有七座新反应堆开工建设，而在美国，瓦茨巴 2 号机组恢复了建造工作。美国核管理委员会（美国核管会）收到了四项新反应堆申请，这是近 30 年来的首批申请。

6. 原子能机构在 2007 年上调了对全球核电增长的中期预测，2030 年对应于低值预测和高值预测的核电装机容量将分别达到 447 吉瓦（电）和 691 吉瓦（电）。当前的发展以及近期和远期的增长前景仍以亚洲为中心。在建的 34 座反应堆中有 19 座位于亚洲，新近并网的 39 座新反应堆中也有 28 座在亚洲。

创新技术和方案

7. 技术创新是确保核电长期可持续性的一个关键因素。原子能机构“革新型核反应堆和燃料循环国际项目”¹ 为研究革新型核能系统和相关要求提供了一个论坛。基于对该项目成员 2005 年至 2007 年期间实施的国家计划所作的评定，原子能机构发表了关于适用于评价不同革新型核能系统的“革新型核反应堆和燃料循环国际项目”方法学的建议。该方法学由涵盖经济性、环境、基础结构、废物管理和抗扩散的七个手册组成，目前正被用于成员国和欧洲委员会所开展的评定工作，以及由该项目若干成员开展的快堆闭合燃料循环的研究。“革新型核反应堆和燃料循环国际项目”第二阶段将侧重于核电计划起步国家的基础结构和制度建设的革新方案以及确定成员国间的协作项目。

 8.关于革新型核技术的另一项国际倡议是“第四代国际论坛”，该论坛旨在对以下六种下一代核能系统的研究活动进行协调：气冷快堆、铅冷快堆、熔盐堆、钠冷快堆、超临界水冷堆和超高温反应堆。² 2007 年，就钠冷快堆的研究与发展项目达成了一致意见，以促进开展先进燃料、部件设计和电厂非反应堆部件的工作。

9.  如果要使核电成为拥有小型电网的国家和地区的可行选择方案，就非常有必要设计和生产出安全和价格相宜的中小型反应堆。尽管 2007 年底在建的 34 座反应堆中有七座的发电容量小于 600 兆瓦（电），而且还有三座的发电容量在 600 至 700 兆瓦（电）之间，但只有一个主要制造商提供了一种中小反应堆设计，即 700 兆瓦（电） 的坎杜-6 型反应堆。不少国家目前正在开发的中小型反应堆创新设计约有 10 来种，其中一些可能在下个 10 年部署。例如在俄罗斯联邦，利用两座水冷堆的 70 兆瓦（电）海上浮动核电站的建造工作已于 4 月开始，并预定于 2010 年部署。