Daily Course Evaluation
Overall and Administration Evaluation

Training Course on the Identification of Viable Sustainable Development Paths and the Use of the IAEA's Energy Scenarios Simulation Tool

Date: 14 – 18 September 2020
Location: Virtual Event

Introduction

The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) Planning and Economic Studies Section is helping Member States strengthen their capabilities to elaborate sustainable energy strategies and identify the potential role for energy technologies, including nuclear power. For this purpose, the Planning and Economic Studies Section has developed a set of analytical tools and methodologies for integrated energy planning, which are being used by more than 130 countries for their energy studies.

The year 2015 was a key milestone in two areas: sustainable development and climate change. In September, all UN Members States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the core of which are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In December the same year, the Parties to UNFCCC met in Paris and adopted the much-awaited agreement in the fight of climate change. The two areas are inextricably linked through a key component, which is Energy. Affordable and clean energy is a crucial enabler of achieving the SDGs while energy related GHG emissions are the single most important drivers of anthropogenic climate change.

Appropriate methodologies and tools are needed to conduct the necessary assessments for developing national plans, respecting national specifics and countries contributions to global energy and climate related goals.

This training course will help strengthen expertise for evaluating energy development options, including nuclear power. Training will introduce the IAEA's Energy Scenario Simulation Tool – ESST and its use to assess/compare various development paths.

The training will be conducted as virtual / online event. It will consist of two online sessions:

  • Pre-training session (conducted from the IAEA, in Vienna, Austria) – 24-28 August 2020, focusing on ESST tool and participants familiarisation with its main functionalities. Participants will work on demonstration cases;
  • Training session (conducted from ANL, in Lemont, USA) – 14-18 September 2020, offering topical presentations on various aspects of energy and climate interactions, sustainable development, energy system assessment and economic evaluation approaches, low carbon development options at demand and supply side and related challenges and implementation policies.
A series of presentations will be delivered by ANL and IAEA staff members, and external experts. Participants will apply ESST, develop national or specialised case studies, and prepare presentations of results on assessment of low-carbon development paths. Instructions for conduct of the event will be communicated in advance to qualified participants.

Objectives

The purpose of the training is to enhance knowledge and skills of national experts/professionals to assess cost-effective energy technologies, including nuclear power, for elaboration of sustainable national energy strategies and plans; and training in the use of the IAEA's tool ESST for this purpose.

This course will help the participating countries to develop skills for the assessment of cost-effective energy technologies, including nuclear power, as well as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for climate change mitigation. Training will also help participants understand trade-offs between various development options and role of competing technologies and their integration into power system (e.g. issues of variability and flexibility, firm capacity and other).