Neue Reaktortechnologien, strategische Deglobalisierung und "Tech Wars": Kontraproduktive Folgen für das nukleare Nonproliferations- und Verifikationsregime?

Given the variously stated „renaissance of nuclear power“, including a number of potential newcomers to the civilian use of nuclear energy, this paper addresses implications of a propagation of nuclear facilities and new reactor technologies for the nuclear nonproliferation and verification regimes. A special focus is on small modular reactors (SMRs) which, despite technological and economic doubts, are currently under development in various countries. Quantitative and qualitative problems in international verification of SMRs are enhanced by the political framework of international great power competition, especially among the U.S., China and Russia with their respective allies, the subsequent global technological and economic conflicts, and the structural, mainly financial weaknesses of the IAEA. This leads to the nuclear technological and energy economic dynamics resulting in potentially serious risks for the stability of the nuclear nonproliferation regime.