Abu Dhabi turns to nuclear energy with second reactor

The oil-rich UAE began construction yesterday of a second nuclear power plant, one of four reactors aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions by some 12 million tonnes a year in 2020.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp (ENEC) said it poured the first part of safety concrete for Unit 2, in a ceremony attended by visiting Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Sang-jick Yoon.

In 2009, an international consortium led by the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp won a $20.4 billion (15.8 billion euro) deal to build four nuclear power plants in Baraka, west of Abu Dhabi.

Under the biggest single contract Seoul has ever won abroad, South Korean firms including Samsung, Hyundai and Doosan Heavy Industries will build the four 1,400-megawatt reactors.

Work began last year on the first plant, which is expected to enter service in 2017 after further regulatory approvals.

Unit 2 is to begin commercial operations in 2018. In addition to diversifying the UAE’s energy supply once operational, the four plants should cut 12 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by 2020, ENEC said.
ENEC said it had applied in March to the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation for construction licences for Units 3 and 4, but did not indicate when work would begin.

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US technology to be used in UAE nuclear plant

Abu Dhabi: The US technical knowledge will be involved in the construction of the first-ever nuclear power plant in the UAE to be built at Baraka in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, US Ambassador to the UAE told Gulf News in an interview.

“Westinghouse’s technology will be used in the UAE nuclear project as the Korean company has a collaboration with Westinghouse,” Michael H. Corbin said on the sidelines of the ongoing Abu Dhabi Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (Adipec-2012) in the capital. Corbin did not elaborate.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec), the body in charge of developing the UAE’s nuclear programme, has selected a site 75 kilometres from the Saudi border on the Emirates Road, for the construction of the country’s first four nuclear plants.

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UAE nuclear plant gets environmental OK

(Reuters) - Abu Dhabi's environment agency has approved plans for the United Arab Emirates' first nuclear power plant, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said on Sunday, adding that it is still awaiting a construction licence.

The no objection certificate from the environmental regulator is one of several approvals needed for construction to begin on the two reactors at the Barakah nuclear power plant.

"Nuclear energy is one of the ways in which Abu Dhabi is demonstrating its commitment to the environment, as nuclear energy plants emit almost zero carbon emissions during operations," ENEC chief executive officer Mohamed Al Hammadi said.

"With four nuclear energy plants delivering electricity to the grid by 2020, we will be delivering 5,600 megawatts of low carbon electricity to the national grid," he said, adding the plants should avoid emitting about 12 million tonnes of carbon each year.

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Nuclear Energy to Dominate UAE Power Sector Expansion Process

Rising electricity demand to drive development of nuclear energy sector in UAE.

Delhi, India, May 31, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Nuclear energy has emerged as the best option for UAE to fulfill its growing electricity demand according to a recent research report "UAE Power Sector Analysis" published by KuicK Research. The traditional non-renewable sources of power are insufficient to fulfill the rising electricity demand which is projected to surpass 30000 MW by 2020. While renewable energy sources like solar and wind based power are being explored, it is projected that these will only be able to meet less than 10% of electricity demand by 2020. Therefore, the need for a long term policy framework for evaluating and exploring nuclear energy potential has emerged in UAE.

The policy makers in UAE are committed towards the development of the nuclear energy sector to cater its growing demand of electricity and have put in place the requisite regulatory and policy framework in the country. Nuclear safety and protection of the public has emerged as an imperative choice where maintaining the highest of standards of safety has been the foremost preference for the policy makers in UAE. The country has been developing a programme where it is using high technology along with highest of international standards for performance as well as safety of the public.

The country plans to construct three to four nuclear plants, where the first plant is expected to be connected to the Abu Dhabi grid by 2017. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation ENEC ensures the design, construction and operation of the UAE nuclear energy plants. UAE is planning to have provisions of joint-venture for future nuclear power plants rather than establishing indigenous expertise.

UAE Power Sector Analysis report gives detailed overview on the power sector in UAE. It helps to get familiar with the ongoing trend, critical performance indicators related to power sector, government plans, policy & regulatory framework, key regulatory authorities and initiatives related to renewable energy in UAE.


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UAE's ENEC hopes to start nuclear plant construction in Q4 -CEO

(Reuters) - The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said on Friday that it hopes to start building the country's first nuclear power plant in the fourth quarter if regulatory approval is given by the third quarter.

The oil-exporting UAE has plans to build four nuclear reactors by 2020 to meet growing domestic energy demand.

Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive of ENEC, told Reuters on the sidelines of a nuclear industry event in Seoul that the company hoped to receive regulatory approval for the plant by the third quarter.

The UAE awarded the contract to build the reactors to a consortium of Korean companies led by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) in December 2009.

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Green light for nuclear plant preparation

Mar 8, 2012

Abu Dhabi's nuclear energy company has been granted permission to prepare the groundwork for the Arab world's first nuclear reactors as it races to meet a 2017 deadline.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the independent nuclear watchdog, granted Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) permission on Tuesday to carry out civil works at the site for the first two of four planned reactors.

The total cost of all the reactors is put at US$20 billion (Dh73.46bn). The first reactor is scheduled to come online in 2017 and would make the UAE the first Arab nation to produce nuclear energy.

"It allows us to maintain our momentum," said Fahad Al Qahtani, a spokesman at Enec.

"It allows us to do some of the necessary work we need to do in order to stick to our schedule, and the next milestone we are hoping for is the approval of the construction licence application."

The groundwork includes levelling the ground and laying down the piping and electrical conduits needed before the first concrete is poured at the proposed site at Braka in Al Gharbia 300km west of the capital.

Enec is awaiting the regulator's decision on a 9,000-page construction licence for the first two reactors, which it submitted in December 2010 and hopes to get a green light on by July.

A team of 60 people in the US, France and the UAE are reviewing the application. In 2009 Abu Dhabi awarded the $20bn contract for the reactors to a South Korean consortium.

This week, Hong Suk-woo, the Korean minister of knowledge economy, said the nation would like to build four more reactors in Abu Dhabi and that there was enough room at the Braka site to build them.

Enec said no decision had been made on additional reactors.

"We are now focusing on the four nuclear power plants," said Mr Qahtani.

"We are focusing on our projects, and in the future we will assess the electricity supply and demand if we want to develop more nuclear power plants."