His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, described the issuance of a license to operate the first unit of the Baraka nuclear power plant, a new stage and station From the developmental movement that the UAE has reached, as the first Arab country to start operating peaceful nuclear power plants.

Their Highnesses affirmed that this historic achievement was achieved with the help of the national talents of the Emirates people.

Historical achievement

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said yesterday in a tweet to His Highness on Twitter: “A new station connected to the UAE as the first Arab country will start operating peaceful nuclear power stations.”

And His Highness continued: "Today, the state issued the first license to operate the first of these stations in Barakah, which will start work soon ... The successes come with the hands of the sons of the Emirates .. And I congratulate my brother Mohammed bin Zayed on this historic achievement."

National competencies

For his part, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, described the issuance of the license, the new stage in the development movement. In a tweet on the Twitter site, His Highness said: "A new stage of the development movement is witnessing our renaissance process with the issuance of a license to operate the first barakah stations for peaceful nuclear energy, enhanced by strength and durability."

His Highness continued, "The greatest strength is the national competencies that we are proud of. Our efforts are continuous in preparation for the next 50 years, and our plans are continuing to secure the state's energy needs."

Operating license

The Federal Nuclear Regulatory Authority, the regulatory body responsible for regulating the nuclear sector in the UAE, announced yesterday the issuance of a license to operate the first unit of the “Barakah Nuclear Power Station” for the benefit of the “Nawaat Energy Company” of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, which in turn undertakes Responsibility for operating the station located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi Emirate.

Under the license, "Nawat Power Company" has become authorized to operate the first unit of the "Barakah Nuclear Power Station" over the next 60 years.

Notable station

The permanent representative of the United Arab Emirates to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the vice-chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Nuclear Control Authority, Ambassador Hamad Al-Kaabi, said during a press conference held yesterday: “The license represents a prominent milestone in the UAE’s march, and to achieve the leadership’s vision, as it is considered a strategic achievement that culminates The efforts over 12 years of the stages of developing the Emirates Nuclear Energy Program, in which the authority played a pivotal role in turning the vision into a tangible reality. ”

He added, "The Emirates Nuclear Energy Program and its control regulations comply with the safety standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and in line with international best practices, as the authority was keen to ensure full compliance with it during the process of building the Barakah nuclear energy plant."

He stressed that the decision to issue the license is the culmination of the process of cooperation and intensive work between the various parties concerned at the national and global levels, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, South Korea, and other international oversight bodies.

He stated that the authority has completed the evaluation and review of infrastructure, operating systems, safety and security, as it is expected that «Nawat Power Company» will start loading fuel for trial operation for a period, after which commercial operation will start with a production capacity of 1400 megawatts, stressing that the authority will carry out during all the next stages, monitoring And ensure the performance of the performance, according to the approved standards.

Fuel and waste

Al-Kaabi said that fuel is currently available to operate the first station, and within the terms of the license, there are procedures for dealing with nuclear waste and spent fuel, noting that the construction of the nuclear reactor adopts the mechanism of disposal of spent fuel by cooling it for 20 years, and then burying it in dry containers for 40 years. Other.

He stressed that the UAE has taken all precautions in place to ensure safety and security and to spread nuclear awareness.

Commercial operation

Al-Kaabi revealed that the completion rate at the second station is currently 95%, so that the commission will soon begin the evaluation process in preparation for granting the license.

He added that, after the issuance of the special operating license in the first unit, the Nawat Power Company will begin the period of preparations for commercial operation, in which the FNC will conduct inspections around the clock by relying on its inspectors residing at the "Barakah Nuclear Power Station" and other inspectors, to ensure the completion of Fuel loading operations and tests according to requirements.

In turn, the Director General of the Federal Nuclear Control Authority, Christer Victoren, said that the authority has played a vital role in organizing the process of building and developing a "Barakah Nuclear Power Station" since 2009, especially after we received the application for a license to operate the first unit in 2015.

He added, “We conducted extensive reviews and strict inspections to ensure that the station complied with all regulatory requirements and operated according to the highest levels of safety. The authority has also completed its preparations to start the operation phase, which includes taking the necessary steps to implement control measures and conducting the necessary inspections to ensure the operation of the plant in accordance with safety standards.

Take all precautions to ensure safety and security and to spread nuclear awareness.

14 thousand pages and 185 inspections

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Supervision, the regulatory authority responsible for regulating the nuclear sector in the UAE, held a press conference yesterday to announce the issuance of a license to operate the first unit of the "Barakah Nuclear Power Station".

The authority revealed that it had reviewed the 14,000-page license application, performed more than 185 strict inspections, and requested 2,000 comparisons of additional information on various topics, including reactor design, safety and security factors, and others, to ensure compliance with all regulatory standards.

The issuance of the operating license is the culmination of the efforts made by the Federal Nuclear Control Authority, since it received the application for obtaining the license from the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation on behalf of "Nawat Energy Company" in 2015, as the authority conducted a systematic review process, which included a comprehensive evaluation of the documents accompanying the request, and the application Strict control measures, in addition to conducting accurate inspections of the plant during the construction and development stage.

The extensive evaluation process during the past five years included a review of the design of the nuclear plant, and a geographical and demographic analysis of its location. The evaluation process also included a review of the nuclear reactor design, refrigeration and safety systems, security measures, emergency preparedness procedures, radioactive waste management, and other technical aspects. The commission also reviewed the readiness of the "Nawaat" company as the company responsible for operating in terms of institutional and workforce, and to ensure that all necessary measures and measures are in place to ensure safety and safety standards in the nuclear power plant.

During the press conference to announce the issuance of the operating license. From the source

11 comprehensive IAEA assessment missions

Over the past decade, the UAE has received 11 comprehensive assessment missions from the International Atomic Energy Agency to review and evaluate various aspects of nuclear infrastructure, the legal and regulatory framework, nuclear safety and security standards, nuclear non-proliferation, and the state's level of preparedness for emergencies.

This comes as a guarantee of compliance with the highest international safety and security standards in the field of nuclear energy and non-proliferation. It is noteworthy that the Federal Nuclear Control Authority was established in September 2009, to be the regulatory authority responsible for regulating the nuclear sector in the UAE.

The authority controls all activities and grants licenses to use radioactive sources in the country. This includes organizing designs and sites, and building, operating, and dismantling nuclear power plants in the country, as well as radioactive materials and radioactive sources. The commission is committed to controlling nuclear safety and security, radiation protection and prevention, and to the application of international agreements related to the nuclear sector.

It is noteworthy that the UAE has built four units in the Barakah peaceful nuclear energy plant, and the completion rate of the project has reached 93%.

The missions assess the nuclear infrastructure and safety standards in Baraka. Archive

Emirati commitment to international treaties and agreements

Transparency is one of the most prominent principles of the nuclear policy that the UAE government has committed to, by adhering to international treaties and agreements, such as the "comprehensive safeguards agreement", and the additional protocol to the comprehensive safeguards agreement that the country signed with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear safety agreement, and others. Such obligations ensure that the program is designed for peaceful purposes, and in a manner consistent with national and international laws.

• The UAE has signed the "comprehensive safeguards agreement" and the additional protocol with the IAEA.