The UAE is the first Arab country to operate a complete nuclear energy project
Issuing a license to operate the second unit of "Barakah" station
Al-Kaabi during the press conference of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation to announce the issuance of the license to operate the second unit of Barakah plant.
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The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, the regulatory body responsible for regulating the nuclear sector in the UAE, announced yesterday that it has issued a license to operate the second unit of the Barakah nuclear energy plant for the benefit of the Nawah Energy Company, affiliated with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, which in turn is responsible for operating The plant is located in the Al Dhafra region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, noting that the UAE is the first Arab country to operate a complete nuclear energy project of this size.
Under the license, Nawah Energy Company became authorized to operate the second unit of the Barakah nuclear power plant over the next 60 years.
Issuance of the license
The issuance of the operating license is the culmination of the efforts made by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, since it received the license application from the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, on behalf of the Nawah Energy Company, for the first and second units during 2015. Including the documents attached to the request, the application of strict control measures, in addition to conducting accurate inspections of the plant during the construction and development phase.
The extensive evaluation process, over the past five years, included a review of the design of the nuclear plant, a geographical and demographic analysis of its location, and the evaluation process included a review of the design of the nuclear reactor, cooling and safety systems, security measures, emergency preparedness procedures, radioactive waste management, and other technical aspects.
The authority also reviewed the readiness of Nawah Company, as the company responsible for operating, from an institutional and manpower perspective, and to ensure the availability of all necessary procedures and measures to ensure safety and security standards in the nuclear power plant.
The authority reviewed the 14,000-page license application for the first and second units, conducted more than 220 rigorous inspections, and requested an additional 2,000 additional information for the second unit, on various topics, including reactor design, safety and security factors, and others, to ensure compliance with all control standards.
Prominent station
The permanent representative of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, Ambassador Hamad Al-Kaabi, said during the virtual event held by the authority yesterday: “The announcement represents a milestone in the path of the UAE, and realization of the vision of the wise leadership, as it is an achievement. Strategically, the efforts exerted over the past 13 years to develop the UAE nuclear energy program, in which the authority played a pivotal role in transforming the vision into a tangible reality.
Al-Kaabi indicated that the UAE is the first Arab country to operate a complete nuclear energy project of this size, nearly three decades after the last reactor was built in the world.
He added: “The Emirates Nuclear Energy Program and its regulatory regulations are in line with the safety standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and in line with international best practices, as the authority has been keen to ensure compliance with them to the fullest, during the construction process of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and the decision to issue a license comes Yesterday, the culmination of the march of cooperation and intensive work between the various parties concerned at the national and global levels, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Republic of Korea, and other international oversight bodies.
Program rules
He continued: “In 2008, the government of the United Arab Emirates began laying the foundations for the UAE's peaceful nuclear program, and adopting the UAE’s policy for assessing and the possibility of developing a peaceful nuclear energy program in the country, known as (nuclear policy), and the government took a wise decision to build and operate a nuclear power plant, With the aim of diversifying energy sources and supporting the energy strategy 2050, and providing 25% of the state's needs of electric energy when operating all units in the Barakah plant, and in 2009 the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation was established to regulate the nuclear energy sector and implement regulations that protect society and the environment in the country from nuclear risks. The same year also witnessed the establishment of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation with the aim of developing and operating the nuclear power plant.
In response to the journalists' questions, Al-Kaabi said that “Nawah Company, under the license, will start loading fuel, in the coming days, and start experimental operations to reach full commercial operation, and connect the plant’s production to the state’s main electricity grid, as the first and second plants are expected to produce 2,800 megawatts. , Which is half of the production of the reactor complete », pointing out that the first plant is in the final stages of the completion of the experimental phase, and currently it has been linked to the main network.
He added that "there is cooperation and communication between Arab and foreign countries to benefit from the UAE's experience in the field of nuclear energy," noting that protecting the reactor from any attacks comes within the basic conditions that are taken into account before granting the license.
Al-Kaabi indicated that the authority carried out more than 220 inspections over the past year to ensure that all required standards are met.
He said: “After issuing the operating license for the second unit, Nawah Energy Company will start the preparations for commercial operation, in which the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation will conduct inspections around the clock, relying on its inspectors residing at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and other inspectors to ensure the completion of operations. Fuel loading and tests according to regulatory requirements.
vital role
For her part, the Director of the Nuclear Security Department and Acting in charge of the Nuclear Safety Department at the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, Sarah Al-Saadi, said: “The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation has played a vital role in organizing the process of building and developing the Barakah nuclear power plant since 2009, especially after we received the application for a license to operate the two units. The first and the second in 2015, and we conducted extensive reviews and strict inspections to ensure that the station complies with all regulatory requirements, and operates according to the highest levels of safety, and the authority has also completed its preparations for the start of the operation phase of the second unit, which includes taking the necessary steps to implement control measures and conduct the necessary inspections to ensure the operation of the plant. According to safety standards ».
She added: “In order to ensure compliance with the highest international safety and security standards in the field of nuclear energy and the prohibition of nuclear proliferation, the UAE received, over the past decade, 11 comprehensive assessment missions from the International Atomic Energy Agency to review and evaluate various aspects of the nuclear infrastructure, the legal and regulatory framework, and safety standards. And nuclear security, nuclear non-proliferation, and the state's level of readiness for emergencies, and the public can view these reports issued by those international missions.
Operating license
It is noteworthy that the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation issued, in February 2020, the operating license for the first unit of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and it continued its supervisory duties during the preparations for operation, as the first unit reached its capacity of 100%, and it is expected that the commercial operation of the first unit will start in the quarter. The first of 2021.
Transparency is also 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", the Additional Protocol to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement that the country signed with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Safety Convention, and others, and guarantees such Commitments The program is designed for peaceful purposes, with a transparent approach in line with national and international laws.
It is noteworthy that the UAE is building four units in the Barakah station, where the project completion rate has reached 95% as follows: The first station: is working, the second station: construction has been completed, the third station: 94%, the fourth station: 88%.
Operating license application
In 2015, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation submitted an application for operating licenses for the first and second units of the Barakah plant to the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.
The commission conducted more than 220 inspections, and requested about 59 additional information for the second unit, as part of its review of the 14,000-page application (the first and second units).
The authority issued the license to operate the second unit on March 9, 2021.
The operating license is valid for 60 years.
Ingredients Review
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation reviewed the operating license which included the following components:
- Station design diagram.
Station location (geographical and demographic characteristics).
Reactor design (fuel, control and cooling systems).
Safety Systems
Radioactive waste management.
- Physical protection.
Nuclear nonproliferation.
- Emergency preparedness and response system.
Organizational readiness.
Plan for decommissioning and dismantling of the station.
-building abilities.
International agreements
The UAE has signed more than 13 international agreements and treaties, including:
- The Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- The Additional Protocol to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Nuclear Safety Treaty.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty.
123 Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation.
International review missions
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation received 11 international review missions, under the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and these missions included the following:
■ the nuclear infrastructure.
■ legal and regulatory regulations.
Nuclear safety.
Nuclear security.
■ Non-proliferation.
■ Preparedness for emergencies.
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providing 25% of the
country 's
needs of electricity, when you run all the
units in the
Braka station.
The first and second plants produce 2,800 megawatts, which is half of the reactor’s production completed.
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