Know the peaceful nuclear energy programme of the UAE

The UAE aims to join the list of states with a nuclear power programme by 2018

> Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec): Enec is leading the UAE peaceful nuclear energy programme. Founded in 2009, the state-run Enec is also an investment branch of the Abu Dhabi government and oversees local and international investment in the nuclear programme. > Nawah Energy Company (Nawah): Established in 2016, Nawah is jointly owned by Enec and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), which has been contracted to build much of the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant. Nawah will operate and maintain the four reactors at Barakah. > Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR): Like Enec, FANR is a government agency that was set up in 2009. It is tasked with overseeing licensing, regulation and security for the Barakah plant. > KEPCO won a $20.4-billiondollar contract in 2009 to start building the Barakah plant. > Another 1,400 local subcontractors were granted an estimated $3 billion worth of projects. > Six multinational companies, including French group AREVA, also landed $3 billion in contracts to supply nuclear fuel over the next 15 years. > The UAE estimates its electricity needs will top 40,000 megawatts by the year 2020. The Barakah plant is expected to meet 25 per cent of the country’s power needs by 2020. > Barakah houses four APR1400 water pressurised reactors, designed by KEPCO. Each reactor has a production capacity of 1,400 megawatts and a design life of 60 years. > More than one million tonnes of concrete were used in building the four reactors — three times the amount used to build the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world. > More than 250,000 tonnes of reinforced concrete were also used in the project, six times the amount used to build Burj Khalifa. > Enec employs 1,700 people and will expand its workforce to 2,500 employees by 2020. The company says it aims to reserve 60 per cent of its jobs for UAE nationals. —