Joining the Club: UAE Develops its Nuclear Power Programme with IAEA Support
The UAE is developing quickly! To maintain its rapid economic growth, the UAE needs electricity. A government-led study in 2008 found that by 2020, the UAE’s energy demand would rise to more than 40,000 MegaWatts--a rate of 9% per year, which is three times the global average growth in energy demand. The UAE was faced with an urgent need to develop additional sources of energy.
Nuclear energy is one of the chosen energy options for the UAE because it is a safe, clean and proven technology, it’s commercially viable, and it delivers significant volumes of base-load electricity. During the visit of IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano to the UAE, the DG reiterated the Agency's support of the country’s efforts to develop its peaceful nuclear power programme.
In less than 10 years, the UAE has made tremendous progress in its NPP (nuclear power plant) Programme, and all in accordance with highest standards of safety and security. On 28 May 2013, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) commemorated the start of construction for the UAE’s second reactor at the Barakah nuclear power plant, in Abu Dhabi.
Through a series of training events and national workshops, the UAE worked to familiarize stakeholders of the nuclear power programme with the IAEA’s tools.
Developing the next generation of nuclear energy leaders is one of the UAE’s most important priorities. By 2020, ENEC will require a team of approximately 2,500 people to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the UAE’s first nuclear energy plant, with a target of 60% 'Emiratization.'
From engineers to operators to construction workers, the nuclear industry offers a diverse range of job opportunities. Through ENEC’s Human Capacity Development program, UAE aims to attract the country’s most talented science and engineering graduates and train its most experienced professionals, providing them with an opportunity to become pioneers in the UAE's emerging nuclear energy sector.
With more than 1,400 employees today, and a pipeline of talented Emirati students enrolled in the UAE Nuclear Energy Scholarships Program, ENEC is building a diverse team which works in accordance with its corporate values of safety, integrity, transparency and efficiency.
The IAEA's Nuclear Energy Management (NEM) Schools support countries embarking on NPP programmes, ensuring the safe, responsible and sustainable use of nuclear energy by increasing awareness of management issues.
Experts from the IAEA’s Nuclear Knowledge Management Section and international lecturers from Japan, the UK and the USA supported the 2015 Nuclear Energy Management school in the UAE, which was open to 46 national and international students.
NEM schools offer a broader understanding of the specific challenges of nuclear energy. Here, participants of the 2015 NEM school visit the Simulator Training Center at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant construction site.
In addition to nuclear power production, the UAE has requested IAEA support to address other needs. Through engagement with the IAEA technical cooperation programme, the country has also sustainably expanded its infrastructure and human resources in material analysis, dosimetry, waste management, environmental monitoring, agriculture, water management and medical applications.
