UAE nuclear body grants construction licenses for two reactors in Abu Dhabi
License is only to construct, not operate, the Korean designed nuclear reactors
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) of the United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday that it had granted the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation a license to construct two nuclear power reactor units at its proposed Barakah site in Abu Dhabi.
The license authorises ENEC to construct two Korean designed advanced pressurised water reactors. The reactors are known as APR1400, a type capable of producing 1,400MW of electricity.
However, the license does not allow ENEC to operate them, as that would require the corporation to apply for a separate license from FANR, said Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“The issuance of a construction license is a significant milestone in the UAE’s nuclear energy programme,” he added.
Al Kaabi also confirmed that the license for the construction of Units One and Two of the Barakah Nuclear Facility and Related Regulated Activities was approved by the FANR Board of Management, which is chaired by Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, during a meeting on July 17, 2012.
