ENEC signs MoU with Andra for management of radioactive waste
Andra is a governmental organisation in charge of the radioactive waste management in France
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has inked a deal with the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra). The MoU is said to be in line with ENEC’s proactive approach to developing a long-term strategy for radioactive waste management.
Andra is a governmental organisation in charge of the radioactive waste management development programme in France. The firm is working on an Industrial Geological Storage Center known as ‘Cigeo’, which consists of a high and intermediate level waste underground repository in Bure, France.
“This is an important memorandum and comes as part of our commitments set out at the very beginning of the development of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. These commitments include the UAE’s policy for non-proliferation, transparency and the development of a comprehensive radioactive waste management system that reflects the highest standards of safety, quality and international best practices,” said ENEC CEO Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi.
The deal between ENEC and Andra is billed as an important component in the strategy development, as a result of Andra’s proven expertise in this area, explained Al Hammadi. He made the comment after signing the MoU with Andra CEO Pierre-Marie Abadie, in the presence of Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Xavier Sticker, permanent representative of France to the UN and International Organisations in Vienna.
“We have put in place a proactive approach to planning for the future requirements of the UAE nuclear energy industry alongside our UAE stakeholders, and in line with our international commitments. By working closely with Andra we will be sharing best practices and insights for the future,” added Al Hammadi.
Abadie remarked, “With more than 30 years of experience in the management of radioactive waste, Andra, a French national agency, has an international objective to support countries in setting up in a timely manner the responsible management of radioactive waste. It is the spirit of the collaboration with ENEC to who it will bring the competence of its experts to support the implementation of this policy, respectful in the long-term safety and environmental requirements recommended by the international authorities.”
