UAE nuclear reactor to break ground in December
Written on Saturday, September 24, 2011 by
Dan
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0UAE nuclear reactors could break ground in December
The biggest single new nuclear power station on the planet will be located on the Persian Gulf
Construction of four new 1,400 MW nuclear reactors worth $20 billion, supplied by South Korea, will begin at Braka, 270 km west of Abu Dhabi on the shores of the Persian Gulf, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could begin as early as this December. The actual date will depend on regulatory approval. The first of the four new units will come online in 2017 followed by the others through 2020.
Korea's state-owned KEPCO made the announcement in Seoul, South Korea this week. KEPCO will provide a complete turnkey solution to the UAE including engineering procurement construction, nuclear fuel, operations, and maintenance support. The post construction phase of the project, for all four reactors, is estimated to be worth another $20 billion.
The $20 billion project will include a supply chain that draws from Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Samsung C& T, Doosan Heavy and Engineering, Korea Nuclear Fuel, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power; and, from Westinghouse and Toshiba.
The project has won wide international praise, and support from the U.S., because the UAE has chosen to accept reliable fuel services from South Korea rather than developing its own uranium enrichment and reprocessing capabilities which would have potentially added to regional political tensions in the Middle East.
South Korea is currently negotiating with the U.S. to lift a several decades old ban on reprocessing spent fuel in part due to anticipation of eventually receiving it from the UAE. The main driver is that South Korea also wants to reprocess from its own growing nuclear fleet currently at 21 reactors. According to the World Nuclear Association, South Korea plans to have 40 reactors online by 2030.
The U.S. is concerned about the effect of reprocessing fuel on diplomatic negotiations with North Korea. That country has been unpredictable in its management of its nuclear capabilities which includes an underground testing program.
Nuclear fuel order to be placed in earth 2012
The UAE will award a contract for nuclear fuel for its four new reactors in early 2012. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. expects to load the first reactor with fuel in 2017. The procurement process has been ongoing says Fahad Al-Qahtani, a spokesman for the state-owned firm.
"Fuel supplies will cover an operational period of 15 years," he said.
The reactors are intended to shift generation of electricity from natural gas to nuclear energy. The reactors will replace 98 million barrels of crude oil that will now be available to generate export revenues and 6.5 trillion cubic meters of gas which can be used for other domestic purposes including process heat.
Qahtani told wire services in Abu Dhabi that electricity demand will grow rapidly from 2009 to 2020. The four nuclear reactors when fully operational will supply 5,600 MW. The UAE expects to be a regional exporter of electricity to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to other Persian Gulf countries.
UAE sets up nuclear regulatory agency
In parallel with the $20 billion being spent to build four new nuclear reactors, the UAE will commit to spend $100 million to establish a nuclear regulatory agency. According to the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp (ENEC), it will be regulated by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) - an independent federal agency charged with regulation and licensing of all nuclear energy activities in the UAE.
This independent regulatory body reports through a nine member Board of Management to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. It has recruited a team of international experts to operate the agency.
“Within 15 months of its creation, half of FANR staff is already made up of Emiratis,” says Dr Al Mazrouei, Board Chairman, in his annual; report issued this month.
He added, “FANR’s prominent experts from over 20 nations have also been making a significant contribution to our programme by quickly establishing our technical capabilities and by transferring their knowledge to Emiratis.”
FANR Director General William D. Travers (right) emphasises “the significant progress made towards establishing FANR as a world-class nuclear safety, security and safeguards regulator.”
Travers completed a distinguished career at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission before taking the post at FANR.
“We have issued regulations for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technologies,” Travers said.
About 80 young nuclear engineers in training from the UAE are among the first round of trainees sent to South Korea for course work on maintenance of new reactors being built in their country. Some of them will also get training in the regulation of safety issues for nuclear reactors.
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