The United Arab Emirates (UAE) appears to be the latest country to consider nuclear power as a replacement for fossil fuel-driven power generation, as its government recently entered three nuclear energy cooperation agreements with several Chinese companies.
On Sunday, May 7th. the Emirati government announced that memorandums of understanding were signed with the Chinese Nuclear Power Operations Research Institute, China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas, and the China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation.
Together with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), these companies will cover collaborative work in the fields of nuclear energy operations, the development of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology, as well as nuclear fuel supply and investment.
A Key Partner
The UAE has expressed hopes that nuclear power will be an integral part of its plan to become completely carbon-free by 2050, essentially generating 6% of its total power requirement through nuclear plants. That said, the recent agreements will push this plan forward, and, as previously stated by the government, China’s participation is an integral part of its transition to greener, more sustainable energy.
At present, the UAE’s construction of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi is already well underway. A joint initiative with the Korea Electric Power Corporation, the Barakh plant will be the first multi-unit operating nuclear energy plant in the Middle East.
The said plant will have four reactors with a total generative capacity of around 5,600MW, essentially delivering around 25% of the country’s peak power demands.
