Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced the establishment of an International Advisory Board (IAB) for the development of nuclear energy with former UN chief inspector Dr Hans Blix as its chairman.
The IAB will provide the UAE nuclear programme the expertise and knowledge of a highly select group of internationally recognised experts in the fields of peaceful nuclear energy, according to the outlines drawn in the ‘Policy of the United Arab Emirates on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy', the ministry said in a statement carried by WAM news agency.
"The board benefits from a distinguished membership chosen from among the world's most recognised experts in nuclear science, non-proliferation, regulatory affairs, energy generation and distribution, reactor operations, waste management, human resource development and related fields," the statement said.
The IAB includes nine members answering to Dr Blix, who served as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency for four terms, from 1981 till 1997.
Reports to go public
The board will meet semi-annually, "to receive reports on the progress of the UAE Nuclear Programme against targets of achieving and maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation," the ministry said. "Board members will provide their invaluable insights into how the programme can be optimised against these targets."
Based upon these reviews, the board will issue regular reports that suggest potential areas for improvement.
"As part of its commitment to transparency, the government of the UAE will make these reports available to the public, ensuring that both domestic and international stakeholders are able to monitor the programme's performance against the highest international standards," the ministry stressed. The IAB is scheduled to hold its first meeting this month.
Late last year, a South Korean consortium was awarded a Dh75-billion contract to build nuclear reactors in the UAE. Under the contract, the group led by Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) will design, build and help operate four 1,400-megawatt civilian nuclear power units, a statement by Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) said.
Mohammad Al Hammadi, chief executive of Enec, said 10 locations for the plants have been proposed.
Four units
The first of the four units is scheduled to begin providing electricity to the grid in 2017, with the three later units being completed by 2020.
The plants are expected to provide 25 per cent of the country's power needs by 2020.
Given the growth in electricity demand projected for the UAE, it is expected that additional units beyond the original four will be procured in the future as the UAE expands its fleet of civil nuclear power plants.
The contract also calls for extensive training, human resource development, and education programmes as the UAE builds the capacity to eventually staff the vast majority of the nuclear energy programme with national talent, and develops the industrial infrastructure and commercial businesses to serve a thriving nuclear energy industry. Additionally, Enec and Kepco have agreed to work together on business ventures in the utility and energy fields outside the boundaries of the UAE project.
Al Hammadi said Emiratis will make up 60 per cent of the estimated 2,200 professionals overseeing operation of the plants.
Members of the board
Chair: Dr. Hans Blix, who served as the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency for four terms, from 1981 till 1997.
Other members:
- Jacques Bouchard, special advisor to the Chairman of the French Commissariat L'Energie Atomique, and former Chairman of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF).
- Dr. KunMo Chung, who served twice as Minister of Science and Technology in South Korea.
- Ambassador Thomas Graham, who serving as a senior U.S. Diplomat was involved in negotiation of every major international arms control and non-proliferation agreement during the period 1970-1997. He is currently the Executive Chairman of the board of Lightbridge Corporation, a company which holds patents on a new type of nuclear power fuel based on thorium.
- Takuya Hattori, President of Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF) and President of JAIF International Cooperation Center. Hattori also, served as Executive Vice President of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Inc. (TEPCO).
- Lady Barbara Judge, Chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Lady Judge previously served as Commissioner of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Dr. Mujid Kazimi, Professor of Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Kazimi previously served as Head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT.
- Jukka Laaksonen, Director General of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland.
- Sir John Rose, Chief Executive of Rolls- Royce plc, a major nuclear component and service provider in UK.
