Dubai: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) on Monday said it has filed the Construction Licence Application for Braka Units 1 and 2 with the UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).
"The submittal follows a year-long process in which Enec and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), the prime contractor for Enec's programme, documented the safety case for the UAE's first nuclear power plants, as well as the proposed site, Braka, in the Western Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi," a statement said.
The submittal starts FANR's review process, which Enec expects will involve requests for additional information, and several meetings, which is typical for a nuclear construction licence application to a regulator.
"Today's filing is another important step forward for the Enec programme," said Enec Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Al Hammadi. "We believe this licence application demonstrates that the technology for our proposed power plant is safe, that the plant can be built to the highest possible standards, and that the proposed site is appropriate for the power plant. We look forward to responding to FANR as its team reviews the application and the licensing process continues."
Safety analysis
The Construction Licence Application (CLA) is based substantially on the safety analysis done for, and licences granted by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (Kins) to Kepco for Shin Kori 3 and 4 units in Korea, the "reference plant" for the UAE programme. The CLA documents were reviewed, verified and augmented by Enec to meet FANR requirements. Enec utilised outside consulting firms as part of its independent safety verification of the licence application. Comments and analysis developed by Enec were incorporated into the CLA prior to the submittal.
Vision document
The Government of Abu Dhabi established the nuclear power programme following an evaluation of the UAE's future energy needs that determined the country would need to substantially increase its generating capacity to meet expected electricity demand. Figures show demand for electricity nearly doubling in the UAE by 2020.
The UAE's comprehensive approach to nuclear energy is detailed in the Policy of the United Arab Emirates on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy, a document released in April 2008. This policy establishes a new model through which non-nuclear states may explore and potentially deploy nuclear energy with the full support and confidence of the international community. The UAE model has been called the "gold standard" for developing a nuclear energy programme.
The "reference plant" concept is a fundamental part of Enec's procurement, construction and operations strategy. It ensures that Kepco will construct a plant that is essentially the same as the "reference plant," but supplemented with changes required to adapt to the UAE climatic conditions and any specific requirements of FANR. Among other benefits, this will ensure that the technology used for UAE plant will have already passed a licensing process before undergoing the FANR licensing process.
Safety: First review completed
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation's (Enec's) recently appointed Nuclear Safety Review Board (NSRB) has completed its first set of review meetings, and will be working with Enec on various issues and plans in the coming year.
Enec established the NSRB in July to provide a review of the safety and effectiveness of the construction, start-up and operations of the Enec programme, with a core emphasis on nuclear safety. The board reports to Enec's Chief Executive Officer, Mohammad Al Hammadi. It is chaired by Dr Dale Klein, a former chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The NSRB also contributed to the review of Enec's Construction Licences Application for the proposed Braka Nuclear Power Plants, which has been submitted to the UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.
Klein said the NSRB intends to be very proactive. It has held two meetings in Abu Dhabi this year, and plans to hold three in 2011, one of which will be in South Korea.
"Our goal is to help ensure the success of the UAE nuclear project," Klein said. "The Board is focused on helping make the project a success by applying our experience and providing advice from a broad, international and independent perspective."
