UAE to set up region's first nuclear reactor by 2017

Abu Dhabi: The UAE's first nuclear reactor is expected to come online by 2017, making the country the first nuclear operator in the region.

A federal law has been issued to set up a nuclear regulatory body to monitor the peaceful use of atomic energy. President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Law No 6 of 2009 concerning the peaceful use of nuclear power.

The move is in accordance with the criteria set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a framework for the successful implementation of the Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme.

In a statement to Gulf News, Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE's Special Representative to the IAEA, said: "The UAE's nuclear programme is a peaceful project based on its commitment not to enrich uranium and its ability to achieve the necessary degree of fuel security through a strong infrastructure."

He added that the UAE could protect its nuclear programme by setting up universities and institutes specialised in nuclear energy sciences and sending students abroad to specialise in nuclear studies.

He noted that the first nuclear reactor was expected to be opened in 2017 and the total cost of nuclear power plants was estimated at $40 billion (Dh146.9 billion).

He said the country was carrying out feasibility studies to determine the location of the nuclear plant.