United Arab Emirates and the experience of a nuclear newcomer

Abstract

In 2008 the United Arab Emirates (UAE) adopted an official policy on the evaluation and potential development of peaceful nuclear energy. It was based on a study of viable options to meet future energy needs, and it focused on the potential benefits of nuclear power for the UAE people, the environment, and the economy. The policy included commitments to the highest standards of safety and security, complete operational transparency, and nonproliferation. It outlined a process for working with the International Atomic Energy Agency, foreign governments and nuclear companies, and expert organizations to develop a nuclear energy program. In less than four years, the UAE has established an independent Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, selected a site for construction of its first nuclear power plant, and broken ground. The progress to date has proven that, with strong commitment and vision, safe and secure nuclear energy can be developed and sustained. The UAE’s program is on schedule to meet the growing energy needs of the country. But more important, it has become a model program for ensuring that safety, security, and nonproliferation are top priorities.

Nations around the world will require a significant increase in clean, safe electrical power over the next several generations to meet the needs of their citizens and to protect the environment, upon which all people ultimately depend. Countries such as the United States, China, and India are expanding—or exploring the feasibility of expanding—their nuclear energy programs to provide this needed power. In 2010 there were 15 new construction starts, including 12 in Asia, more than in any year since 1985. Meanwhile, more than 60 other countries that do not currently have nuclear programs are considering them, and 25 countries have made firm plans to build nuclear power plants. ¹ Among this last group is the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which held a groundbreaking ceremony for its first nuclear reactor on March 14, 2011. That reactor is scheduled to begin supplying electricity in 2017, with plans to build three other reactors at the same site.

Located in the Arabian Peninsula, the UAE has the sixth-largest proven oil reserves in the world, and abundant solar resources. Abu Dhabi, the capital, recently became the permanent headquarters for the International Renewable Energy Agency. So it might be surprising that a nation so well-endowed with other energy resources has decided to add nuclear power to its portfolio. The UAE chose this path after conducting an analysis of future energy needs, which concluded that the nation’s peak demand for electricity is likely to rise to more than 40,000 megawatts by 2020, reflecting a cumulative annual growth rate of roughly 9 percent from 2007 onward. Based on these projections, the UAE evaluated several viable options for meeting future energy demands and decided that nuclear power would be the most reliable, efficient, safe, commercially competitive, and environmentally friendly means of producing electricity.

The UAE’s known natural gas reserves are not sufficient to fully satisfy the projected demand. Burning hydrocarbon liquids, such as crude oil, is technically feasible but would entail extremely high economic and environmental costs. The UAE is pursuing solar power and other renewable energy options, but even with aggressive development these options can meet only a small portion of the future demand, roughly 6 to 7 percent of peak demand by 2020. Nuclear energy emerged from the UAE analysis as a proven and reliable option that is commercially and environmentally competitive.

Recognizing the potential role of nuclear energy as an indispensable part of its future energy strategy, the UAE government took a series of steps to transform its vision into a full-fledged nuclear program in less than four years. These steps included issuing a policy paper that outlined the country’s approach to nuclear power; creating agencies to operate and regulate nuclear power plants; signing international agreements to abide by rigorous safety standards; taking a vow of nonproliferation; and inviting close scrutiny from both the international community and the country’s own citizens. The road to success was not without obstacles, such as the challenge of finding the right balance of experienced expatriates and UAE nationals to staff operational and regulatory organizations. But the country’s commitment to safety, transparency, and international engagement has made the UAE a trailblazer for nuclear newcomers.

Peaceful policy

Perhaps the UAE’s most important step in the development of its nuclear program was to issue a nuclear policy, which outlines the government’s approach to civilian nuclear power (UAE, 2008). The UAE Council of Ministers endorsed the policy on March 23, 2008, and the full text was issued the following month. By formally endorsing the nuclear policy at its highest levels, the UAE government made its intentions clear to its people and to the entire international community.

The country’s nuclear policy describes the role of nuclear power as one component of the UAE’s energy portfolio and emphasizes the UAE’s commitment to operational transparency and to the highest standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation throughout the life of the nuclear program. To reassure the international community that the sole purpose of its nuclear program is to generate electricity, the policy renounces uranium enrichment and domestic reprocessing of spent fuel. It also discusses the UAE’s intent to develop its peaceful domestic nuclear power capability through direct cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in partnership with governments and firms of responsible nations, as well as with the assistance of appropriate expert organizations, in a manner that best ensures long-term sustainability.

With the issuance of its nuclear policy, the UAE government mandated the creation of the National Energy Program Implementation Organization as recommended by the IAEA. This organization served as an incubator for the development of both an independent nuclear regulatory agency and an owner-operator organization—prior to their formal, legal establishment. In the early stages, the implementation organization developed an internal strategy document called the “Roadmap to Success,” which built on guidance from the IAEA and international experience and set forth the early path for the program. This document addressed a broad range of issues—including institutional and legal infrastructure requirements, capacity building, procurement strategies, and radioactive waste management options—and outlined a feasible schedule for the country’s nuclear energy program. Nearly two years after the strategy document was created, the UAE has made many advances in developing a model program that other non-nuclear states could follow to gain international support for the deployment of peaceful nuclear energy options.

Creating infrastructure

In October 2009 the UAE formally established an independent nuclear regulatory agency, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR). ² Later that year, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) was established to lead implementation efforts. ENEC has since selected a preferred site for construction of its first nuclear power plant, and has chosen a prime contractor to design, construct, and jointly operate future nuclear plants.

The UAE has finalized all relevant international agreements in the areas of nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear safety, and security. The country is now developing the required physical and legal infrastructure, including implementing regulations issued by FANR, to ensure that its obligations under these international agreements are met by the time they are brought into force. Infrastructure development requires the active participation of multiple stakeholders in the country. To expedite the process and ensure that it is complete and efficient, multiple joint committees and interagency working groups have been established to coordinate such development efforts.

The progress to date has proven that, with strong commitment and vision, safe and secure nuclear energy can be developed and sustained for future energy needs. This progress was only achieved by adhering to the adopted nuclear policy. The UAE continues to rely on the principles within this policy to ensure that the country’s nuclear program meets its commitments to safety, transparency, nonproliferation, and international cooperation.

Safety standards

Any country that decides to start a nuclear energy program must do so with safety as its top priority. The nuclear power plant accidents at Three Mile Island in the United States, at Chernobyl in Ukraine, and most recently at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, are tragic reminders that nuclear power is—and will remain—a potentially dangerous technology that must be governed by the highest national and international standards of industrial and nuclear safety at all times.

As a country with little nuclear experience, the UAE realizes that it has significant challenges ahead in all areas of nuclear safety. Not only must the UAE develop standards and controls that can prevent a major accident, but these standards and controls must also be maintained throughout the 100-plus years of design, operation, and decommissioning of each nuclear power facility.

The UAE reviewed nuclear safety practices and standards worldwide and selected the best and most achievable to include in its goals and regulations, and to consider when selecting the prime contractor and the reactor design. The country chose an advanced third-generation light water reactor, known as the APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor), which has significant safety improvements over older reactors, including enhanced user-friendly instrumentation and controls, reduced fuel use and waste, design specifications that reduce vulnerability to operational disruptions, and passive safety systems that do not require human intervention to avoid an accident in case of a malfunction.

The UAE has also sought out the best and most experienced nuclear experts to guide it through the initial start-up phase. However, even with this expert assistance, the country has faced significant challenges recruiting highly educated and dedicated engineers who have safety and risk assessment as their priority. The UAE’s initial exploratory work highlighted the need to develop a mental model—an attitude that pervades the entire nuclear program and ensures that safety remains the highest priority. This is true for both the regulatory authority FANR and the owner-operator organization ENEC. In practice, this commitment to safety means day-to-day “check and adjust” self-assessments for all employees, programs, and procedures. Evaluating the adoption and implementation of safety standards is an ongoing challenge and a focus for continuous improvement.

The establishment of an independent nuclear safety regulator, along with the associated legal framework to support its role, is the cornerstone of a safe nuclear power program. It is also important to develop processes and interfaces that allow for a healthy level of cooperation between all relevant entities in the nuclear power sector. A recent IAEA evaluation mission identified the UAE approach, which establishes cooperative ties between the regulator and the future nuclear power plant owner without compromising the regulatory body’s independence, as a “good practice” for other countries to follow.

Complete transparency

The UAE has made a commitment not only to safety but also to “complete operational transparency.” What does that mean, and how do you know when you have achieved it? Many experts have asked this question during the start-up of the UAE nuclear program. To the UAE, transparency means opening its nuclear program to the international community and welcoming peer reviews, as well as conducting transparent self-assessments. The UAE has asked the IAEA and the World Association of Nuclear Operators to provide feedback on its performance, to ensure that safety standards are maintained over time.

Transparency is more than just sharing data and assessments among nuclear experts, however; it also means sharing information with the public, the government, and decision makers. The UAE took the first step toward complete transparency by publishing its nuclear policy and thereby communicating the government’s decisions, the rationale behind them, and the approach the UAE will follow in the process of evaluating and implementing its nuclear energy program. Since the policy was published, the UAE has continued to improve its communications by engaging the media, sponsoring public events, and developing public websites for both the federal regulatory authority FANR and the operating organization ENEC.

The establishment of FANR early in the nuclear program allowed greater control over communications and transparency. Since that time, FANR has used its website to post draft regulations for public comment and to keep the public informed of regulatory decisions on licensees.

To ensure transparency and to provide a mechanism for independent evaluation, the UAE has also established an International Advisory Board (IAB), which meets twice a year to review the overall program progress. The IAB is composed of internationally recognized experts in all areas related to the development and sustainability of a nuclear energy program. It publishes its reports and findings, including any recommendations, on a dedicated website twice a year for the local and international audience. ³

Nonproliferation

The UAE is located in a geographical region that has been the focus of international nuclear proliferation concerns for some time. To make its peaceful intentions clear, and its program objectives unambiguous, the UAE government made strong commitments to nonproliferation in its 2008 nuclear policy. Among these commitments is to forgo enrichment and reprocessing capabilities. This pledge removes the possibility of diverting the program to non-peaceful applications and ultimately makes the program “peaceful by design.” In 2009 the government translated its commitments into a national law forbidding “the development, construction, or operation of uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing facilities within the borders of the UAE.”

The UAE has had a Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA in force since 2003; this agreement establishes procedures for verifying that the country is living up to its nonproliferation promises. In December 2010, the UAE ratified an Additional Protocol to the IAEA Safeguards Agreement, which paves the way for stringent inspections of nuclear facilities and operations. The UAE views the application of these agreements as important components of its model for the adoption of a peaceful nuclear energy program.

The UAE has also concluded bilateral agreements for nuclear cooperation with France, South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These cooperative agreements reflect the UAE’s policy commitment to nonproliferation. For instance, the UAE-US “123 agreement” includes provisions reflecting the UAE decision to forgo enrichment and reprocessing. These agreements also include strong provisions related to nuclear security and safeguards consistent with the UAE approach.

The UAE continues to work with its international partners to develop a strong international framework for nuclear cooperation that facilitates the transfer of technology and expertise without risking the global nonproliferation regime. The UAE pledged $10 million to support an IAEA uranium fuel bank initiative, which is designed to prevent fuel supply disruptions while contributing to international nonproliferation efforts.

Along with the UAE’s commitment to nonproliferation came a tremendous amount of work to conclude and fully implement the relevant international treaties and conventions. These international obligations quickly became resource-intensive and required additional assistance from experts in this area. The most recent work was bringing into force the Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement in December 2010. The preparation involved intensive engagement with all relevant stakeholders in the country, as well as with the IAEA, to develop the required regulations and the procedures to implement them successfully.

As the UAE’s nuclear program progresses, ongoing work will be required in the areas of nuclear security, import and export controls, and safeguards to ensure the successful implementation of UAE commitments and international obligations.

Human resources

Finding skilled workers is among the major challenges facing the global nuclear sector, especially in the UAE and other countries with no existing nuclear technical and industrial base. UAE leaders understand that the development of a new nuclear energy program is a major undertaking that requires a set of skills and expertise that are not readily available in the country.

To address this challenge, the UAE developed a human resources strategy that identified the scale and type of expertise needed for the program throughout all its phases. Under this strategy, government-to-government arrangements and internationally sourced experts play a major role. Early adoption of this approach not only assisted the UAE significantly in the startup of the program but also jump-started a development and training process for new local entrants to the sector. The UAE has established a goal of having its nuclear program staffed with a majority of Emiratis by the start-up of the first reactor in 2017. Integrated planning involving all local and international stakeholders should be strengthened, to mitigate the risk of running short of required skills. This risk is directly linked to nuclear safety, as well as to other important factors such as schedule, cost, and sustainability of the program.

International engagement

The nuclear policy highlighted international cooperation as a fundamental principle of the country’s domestic nuclear energy program. To truly achieve the high standards it has committed itself to, the UAE must continue to enlist assistance at the government-to-government level, as well as through industrial and intergovernmental organizations. This assistance will ensure that the required technology and skill sets are available to the UAE throughout all future phases of the program, and that the UAE continues to improve its nuclear sector. In addition, international engagement is valuable for creating transparency and building credibility, as well as promoting public confidence and support for the program.

The UAE has made multiple government-to-government cooperative arrangements and has engaged with the IAEA in peer review and assessment activities. The bilateral agreements have enabled the UAE to obtain scientific and technical information and assistance from other countries and to acquire materials and equipment. On the industry level, the UAE has asked the World Association of Nuclear Operators and its members to provide assessments and to share experiences through peer reviews and feedback reports. The UAE joined the World Association of Nuclear Operators in October 2010.

International engagement and sharing of information is vital to the success of the UAE nuclear energy program. The UAE approach is based on a full understanding of the national responsibilities that come with the development of a nuclear energy program. This understanding has always been a significant driver in the government’s engagement with national stakeholders and with international cooperation efforts.

Conclusion

A nuclear energy program in the UAE will contribute substantially and competitively to the UAE’s basic power needs for decades. The decision to proceed with this program was based on an extensive national advisory and consultative process, recognizing that the establishment of such a program is a long-term commitment covering all phases of the nuclear plant life cycle.

Nuclear safety is fundamental to the success and sustainability of the UAE program, and it can be achieved only through the adoption of clear policies and well-planned strategies that ensure continuous improvement, full transparency, sufficient resources, and international engagement. The UAE policy framework and approach form a solid foundation that ensures continued improvement in all areas, including nuclear safety. The program requires all participants to accept personal responsibility for safety, although the operator, ENEC, retains the ultimate responsibility. Early action to re-evaluate nuclear safety requirements in light of the accident in Fukushima demonstrates the UAE’s willingness to make continual safety checks and adjustments as its nuclear program evolves.

The UAE has already learned a lot from its experiences during a relatively short period, and has been able to make timely progress toward meeting its national and international commitments and obligations. The UAE approach and policy framework have allowed the country’s nuclear program to achieve recognition globally as a model and “gold standard” for other countries pursuing nuclear energy. At a time of increased global interest in nuclear power, along with ongoing concerns related to nuclear safety and nonproliferation, the UAE model provides the right approach for countries with an interest in nuclear power to address the challenges while enjoying the benefits of an advanced and internationally supported program.