The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has signed a three-year agreement with the Atlantic Council to collaborate on the Council’s Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative and support its efforts in promoting nuclear energy as a central component to the clean energy transition.
The Atlantic Council is a US-based think tank, and home to the Global Energy Center, one of the leading US energy centers for promoting energy security, working across government, industry and society to identify the way forward for the global energy sector.
The collaboration will see ENEC, and the Atlantic Council join forces to support the Atlantic Council’s new Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative, which is dedicated to identifying the pathways for global decarbonization using civil nuclear energy. Together, ENEC and Atlantic Council will highlight the role of nuclear energy in securing energy security and sustainability, and the role of current and advanced nuclear technologies in decarbonizing the power sector and the broader clean energy transition. The agreement was signed in Washington DC by His Excellency Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC and Mr. Fred Kempe, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlantic Council.
The collaboration is part of ENEC’s commitment towards supporting constructive dialogue on the crucial role nuclear energy plays in delivering both national energy security and sustainability, and the policy and structures needed to support the sector.
His Excellency Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said: “Our agreement with the Atlantic Council is a natural and progressive outcome of our long-standing partnership to raise awareness of nuclear energy as a realistic component of the energy mix for nations looking to boost their energy security and sustainability. We look forward to working with Atlantic Council, as we are committed to sharing our experience in delivering a new generation of civil nuclear program with other countries looking to embark on their own programs, developing the frameworks necessary for success.”
ENEC will work closely with Atlantic Council on global nuclear energy advocacy and promote new areas of peaceful nuclear advancement for electricity generation and non-electrical purposes, such as industrial heat and hydrogen production. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Council will also support the UAE’s leading position in nuclear energy when it hosts COP28 next year 2023 – a gathering of world leaders to advance climate change cooperation.
The signing took place during an official delegation visit to the USA by ENEC officials. As part of the visit, Atlantic Council and ENEC hosted a panel discussion on the role of net zero nuclear on the pathway to COP28. The session included an introduction from Landon Derentz, Senior Director, of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, followed by a keynote from Dr Andrew Light, Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs at the US Department of Energy. H.E. Mohamed Al Hammadi joined the panel alongside Chris Levesque, President & CEO of Terrapower, Cosmin Ghita, CEO of Nuclearelectrica, David Durham, President of Energy Systems, Westinghouse and Dr Rachael Slaybaugh, Principal at DCVC.
The panel discussed how quickly the demand for nuclear energy is growing as many nations have identified the unique benefits it brings in delivering both national energy security and energy sustainability – the former being particularly critical in the face of the current global energy crisis, and with the latter, as it is clear that far more needs to be done to meet international carbon emissions reduction commitments.
ENEC is developing the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, comprised of four APR1400 reactors– one of the most technologically advanced nuclear reactor designs in the world, each with a 1,400 megawatts of zero-carbon emission electricity capacity. Three Units of the plant have already been connected the UAE’s national grid, with two operating commercially.
Once all four units of the Barakah Plant are commercially operational, they will contribute up to 25% of the UAE’s National Determined Contributions to Net Zero and is the largest source of dispatchable clean electricity. The Plant demonstrates how nuclear energy projects can be delivered safely, successfully and competitively to tackle growing carbon emissions. Through clean electricity generated at Barakah, nuclear is helping to decarbonize some of the most energy intense sectors.
