UAE Government releases policy on Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy

posted on 21/04/2008: 105 views

The UAE Government yesterday released the full text of a policy white paper entitled "Policy of the United Arab Emirates on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy”.

The full policy document has been released following its endorsement by the Council of Ministers on Sunday 23 March 2008 and the release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of an executive summary of the document on the same date.

The UAE policy document was developed over a period of more than six months and represents the coordinated views of a wide spectrum of UAE government entities, as well as inputs obtained through consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the governments of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Japan, Germany and South Korea.

Yesterday's release of the document took place immediately following a briefing of all relevant domestic Ministries, agencies and organizations. The briefing was also attended by representatives of foreign governments and other parties that were consulted as part of the policy formulation process.

The Foreign Minister, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who delivered the keynote speech at the briefing, remarked that, "although the UAE's interest in nuclear energy stems exclusively from a desire to meet growing domestic energy demand in a commercially and environmentally responsible manner, the Government also hopes that its policy on the evaluation and potential development of peaceful nuclear energy will establish a useful model via which all non-nuclear states can be assured of full international backing of their efforts to pursue the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy for their populations.”

Among the objectives of the UAE Government in developing and endorsing a comprehensive policy on the evaluation and potential development of peaceful nuclear energy was a desire to establish a model via which the UAE and other non-nuclear states could pursue the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy with the full support of their domestic population and the international community.

Specifically the UAE policy model is based upon the principles of complete operational transparency and the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation. Additionally the UAE policy model calls for close and continuous coordination with the IAEA, as well as with the governments and firms of responsible nuclear supplier nations.

Among the notable commitments embodied in the UAE policy on peaceful nuclear energy are a pledge to forego any domestic enrichment or reprocessing capability in favour of long-term external fuel supply arrangements, as well as a pledge to conclude a number of pertinent international agreements, including the IAEA Additional Protocol, the IAEA Convention on Nuclear Safety, the IAEA Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, and the IAEA Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management.

Additionally, the policy document describes the UAE's intention to establish a nuclear energy program implementation organization (NEPIO), which will be known as the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), as well as an international advisory board made up of international experts on nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation.

The briefing was attended by key officials of the Federal Government, including H.H Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education, and Scientific Research, H.H. Sheikh Diab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, H.E. Dr. Anwar Mohamed Al Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, as well as other senior officials of UAE agencies and entities involved in the implementation of the policy.

Click here White Paper Policy Document to view the full text of the Policy of the United Arab Emirate's on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy.

Also the text is available to the general public via the website of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs at http://www.mofa.gov.ae/.

Following is the full text of remarks by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the Occasion of the Public Launch of UAE policy on Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy: - Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, honoured guests, thank you for your attendance at this public launch of the Policy of the United Arab Emirates on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy.

As we meet today to introduce this policy to the international community and domestic entities that will have a role in its ultimate implementation, we are surrounded by reminders of the dramatic progress that has been achieved within the emirates since the founding of the Federation in 1971.

In the midst of all this development, as reflected clearly by the spectacular boom in construction and by massive industrial complexes and world-class infrastructure, we pray for God's compassion upon the founding father of this nation, the late President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who built a modern and advanced state in order to ensure the prosperity of future generations. Under the conscientious direction of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates continues its rapid pace of economic and social development. According to the International Monetary Fund, Gross Domestic Product for the United Arab Emirates grew by 9.4% in 2006, and the forecast for the future includes continued robust growth. However, we recognize that this growth will require continued access to affordable energy, and for this reason, the United Arab Emirates has begun to evaluate the potential contribution of peaceful nuclear energy to its future domestic energy mix.

In-depth studies carried out by government entities have shown that nuclear energy represents a commercially competitive and environmentally friendly option for the secure generation of electricity in the United Arab Emirates, particularly in light of projected future shortages of natural gas. For instance, internal assessments by government entities have shown that the generation of one kilo-watt hour of electricity from a nuclear reactor would cost less than one-third of what it would cost to produce the same kilo-watt hour using a crude-oil fired power plant. At the same time, generating that single kilo-watt hour using a nuclear power plant, rather than a crude oil-fired power plant, would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by approximately 726 grams. Taking into account the millions of kilo-watt hours of electricity generated each day within the United Arab Emirates, we can begin to grasp the significant benefits that would accrue to the nation from the use of peaceful nuclear energy.

Nevertheless, the Government of the United Arab Emirates recognizes the special circumstances and considerations that surround not only the deployment of nuclear reactors, but also the simple evaluation of such a possibility. Accordingly, the government of the United Arab Emirates wishes to make clear its peaceful and unambiguous objectives in respect both of its current evaluation of a peaceful nuclear energy program as well as the potential future deployment of actual nuclear power generation facilities within its territory. To accomplish this objective, the Government has developed and is launching a formal policy document describing its approach to the evaluation and potential development of a peaceful domestic nuclear energy program.

Before describing the substance of this policy, I would like to briefly touch upon the process via which it was developed. First, I would note that the Government's approach to this task borrowed from the example set by the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. Rather than simply accepting the conventional approach of other nuclear states, we have asked ourselves how that approach could be improved to foster a better environment for the future. In that spirit, we launched wide-spread consultations with numerous parties, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the governments of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany, Japan and South Korea. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly express our appreciation to these parties for their assistance and valuable insights.

Second, we embraced a set of guiding principles, including:

1. Complete operational transparency

2. The highest standards of non-proliferation

3. The highest standards of safety and security

4. Close coordination with the IAEA

5. Cooperation with the governments and firms of responsible nuclear supplier nations

6. A commitment to long-term sustainability.



These principles have led us to adopt a series of commitments and strategies which are outlined in the policy document and which we believe constitute a useful model via which, not only the United Arab Emirates, but other non-nuclear states could pursue the benefits of peaceful nuclear power with the full backing and confidence of their domestic populations and the wider international community.

Some of the salient points of these commitments and strategies include a determination by the Government of the United Arab Emirates to conclude a number of pertinent international agreements, including: - The IAEA Additional Protocol - The IAEA Convention on Nuclear Safety - The IAEA Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and - The IAEA Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management.

In an effort to limit the danger of proliferation, the Government of the UAE has also adopted a policy renouncing the development of any domestic enrichment or reprocessing capabilities in favour of long-term arrangements for the external supply of nuclear fuel. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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