Nuclear milestone as first fuel contracts awarded

THE UAE company leading the country’s drive towards the peaceful use of nuclear energy yesterday announced the award of the first contracts for nuclear fuel to international companies.

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said the process of awarding $3 billion-worth of fuel contracts was part of a strategy designed to cover the UAE’s nuclear fuel needs for the first 15 years of its nuclear energy program me.

Announcing the award of contracts to six international firms, the company said in a statement that the “resulting fuel strategy guarantees security of supply, quality assurance of fuel-related materials and competitive commercial terms to protect the interests of the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program me”.

US firm ConverDyn, Canada’s Uranium One, British-headquartered pair URENCO and Rio Tinto, Russia’s TENEX and French firm AREVA will provide services ranging from uranium supply to enrichment services to KEPCO Nuclear Fuels - the Korean-led consortium which won the right to build the UAE’s first nuclear reactors - with the first plant set to start in 2017.