Emirates News Agency – FANR reviews COP28 plans; Barakah NPP activities

ABU DHABI, 27th April, 2023 (WAM) — The Management Committee of the UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, FANR, held a recent meeting. FANR Director General Christer Viktorsson briefed the Management Committee on FANR’s latest capacity building activities, in particular the training of FANR’s Emirati employees in a three-month fellowship program at certain laboratories in France for Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy (CEA) and FANR of new UAE employees complete the Advanced Reactor Management Certification Program.

Viktorsson also spoke about the participation of FANR staff at the 8th and 9th Joint Review Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria in March 2023. The UAE submitted its national report which, inter alia, set out the legislative, regulatory and technical measures taken by the UAE to fulfill its obligations as a CNS Contracting Party.
In addition, the Management Committee was informed of FANR’s planned initiatives and activities as FANR’s contribution to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP28 is an important platform where FANR will shed light on the importance of improving the effectiveness of nuclear and radiation regulatory systems, which will help strengthen the safe use of nuclear energy as a stable and decarbonized energy source to support national and international responses to efforts to mitigate environmental challenges. It was discussed that COP28 would benefit from demonstrating the critical role of effective nuclear regulation in supporting the safe introduction and operation of nuclear energy.
The Management Board was briefed on the latest status of the four units of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). An update was also provided on FANR’s regulatory oversight of the operation of BNPP Units 1, 2 and 3, which are currently feeding power to the grid, thus contributing to the nation’s vision to meet growing energy demand. It is worth mentioning that FANR is currently reviewing Nawah Energy Company’s application for a license to operate BNPP Unit 4.