Licensing the First Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates.
Speaker: Ian Grant, Consultant, Ottawa, Canada.
Webinar 9 am Sydney time, Thursday 1 October 2020.
Slides presented at this webinar are available here
In 2009, United Arab Emirates (UAE) decided to implement a nuclear power program and established the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to evaluate and implement a nuclear power plan within UAE and an independent Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation (FANR) to oversee the UAE’s nuclear energy sector.
Ian’s presentation will describe, based on his experience from 2009 to 2018, the United Arab Emirates’ decision to launch its peaceful nuclear energy programme, the establishment of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) as the national regulatory body for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, and the regulatory strategy implemented by FANR to oversee the construction and commissioning of the UAE’s nuclear power plant located at Barakah on the Arabian Gulf coast.
There is much to learn from FANR’s experience in reactor licensing that is relevant for any country, like Australia, considering the option of licensing nuclear power plants for the first time, including future SMR licensing.
In December 2009, ENEC announced acceptance of a bid from a KEPCO-led consortium for four APR1400 reactors, to be built at one site. The construction licence for units 1 and 2 on the Barakah site was issued by FANR in mid-July 2012. Construction of the four units started sequentially in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
In February 2020, FANR issued an operating licence for unit 1, which was connected to the grid in August 2020 and is expected to enter full commercial operation later this year. Construction of unit 2 is complete, with operational readiness preparations under way and construction of units 3 and 4 of the plant is in the final stages.
About Ian Grant
Ian Grant is a consultant with extensive international experience in nuclear safety and regulation.
From 2009 to 2018 he played a senior leadership role with the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation in the United Arab Emirates, where he helped to establish FANR as the national regulatory body, and to regulate construction and commissioning of the first nuclear power plant in the UAE
Before joining FANR, Ian held several management positions at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in Ottawa with responsibility for safety assessment and licensing of the fleet of nuclear power plants in Canada. He has also served as a delegate on various international peer review missions and committees.
He began his career with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in Toronto and Babcock and Wilcox in the United Kingdom.
Ian holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of Glasgow and a Master’s degree from Cranfield University in the UK, is a licensed professional engineer in Ontario and a Fellow of the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
