UAE looks to nuclear power by 2017 - Westminster Energy Forum

Monday, 9 February 2009

Paul Aird, Senior Risk Manager, International Operations, CH2M Hill

New build in the Gulf – prospects and delivery

The United Arab Emirates wanted to develop both renewable and nuclear energy, said Aird, but in terms of nuclear it did not have the ideal neighbours.

None of them had any nuclear experience. The region had no nuclear track record, and an inhospitable climate for nuclear construction and operation.

But the UAE, suggested Aird, was a stable, forward thinking, decisive (with a short decision making process) business environment to work in, with a clear vision.

That vision included, despite its oil wealth, a co-ordinated energy policy looking  to move towards low or zero carbon, epitomised by the Masdar City project, the new green city in Abu Dhabi. 

Energy consumption in the UAE was set to grow from 15GW now to 40GW, but for environmental and economic reasons it did not want to fill that gap with oil.

It was more economically viable to export the oil and develop potential world beating new energy technologies.

This would include low carbon wind and solar, but also low carbon nuclear.

Nuclear was particularly useful for baseload, specifically in summer when air conditioning brought a huge demand for electricity round the clock.

Aird said that even if the price of oil fell to $30 a barrel nuclear would still be economic.

And if it was done right, the UAE’s nuclear programme would be an exportable example of how to start from scratch.

The UAE had signed a nuclear co-operation agreement with France and memoranda of understanding with the USA and the UK.

The target for getting nuclear energy up and generating in the UAE was the summer peak of 2017.

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