The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to explore opportunities to collaborate and ensure best practice in the development, operation and maintenance of civil nuclear energy plants. The MoU was signed by His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC and Yu Jianfeng, Chairman of CNNC in Beijing.
The MoU provides a framework for collaboration in short and long-term fuel cycle procurement, developing best practices in operation and maintenance (O&M) of civil nuclear energy facilities, nuclear environmental protection and other areas of mutual interest – including the development of new nuclear energy plants, research and development and exploring future areas of cooperation for benchmarking and knowledge sharing.
Areas of collaboration in research and development include exploring the development of a nuclear technology centre, cooperation on IV generation reactors and hydrogen production technology and the use of nuclear energy for desalination.
The new agreement builds on previous cooperation initiatives between ENEC and CNNC, including an MOU signed in December 2023 at COP28, which outlined collaboration between the leading nuclear energy companies on new nuclear energy plants in third countries and the deployment of advanced reactor technologies. Also, at COP28, ENEC and CNNC signed an MoU to explore cooperation opportunities for the development of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (HTGR) to set out the pathway for HTGR technology development and the potential to deploy the technology in other countries.
ENEC has successfully developed the 5.6GW Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the largest single source of clean electricity in the Middle East. Today, Barakah Plant is generating 30TWh of electricity a year, generating more than 80% of Abu Dhabi Emirate’s clean electricity, with a further 10TWh to be added later in 2024 when the fourth unit begins commercial operations.
The Barakah Plant is just the beginning of ENEC’s wider mission and is widely regarded as a global benchmark for new nuclear projects and one of the most cost and time-efficient in the sector’s recent history. ENEC is ahead of the curve for driving the deployment of new advanced reactor technologies and engaging internationally on joint collaboration and investment opportunities.