Deal, signed at Cop28, ‘opens door to future collaboration’
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has signed a commercial uranium fuel supply contract with Kazakhstan’s Kazatomprom for the United Arab Emirates’s Barakah nuclear power station, the first commercial nuclear energy facility in the Arab region.
The deal, signed on the sidelines of Cop28 in Dubai, “opens the door for future collaboration” between the two entities, as Enec forms international partnerships to support greater energy security and sustainable development, the UAE company said.
The signing took place during the official visit of Kazakhstan president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the UAE.
“This agreement with Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan, as the largest uranium producer globally, is strategically important for Enec in further diversifying and securing fuel supplies,” said Mohamed Al Hammadi, Enec’s managing director and chief executive.
“Enec has a comprehensive strategy for fuel management at Barakah, signing contracts back in 2012 with a number of global suppliers.”
Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer of uranium, holding about 12% of the world’s recoverable uranium resources. It produces about 40% of the world’s uranium supplies.
“Adding Kazamtomprom boosts our roster of fuel partners further, ensuring a sustainable fuel supply for the generation of clean, 24/7 electricity,” Al Hammadi said.
The UAE is bullish about nuclear. It has a strong civil nuclear programme that has already seen the start of commercial operation of three units at the Barakah nuclear power station, with plans for a fourth and final unit to come online in 2024.
Enec, the UAE’s state-owned nuclear company, said it is now focused beyond the Barakah station as it seeks to capitalise on the expertise it has gained by looking at opportunities for further large-scale nuclear plant development, advanced reactors and research and development.
Also at Cop28, Enec signed an agreement with Bill Gates’ advanced nuclear reactor company TerraPower to study the potential commercialisation and global deployment of TerraPower’s Natrium reactor technology.
