By Alexander Cornwell and Maha El Dahan
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates will soon launch a tender for the construction of a new nuclear power plant that would double the number of nuclear reactors in the small Gulf state, three sources familiar with the matter said.
The United Arab Emirates, a security partner of the United States, became the first Arab state to operate a nuclear power plant when it opened in 2021 at the South Korea-built Barakah facility in Abu Dhabi.
The United Arab Emirates plans to launch a tender this year, potentially in the coming months, for the construction of four new reactors, the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, requesting anonymity to discuss still confidential details. .
The sources said the UAE intends to award the tender and begin construction as early as this year so that the new plant will be operational by 2032 to meet projected energy needs.
The tender would be open to all potential bidders, including U.S., Chinese and Russian companies, the sources said, adding that South Korea would not be considered a preferred bidder.
Asked about plans for a second plant, the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Authority (FANR) said it was ready to review and issue the necessary licenses and regulations that would be needed when and if the government decided to build new ones. power stations.
The UAE Ministry of Energy referred Reuters to FANR for comment.
State-owned Emirates Nuclear Energy Co (ENEC), which owns the Barakah nuclear power plant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The UAE government media office also did not immediately respond when asked for comment.
The United Arab Emirates, which signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with the United States in 2009, says its nuclear program is peaceful and only for energy purposes to reduce its dependence on oil.
It is one of the countries that signed an agreement at the United Nations climate conference in Dubai late last year to triple global nuclear power production over the next three decades.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, Egypt is developing its first nuclear power plant, built by Russia. Saudi Arabia has ambitions for a civilian nuclear program but has so far refused to sign a cooperation agreement with the United States that would prevent the Gulf state from enriching uranium.
South Korea’s Barakah nuclear power plant, located in Abu Dhabi, on the South Korean coast towards Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is expected to provide a quarter of the country’s electricity.
The fourth and final reactor at the Barakah plant is expected to enter commercial operation this year, bringing the nuclear plant to full operational capacity.
Locations considered for the new nuclear plant include a coastal site closer to the border with Saudi Arabia, sources said.
It could also be built closer to the existing Barakah factory, they said.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and Maha El Dahan. Editing by Jane Merriman)
