Agreement comes on the heels of similar UAE deal with U.S.
– By Linton Levy –
The UAE has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Japan for exploring possibilities of developing peaceful nuclear power. Under the deal, Japan will provide a range of assistance to the UAE, which is hoping to operate its first nuclear power plant in 2017, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)said.
The cooperation deal was signed by Saif Sultan Al Aryani, the UAE Foreign Minister's dersecretary, and Takamori Yoshikawa, Japan's senior vice-minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. The memorandum is to take into consideration all safety measures, security and nuclear non-proliferation aspects.
The deal with Japan comes immediately after another cooperation deal with the USA, which was signed off on January 16,2009. In addition, the deal covers cooperation over the next three years only, with extension subject to another set of signatures.
The Middle-Eastern nation is seen as a leader among the emerging nuclear power countries. The UAE published a nuclear energy policy in July last year and is working towards establishing nuclear power plants to help meet a power demand for up to 40,000 MWe by 2020.
The UAE has set up a managing entity for its prospective nuclear power program, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec), which has subsequently selected CH2M Hill as managing agent for a ten-year period. These steps came after advice from the International Atomic Energy Agency and consultants from Thorium Power.
Al Aryani said in a statement, after signing the memorandum, that the UAE was keen on cooperating in the field of peaceful nuclear energy with highly responsible countries in this regard.
He also pointed out the long history of cooperation between the UAE and Japan and this field. Yoshikawa said his country had worked on and developed nuclear energy for more than four decades. Japan currently owns no less than 55 commercial nuclear reactors.
The Japanese vice-minister also said the cooperation with the UAE in this field would benefit both the countries. The memorandum of cooperation included steps towards preparing and planning a peaceful nuclear program, while managing the bases of atomic non-proliferation, safety and nuclear radiation protection and handling nuclear hazard emergencies.
The memorandum included all aspects of training human resources, social awareness and the relevant infrastructure. The cooperation document also comprised exchange visits between the two countries,seminars, workshops, technical and services assistance.
The UAE signed the memo with Japan after signing a series of similar agreements with the UK, U.S.,and France. In April 2008, the UAE had published a document for evaluating and developing peaceful nuclear energy for civilian usages, emphasizing the UAE's transparent policies and abiding by all related safety and security measures.
This document was prepared after long and patient studies that underlined the dire and increasing need for electricity in the UAE, with nuclear power generation offering a viable solution.