Antinuclear

“The UAE would favour an arrangement where spent fuel is taken back after use,” Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said yesterday.

“Some other countries have indicated interest, but they still have to develop their capabilities. There are challenges related to internal legal matters in some of these countries regarding the return of foreign spent fuel.”

The question of long-term storage of nuclear waste is still a problem worldwide. The issue has become highly topical since the partial meltdown at three reactors and subsequent radiation contamination from spent-fuel ponds triggered by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last March.

The matter becomes of increasing importance to the UAE with the approach of a 2017 deadline to bring the first reactor online, making the country the first nation in the Arab world with nuclear power.

That timetable hinges on approval from the Emirates’ independent nuclear regulator, which is reviewing the plans…….

The US, the UK, Australia and Japan – along with France and South Korea – are the nations that have signed nuclear cooperation agreements with the UAE that will provide the legal foundation for knowledge transfer or supply sales…..

Australia, which has 40 per cent of the world’s known uranium reserves, has been most vocal about its desire to make the UAE its customer…..

Australia’s foreign minister, Kevin Rudd, visited Abu Dhabi in March to announce his country’s hopes for a bilateral uranium trade agreement, although he stipulated Australia would require potential partners to maintain strict control over nuclear material.

“A bilateral safeguards agreement with Australia is a further strict non-proliferation condition that Australia requires for supplying uranium,” he said at the time….
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/industry-insights/energy/clamour-to-supply-uae-nuclear-needs