FANR, US Nuclear Regulator renew cooperation agreement

VIENNA, 17th September, 2015 (WAM) -- The United Arab Emirates? Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) and the United States? Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have renewed an arrangement to cooperate on nuclear safety matters.

The five-year arrangement was signed in Vienna, Austria, on 15th September, by Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, Deputy Chairman of FANR?s Board of Management, and NRC Chairman Stephen G. Burns as both attended the annual International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference.

The arrangement calls on the two national nuclear regulators to exchange technical information, cooperate in nuclear safety research and enable FANR staff to train with the US NRC counterparts.

"The US NRC has been a valuable partner for FANR as the UAE comes closer to bringing its first nuclear power reactor online," said Ambassador Al Kaabi, also the UAE?s Permanent Representative to the IAEA. "Continuing this cooperation is key for FANR to maintain its efforts to ensure nuclear safety at the highest international standards."Following the 2009 issuance of the Nuclear Law, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEC) selected a Korean prime contractor to build four light-water nuclear power reactors in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. All four are currently under construction with the first scheduled to enter into service in 2017, pending FANR?s regulatory approval.