New nuclear power stations like those planned for the UAE will have to be built on time and on budget if they are to help atomic power reclaim the credibility it lost post-Fukushima disaster in Japan.
That's the verdict of the authors of a new report published by consultants Booz & Co, who say efficient delivery of new nuclear projects is a must if the industry is to make up lost ground.
"If projects currently on the drawing board fail to deliver on expectations for cost and schedule performance, the ability to build the next generation nuclear fleet will be impaired," noted the team behind the report, titled 'After Fukushima, Nuclear Power in a New World'.
The UAE has plans for four nuclear power stations, and last month awarded the fuel contracts for the first of these - a reactor at Barakah, a remote coastal site in Abu Dhabi that is due to be produce its first power in 2017.
Booz & Co said the UAE had adopted a "safety-driven approach" and is "considered a true role model by international organisations as well as other regional states".
The report finds that despite a reduction in nuclear activity in Japan and Germany, there has been no global retreat from the industry in the wake of last year's accident.
© 7Days 2012
