The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) engaged in a productive dialogue hosted by the US-UAE Business Council and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) during a business briefing roundtable held in Washington D.C. this week.
Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, took the stage to shed light on the recently unveiled Net Zero Nuclear platform, a strategic initiative leading up to COP28. Al Hammadi provided insights into the UAE’s Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, ENEC’s overarching vision, its future strategic directions, and explored opportunities for potential collaborations with American enterprises within the expanding nuclear energy sector.
The briefing session underscored the pivotal role of nuclear energy in the US-UAE Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE) and at the upcoming COP28, which will be hosted by the UAE in Dubai for two weeks commencing on 30th November this year. Al Hammadi accentuated ENEC’s position as a trailblazing clean energy entity with a mission to harness the vast potential of nuclear energy for a cleaner, more resilient, and positive future. In addition to the generation of abundant and dependable clean electricity at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, ENEC is actively facilitating innovation and the advancement of nuclear-generated clean energy technologies to expedite global decarbonization efforts. Al Hammadi revealed that the Barakah Plant represents only a fraction of ENEC’s broader strategic interests, with a significant focus now directed towards research and development in areas such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), advanced reactors, hydrogen production, and other sustainable energy solutions.
During the roundtable discussion, Mohamed Al Braiki, Strategy and Planning Director for ENEC, highlighted how ENEC is extending its consultancy services to leverage its extensive experience in efficiently bringing a new nuclear energy program into commercial operation. ENEC’s approach adheres to the highest standards of nuclear safety and quality, ensuring efficient and secure nuclear energy delivery.
Notably, Danny Seabright, President of the US-UAE Business Council, has assumed the role of ambassador for Net Zero Nuclear. This initiative serves as a platform for action and advocacy, promoting the pivotal role of nuclear energy in achieving global clean energy security. Net Zero Nuclear was officially launched during the World Nuclear Symposium in London earlier this month, with a US briefing held on the sidelines of UN Climate Week in New York earlier this week. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and ENEC, with support from the Atoms4NetZero initiative by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Net Zero Nuclear calls for unprecedented cooperation among governments, industry leaders, and civil society to triple global nuclear capacity, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
