ENEC signs collaboration deals with Korea, USA

During a visit to Seoul, South Korea, by ENEC management, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Hyundai E&C, which was the lead contractor in the construction of the UAE's four-unit Barakah nuclear power plant. It was signed by Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo and ENEC Managing Director and CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi.

The MoU provides a comprehensive framework for knowledge sharing, collaborative evaluation of project participation, and assessment of strategic investment opportunities. It also includes the formation of a joint working group to identify areas of mutual interest and support the development of future nuclear energy initiatives.

"The collaboration between ENEC and Hyundai E&C builds on the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and the Republic of Korea in the nuclear sector and supports both countries' shared goals to advancing peaceful nuclear energy in line with International Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency projections for a significant global scale-up of nuclear capacity by 2030 and 2050 respectively," ENEC said.

"This MoU is very meaningful in that it provides a practical foundation for seeking cooperation opportunities with ENEC on global nuclear power projects," said a spokesperson from Hyundai E&C. "We will continue to discover new nuclear power plant projects in various regions, including the Middle East, North America, Asia, and Europe, and strengthen our global competitiveness in the future."

ENEC said the MoU with Hyundai E&C demonstrates its "expanding role in international nuclear partnerships to sustaining momentum in nuclear energy development and shaping the future of nuclear energy by enabling faster, safer and more cost-effective deployment of new nuclear technologies in the UAE and globally". 

It noted that the signing of the MoU follows a series of recent agreements between ENEC and leading global operators, technology developers, and energy companies.

"ENEC is pursuing a new phase of investing in, collaborating with and consulting on both large nuclear reactors in addition to advancing new nuclear technologies both locally and internationally," the company said. "With the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant fully operational, ENEC is now focused on working with global partners to support the acceleration of nuclear deployment and committed to working with all responsible nations looking to deploy new nuclear or expand their existing fleets, and MoUs with companies such as Hyundai E&C are a clear demonstration of this approach."

Westinghouse agreement

Last week, ENEC announced it had signed an MoU with Westinghouse to explore collaboration opportunities for the deployment of advanced nuclear energy solutions in the USA.

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Westinghouse said the collaboration will "leverage ENEC's world-class expertise in large-scale nuclear development and operations and Westinghouse's industry leading nuclear technologies".

Under the MoU, the companies will explore ways to accelerate the deployment of the AP1000 reactor in the USA. In addition, ENEC and Westinghouse will look at ways to collaborate across a broad range of opportunities, including new build and restart projects in the USA, development of commercial and operational deployment models for AP1000 reactors, and fuel supply chains, operations and maintenance services.

"With ENEC's proven track record in developing one of the world's most advanced nuclear energy programmes, our collaboration with Westinghouse brings together two leaders in our fields," Al Hammadi said. "This marks a significant step in supporting the United States' bold ambitions to rapidly expand its nuclear fleet, reinforcing the deep and long-standing energy partnership between the UAE and the United States."