The authorities of the United Arab Emirates are considering the possibility of announcing a tender for the construction of a second nuclear power plant (NPP) by the end of the year ) in the country, reported ag. Reuters, citing UAE Permanent Representative to the IAEA Hamad Al Kaabi.
"The government is considering this option. "The final decision on the bidding process has not been made yet, but I can say that the government is actively looking into this matter," Al Kaabi said. The agency informs that requests for the construction of a second nuclear power plant in the country can be submitted by Russia, China and the USA in particular. Building the facility could cost the UAE government “tens of billions of dollars”.
According to al-Kaabi, the new nuclear power plant could consist of two or four reactors. He added that the last reactor of the country's only nuclear power plant will be put into commercial operation by the end of the year, so the UAE government has already begun to explore the prospects of increasing capacity. Al-Kaabi also said that representatives of the UAE have already held talks with leading global companies on the construction of nuclear power plants, without elaborating.
UAE authorities predict that over the next 10 years, the country's electricity consumption will increase significantly due to population growth and an increase in industrial capacity. The country does not intend to engage in uranium enrichment, therefore it purchases the necessary fuel on the international market.
The first nuclear power plant in the Arab world, Barakah, located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, began operations in 2020. The first of four power units was commissioned on August 1, 2020, and entered commercial operation on April 6, 2021. The fourth reactor was commissioned in March 2024 but has not yet entered commercial operation. The power of the station is expected to be 5.6 gigawatts, which will provide about 25% of the country's electricity needs.