DUBAI: Bill Gates’ advanced nuclear reactor company TerraPower LLC and the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned nuclear company ENEC announced on Monday they have agreed to study the potential development of advanced reactors in the UAE and globally.
This agreement aligns with the UAE’s strategic initiative to expand its nuclear energy capacity and follows the commitment of more than 20 nations at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai to triple nuclear deployment in the coming decade as part of the collective effort to combat climate change.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of ENEC, expressed the UAE’s vision for a future driven by clean energy from advanced reactors during the signing ceremony. TerraPower’s President and CEO, Chris Levesque, highlighted the crucial role of advancing nuclear technologies in achieving global decarbonization goals.
Currently, the UAE operates one traditional nuclear power plant near Abu Dhabi, operational since 2020. TerraPower is concurrently working on a demonstration project for its advanced Natrium reactor in Wyoming, USA, with plans for it to be operational by 2030.
Distinguished by their smaller size, enhanced construction feasibility, and greater adaptability compared to conventional plants, advanced reactors are considered a vital complement to the expansion of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TerraPower and the UAE outlines their joint exploration of applications for advanced nuclear reactors, including grid power storage, supplying energy for hydrogen production, and facilitating the decarbonization of industries such as coal, steel, and alminium.
However, a potential challenge arises as TerraPower’s Natrium reactors rely on a fuel called high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU), predominantly supplied by Russia. Concerns over HALEU supply delays, stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have impacted TerraPower’s Wyoming project. Despite this, the company expressed confidence that the United States will establish domestic HALEU production in the coming decade, with initiatives led by entities like Centrus under contract from the U.S. government.
