Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, French Nuclear Cluster ink MoU at E-Fusion event

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CSFN (French Nuclear Cluster) at the fifth edition of E-Fusion.

E-Fusion is organised by ENEC in partnership with Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy and CSFN, according to the state news agency, WAM.

The event brings together the UAE and French nuclear sectors to develop and strengthen their collaboration to support the development of the global nuclear supply chain. More than 100 industry professionals attended the event, including French companies specialised in engineering, safety, radiation protection, fuel cycle management and environmental monitoring.

ENEC and CSFN’s new agreement will focus on the future enhancement of a local supply chain for the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme and the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, increase local manufacturing and supply of components and equipment and enable greater sharing of knowledge, skills and expertise.

“France is a leader in the field of nuclear energy and the UAE has been considerably expanding its capacities in this field. E-Fusion is a very important initiative in this regard. French know-how and expertise are recognised worldwide, and the importance of the French delegation of firms travelling from France to this event is another clear demonstration of the growing potential between our two countries,” said Xavier Chatel, French Ambassador to the UAE.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, MD and CEO of ENEC said: “International collaboration has been a key commitment of ours since the inception of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme. Today, the Barakah Plant is recognised as a global civil nuclear energy benchmark from project management, efficiency and cost-effectiveness perspective, as a result of working with key players within the global nuclear energy community. The development of a high-tech nuclear supply chain in the UAE is contributing to the intellectual wealth of the nation and the Industrialisation Strategy. We look forward to continuing our work with organisations from responsible nations, including French enterprises that have been key partners for many years.”

Hervé Maillart, head coordinator for the French nuclear industry, said: “Since 2019 and the launch of E-Fusion, the French nuclear industry has been engaged in a successful partnership with the UAE. E-Fusion is now entering a new dynamic with shared governance between UAE and France. This cooperation aims at developing opportunities for our two countries, contributing to a neutral carbon future.”

The event has involved meetings between the French companies, ENEC and its joint venture operations and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, to further develop partnerships, and create new synergies and opportunities.

In other news, Unit 3 of the UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has started up. The third unit will be connected to the national grid in the coming weeks, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced.

Read: Unit 3 of UAE’s Barakah nuclear energy plant starts up