NUCLEAR SAFETY
28
regulatory
inspections
Reviewed 7
NAWAH reports
and
144
international reports
FANR is the nuclear regulatory body responsible for regulating the design, siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of all nuclear facilities in the UAE such as nuclear power plants. Final responsibility for safety rests with the operator in charge of running and operating the nuclear facility.
Our role includes maintaining oversight of nuclear safety, security and safeguards in accordance with the requirements of national and international legislation through the issuance of regulations and regulatory guides to implement UAE law. This entails overseeing the operator's compliance with requirements through a programme of assessment, authorisation, inspection and enforcement.
After issuing an Operation Licence for Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in February 2020, FANR carried out an in-depth review and assessment of the application for an Operation Licence for Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. A licence will only be granted once the applicant's proposals and commitments comply with FANR’s stringent safety requirements. FANR’s senior management is currently preparing a recommendation to the FANR Board of Management for the issuance of an Operation Licence for Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
FANR continued to inspect the construction of the other three reactors at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and is able to do so as it has a permanent resident inspectors’ office at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, with five inspectors monitoring construction and commissioning activities on a full-time basis. FANR inspectors also conducted inspections throughout the initial testing of the reactor at Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant; from fuel load to power ascension testing at 100% power.
In 2020 FANR completed 28 regulatory inspections covering site construction, commissioning, operational readiness, power ascension tests and vendor inspections.
Construction and Operating Experience Feedback
FANR’s construction and operating experience feedback programme is a core process within FANR’s integrated management system. The programme was established as a means of reviewing events worldwide in order to learn lessons and implement corrective actions to avoid similar events recurring. The construction and operating experience programme provides the following benefits:
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Analysis of trends to identify patterns in events and conditions by providing intelligence to prevent the reoccurrence of undesirable events or conditions.
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Learning and gaining knowledge from past events in the areas of nuclear and radiological safety, security and safeguards to prevent or minimise the risk of future events.
During the year, FANR held 15 construction and operating experience feedback screening meetings that collectively reviewed seven NAWAH reports and 144 international reports from the International Reporting System(IRS).The IRS is an international system jointly managed by the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The IRS enables participating countries to exchange operational experience to improve the safety of nuclear power plants. This information is then shared internally for review or action, as appropriate. In order to enhance the competence of Emirati staff with respect to the design and operation of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, 20 Emirati employees participated in construction and operating experience feedback screening meetings to benefit from technical presentations related to reviewed events.