For any country considering the pursuit of a peaceful
nuclear energy programme, the question of radioactive waste management presents
a significant challenge. The UAE's Nuclear Policy sets out the objectives for
developing a comprehensive national legal framework for the management of
radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. In addition, ever since the issuance
of the UAE's Nuclear Law of 2009, the country has been committed to developing
arrangements for the management of radioactive waste.
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), as part
of its mandate to protect the public and environment, developing regulations and regulatory guides
to the operator, has been highly active in developing the regulatory
requirements of the infrastructure for management of radioactive waste.
At the centre of such arrangements is the Barakah Nuclear
Power Plant (BNPP), situated in the UAE's western region and comprising four nuclear
reactors, three of which have received their operating licenses following rigorous
review by FANR. Once all four reactors are active, it is projected that the
facility will provide a quarter of the UAE's energy demands.
The need for robust radioactive waste management has been
taken into consideration from the outset of the BNPP project, with every one of
the facility's four units featuring its own spent fuel pool, capable of storing
spent fuel for a period of 20 years. In addition, FANR has already issued a
number of regulations for the management of radioactive wastes in the country,
and the UAE government is developing a federal policy for long-term storage and
waste management.
Earlier this year, FANR representatives took part in the
Seventh Review of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management
and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, during which they presented the
UAE's Fourth National Report on its obligations to the Joint Convention. The
report details measures implemented by the country to manage nuclear and
radioactive waste.
The management of radioactive waste is an essential
component in FANR's mandate to regulate the radioactive wastes in the UAE.