Nawah Energy Company, the newly-formed nuclear energy operating joint venture between the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), held its first board of directors meeting recently.

Earlier in the day, the General Assembly formally finalised the appointment of the members of the Nawah board.

The board was chaired by Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei and was joined by David Scott as vice chairman and board members Mohamed Al Hammadi, Ahmed Mohamed Al Rumaithi, Fatima Mohamed Al Shamsi, Ahmed Matar Al Mazrouei, and Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi. It was also attended, under the joint venture agreement, by Jong Hyuck Park and Jong Hun Tae as representatives of Kepco.

The board is mandated to govern the performance of Nawah Energy Company and is responsible for holding the Nawah CEO and leadership team accountable for the company’s performance to the highest nuclear safety standards and for operating and maintaining the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) safely, reliably and efficiently, said a statement.  

“I am pleased to be taking part in this world class nuclear program at such an exciting time. Nawah has been mandated to operate and maintain Units 1 – 4 at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to provide the UAE with a safe, reliable and sustainable source of low-carbon electricity to power the growth of the nation,” stated Saeed Al Mazrouei.  

He continued: “Once fully operational, these four reactors will generate up to 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity requirements. By utilising nuclear energy to generate electricity, the 5,300 MW plant will save millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, contributing to sustainability and environmental protection.”

Nawah’s acting chief executive officer Mohammed Sahoo AlSuwaidi added: “Nawah aims to be recognised as a top nuclear plant operator. We fully recognise the scale of the responsibility we bear and the challenges that lie ahead of us. We are focused on achieving operational readiness in line with the expectations of our regulator, FANR, and the wider nuclear industry, to the highest standards of safety, transparency and security. In parallel, with the valuable support of our international nuclear experts, we are committed to developing the younger generation of UAE Nationals who will be the future operators of our plant. Our goal is that from 2020 onwards, Nawah Energy Company will fully operate the four nuclear reactors, safely, reliably and efficiently, to deliver the vision of the UAE’s Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program.

"Having our first board of directors meeting is an important strategic milestone that will support us in directing and governing the company and the leadership team’s performance. I am proud of the steady progress that Nawah has made and look forward to what is to come in the near future with the support of our chairman, the board and our stakeholders,” he said. - TradeArabia News Service