UAE FM, IAEA chief meet over nuclear power policy

Foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met on Sunday with Yukiya Amano, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the four nuclear power plants under construction in the Gulf Arab state, state news agency WAM reported.

During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, and the IAEA chief discussed ways of strengthening their cooperation, particularly in gaining scientific knowledge and technical expertise from the agency.

The minister stressed the importance of the partnership, and of UAE's support to IAEA for its pivotal role in non-proliferation efforts and peaceful use of nuclear technology.

The diplomat also praised the agency's continuous valuable efforts in developing nuclear energy on a global scale, "and its support of the important role that nuclear energy plays in the achievement of sustainable development goals," said the WAM report.

The cost of building the four nuclear plants is some 20 billion U.S. dollars. The first nuclear reactor shall produce electricity by 2017. And by 2020 all four reactors shall be active.

The UAE, a major oil supplier, plans that nuclear energy shall reach a quarter the domestic energy production so as to slash the share of gas from the current 99 percent. Renewable energy sources liked solar and wind power shall produce up to 10 percent of the Gulf state's energy needs by 2030. Enditem