FANR to ensure safe, secure, peaceful N-programme

Abu Dhabi / WAM

The UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), on Tuesday unveiled details of its 2018 corporate outlook focusing on ensuring safe, secure and peaceful nuclear and radiation programmes in the country.
Addressing a media briefing, Christer Viktorsson, Director-General of FANR, said that “the UAE is moving rapidly forward with developing its nuclear sector (and) FANR made notable progress in 2017 by honouring the UAE commitments made under the 2008 Policy of the UAE on Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy.”
“FANR is mandated to regulate the nuclear sector in the UAE, ensuring the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Viktorsson added. “It is also our mission to protect the public and the environment alike,” he said.
FANR’s 2018 Corporate Strategy revolves around carrying out its mission by conducting high-quality regulatory programmes on nuclear safety and security, radiation protection, and nuclear non-proliferation.
According to the strategy, the authority will continue conducting its inspection and verification of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. It is currently reviewing an Operating Licence Application made by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), on behalf of Nawah Energy Company to operate Units 1 and 2 of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Al Dhafra. The operating licences, one for each reactor is expected to be issued once all regulatory requirements are met. In 2017, FANR conducted over 40 inspections related to Barakah. Such inspections included verification of the licensee’s operator training and certification programme and organisational readiness for Unit 1 operations, cyber security, nuclear fuel storage as well as other requirements.
FANR will continue its efforts to develop or revise new regulations and regulatory guides in line with its 2017-2021 Regulatory Framework to help licensees in the country understand and implement the mentioned requirements. It will continue providing licensing services across the country for activities using nuclear material and radiation sources in different fields.
Research and Development is a core initiative at the strategy where FANR will work with its stakeholders on developing a nuclear regulatory research programme to support research activities.
Continuing such efforts, FANR established in 2017 at the premises of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology a Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL), for the purpose of offering calibration of radiation instrument to the industry in the UAE. SSDL helps provide radiation metrology and calibration services to ensure that accurately known doses are delivered to patients undergoing diagnosis and therapy, and that radiation measurement instruments used throughout the UAE, including in the nuclear programme, provide the expected degree of accuracy to support radiation protection.
FANR continuously monitors the radioactivity levels in the UAE environment through its environmental laboratory at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, and through its radioactivity monitoring stations positioned in various locations across the UAE. More than 50 samples were collected in 2017 from different places such as water, soil, sediment, fish and vegetation in cooperation with the Environment Authority- Abu Dhabi, EAD. It will soon issue a report “Radiological Environmental Monitoring Programme Report, which is the first of its kind to be published in the country, illustrating efforts of FANR in protecting the public and the environment.
FANR places importance on protecting the public and the environment. Efforts will continue to build a more robust national infrastructure and capacities for safe and secure uses of radiation applications. Moreover, it will continue efforts aimed at boosting emergency preparedness and response capabilities through leading and participating in emergency drills with national and international stakeholders. During last year, FANR led and took part with national and international stakeholders in over 10 drills to test the centre and to build national capacity in terms of emergency preparedness.
Ensuring human sustainability of the nuclear programme is paramount. FANR will continue its plans to invest in building Emirati capacity to lead the regulatory functions of the nuclear sector. 17 Emiratis graduated in December 2017 from FANR’s flagship programme, The Developee Engineers Programme. In 2018, a batch of six will join the Developee Engineers Programme to be trained and join the nuclear sector. Currently, total workforce at FANR reached 222 employees of which 64% are Emiratis.