UAE Nuclear Energy

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc381192473 h 1Strengths and weaknesses of the sector PAGEREF _Toc381192474 h 1Threats and opportunities within the sector PAGEREF _Toc381192475 h 2Advantages and disadvantages of the sector PAGEREF _Toc381192476 h 2Contribution of the sector to the economy PAGEREF _Toc381192477 h 3Trends in the sector PAGEREF _Toc381192478 h 3Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc381192479 h 4

IntroductionUAE is the third largest exporter of oil in the world, despite this fact UAE has considering the installation of nuclear-powered plants. These plants are to be installed so as to meet the increasing demand of electricity that is estimated to rise from 15.5GWe to 40GWe in the next decade.teh UAE government took an interest in the evaluation of nuclear energy as an extra source that would meet the growing energy demands the country has. It set up a policy of the evaluation and development of the peaceful development of nuclear energy known as nuclear policy. This concluded that nuclear power was proved to be a commercially competitive and environmentally friendly source of energy compared to other energy sources.UAE has signed treaties with countries such as USA that will ensure nuclear cooperation that is peaceful (World Nuclear Association, 2013). The research will seek tto determine the effects of nuclear energy on the UAE residents and environment.

Strengths and weaknesses of the sectorStrengths of the sector are such as the nuclear agreements that UAE has signed with countries such as France which was a good starting point that signaled the start of the nuclear program.UAE also uses the nuclear supplier’s group export guidelines that it uses and hence it is transparent in its operations. There are many nuclear plants in UAE that have come up such as Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation which have installed some reactors that have brought about developments in the sector.Weaknesses in the nuclear power sector in UAE include the fact that it is an Arab country and therefore the spread of nuclear technology faces a lot of questions from the rest of the world. Nuclear energy is quite a polarizing issue and many people are not willing to work in the sector

Threats and opportunities within the sectorA threat in the UAE nuclear power sector is the increase in other countries interest in nuclear power such as South Korea and South Africa. This means that there will be more competition in the world market for nuclear power.

An opportunity in the nuclear energy sector is consultancies that will arise through an external business environment such as the US .there are also requirements to reorganize do research and development so that the services to be contracted are provided by the consultancies. High energy consumption from nuclear energy as substitute for other energy sources will lead to project development in UAE hence an increase in opportunities. Nuclear energy is a clean energy source and hence it does not cause pollution in UAE like other sources of energy. The production of nuclear energy can prompt people to launch terrorist attacks hence it can be a safety risk.

Advantages and disadvantages of the sectorThe production of nuclear energy is economic since only a small amount of fuel is needed to produce a lot of energy. Secondly nuclear energy provides an alternative energy source that can support the growing energy demands in UAE.

Nuclear energy is disadvantageous as the environmental and economic costs of accidents from nuclear power plants are overwhelming. Secondly the nuclear power plants can not just be located anywhere they have to be placed in areas where heat sinks (World Nuclear Association, 2013).

Contribution of the sector to the economyThe nuclear energy sector is a great contributor to the economy of UAE. This is because the energy requirements in the global market are increasing and UAE exports some of its nuclear energy. This brings a lot of returns to UAE and hence brings about economic development. The economic development in UAE can only be maintained if nuclear energy programs are followed as well as the maintenance of high security and safety standards.

Trends in the sectorUAE nuclear energy sector is set to expand in the future. There was deal that was signed worth $20 billion with some South Korean firm for building more nuclear power plants by 2010.this shows that UAE is set to expand its nuclear energy production. There is also an increase in the urge of securing nuclear technology. The nuclear energy sector has become very important in UAE and recently there are introductions of disciplines related to the production of energy in academic institutions. Nuclear energy is expected to account for 23-25% of electricity in UAE by 2020 this trend shows that nuclear energy is gaining popularity in UAE (Kazim, 2012).

ConclusionUAE is among the emerging countries in nuclear energy sector .if the trend of expanding the nuclear energy sector continues then UAE will be ranked among the top producers of nuclear energy in the world in the near future.

References

Kazim, A. (2012).UAE’s future energy plans. Retrieved April 29, 2013 from http://www.pacificcontrols.net/news-media/uae-future-energy-plans.htmlWorld Nuclear Association. (2013). Nuclear Power in the United Arab Emirates. Retrieved April 29, 2013 from http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-T-Z/United-Arab-Emirates/UAE interact. (2013).Infrastructural development – nuclear energy. Retrieved April 29, 2013 from http://www.uaeinteract.com/spanish/news/default.asp?ID=380