The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TerraPower, an American company specializing in nuclear innovation.
At COP28, the MoU formalization ceremony took place, with Ahmed Al Mazroui, Vice President of Nuclear Research and Development at ENEC, and Chris Levesque, President and Chief Executive Officer of TerraPower, overseeing the signing. Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of ENEC, Bill Gates, TerraPower’s Chairman, and David Livingston, Senior Advisor Managing Director for Energy for the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, along with other US Government officials, attended the ceremony.
ENEC and TerraPower Partner to Evaluate Natrium Technology for Clean Energy Solutions
Collaborating across multiple domains, ENEC and TerraPower will jointly assess the technical design and commercial feasibility of TerraPower’s Natrium technology in the UAE and the USA. This technology aims to generate clean electricity and explore non-traditional applications such as producing green molecules, clean hydrogen, and methods to expedite the decarbonization of energy-intensive sectors by providing carbon-free electricity.
The Natrium technology incorporates a cost-competitive sodium fast reactor integrated with a molten salt energy storage system. This unique combination offers clean, adaptable energy and stability that seamlessly integrates into existing power grids.
ENEC and TerraPower will evaluate strategies to optimize the application of Natrium technology for grid stability, emphasizing energy storage capabilities. The MoU facilitates a comprehensive analysis of potential collaborations in engineering, workforce, and supply chain development, supporting projects in the UAE with potential secondments of Emirati engineers to TerraPower’s US headquarters.
Accelerating Nuclear Innovation: ENEC and TerraPower Forge Strategic Partnership at COP28
Al Hammadi commented, “Our message at COP28 is that nuclear energy is vital to achieving Net Zero, in line with the announcement in the past days by world leaders who have called for a tripling of global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. In the UAE, nuclear is at the heart of our clean energy progress and strategy, with the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant contributing to the largest decarbonisation effort in our nation’s history.”
“Our new agreement with TerraPower will facilitate cooperation in taking nuclear energy technology to the next level by accelerating its deployment and its use for innovating new solutions, including the production of clean molecules and hydrogen.”
Levesque, in turn, said, “Bringing advanced nuclear technologies to market is critical to meeting global decarbonisation targets. TerraPower and ENEC are leading the way in deploying nuclear plants, and this agreement allows us to share our expertise and design experience and explore the opportunity for deployment of Natrium reactors around the world, including additional locations in the United States. We look forward to evaluating new opportunities for Natrium and increasing our collaboration with ENEC.”
Strategic Collaboration: ENEC and TerraPower Join Forces to Advance Natrium Technology Globally
Having successfully constructed and developed one of the world’s largest nuclear plants, ENEC is well-positioned to collaborate with TerraPower in identifying deployment opportunities. This partnership facilitates mutual access to insights and experiences in project management, construction, integration, operations, and research and development.
The MoU additionally creates the prospect for ENEC to spearhead a broader regional implementation of TerraPower’s Natrium technology across the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. The joint objective is to expedite the commercialization and global deployment of Natrium technology through licensing agreements with TerraPower, operating within the framework of the existing US–UAE PACE programme.
The cooperation between ENEC and TerraPower aligns with the recently initiated ENEC ADVANCE Programme. This new initiative aims to leverage the latest advancements in nuclear energy technologies, reinforcing the UAE’s standing as a leading nation committed to climate action by accelerating the global transition to clean energy and achieving Net Zero.
ENEC’s strategic focus is on enhancing the achievements of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program through fostering innovation and partnerships in clean molecules, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and the international implementation of nuclear technologies.
