UAE becomes associate member of multinational nuclear evaluator

The UAE's nuclear regulator has become an associate member of the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP), which includes national regulatory bodies from a number of major, nuclear energy states, a statement from the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) said Wednesday. The UAE regulator, known as the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), will now attend meetings and working groups of countries that are committed to building or "have firm commitments to build in the near future" and who want to address reactor design and other issues. MDEP was set up by France and the United States in 2006 to develop and provide innovative approaches to nuclear reactor construction and design. The MDEP Policy Group and the French Nuclear Safety Authority "confirmed that the UAE's national regulator meets the criteria for association membership," the statement indicated. The UAE is building an advanced power reactor at the Barakah site in the country and local safety evaluations are being carried out by the national regulator and are being reviewed by the MDEP.