Hundreds of residents, members of the public and students, attended two successful public forums organized by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The forums were held at Baynounah Educational Complex in the Al Dhafra Region on the 6th November and at Zayed University Convention Centre on 8th November.

Following the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century, which took place in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, the public forums continued to highlight the importance of nuclear energy as a safe, clean, efficient and reliable source of electricity. Around 448 nuclear energy plants are currently operating in 30 countries with an additional 58 under construction. Nuclear energy provides 11% of the world’s electricity, while emitting virtually no greenhouse gases.

These topics were addressed at the Public Forums by Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO, ENEC, and members of ENEC’s senior leadership and technical teams, who also presented the latest progress on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant and next steps for the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. Following the presentations, participants had the opportunity to ask questions about the program as well as to gain a deeper insight into different aspects such as the economic and social benefits it is already bringing to the UAE.

ENEC CEO, Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi, said: “We are dedicated to educating, updating and listening to our citizens on the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program through these public forums. This is a historic project for our nation and one of considerable significance to the future development of the UAE. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, through the generation of clean, efficient and reliable energy to the UAE grid, will act as a catalyst for the transformation and diversification of our economy and society. We will continue to communicate in a transparent and informative way on the development of our Program as we reach upcoming milestones.”

During the Forums, common misconceptions on a variety of issues were dispelled by ENEC specialists who provided the scientific facts on radiation and its prevalence in nature. Additionally, senior engineers from ENEC compared nuclear energy with other forms of energy including natural gas, coal and solar and outlined why nuclear energy was chosen by the UAE Government to be an important component of the country’s future energy mix.

The forums were open to all residents and provided an interactive and open platform for discussion and engagement with the UAE’s leading nuclear specialists. Additional community events will take place in the coming months to ensure the general public have opportunities to meet with ENEC’s nuclear experts to learn about nuclear energy.

The Forums highlighted the continued progress being made at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. Unit 1 at the Barakah plant is now more than 96% complete and the project as a whole, more than 84% complete. Visitors were able to see the latest achievements at Barakah through videos, animations and a new Virtual Reality application which is available to the public on www.enec.gov.ae/360 and provides users with a virtual tour of the Barakah Plant.

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