The UAE and India have forged nuclear ties by signing a landmark MoU that outlines a framework for the operation and maintenance of nuclear plants in the emirates. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Bhuwan Chandra Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), and Mohamed Al Hammadi, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) of the UAE.
We have signed an MoU with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited to share expertise and collaborate on supplier sourcing, human resources development, and nuclear consulting services. pic.twitter.com/ShiqnuLpY8
— Emirates Nuclear (@ENEC_UAE) September 10, 2024
The MoU received government consensus during the ongoing visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India. Al Nahyan held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. “The MoU provides a general framework for the possible collaboration between the NPCIL and ENEC in the relevant fields, which include developing supply chains, sharing experience, and providing services for the operation and maintenance of nuclear energy plants, providing nuclear consulting services, human resources development and training, research and development, etc.,” according to a statement by the NPCIL.
The NPCIL is a public-sector enterprise of the Indian Department of Atomic Energy and operates all civil nuclear power plants in the country. In conjunction, the ENEC is owned by the Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company PJSC, which in turn is owned by the government of the UAE.
A statement released on Tuesday by the NPCIL read: “The signing of this MoU marks a significant step in the growing cooperation between India and the UAE in peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”
