The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is widely considered a modern-day leader in nuclear energy following the successful construction and operation of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi.
With projections that twenty-five percent of the country’s energy consumption will be powered by nuclear energy – and plans to further increase this – the UAE was therefore an appropriate stage for discussions about the future role of nuclear energy.
Nuclear Energy Agency Director-General William D. Magwood, IV joined a line-up of over 200 speakers from governments, international organisations and private sector who took part in the World Governments Summit in Dubai on 12-14 February on the theme Shaping Future Governments.
The Director-General spoke on a panel exploring nuclear energy in the context of geo-energy dynamics. Energy, as an operational pillar of our modern world, requires immense innovation as both its absence and acceleration pose existential threats to society. With that comes the geo-energy dynamics and among the arbitrary lines of nations, big divisions exist globally between domestic energy policies.
Director-General Magwood outlined how this scenario had shaped the current-day geo-energy dynamics and its global impact in shaping our world. EU Special Representative for the Gulf Region, Luigi Di Maio, and President and CEO of the Atlantic Council, Frederick Kempe. The session was moderated by veteran journalist and Professor of Business at New York University Abu Dhabi, John Defterios, also participated in the panel’s discussions of the risks of not implementing nuclear energy in the energy transition.
“In my view, the energy transition is more than the transition between fossil fuels and green technologies,” said Director-General Magwood.
“From a geo-political sense, it’s a transition away from a world that is driven by the supply of critical materials – fossil fuels and other new materials – and moving towards a world where the users of electricity control their own destinies. That’s what renewables and nuclear energy can do” he added.
Director-General Magwood (left) with fellow ‘Geo-Energy Dynamics’ panel speakers Luigi Di Maio and Frederick Kempe, and moderator, journalist and professor, John Defterios.
The panel also discussed the role of nuclear energy in helping to mitigate the climate crisis and discussed whether or not nuclear energy can be deployed at the scale required to have an impact on climate change.
“The answer to that question depends on the answer to another question, which is, how serious are we about solving the climate crisis?” said Director-General Magwood.
“We have to want to solve the problem. If we really do want to drive to net zero by 2050, it’s inevitable that nuclear energy will play a large role, there’s no other way to get there within that time frame without a significant deployment of nuclear. For that to happen there are issues that have to be dealt with - such as finance, human capacity and supply chain - but they are all solvable issues,” Director-General Magwood added.
During the Summit, Director-General Magwood met with Ministers and high-level officials, including the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure for the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei. The two leaders discussed shared ideas of common interest with regards to nuclear energy policy.
NEA Director-General Magwood meeting Minister of Energy and Infrastructure for the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei, during the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Mr Magwood also visited the Abu Dhabi Polytechnic. There he delivered a lecture to students on the future of nuclear energy, and how the UAE has positioned itself as a modern-day leader in the nuclear sector.
A meeting between the NEA and Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), led by Director- General Magwood and ENEC Managing Director and CEO, H.E. Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi was an opportunity to discuss the launch of the NEA initiative Accelerating SMRs for Net Zero at COP28, and to reflect on the next steps, following their participation in the NEA Leadership Series in late 2023.
The NEA delegation also met with Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the IAEA and Special Representative for International Nuclear Cooperation, and Director-General of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), Mr. Christer Viktorsson.
NEA Director-General Magwood delivering a lecture to students at Abu Dhabi Polytechnic University.
Education and human capacity building are important areas of work for the NEA, and Director-General Magwood visited Abu Dhabi Polytechnic University where he delivered a lecture to students and faculty on the future of nuclear energy, highlighting how the UAE has positioned itself as a modern-day leader in the nuclear sector.
Watch an excerpt from the panel discussion ‘Geo-Energy Dynamics: Shaping the World's Power Balance'.
