Context
India and the UAE have taken their political relationship to the next level through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on civil nuclear energy cooperation. The above notable deal was sealed during the state visit to India of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The MoU signifies a new era with enhanced cooperation between both countries especially in the nuclear sector.
Background and Context
- The civil nuclear cooperation agreement: India-UAE is expected as a result of the long-tireless talks and bargaining between the two countries.
- As for the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who also visited UAE in August, 2015, both the countries have agreed to establish partnership in the ‘use of nuclear energy for peace’ areas that do include such fields as safety, health, agricultural and science and technology.
- Another important development is signing of MoU between NPCIL and ENEC led Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Maintenance is the first of its kind between the two countries.
Key Aspects of the Agreement
The India-UAE civil nuclear cooperation agreement covers several crucial areas:
- Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Plants: The partnership between NPCIL (India) ENEC (UAE) encourages benchmarking, meaning a way of minimizing the risks of nuclear mishaps in the two nations’ generation stations.
- Sourcing of Nuclear Goods and Services: It enables UAE to obtain nuclear products and services from India while providing the Indian companies with an entry point to invest in UAE nuclear industry.
- Exploring Mutual Investment Opportunities: The MoU provides opportunities for both the countries to venture into joint business arrangements, exchanges of technologies and new projects which will help in upliftment of the nuclear energy industry in India-UAE.
- Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing: Focus is shifted to identify preferred ways of capacity building formation and knowledge sharing in nuclear energy generation for the enhancement of sustainable development and technology cooperation between two countries.
Significance and Potential Benefits
The India-UAE civil nuclear cooperation agreement holds immense significance for both countries:
- Enhancing Energy Security: The agreement contributes towards diversification of energy supply and demand and helps the UAE to diversify by not depending solely on the Nuclear Market while India committed to provide nuclear fuel to the UAE as it expands its Nuclear Energy.
- Promoting Sustainable Development: Nuclear energy is known to foster sustainable development through emission of greenhouse gas and the cooperation aims at promoting use of safe and efficient nuclear technologies.
- Strengthening Bilateral Relations: It is also a symbol of the increasing strategic cooperation between India and the UAE to new functional spheres that are security of energy and sustainable development.
Challenges and Considerations
While the India-UAE civil nuclear cooperation agreement holds great promise, there are also challenges and considerations that need to be addressed:
- Ensuring Nuclear Safety and Security: For the nuclear power plants of both countries to be operational, they are bound to follow the global nuclear safety laws and also incorporate sound safety procedures that would enhance safety for their nuclear plants.
- Managing Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste: It is significant to analyse the intended and unintended effects of nuclear power and identify sustainable and long term management measures of the hazards associated with nuclear waste.
- Fostering Public Acceptance: Both governments need to work more about explaining the benefits of nuclear energy to the public, dispel the rumours regarding nuclear energy and encourage the people for the use of nuclear power for the energy requirements.
Conclusion
The cooperation in the civil nuclear area with India is a landmark event that will go a long way in facilitating the expansion and advancement of Nuclear Power in India as well as in UAE. Protecting and guaranteeing the availability of reliable energy for both India and the UAE in the long term is only possible through a collective multi-pronged approach, where two nations complement each other and support each other’s efforts to unlock beneficial opportunities of their comprehensive strategic partnership. Because both countries are heading forward in implementing this agreement, safety, security, and environment aspects must be given the priority as well as the need to encourage or gain public acceptance to nuclear power.
Source: The Hindu