ENEC’s Nuclear Safety Review Board Completes First Meetings
31.07.11
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation’s recently appointed Nuclear Safety Review Board has completed its first set of review meetings, and will be working with ENEC on various issues and plans in the coming year.
Abu Dhabi, December 27th, 2010 – The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation’s recently appointed Nuclear Safety Review Board has completed its first set of review meetings, and will be working with ENEC on various issues and plans in the coming year.
ENEC established the NSRB in July to provide a review of the safety and effectiveness of the construction, startup and operations of the ENEC program, with a core emphasis on nuclear safety. The Board reports to ENEC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mohamed Al Hammadi. It is chaired by Dr. Dale Klein, a former chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NSRB also contributed to the review of ENEC’s Construction Licenses Application for the proposed Braka Nuclear Power Plants, which has been submitted to the UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.
Klein said the NSRB intends to be very proactive. It has held two meetings in Abu Dhabi this year, and plans to hold three in 2011, one of which will be in South Korea.
“Our goal is to help ensure the success of the UAE nuclear project,” Klein said. “The Board is focused on helping make the project a success by applying our experience and providing advice from a broad, international and independent perspective.”
The Board is made up of four members from Korea, Japan and the United States with significant experience in all areas of civil nuclear power. [See Board member biographies below.]
“The meetings this year have proven to be a very good start to our work with the NSRB. The members provided us with insights into how to make this program a success from a safety, construction and human resource development perspective,” Mr. Al Hammadi said. “I know our staff looks forward to continued productive interaction with the Board.”
“The NSRB has been impressed by the talent of the people we will be working with at ENEC,” Klein said. “Furthermore, we were impressed by the long-range systematic approach taken by the UAE government in designing this program. This includes the long range educational goals, the expectation for the active involvement of UAE citizens, and the focus on safety and security.”
The NSRB has established four sub-committees that will focus its work with ENEC on the following areas:
- Operations, Safety and Training
- Regulatory, Security and Oversight
- Construction and Project Management
- Engineering and Design
Following its initial meetings, the NSRB recommended that ENEC continue to work on strengthening its maturing relationship with KEPCO, the Prime Contractor for the UAE’s nuclear power program, given the long-term nature of the partnership the two parties have embarked upon. The Board also advised that ENEC work to further develop realistic succession plans for ENEC employees.
“The Board was impressed by the progress of ENEC to date and was especially impressed by the enthusiasm of the ENEC employees,” Klein said.
The members of the ENEC Nuclear Safety Review Board are:
Dr. Dale Klein Dr. Dale E. Klein rejoined The University of Texas at Austin in April, 2010 after serving almost 8 ½ years as a Presidential Appointee. He currently is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Associate Vice President for Research, and Associate Director of the Energy Institute. Dr. Klein was sworn into the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission July 2006. He was appointed Chairman by President George W. Bush and served in that role from July 1, 2006, to May 13, 2009. From May 13, 2009 until March 30, 2010 he served as a Commissioner. Before joining the NRC, Dr. Klein served as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. Dr. Klein holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph. D. in nuclear engineering, all from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Dr. Chang Sun Kang Dr. Kang worked as a nuclear engineer and was Executive Managing Director of Daewoo Engineering Company in Korea before spending nearly 30 years as a professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University. Dr. Kang received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in nuclear engineering in 1972. Earlier he received his B.S. Degree in nuclear engineering from Seoul National University. He received the Order of National Service Merit from the Government of Korea, presented for Outstanding Contribution to University Level Education in Korea, 2008. In 2009 he was presented with the World Nuclear Association Award, presented for Distinguished Contribution to the Peaceful Worldwide Use of Nuclear Energy.
E. James (Jim) Reinsch Mr. Reinsch retired as Senior Vice President and Partner of Bechtel Group and was President of Bechtel Nuclear Power, responsible for Bechtel’s three nuclear business segments: nuclear operating plant services, steam generator replacement, and new nuclear generation. He is a former president of the American Nuclear Society, a 10,000-plus-member organization that develops and applies nuclear science and technology. He holds a B.S. Degree from the University of Maryland.
James J. (Joe) Sheppard Mr. Sheppard graduated with a B.S. in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, and holds a Masters Degree from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He also holds a Senior Reactor Operator License from the U.S. NRC. Most recently Mr. Sheppard was President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of STP Nuclear Operating Company.
Dr. Kunihisa Soda Dr. Soda was a Commissioner on the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan for six years and the Deputy Chair since 2009, finishing his service with the Commission in April 2010. He was a member of the technical advisory groups to the government regulatory organizations of MITI and STA from early the 1980s to 2004. He was a member of INSAG and NEA/CSNI Bureau. He currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) on nuclear safety and as the President of the Third Joint Convention of International Atomic Energy Agency until May 2011, having started in October 2008. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from University of Tokyo, an M.S. in gas technology from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a Ph. D in energy engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle.
For more information, please visit www.enec.gov.ae , Media Relations Manager media@enec.gov.ae