United Arab Emirates becomes first Arab nation to build nuclear power plant

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53619916

The United Arab Emirates has launched operations at the Arab world's first nuclear power plant, on the Gulf coast just east of Qatar.

Nuclear fission has begun in one of four reactors at the Barakah plant, which uses South Korean technology.

The plant was due to open in 2017 but start-up was delayed for what officials said were safety requirements.

The oil-rich UAE wants Barakah to meet a quarter of its energy needs, as it adopts more sustainable energy sources.

<snip>

Last year Qatar called the Barakah plant a "flagrant threat to regional peace and environment". Qatar is a bitter regional rival of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.


Across the Gulf lies Iran, hostile to the UAE, and subject to US sanctions because of its controversial nuclear programme.

How long before someone (Qatar, Iran, Israel) bombs the plant (either for reasons of sabotage or because of fear of nuclear weapons development?)

[CumbrianLefty]

How long before someone (Qatar, Iran, Israel) bombs the plant (either for reasons of sabotage or because of fear of nuclear weapons development?)

Israel of course has history in this sort of thing #osirak

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

How long before someone (Qatar, Iran, Israel) bombs the plant (either for reasons of sabotage or because of fear of nuclear weapons development?)

Israel of course has history in this sort of thing #osirak

While UAE/Israeli relations aren't warm, they aren't frosty. I doubt Israel would do anything under current conditions. Both Qatar and Iran might try covert actions, but neither is likely to do anything overt under current circumstances.

[dead0man]

yeah, as long as UAE doesn't try and sell boomer ingredients to terrorists, Israel won't have a problem with this.  I understand bigots/British Labour might have a different opinion.

[CumbrianLefty]

I understand bigots/British Labour might have a different opinion.

Real charmer, you are

[Crumpets]

So, the article says it's a South Korean-designed pressurized water reactor. To my knowledge, the only design that is basically enrichment-program-proof is the Canadian deuterium (heavy water) reactor. Does anyone know how much the uranium needs to be enriched for this kind of reactor and how the UAE is doing it if it's not a negligible amount? Because it's the enrichment process that tends to actually draw the ire of states like Israel and the US more so than the reactor itself.

[NewYorkExpress]

So, the article says it's a South Korean-designed pressurized water reactor. To my knowledge, the only design that is basically enrichment-program-proof is the Canadian deuterium (heavy water) reactor. Does anyone know how much the uranium needs to be enriched for this kind of reactor and how the UAE is doing it if it's not a negligible amount? Because it's the enrichment process that tends to actually draw the ire of states like Israel and the US more so than the reactor itself.

I'd argue just having a nuclear power plant is going to draw Israel's attention, to be honest.

That said, they wouldn't be the only suspects in the event of a bombing of the plant. The UAE is on horrible terms with both Iran and Qatar, and I'm pretty sure Iran has the capabilities to bomb the plant if they chose.

Israel does too, and even if their relations with the UAE aren't awful, I doubt they'd trust an Arab state (except for maybe Jordan or Egypt, both of whom they are officially at peace with), with a nuclear reactor of any kind.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So, the article says it's a South Korean-designed pressurized water reactor. To my knowledge, the only design that is basically enrichment-program-proof is the Canadian deuterium (heavy water) reactor. Does anyone know how much the uranium needs to be enriched for this kind of reactor and how the UAE is doing it if it's not a negligible amount? Because it's the enrichment process that tends to actually draw the ire of states like Israel and the US more so than the reactor itself.

I'd argue just having a nuclear power plant is going to draw Israel's attention, to be honest.

That said, they wouldn't be the only suspects in the event of a bombing of the plant. The UAE is on horrible terms with both Iran and Qatar, and I'm pretty sure Iran has the capabilities to bomb the plant if they chose.

Iran could, but if it did, they'd get hit back in kind, so unless they go all crazy, they won't. That said, if Iran's nuclear program ever does get bombed, this reactor would be a likely target of retaliation, even if the UAE had no involvement whatsoever.