Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al-Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, with participants of the Women in Nuclear (WiN) Chapter event in Abu Dhabi. — Courtesy photo
Abu Dhabi — The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) this week celebrated the first anniversary of the region's first Women in Nuclear (WiN) Chapter, the global organization that supports the role of women in the nuclear industry around the world. Established in 2014, ENEC's WiN Chapter is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is supported by Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al-Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development. “I am extremely proud to be supporting the ENEC WiN Chapter,” said Sheikha Lubna. “Developing women in such an important industry that will enhance the future social and economic growth of our nation is innovative as well as necessary. Women have an important role in communicating the benefits of nuclear energy and reassuring society on the facts about health and safety. The UAE's commitment to on-going development is recognized internationally as setting a high standard,” she added. ENEC's WiN Chapter marked its first anniversary with two industry events held in Abu Dhabi and at ENEC's Barakah site in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, held under the sponsorship of Westinghouse Electric Company – one of the subcontractors of ENEC's Prime Contractor, the Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO). The event saw a gathering of industry leaders, and included opening speeches from Jeff Benjamin, Senior Vice President of New Plants and Major Projects, and Joni Falascino, Vice President of Project Delivery in the New Plants and Major Projects, at Westinghouse – who together have more than 50 years of experience in the nuclear industry. “To safely deliver a project of the scale and complexity of the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program it takes a large and diverse team, and I am proud that of our 1400 employees today, over 21 percent of these highly skilled professionals are female, more than the global average of just over 20 percent for females in nuclear professions worldwide,” said Mohamed Al-Hammadi, ENEC's Chief Executive Officer. ENEC also supports an increasing number of female students through its Energy Pioneers scholarship program – the future nuclear energy leaders who will oversee safe operations of the country's first nuclear energy plant when it begins operations in 2017. Currently over 29% of students in ENEC's educational programs are female, with that figure increasing to 34% in the Higher Diploma in Nuclear Technology (HDNT) program. “These talented females are playing an active role in delivering a project that will have a direct and lasting impact on the continued growth and development of our nation, contributing to an industry that will deliver up to a quarter of the nation's energy needs by 2020. ENEC is committed to providing a world-class and supportive working environment for all our employees, and the success of our WiN Chapter over the past year is yet another example of how we are bringing this vision to life,” added Huda Al Hashimi, ENEC's Group External Affairs Director. By 2020, ENEC will need approximately 2,000 employees to operate its four nuclear plants at Barakah, in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, with 60 per cent of these roles to be filled by Emirati women and men. Construction of the UAE's first nuclear energy plant continues to progress safely and steadily at Barakah, with Unit 1 now over 70% complete and all four units more than 45% complete. By 2020, ENEC's four plants will provide up to a quarter of the UAE's electricity needs, and save up to 12 million tons of carbon emissions annually. — SG
