The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) organized a visit to Al Sila School, located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi Emirate. During the visit, students took part in a variety of activities and learned about the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program and its importance to the future growth and development of the nation.
The visit to Al Sila comes as a part of ENEC’s ongoing Schools Outreach Program, which focuses on raising awareness and understanding of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, educating students of all ages on how nuclear energy is used, and showcasing the types of career opportunities available across the nuclear industry.
As a part of the visit, ENEC organized a series of scientific activities that challenged students to think creatively and solve problems while also learning about technical aspects of peaceful nuclear energy. The 1st cycle students, from grades 1 – 5, also participated in a question and answer session during which a number of topics were addressed by ENEC’s experienced schools outreach team.
“Peaceful nuclear energy will power the economic and social growth of the nation for decades to come, and developing the nation’s youth to become future leaders of the UAE’s emerging nuclear energy industry is one of ENEC’s most important priorities,” said Eng. Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC. “Our Schools Outreach Program forms a part of our commitment to the UAE Centennial 2071 vision and the Abu Dhabi Plan, by engaging with communities across the UAE and providing our youth with the information, skills and experience to support their success.”
“We are building the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, just 60 kilometres to the west of Ruwais. The people living in the region are of special importance to us and we want to ensure they know and understand the opportunities that nuclear energy is bringing to their communities, and to the nation as a whole,” added Eng. Al Hammadi.
Over the past year, ENEC has organized a series of school visits, engaging with more than 450 students from Hunain School, Zayed Al Thani, Hamza Bin AbdulMutalib, Bashair School, and GEMS School.
ENEC has recently supported the first National Nuclear Science for Development Student Competition, launched by the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Education and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR). The competition aims to encourage UAE students to explore the role of nuclear energy in applications that can serve the community.
ENEC is responsible for one of the world’s largest new nuclear construction sites, with four Units under development simultaneously. The construction of Unit 1 has been completed in accordance with the highest global standards of quality and safety. As of the end of August 2018, Unit 2 construction completion percentage is now more than 94%, Unit 3 is more than 85%, Unit 4 is more than 76%, and the overall progress rate of Units 1 to 4 is more than 90%. All four units will deliver safe, clean, reliable and efficient electricity to the UAE grid, and prevent the release of more than 21 million tons of greenhouse gas emission every year.