By Lenka Kollar

It's been a year since I established Nuclear Undone and wrote the first blog post in order to educate the public and policymakers about nuclear energy and nonproliferation issues. In just the first year, we've been approached by many different clients to research and solve complex nuclear issues. We've also reached out to the public and grown in outreach efforts to policymakers. Thanks to all who have contributed and supported us!

What's next? As you may know, I'm currently studying at INSEAD in France/Singapore to obtain my MBA. During this time, I'm working on the strategic path forward for Nuclear Undone. If you have any ideas for outreach projects and how to fund them, or if you're interested in joining the team, please feel free to comment or contact us. 

Thanks again for following!

By Lenka Kollar

This is a follow up to the post on Nuclear Energy's Role in Sustainable Development, finalist in the Masdar blogging contest for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2014.

Energy demand in the UAE is growing by about 9% per year and to meet this demand, the nation is one of the first in nearly thirty years to develop a new nuclear energy program. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) estimates that a quarter of the UAE electricity supply will be produced by nuclear energy by 2020. The country is committed to developing a safe and secure nuclear energy program with assistance from current nuclear energy countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

There are currently four reactor units planned at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant using the Korean (KEPCO) APR-1400 design, meaning that each unit will produce a total of 1400 MW of electricity. As of September 2014, the first unit (pictured above) is already over halfway constructed and is planned to open in 2017, with the other three units opening each year after that until 2020. 

The UAE and KEPCO-led consortium are working closely with the IAEA to ensure that the nuclear power plant is constructed and operated in a safe and secure way. Because of tensions in the region, some are concerned about nuclear weapons proliferation from the spread of nuclear technology. The IAEA institutes safeguards and inspections in all nuclear energy countries to detect the diversion of nuclear material and facilities into non-peaceful uses. The UAE is a signatory to the Nonproliferation Treaty and committed to working with the IAEA in the development of its nuclear energy program. The country even decided to forgo sensitive nuclear technologies (enrichment and reprocessing) and rely on outside fuel suppliers. 

As the first newcomer in nearly 30 years, it will be interesting to see how the UAE develops its nuclear energy program and leads the way for other nations in the region to follow.

Find out more about the UAE Nuclear Energy Program on the World Nuclear Association website.

By Lenka Kollar

While studying my MBA at INSEAD, I'm having the opportunity to learn about the nuclear energy program in France. Even though the United States has the largest number of nuclear power plants, France derives the largest portion of electricity from nuclear power in the world, at about 75%. France has a long-standing policy for energy security and even recycles their nuclear fuel for greater efficiency. 

France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation, and gains over 3 billion euro per year from this. Meanwhile, the neighboring country of Germany is shutting down its nuclear power program mainly due to public opposition, and is now, ironically, importing (nuclear) electricity from France.

It's interesting to see people's reactions here in France when I tell them that I'm a nuclear engineer, as compared to other countries. The French respect nuclear energy and are very positive about the technology and what it can provide. The positive public opinion is largely due to education. Young students learn about nuclear energy as part of their regular curriculum, as evidenced by my classmate Claire-Elise who grew up in France:

This quote proves that education is extremely important in the public perception of nuclear energy. Taking away the "fear of the unknown" is key for effectively communicating about nuclear technology.