Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the United Arab Emirates’ (U.A.E.) flagship civilian nuclear energy company, awarded contracts worth $3 billion to international fuel supply and support firms last Wednesday. The winning companies competed in an international nuclear fuel procurement competition and include ConverDyn— an American nuclear fuel conversion company based in Colorado. Launched by ENEC in July of 2011, the year-long competition focused on the creation of a nuclear fuel supply strategy for the first fifteen years of the U.A.E.’s peaceful civilian nuclear program, according to the country’s official newswire Emirates News Agency-WAM.

ConverDyn, established out of a general partnership between affiliates of U.S.-based global firms Honeywell and General Atomics, won the contract to provide fuel conversion services beginning in 2014-15 when the ENEC fuel supply program is set to launch. The company will also serve to advance America’s continued commercial partnership throughout the early stages of the U.A.E.’s civilian nuclear program’s development.

Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of ENEC, spoke to the significance of the newly awarded contracts and applauded the U.A.E. government’s efforts to implement a peaceful nuclear program while upholding worldwide non-proliferation policies:

“These contracts will provide ENEC with long-term security of supply, high quality fuel and favorable pricing and commercial terms. The ENEC fuel procurement strategy is guided by the Government of the United Arab Emirates’ support for international non-proliferation efforts,” said Al Hammadi.

According to WAM, “ENEC is planning to build four 1,400-MW nuclear energy units at the recently approved site, Barakah, in the Western Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in order to provide the electricity needed to fuel the economic growth of the U.A.E.” ENEC’s plan currently calls for all four units to begin serving the country’s energy needs by 2020.

For more information about the U.A.E.’s civilian nuclear energy program, visit: http://enec.gov.ae/our-nuclear-energy-program/

For media reports covering Wednesday’s developments, visit:

“Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation awards Nuclear Fuel Supply contracts” – WAM

“UAE awards nuclear fuel supply contracts, worth $3 bln” – Reuters

“UAE awards $3bn nuclear fuel contracts” – Arabian Business