Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), the main contractor tasked by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation to build the UAE’s four nuclear plants, has been at the centre of the probe in South Korea.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Fahad Al Qahtani, External Affairs and Communications Director at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec), said the scandal will not impact the UAE’s peaceful nuclear programme and is limited to South Korean reactors.
Investigators in South Korea last week uncovered the use of nuclear safety cables with forged safety certificates at two power plants under construction.
But Al Qahtani said the supplier involved in the Korean investigation (JS Cable) is not approved by Enec. “This company is not approved to supply our programme in Barakah with any goods, materials or services,” he confirmed.
“We are confident that the Government of the Republic of Korea will take every measure needed to continuously improve corporate governance across its energy sector and continuously improve its culture of safety and quality,” he said.
Last year, eight South Korean suppliers were found to have faked warranties covering thousands of items used in a number of reactors and several arrests were made this May.
“Enec’s quality assurance and quality surveillance programme mandates that one of the key requirements is to compare the certificates of compliance obtained by middle parties with the original certificates from the manufacturers and laboratories. This means that an independent investigation from a certified agent is required for any key component such as these cables,” Al Qahtani said.
Enec’s auditing targets counterfeits during the supply of nuclear and non-nuclear materials and parts. “Specifically, Enec uses a series of internationally respected guidelines, such as the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10 CFR 830 Subpart A and the United States Department of Energy Directive O 414.1B to guide our practices and guidelines related to counterfeit, suspect and fraudulent Items,” he explained.
