COP28 Announcement Supports Global Climate Objectives
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Dec. 5, 2023 – Westinghouse Electric Company today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to explore deployment of the eVinci™ microreactor in the UAE. The MoU signing took place at COP28 in Dubai in recognition of the role nuclear energy will play to accelerate global decarbonization.
Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragman (left) with His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, at the signing ceremony at COP28 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The MoU will facilitate joint exploration of technical and commercial deployment in the Emirates and overseas. The new partnership will leverage Westinghouse’s extensive experience designing and deploying new nuclear technology and ENEC’s proven project delivery, as well as identify potential UAE nuclear-graded supplier partners.
“Our latest collaboration with Westinghouse takes this vision of rapid decarbonization a step further, enabling us to assess the positive potential impact of eVinci microreactors, to accelerate global clean energy transitions. Now more than ever we need fast action and reliable solutions to guarantee energy security, whilst sustainably powering our homes, businesses, cities and hard-to-abate sectors,” said His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
“We are very excited to be partnering with ENEC once again, and with this game-changing technology that can be truly transformative to the UAE,” said Patrick Fragman, President and CEO, Westinghouse. “Our eVinci microreactor is an innovative nuclear battery that can deliver decarbonization and secure energy exactly where it is needed for a wide range of customers and applications.”
The agreement is enabled by the UAE-U.S. Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy, known as PACE, which was launched in November 2022 and is expected to mobilize $100 billion in clean energy projects, including nuclear power, by 2035.
Last week, the Saskatchewan Research Council announced a funding award to begin development of the first eVinci microreactor in Canada. Westinghouse recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to plan for the location of the eVinci Nuclear Test Reactor at Idaho National Lab. The test reactor, a one-fifth scale representation of an actual eVinci microreactor, will enable design finalization, testing and licensing of the technology. Last year, the Canadian government awarded Westinghouse a grant from its Strategic Innovation Fund to further the technology’s development.
The eVinci Microreactor builds on decades of Westinghouse innovation to bring carbon-free, safe, and scalable energy wherever it is needed for a variety of applications, including electricity and heating for remote communities, universities, mining operations, industrial centers, data centers, and defense facilities, and soon the lunar surface and beyond. The eVinci microreactor has very few moving parts, working essentially as a battery, providing the versatility for power systems ranging from several kilowatts to 5 megawatts of electricity, delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for eight-plus years without refueling. It can also produce high temperature heat suitable for industrial applications including alternative fuel production such as hydrogen, and has the flexibility to balance renewable output. The technology is 100 percent factory built and assembled before it is shipped in a container to any location.
