US firm Thorium Power has revealed its recently announced consulting and strategic advisory service agreements are with a UAE government entity involved in the country’s evaluation of a domestic nuclear energy programme.

To date, the company has entered into two business agreements as announced on December 3, 2007 and March 18, 2008. The public acknowledgement of the consultancy agreement between the two parties follows completion of a number of pending tasks by the federal government of the UAE, including the release of a comprehensive policy on the evaluation and potential implementation of a peaceful nuclear energy programme within the UAE.
The UAE policy document was publicly launched on April 20, 2008 following extensive consultations by UAE government authorities with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as numerous national governments, including the government of the United States.
Under the two previously announced agreements, Thorium Power entered into a $3.8 million contract to assist in the development of a roadmap report with recommendations related to the possible establishment of a civil nuclear energy programme in the UAE based on the principles of transparency, non-proliferation, safety and regulatory compliance.
Under the second, larger contract, with professional fees of $4.3 million, Thorium Power is currently consulting in the development of timelines, organisational structure and priorities for the establishment of a Nuclear Energy Programme Implementation Organisation (Nepio) as well as an independent federal Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA). Thorium Power received pre-payments covering professional fees and certain expenses of $5 million and $4.2 million for the contracts respectively.