Nuclear power's contribution to UAE's decarbonization pathways: a lifecycle assessment perspective.
The energy trilemma framework, which balances energy security, environmental sustainability, and energy equity, underpins the UAE's National Energy Strategy 2050, which seeks to diversify the energy mix and reduce carbon emissions. As part of this strategy, the UAE has pursued peaceful nuclear energ...
| Publicado en: | Journal of Industrial Ecology Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 363 - 374 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
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Springer Nature
Apr2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=193563985&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 193563985 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10881980 FL1 jtl: Journal of Industrial Ecology issn: 10881980 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Apr2026 vid: 30 iid: 1 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 193563985 10.1007/s44498-026-00025-z ppf: 363 ppct: 11 formats: tig: atl: Nuclear power's contribution to UAE's decarbonization pathways: a lifecycle assessment perspective. aug: au: Acquaye, Adolf Alzaabi, Mariam Manea Hamad Eisa Foulon, Francois Addad, Yacine affil: https://ror.org/05hffr360 Department of Management Science and Engineering, Khalifa University, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE https://ror.org/05hffr360 Research and Innovation Center On CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH), Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE https://ror.org/05hffr360 Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE su: United Arab Emirates Middle East Nuclear power plants Energy development Energy policy Nuclear energy Product life cycle assessment Clean energy Carbon dioxide mitigation Process optimization sug: subj: Nuclear power plants Energy development Energy policy Nuclear energy United Arab Emirates Middle East Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities Nuclear Electric Power Generation Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction Product life cycle assessment Clean energy Carbon dioxide mitigation Process optimization keyword: Barakah Carbon emissions Decarbonization Hybrid LCA Pressurized water reactor UAE Barakah Carbon emissions Decarbonization Hybrid LCA Pressurized water reactor UAE ab: The energy trilemma framework, which balances energy security, environmental sustainability, and energy equity, underpins the UAE's National Energy Strategy 2050, which seeks to diversify the energy mix and reduce carbon emissions. As part of this strategy, the UAE has pursued peaceful nuclear energy to generate low-carbon electricity and improve performance across all three dimensions of the trilemma. In 2024, the final unit of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, a Generation III + APR1400 facility entered commercial operation. While nuclear energy is widely considered a low-carbon source, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have shown significant variability in emissions, with reported interquartile ranges between 47 and 220 gCO/kWh. Moreover, few LCA studies focus on nuclear plants operating in arid or Middle Eastern contexts, creating a gap in region-specific data necessary for evidence-based policymaking. To address this, the study applies a Hybrid LCA to quantify the full direct and indirect carbon emissions associated with Barakah's 60-year operational life. Results estimate lifecycle emissions at 6.35 gCO/kWh, well below typical global averages. A scenario analysis comparing the current 18-month refueling cycle with an alternative 24-month cycle highlights opportunities for operational optimization and further emissions reduction. A sensitivity analysis also examines the influence of temporal boundaries on results. The findings not only demonstrate Barakah's contribution to the UAE's decarbonization goals but also provide a transparent benchmark for nuclear performance in similar regional and technological contexts. This study supports the development of targeted, data-driven energy policy and enhances understanding of nuclear energy's lifecycle sustainability. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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