Tim Abney serves as Senior Director of International New Build Services at EXCEL Services Corporation, bringing one of the most distinctive and consequential careers in international nuclear licensing to the role. With over 45 years of nuclear industry experience, Mr. Abney is best known for his landmark achievement as Director of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE — the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world. He managed all licensing and regulatory affairs for the 4-unit project from inception in a country with no existing nuclear law or regulations through the successful issuance of operating licenses for all four units in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Mr. Abney’s approach to the Barakah project exemplifies his career-defining strength: developing innovative licensing strategies in complex, first-of-a-kind environments. He built the licensing and regulatory affairs organization from the ground up, obtained all 30 licenses and permits required for construction and operation, managed the regulatory activities of prime contractor KEPCO in their first project outside South Korea, and developed a novel limited construction license strategy that enabled first safety-related concrete to be poured three months ahead of schedule — with no project delays attributable to licensing. Prior to Barakah, Mr. Abney held senior licensing and regulatory roles at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and spent 25 years at Tennessee Valley Authority, where he led licensing for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, including the restart of Unit 1 after a 17-year shutdown.
Ask Tim about: international new build licensing, nuclear regulatory framework development, license & permit strategy (construction & operating), regulatory affairs management, NRC & international regulator interface, regulator inspection management, license basis document compliance, new reactor feasibility studies, technology selection & evaluation, BWR fleet licensing & regulatory support, power uprates & license renewal, Quality Assurance oversight, Corrective Action Program Management, project management & scheduling